You’ve probably had someone tell you that to grow your business, you simply need to earn more and spend less. Attaining real success is a little more complicated, though. How exactly do you earn more money and spend less so that your business can grow?

In this article, we’ll discuss a real method that works--gaining rebookings from your clients. 

Booking repeat customers reduces your administrative costs and increases your revenue per customer. Of course, rebookings also keep your schedule full so that your business keeps earning. 

The best time to acquire a rebooking is right after a successful treatment session. But that doesn’t always happen. Maybe your client was in a hurry to leave or wasn’t sure when they’d be able to come back for another session. Even if it doesn’t happen at checkout, rebooking your existing clients is still a simple and cost-effective way to build your business. 

All you have to do is re-engage their attention and then ask them again. How? Personally follow-up with your clients who don’t rebook after their appointment. Call, text or email your clients and ask them how they are doing. 

Are late-arrivals and last-minute cancellations disrupting your schedule and costing you money? Many service businesses struggle with how to  manage tardy and no-show clients. Doing nothing is bad for your business. Every time someone reserves your time then fails to show up, you lose money. Late arrivals disrupt your schedule and shortening a session to account for lost time can lead to a bad customer experience. 

But deciding exactly what to do about no-shows and late arrivals can be difficult. Should you charge clients for your lost time or refuse to book them in the future? How do you strike the right balance between protecting your business income and nurturing positive, lasting client relationships? 

In this article, we’ll explore taking a proactive approach to no-show prevention. 

Today we're excited to announce that ClinicSense is now integrated with Square Terminal!

This means that you can send a payment seamlessly from your ClinicSense account to your Square Terminal device for in-person payments. Accept debit and credit cards and even Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Watch the video below on how it works:

We've tried to anticipate some questions about this new integration (click on the question to view the response):

1. Do I have to use Square?
   
2. How do I buy a Square Terminal? How much does it cost?
   
3. Does ClinicSense connect with Square Reader?
   
4. How do I connect my ClinicSense account to my Square account?
5. How do I connect my ClinicSense account to my Square Terminal device?
6. I currently use Stripe and would now like to use Square. How do I do that?
7. Can I connect more than one Square account to my ClinicSense account?
8. Can I sync another device to ClinicSense?

If you have any additional questions, please submit a support ticket and we'll be happy to help.

Have a great day!

In some markets, Massage Envy has become a major source of competition for independent massage therapy practices. Like an invasive species, its franchised locations spring up in an area and then begin to spread. Can your business hold its ground and prevent Massage Envy from stealing your customers? Yes. You can. With some strategic marketing strategies, you can even turn the tables and take customers away from Massage Envy! Here’s how. 

Do a little competitive research to discover Massage Envy’s weaknesses

Massage Envy offers a one-size-fits-most model for selling massage treatments, leaving plenty of room for businesses that offer a more personalized experience to stand out. Start by doing some research to find out what local customers are saying about Massage Envy’s weaknesses. Check out the online reviews for nearby Massage Envy locations. You can find customer reviews on each location’s Google My Business listing, Facebook page, and on Yelp. 

Find out what customers don’t like about their Massage Envy experience and what treatments they wish the brand offered.

Look for other sources of information, too. Often, people will share their experiences in online forums or via social media posts. Local and regional blogs and news outlets may also publish articles about the brand. Use keyword searches to look for recent mentions of Massage Envy online. 

Next, use this information to turn Massage Envy clients into yours. 

You have to spend money to make money. We’ve all heard the saying and know it to be true. Providing services to your clients and earning their loyalty requires an investment of time, effort and money. Ultimately, your massage therapy business’s profitability depends on your ability to achieve the best possible return on your investments. You can do that by making sure you maximize the value you gain from each of your clients. 

Every client you obtain comes at a cost. You had to spend money on marketing or other acquisition strategies to bring that client to your door. This is your customer acquisition cost (CAC). You won’t start making a profit until the amount that your client spends with you exceeds their CAC. Of course, the more often a client visits your practice and the longer they remain a customer, the more that profit component will grow. 

That’s why retaining loyal clients and regaining lapsed ones is so important. You’ve already made an investment in the client relationship. Maintaining allows you to reap the rewards.  

But what can you do if a client stops booking appointments with you? Can you win them back? 

If your massage therapy business experiences no-shows that disrupt your schedule and your cash flow, you aren’t alone. Almost every personal service business has felt the pain of no-shows at some point. But, you don’t have to accept a continuous stream of no-shows as your status quo. If you want to put a stop to your clients failing to keep their appointments, attack the problem at its source. 

