Starting My Journey From Spa To Sole Practitioner

Greetings! My name is Jack Lowe. Over the next few months, on the ClinicSense blog, I’m going to be sharing with you all of the successes and bumps in the road on the way to changing my job and career path from working at a spa to starting my own business as a sole practitioner. Together, we’re jumping in with both feet, so let’s get going.

For a little over a year, I have had the good fortune to work for an active and well-managed spa. I have completed well over 1000 massage sessions with a close to even split of 60 and 90 minutes each. In that time I have been able to take full advantage of the stellar massage program where I was educated and trained by top-notch instructors that encouraged me to be an inquisitive, creative and thoughtful therapist. My instructors were life long learners their passion for massage therapy and penchant for excellence rubbed off on me. I’ve continued to learn new modalities and have been absorbing all approaches to manual therapy that integrate safely within our scope of practice.

I have recently come to realize that it is time for me to transition into my own practice even though I currently only have 6 private clients (have table, will travel) that I have cultivated outside of the spa culture that I have been working in. I’m not afraid of this challenge, but even though there was a great section, in massage school, on starting one’s own business, I don’t have the same passion for business as I do for therapy and have been finding it difficult to get started with the nuts and bolts of a business plan.

The other day, after a very satisfied client had just left our session, I was once again reminded of how often massage is the first modality a person turns to address minor pain, stiffness, discomfort or a need to relax. Therapeutic Massage can then become their regular destination for continued soothing, or a steppingstone for helping to pinpoint other modalities or expertise, that may be needed, for helping to resolve what ails them.

Then it hit me to stop facing the same obstacle of resisting giving up my passion as a therapist for a business plan and re-conceptualizes my goals and objectives in terms of being able to offer even better service by being able to expand my practice into a more holistic endeavour of health and quality of life as well as relaxation and soothing.

To this end I’ve realized that I first need to do a personal strategic plan. I need to dig deep within myself. I need to clarify my values and priorities. I need to solidify my vision and mission as a human being, practicing Massage Therapist, and advocate for people’s optimal wellness and longevity.

So, here’s how I’m going to start with my personal strategic plan and subsequently my business plan: I’m going to take my lead from the “for-profit” and “not-for-profit” business worlds and start my strategic plan with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. While starting this new adventure, I will continue to improve, expand and embellish my therapeutic skills and knowledge, focused on working with my clients to the best of my ability.

If you have said or are about to say- Yep! The time has come. I invite you to join me in the process and journey. Till the next, Jack.