Operating a small business sometimes means that you don’t have the resources to do everything. For example, you want to grow your business. But you don’t want to spend all your spare cash on marketing. You could save money by doing personal outreach. But then, you’d have less time to serve the new customers you hope to gain. If only there were a way to gain new clients that didn’t take a lot of time or money.

You know what’s coming next, right? There is a way! 

Referrals. 

Referrals are a type of word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing. A referral can be as simple as one friend telling another, 

“Hey, I had an awesome time at this new park last week.” 

A request from a friend can also prompt a referral,

“I need a new hairdresser. Do you know anyone good?”

These types of referrals are called “organic” because they occur naturally. You don’t have to rely on organic referrals alone to grow your business, though. Give nature a little boost by encouraging your clients to refer their friends and family. 

Over the past several years, Massage Envy has expanded across North America, bringing a recognizable name and a fixed menu of treatment options. When a Massage Envy franchised location moves into your neighborhood, your first thoughts may be of dread. If everyone is hearing and talking about the new Massage Envy in town, will they stop coming to see you? 

Before you panic, though, take a closer look at what happens when Massage Envy comes to town. Massage Envy’s growth is built on bringing massage to the masses. To do that, they advertise. Individual franchisees invest in local marketing, and the national brand supplements their effort with its own ad spend, research and creative support. 

That’s good for them, of course. But, it’s also good for you. 

No, I’m not kidding. 

You know that saying, a rising tide lifts all ships? Well, when Massage Envy’s advertising raises awareness about massage and spa treatments, it raises awareness about the treatments you offer, too. 

Loyal customers are a powerful growth engine for any business. But in today’s competitive market, it takes more than just doing a good job to nurture customer loyalty. Modern customers view brands holistically, examining every aspect of their relationship with a business when deciding which ones have earned their loyalty. They seek businesses that deliver top-notch services and with which they feel personally connected. Lose that connection, and you may lose your client to a competing massage business. 

But don’t worry, maintaining your customer relationships isn’t difficult. 

In this article, we’ll explain how you can engage with your clients between appointments to ensure that when they think about booking a massage, it's you that they call.

Customer engagement builds lasting value 

Does engaging with your clients between appointments really pay off? Yes! 

Maintaining your client relationships increases your customer retention rates (reducing churn) and your revenue. Your most engaged clients are also the ones most likely to...

It may seem too good to be true, but adding one simple request to your appointment reminders can reduce your no-show rates. What’s that request and why does it work? That’s what we’re going to share in this article. But first, let’s talk about why you should care about your no-show rate. 

No-shows are a drag (on your time and resources)

The main reason to avoid no-shows or last minute cancellations is that when your client leaves you standing in the treatment room empty-handed, you lose money. Aside from that, it’s just plain frustrating. You’ve planned for that appointment, maybe even brought in staff for coverage, and now that time and cost is wasted. Plus, you’ll now have to expend more time following-up with your absent client to reschedule and may throw your client’s treatment plan off track.  

To help you combat no-shows, we developed the No-Show Prevention Playbook. This free resource details how to create and enforce a bullet-proof cancellation policy. It also includes tips for how to avoid having to enforce your cancellation policy. Because no one wants to have to scold their clients. Everyone is much better off if clients keep their appointments and no-shows never happen. 

One of the strategies we recommend in the playbook is to...

When you first opened your massage business, customer acquisition was probably a top priority. Getting your name out there and convincing clients to give you a try is critical to any business’s early success. But if you’re still focusing all of your attention on gaining new massage therapy clients, you may be missing out on one of your business’s greatest assets--its existing clients. 

Loyal clients are the solid foundation on which your business will grow and thrive. 

When you invest in nurturing long-term customer relationships, you gain:

• Higher customer lifetime values (CLTV). Each time the client books an appointment, the total value of your earnings from that client increases. A client who books monthly sessions each month for 5 years has an average CLTV of $4000. Compare this to a customer who books just one or two sessions in total. 
• Free word-of-mouth marketing. Your loyal clients are more likely to recommend you to their friends. Plus, consumers consider reviews and recommendations from existing clients as among the most credible sources of information about a business. 
• Less client management stress. Established clients are familiar with your business, and you are familiar with them. You’ve made it past the onboarding stage. This means there’s less risk of misunderstandings and small mistakes are more likely to be forgiven.
• Increased sales. Research indicates that established clients tend to spend more per visit than new clients. They are also more likely to try new products and services. 

Now, let’s take a look at how you can execute a customer retention plan and reap these benefits for your massage therapy business.

It may seem like big corporations are taking over the massage therapy marketplace, but you have something no franchised massage businesses can replicate. Beat the competition by demonstrating your professional knowledge and experience. 

Whenever independent businesses in a particular industry are profitable, it is only a matter of time before a large corporation decides it wants in. Then, they begin building multiple corporate-owned or franchised locations, all using the same business model, style and branding. The massage industry is one of the latest businesses to face this corporate invasion, with Massage Envy leading the pack. 

Using a franchise model, Massage Envy has expanded rapidly. There are now more than 1,150 Massage Envy locations in the US. Franchise owners benefit from Massage Envy’s business guidance, advertising support and highly-recognizable brand name. 

How can you compete with all that? 

By being what Massage Envy isn’t. 

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.