Environmently friendly massage in Melbourne? Does anybody think about a “green” massage here in Australia? Who cares about a eco friendly massage? The energy prices and water prices are soaring in Australia and make my little business more and more expensive to run. But you still want to I thought I give it a shot and look at some eco friendly improvements to my little massage clinic in Doncaster East, Vic.

More and more people are interested in living their lives in an environmentally friendly way. So I looked at a lot of different eco websites (for example www.ata.org.au) and tried to get as much information as possible how to convert my massage clinic in Doncaster East, Melbourne into a moreenvironmentally-conscious business.

Today, evidence of environmental awareness is everywhere but there are no existing standards to classify a massage clinic environment friendly. So I just applied some common sense. Making the effort to transform my massage practice into and eco-friendly business may not seem to be enough to make a big difference … but as always it starts with each individual to contribute their part.

We checked our energy (electricity & gas), water, chemicals and the products we use. We identified the following 6 things which are already incorporated at our massage clinic.
We know that there is far more that we can do – but it’s a start .

1. Massage Towels
For every massage we need a lot of clean, fluffy towels. There are a lot of tips on the Internet to use cold water for washing. We do this already for our private clothes. But for a professional massage clinic. Hot water and a hot dryer are necessary to kill any infectious organisms. So what else could we do?

a) We got some new energy efficient appliances. The top loader had was replaced with a modern 5-star front loader.
b) Hang the washing on the line and use the dryer only for 30min to get fluffy towels.
c) We use the electricity night tariff. This means our washing machine and dryer usually runs at 11pm.

3. Water consumption
Washing all these massage towels uses a lot of water – even in our very efficient front loader. But there is a way to reuse the water in the garden. We installed a grey water system with the effect that we do not need to water our garden at all – even in a very hot summer. All the water gets reused by my plants. We also connected the shower and the bathtub to the grey water system. A great way of reusing water.

3. Biodegradable washing powder
As a positive side effect of the grey water system is that you have to use biodegradable washing powder which contains no phosphates. This is necessary that the plants survive. We do not use the grey water system in winter to give our plants some regeneration time.

4. Lights
It is amazing how much energy a little business like ours can use. There were a lot of old 50W downlights installed in my massage clinic & house. In total we had 32! Thirty-two! 1600W! We slowly started to convert them to energy efficient LED lights (3W – 9W) or lower wattage halogen lights (20W). When one of the old light bulbs is damaged we replace them with new efficient light bulbs. We also fitted some low energy fluorescent lights where possible.

5. Solar System
We also looked into green energy from our electricity provider. All the offers we checked did not really convince us that it makes sense to pay a little more and receive green energy. How could we be sure that we really get green energy? We couldn’t! So we decided to put a small solar system on our roof. This would produce enough energy to offset our usage in the massage clinic. 100% renewable energy!
The system will not pay itself back totally (we look at 8 years at current electricity prices) as we use too much energy within the day and can’t feed much back into the grid.

6. Massage oil products
A lot of people are allergic to certain chemicals and have skin irritations. Since the body absorbs chemicals through the skin, using best organic massage oils and creams are a must for an eco-friendly massage. We only use premium quality coconut oil which is extracted from fresh organically grown coconuts. The extra virgin coconut oil is produced using the Direct Micro Expelling (DME) process. This creates empowerment opportunities for farmers, and produces a pure and natural oil within one hour of opening the nut. We also offer water based oil as an alternative to the coconut oil.

So what do some massage therapists do right and what do some do wrong? What is the difference for success in your business?

Read our 14 steps to get more exposure to potential new clients. This does not only apply to massage therapists … most of the points work for any small business.

Getting new clients is not easy it requires work … hard work. Most massage or natural therapists concentrate on their skills but forget that they also run a business. So think a little bit more business sometimes …

1. The right location for your massage clinic

Make sure you are in the right location for your massage business. Especially when you rent a clinic or just one room you have the choice. Don’t settle for a location where you are not confident that you can attract a lot of clients. When you work from your own home you can’t change the location that easy – but you also don’t have the high rental expenses … so you still can give it a go.

When you rent a clinic or room think about the following:

• street frontage/advertising
• how many people walk past (go there and count … to see the real traffic of this location)
• can you get referrals from close by businesses such as a gym or health centre
• suburb and location within suburb
• no steps to the clinic … some clients might not be able to walk up steps
• overall positive feel about the location and room
• competition (is there a clinic next door?)
•  … and many more …

2. Networking – for natural therapies & massage

You want to get your name out. Make friends – go to events – conferences – local business events – networking events – new openings of shops. Be active in your local area. Let people know that you are a massage therapist and work in the area. The more people you know the more clients you will get. Be always positive – have a happy feel around you and you will attract more clients.

Be active in your local community. Help out in a sports club or go to local festivals.

3. Word of mouth – Powerful as usual

When people know you and value your services they will refer you. People will talk about the massage experience they had in you clinic. So make sure everybody gets the best service you can offer.

Encourage people to talk about your clinic … maybe give them a few business cards to hand over to their friends.

You can start a referral program for existing clients. Give them an incentive to talk about you …to get you new clients. This could be a cheaper massage … I usually prefer to upgrade them every now and then … give 30min longer or upgrade to a different more expensive modality like Hot Stone Massage.

