Saying Goodbye

[khadijah]

I will be closing my office soon so I can move and go back to school. Any suggestions on how or what to tell clients would be greatly appreciated. Here's what I'm thinking.....sending a letter out SOON telling clients I will be closing my office on (date--sometime in August, it's not finalized yet), let any gift certificate holders know they need to get an appointment scheduled (all of the gift certificates I have sold will expire before I move) and will not be selling any more gift certificates. Just before I leave, send another letter suggesting a few massage therapists in the area and a short, personalized thank you. It is going to be SO hard to say goodbye to them!!! *sniffle*This area is home for me so I will be back for visits and would like to keep in touch with some of the clients. I have a couple of opportunities as far as having an office available when I am in town so I could catch up with clients occasionally. Do I try to keep that going or do I just move on?!?!

 

[[======]]

Sadie,   Thats a tough call.  I would start by telling your regulars in a face to face contact.  I don't think I would like to recieve a letter when I saw my therapist a week ago.  Another thing to think about,  is there a therapist that you like that might want to buy your client list.  (make a little money by sending them all to one therapist)  I had another therapist across the street and she decided to retire.  She came to me and asked if I would take over her treatment clients.  I tried to pay her (your recommendation will go far with your clients).  She finally said 'OK, you can buy me lunch."  I know it wasn't much but she felt better knowing that her clients had value with me before I ever saw any.  I still work on alot of them.

 

[The Conceited Bastard]

Saying Goodbye

Send out the letter's and tellling them a proposed date. And then the week you are leaving or closing the door send out another letter giving the name or names of another therapist is what I would do. And the ones I was close to I would tell them face to face. I am sure they are all going to miss you as much as you are going to miss them. I would also give them a little price break for a special last time with you.By the way good luck.

 

[Trey]

Saying Goodbye

I am personally telling clients who are scheduled in the next couple weeks (which is 90% or so) and those who aren't booked, I'm sending a letter. So far, no one has actually broken into tears but several were close this is SO hard! Everyone is being great about it and business is actually picking up again. Go figure! My every two week clients are coming in every week until I leave....at least most of them are. I'll have to come to thise site to get my "massage business fix" every so often. It will be different being back in school and my studies will not be massage centered for a while. Thanks guys!!!

 

[Darn]

Sadie, I think you're under-estimating the worth your practice.  Of course, you should let your clients know you'll be leaving but you should try to sell your practice to another therapist as well.  Think about how much you make in a year and offer it at a perceneforum.xxxe of its worth (more if you're selling equipment).   Any other business-person would sell any other business if they could.  You should do the same.  Good luck in the future endeavors.  Joe E.

 

[Tiger Dude]

Saying Goodbye

I will not be selling my practice nor will I be selling any equipment. My office space was rented so I won't even be selling real estate. I don't feel right about "selling" my clients to another therapist--I'd rather my clients choose their new therapist. Besides, what goes around, comes around. It will all pay off in the end. I appreciate the advice and may consider it if I'm in a similar position down the road. It's just not what is right for me now.

 

[COOL FOR CATS]

Saying Goodbye

Good for you Sadie.... Its good to know that their are good people out there who beleive in letting there own people choose without getting apid dor it. Don't get me wrong... I know we all work very hard to build up our business. But at the same time we also don't want our people to think all they were to us was a number.

 

[Allan W]

Saying Goodbye

I really hope you didn't misunderstand Joe's suggestion. I don't think he meant your clients as sellable. It was a very sound business idea that many have looked into and successfully accomplished. It can be done with the highest of ethics and morals.On another related note, I think it would be a very generous gesture to have someone to reccommend your clients go to in your absence. To me, that would seem very much like you were looking out for their best interests..... especially if you reccommend someone who approaches their business with similar ethics as you have, maybe even works in a similar fashion, or offers services for the same pricing, etc.I'm taking maternity leave very soon, and have very selectively chosen someone to take over my clientele while I'm gone. I could have sublet or charged her a perceneforum.xxxe, etc, but I opted not to do that. she is using my room, my equipment, working on my clients.... the whole kit & caboodle. She is only responsible for paying my rent and taking care of my clients so they don't have to look for quality bodywork elsewhere while I learn how to be a Mom. When I return to work, we'll share the space & divvy hours, etc. Some of my clients will obviously continue with her, but if she continues to build the clientele & strengthen the business, I will profit by walking back into a healthy business situation.I know that everyone needs to tailor a move, or leaving business, etc in different ways. There are lots of different ways to approach a move or hiatus, etc..... I just felt badly that Joe's post was taken as cold or otherwise not like 'good people out there'. Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Jamie in hiding]