No-shows are the symptom, you need to treat the cause. 

Why do people fail to show up for their scheduled massage therapy appointments? 

While everyone has their own reasons, there are some commonalities when it comes to no-shows. For example, some people fail to show because they fail to recognize the impact their lack of commitment has on you and your business. In other words, they don’t take your business seriously or aren’t aware of your no-show policy. 

Other clients may realize they need to cancel, but can’t find an easy or convenient way to get in touch with you--so they just fail to show instead. Nervousness and concerns about the cost can also get in the way of your clients showing up for their scheduled appointments. 

And, it should come as no surprise that if your client has a bad experience with your business, they may decide not to keep a future appointment. 

One of the top reasons people fail to keep their appointments is...

At the heart of every successful business are successful billing practices. To close the loop on the valuable services you provide to your clients, you need to get paid. In previous articles, we’ve talked about when and how much you should bill for your services. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to create invoices that ease the payment process for you and your clients. 

Include all the information your clients need to ensure timely payments

Your invoice serves as your record that you requested payment. So, it needs to include details about their treatment and you. 

Each invoice should have:

• A unique identifier. Use either a unique number or letter and number combination so that you and your client can easily identify the invoice attached to each treatment and payment.
  
  
• Client and treatment details. Include your client’s name and contact information, the treatments or services provided and their dates. Remember that you may include more than one fee on an invoice so be sure to itemize with sufficient details about each item, including any product purchases, taxes or additional fees.
  
  Also, if you or your client will be seeing payment or reimbursement from government or private insurers, you should include details such as the name and ID of any referring physician or the relevant treatment code to help validate the claim.

A Massage Envy franchise is opening nearby, what does that mean for your massage therapy business? 

The wave of ads touting convenient hours of operation and low introductory prices that accompany a Massage Envy (ME) grand opening, might make you feel anxious. When a new ME comes to town, you might even see a temporary decline in bookings. Your clients may decide to visit the new shop to see what all the buzz is about. 

But, as an experienced business owner, you know that it takes more than hype to keep a business operating profitably. 

What will you do to retain your customers and grow your business if ME moves into your neighborhood? 

If your first instinct is to try to match Massage Envy’s entry-level prices, take a moment to reconsider. What do customers really get when they book an appointment with Massage Envy? Are they sacrificing quality, value-added services for a lower price? Give them a better choice.

You can distance yourself from ME and pull ahead in the race for customers by offering a better quality experience at a higher price and increase your revenue at the same time. 

Here’s what I mean....

When you were a kid, did your parents ever buy you a booklet of coupons to your favorite fast-food restaurant or theme park? Maybe you’ve purchased season tickets for your favourite sports team. Or maybe you take advantage of 20% off with a prepaid offer at your local car wash? Why do businesses sell pre-paid packages? Because they increase sales and please customers.

When you offer a series of treatments in a single-purchase package, you get an upfront payment plus a commitment from your client to continue visiting you. To make the sale, you’ll offer your clients some benefit in return--usually a discounted price. For example, if a single session regularly costs $100, you might offer clients a package of 5 treatments for $450 (a 10% discount) and 10 treatments for $800 (a 20% discount). 

Think about it. If you sell just one of each package per month, that’s an extra $1,250 in monthly sales--or an additional $15,000 a year. 

Follow these tips to make your package sales soar

First, to build your bookings by selling packages, determine the minimum amount you need to earn per treatment session. This will be your discount limit. In other words, if you must make at least $80 per session to maintain a healthy budget, don’t offer a discount that drops your earning below this amount.

You are being judged by your customers. Before, during, and after their treatment sessions, your clients are evaluating how they feel about their experience. Each interaction is an opportunity to impress or distress them--to make them want to see you again or seek a new provider. This includes the interactions that occur outside treatment such as appointment scheduling, and your intake and billing processes. 

In fact, asked to select all the non-treatment factors that impact how healthcare consumers rate their experience, 60% included the ease of booking appointments and 45% the ease of the intake or registration process on their lists. 

Does your current intake process deliver a positive experience for your clients? Does it give you access to the information you need to provide personalized, professional treatment to each of your clients? Follow these tips to make a good impression on your clients. 

Make sure you schedule enough time for intakes and updates

Paperwork is a hassle. Although the information you gather during intake is important, filling out forms isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. Reduce intake friction by making your forms...