5 minute read
Flying start
MAKING A GREAT START
Magdalena Vonk shares how to make sure your new business gets off to the best start…
LOTS of people dream about starting their own business, but relatively few ever make those dreams a reality, because it takes a lot more to create a successful business than it does to daydream.
Assuming that you’ve taken accredited training courses, you may already be a student member of an industry body and hold student insurance. Once you’re fully qualified, it is essential that you change your membership category from student to graduate and do the same with your insurance. Make sure you know your insurance provider requirements to ensure you are keeping within them – otherwise you may not be insured. Most providers will require you to keep records of each client session for a set period of time and follow particular safe storage requirements.
Start with a plan
A business plan is like a GPS system, guiding you to success, working out the most efficient route and helping you when you make a change in direction. A business plan includes a marketing roadmap, addresses finances, training and staff and provides an idea of the structure of your business and plans for future years. A business plan is a fluid structure and changes as your business evolves and takes shape.
You can get advice on how to write a plan from The Prince’s Trust (www.princes-trust.org. uk) and the government website (www.gov.uk/ write-business-plan). You can also check with your local business enterprise company who can provide training and support.
If you are relying on a bank loan to start your business, a business plan is essential if you need to borrow money.
Finding the right place
Finding the right premises is important. This has to be more of a head decision than a heart one, so take your time. You need to ensure that your premises meet all your and your clients’ needs e.g. space, type of flooring, noise, neighbours, parking and location. You don’t want to rush this and end up in a space that doesn’t work and that’s not somewhere your clients will feel comfortable visiting.
Money matters
If you are new to finance, and especially business bookkeeping, you need to take some time to learn about this. If you need to take a loan to start your business, it is important to know how you are planning on paying it back and to calculate the basic income your business must generate to meet those payments.
As a new business owner, you will require a business account. Don’t use your personal bank account, because it is good practice to keep the two separate and also facilitates tracking income and expenditure. You’ll also need to register the business with HMRC online, though your accountant could do this for you.
You’ll have a lot of outgoings when starting up. It can be tempting to buy a great many things, but it’s wiser to create a list of what you already have in terms of equipment and products. Then look at what purchases are essential and which are merely nice to have. Research prices thoroughly and check out local marketplace sites, because you may find a second hand bargain. Similarly, if your premises need to be altered or refurbished, get several quotes and consider if there’s work you could do yourself.
Looking back at my own first months in business, I wish I hadn’t gone crazy on Vista Print. Branding has its place, but I soon learned that no-one bases their choice of massage business on the basis of a free pen or cheap notepad. Save yourself money and stick to some basic leaflets and business cards.
What will you offer?
You’ll need to decide on what services and treatments you will offer and whether this will be a narrow specialism, or a broader range of services. How will you stand out from your competitors?
You’ll need to research the local market. Check out your competitors online and work out who offers what and how much they charge. It will probably be best to offer similar prices – but always make sure you set prices that will be profitable.
If you can, try out various businesses in your area, as a customer. This is hugely effective as you can then choose the best things from all of them to implement in your own business.
You also need to think about who your ideal clients will be. Once you have this, you can think about how you can attract them: Where will you advertise? Newspapers, leaflets, local magazines, or/and social media?
Create a marketing plan and ensure you review and amend it when you see which of your efforts are working and which are not helpful.
Soon after I qualified, I advertised my business as “Relaxing Massages”. I had a website and all the merchandise promoted this. After a few months in business, I realised I was better at giving deep tissue / sport massage than relaxing massages. More importantly, my clients asked me more frequently for injury work and post injury support rather than they did for stress reducing treatments. Eventually, I had changed the name of the business as the old one made no sense to my clients or to me. We all need to allow ourselves time to figure out what we need. If possible, give yourself a little time before you choose a domain name and logo. It’s easier and cheaper to change your social media page name than it is to redirect your page to different website address It’s often tempting to go to every possible networking event, but I find that my clients are much better at spreading the work than I was. You will not get recommendations from people that do not know you, so keep in mind that real networking and building connections takes time. I don’t recommend signing up to an expensive annual contracts or join expensive networking groups when your business is not yet bringing in enough money to pay your bills.
Similarly, don’t offer your services for free in hope people will try and love them. Discounted introductory offers are usually fine to gather the interest but overall, you want to encourage people who will become your regular customer and will have enough expendable income to allow this.
Make sure that you speak to people who are ready to invest in your services. Ensure you know who your (potential) clients are and that you direct your marketing at them.
Your new business may start off as a dream, but getting the basics right can turn that dream into a reality. n
iMAGDALENA VONK is a therapist and tutor in Cheltenham. Her passion is helping other therapists to get as much as possible out of their businesses. If you have any questions related to running a massage therapy business email her at