Saying Goodbye

I did not take Joe's suggestions as cold or unethical. I realize the benefits of selling a business. I don't feel like there is another therapist in the area who could give similar bodywork. I have found a therapist I truely enjoy but her location is a problem. She's at least a half an hour from my office. I don't think many of my clients will continue with her just based on location. If she were closer, I'd sell to her. Instead I'm going to refer clients to a few therapists based on talent, location and specific client needs. I feel it would be in their best interest and to be honest, my best interest. I am leaving to go back to school. I may end up back in this area and don't want to feel obligated to buy my business back. As I mentioned before, it may be an option I consider if in a similar situation but right now, it's not what I need to do.

 

[Ella U]

Saying Goodbye

I like reading Joes commits. They are all great. I was just saying for me, I don't think I could sell my people. Or that is what I would fell like. But, then again Im just starting out too. Who knows!!!! ??? Otherwise KEEP IT COMMING JOE. I like reading what you have to say. It's really help me out alot.

 

[Pompal 09.]

It's Joe here, everyone can relax, I didn't take any of your comments negatively.  Everyone makes different decisions based on what they think is best.  I understand that you don't want to sell your practice but I will say, I can't understand why.  I respect my clients immensely but they are clients all the same.  I work for a living and happen to have the privilege of loving the work I do.  I just think that massage therapists in general under-value themselves.  They feel as though they are betraying "the work" if they want to make good money at it.  And please, Sadie, this is not directed to you at all, it's a general observation that the post got me thinking about not your reply.  I look at it this way, if I see 20 clients a week at $50.00 a session (which is too low but works for my example), that's $1,000 a week, aproximately $45,000 a year (I know the math doesn't work but I accounted for some time off).  Even if half of the clients walk on the new therapist, that's still $22,500.  Who wouldn't pay 20% of that or 4,500 (and I think that's low), for the benefit of what they are going to immediately make.  Call me crazy but I think (me included) that we buy into our own images sometimes.  A little story, I was at a party recently and had a few glasses of wine and decided to have a cigarette (a nasty, horrible habit I know, I know) but a decision that is my choice as an adult.  Low and behold, I see a client at the party.  Instantly, I'm 13 years old and my mother just caught me smoking behind the shed!  "you're a massage therapist, you drink, you smoke, oh my!".  I was just a guy before I was a massage therapist.  My point about selling the practice was more about not under-valuing yourself and not about under-valuing your clients as if they were "sell-able".  Good luck Sadie, did I miss it but I don't know what you're going off to study.  Is school far away, or do you just want to concentrate on school?   All my best, Joe

 

[FliPp_Havok_13]

Saying Goodbye

I'm off to the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts to participate in their Transformational Psychology program. As part of my studies I will become a certified hypnotherapist, will obtain training in Dream Yoga (something I'm very unfamiliar with at this point) and take some massage courses along the way. Home is Idaho, school is Arizona....I think that's pretty far. I would love to do a little massage while I'm in school but think I'll will focus more on developing my artistic abilities. I've been wanting to study at SWIHA for a couple of years and finally decided that there is no better time than now. If you want to know more about the school, take a look for yourself... http://www.swiha.orgJill/sagetherapist obtained at least part, maybe even all of her training there. I have only taken a weekend intensive but LOVED it!

 

[ironpony521]

Joe E.,  I couldn't agree more.  I think as a whole we do underestimate our value.  Both as Healthcare providers and as business owners.  I feel that the school that I went to did a great job of teaching me how to do massage, but that they didn't teach me how to run a business.  I was lucky to have that in my background.  Maybe more of us would continue in massage if we knew more about the business part.  I know that out of my class there is about 5 (out of 25) of us still in the field.  I know most of us base our decisions on the massage aspect and not the business aspect.  I am not saying that it is wrong, just a different view then most people would look at.  I have had many people tell me "you would make more money, if you did this...."  It is not always right for us.  Should we become more business focused or more 'Art' focused?  I am not trying to be negative in anyway.  I think it is something we need to discuss.  I know I tend to be more business then 'art' but it is different for everyone.  Do others tend to lean the other way?BTW-Joe, It seems we think alike on most matters (at least your post seem like that to me)  So I would say we are problably more business centered ( This is not to take away from our abilities or repoire with our clients).  I was just wondering were we all stand.

 

[Clare [:]

Saying Goodbye

Speaking from the other side...I bought a massage practice 3 1/2 years ago. My former "boss" had two practices and she slowly morphed her way out of the Manhattan practice by bringing me in to treat her clients once a week, then a month later, two days a week and so on, till she maybe came in twice a month. Her clients got used to me and actually started to request me. I think it may have been hard on her ego, but her concentration and dedication were not there anymore and I was eager and longing for more independence. After one year I proposed to buy the practice and she took the deal! I felt good paying her because I COULD have stolen it right out from under her. Alot of clients actually suggested this. They didn't want to be making the check out to her anymore, especially the newer people who hadn't even met her. But I felt strongly about not feeling like I had taken something that wasn't mine. I was able to say goodbye to her with a good heart, and confident that I had my own business. If I ever leave the biz, I will probably do the same.

 

[BWphotos]

Saying Goodbye

My clients are being so great! Of course, they aren't thrilled with the idea of me moving but they are being very supportive. It is nice to know I will be missed. Everyone I've told has booked more frequent appointments until I leave. Most of them have even been much more open about speaking in terms of energy and past lives. None of that has come up before. It's been very strange the past couple of weeks!

 

[worldwide surprise]

Sadie, I'm so glad the transition is working out and evolving right up until the end.  I think it's great to see how many lives you've affected and that our services are so valued. BigDog, yeah, I am business focused but I love the work immensely.  I worked in marketing for 14 years before I became a massage therapist so I guess it's just a part of me.   BUT, I left for a reason and it was definitely the best decision.  It's the work that keeps me going so I figure I might as well maximize the dollars while I'm doing what I love and best of all, I think it's worth it.  Joe E.

 

[danielblarg]

Saying Goodbye

Iam glad that Joe is so bussiness focused. Cause every question I have had to ask Joe has had really the best answer. (no suck up) Just that, I started posting here to get good sound responses. Sadie, Calico, Joe and a few others have really gotten me in tune. My goal now is within two to three years and with I feel enough experence I will be able to open my own day spa. At least here I 'll see the do's and don'ts. Yes Im sure I'll still make some mistakes along the way but at least I'll know what works and what doesn't.

 

[answer my question!]

That's really very nice of you to say, thanks.  I like this forum and I think it's important that we share ideas and experiences.  Too many in our profession fail because of lack of experience, injury or income.  It's important to help each other so that massage therapists don't have to continue to have second jobs or rely on their spouses, partners or families to stay afloat.  We all succeed when one succeeds.  Joe E.    

 

[Cassandra F]

Joe,  I have to admit, I really enjoy your answers as well.  I also believe that if we work togather that we can make it a 'full time' profession.  When I first went to school I had no intention of making it a career.  I was going just to learn something new.  I was suppose to be in law school and decided I didn't want to be a lawyer.  About half way through school I decided that I could really enjoy doing this.  I decided that I didn't want to always have two jobs, so I made massage work for me.  I found the value I put on massage the more value my clients put on it.    I work with a school in the area, and I always get asked about too much competition around.  I started telling the students about the check cashing stores.  They started out with just one in every town, now where there is one there is another across the street.  It has become a way of life.  That is what we need with massage, it must be a way of life.  We need to have more (educated) therapists in the market place that way erveryone sees numerous therapist and think 'everyone else is doing it."Keep up the good work Joe E., Sadie, Calico, Sage.

 

[freebienutter]

Saying Goodbye

Alot of people had a profession before becoming a massage therapist. I was the youngest student in my massage school by 4 or 5 years. Enrolling at the Swedish Institute of New York right out of high school, I was a chiropractic assistant during my massage education. I completely submerged myself in the alternative medicine field, and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I got really bad grades in high school and I was a totally rebellious teenager. When people from my home town hear how well I'm doing, they are shocked. Sometimes it takes some people time to find their niche. I was extremely lucky to have gotten the right ideas as early as I did. I know I won't be able to do 6 hours of massage a day forever, that's why I knew I couldn't just work for a spa or gym. I knew I had to take initiative and risk opening my own practice. HappyHands, good luck to you and if you make those goals for yourself, you WILL reach them. So many people don't have a plan, and they don't have direction. It sounds like you're on the right track. And although I've been in this business for quite some time, I still learn something EVERY TIME I log onto this site. Thank you to all of you who share your thoughts, feelings, expertise and training.