4. Business cards –  Carry them 24/7

Of course you printed some business cards. I usually use them to give to my existing clients and write their new massage appointment time on it. Carry you business cards 24/7 in your wallet or bag. You never know when you might need them and meet a potential client.

Also have the business cards on display next to the dressing area. A lot of clients will take a few … which is great … they will hand them over to their friends.

Make sure you have the following on it:

• Your business name.
• Your business logo.
• Your name.
• Your title (Licensed Massage Therapist, for example)
• Your website URL
• Your email
• Your phone #.

I suggest even to print different versions of it – you can change the information on the back side. Some ideas would be:

• Spot for “your next appointment”
• Facebook URL
• Bank details (in case somebody wants to pay via Direct Deposit)
• Referral information

A cheap and efficient way to print business cards is Vistaprint … they always have specials (I got 250 for 15$ delivered).

5. Letterbox drops – waste of paper?

A lot of massage therapists print out a cheap letter box drop which then gets lost in all the other marketing you find in your letter box. The biggest disadvantage is that this type of marketing is not very targeted to people who are interested – on the other side it is very local (which is great!).

Make sure you print high quality and not only on normal printing paper. It shows your professionalism.

I designed once a nice postcard which had only a inspirational photo on the front (no advertising) and the massage clinic information on the back. A lot of new clients told me they kept this card on the fridge or a pin board for a while and had in on display. That is what you want. They should not throw it away and keep you in mind. This postcard was also on display in my clinic next to the dressing area and a lot of clients took them home with the effect that the client keeps you in mind.

Other ideas are printing a calendar for the next year, the most important local phone numbers or a personal notice on the card/paper.

6. Flyers – Depends where they are!

You also could print more informative flyers. they are usually too expensive to use as letterbox drops but think about displaying them at the local hairdressers, beauty therapists or health centres.

Use them on fairs and networking events. The goal is again that they don’t get thrown out. An easy way to achieve this is to put a handwritten personal note on the flyer. It looks very personal and far more important than a plain flyer.

7. Get your own website – A must have!

This is an important point. I hope you realize how important. Most of my new clients read about my services and clinic online first. I know of some clinics who get around 80% of their new clients only through online marketing.

Have your own professional website. When you do not have the knowledge to create one you can try services as wordpress.com or other website builders. They still require some technical knowledge. So in the worst case you will need to pay a little for a website.

Design is important – easy to read and navigate – keep it simple. People want to have the information straight away. Make sure your site works for mobile devices. More and more people search on ipads, iphones or other smartphone devices … and this trend will continue. (Did you check how your website looks on an iPhone or iPad ? Do it now!)

In case you don’t have a website or can’t afford one you still can make sure you get found online – read the next point:

8. Online directories – Boost your website and get found!

It does not matter if you have a website or not – you get easier found online when you list your clinic on several online directories. Masageplaces.com.au – the australian niche directory for massage clinics gets you up in the search results. We optimize your listing so that you get found online. 

When you have a website this also works as your link back to your website will boost your own website. People will find you easier. Industry specific directories are great value and link you to the right keywords – in this case:

Acupressure, Acupuncture, Alexander technique, Aromatherapy, Bowen Technique, Chinese Massage, Chiropractic, Corporate Massage, Couples Massage, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Crystal Massage, Crystal Massage, Cupping, Ear Candling, Dry Needling, Deep Tissue Massage,  Homeopathy, Hot Stone Massage, Joint Mobilisation,  Infant Massage, Indian Head Massage, Kinesiology, Lomilomi, Mobile Massage, Lymphatic Drainage, Remedial Massage … and many more

Of course your location (suburb) is also of high importance ... you operate your clinic usually locally and not over all of Australia. Directories make sure you get found in the right cities (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, … and also on suburb basis.)

Ok … you found this article on massageplaces.com.au but there are plenty more of directories available in Australia which can help you. I mention a few important ones which you should not miss: Google Places (this gets you massage clinic on the google maps – there are rumours that they might combine this service with Google Plus), Trulocal, Startlocal, Hotfrog, Yellowpages, …

9. Online reviews and ratings – Your clients love you!

Directories have usually a great functionality : REVIEWS. They are very important for new clients. Don’t be afraid of negative reviews … you will get one. Just make sure you respond to it in a nice and friendly way. You take the power out of a negative review when you stay friendly.

How to you get your customers to write reviews. Ask them. Ask them to go online and write a little testimonial for you. Sometimes I get a email from a client which I helped out. They feel so much better and want to thank me. I reply to them with a link where they can write that online.

Some clients will not want to register on some sites … don’t force them … just ask them nicely.

10. Facebook, Twitter & Google Plus – Get out there – they need to remember you!

This is a controversial one. You will put a lot of effort in social marketing … it takes time and quality content to build a follower base which is relevant to you. You might not get a new client from Facebook or Twitter. BUT: You stay in contact with your existing clients. They keep you in mind …

You also boost your own website with a Facebook, Twitter & Co account and regular posts. But see it as fun ... don’t post on your private account … post on your business account.

11. Google and the other search engines – You want to be number 1!

The most important tip: Don’t do SEO!

I don’t mean you should not care about your ranking in the serach engines. But don’t buy any links or dodgy SEO services. They usually don’t work … and if they work only for a short time. So don’t think you can buy a number 1 listing on google … you need to earn it!*

So what works? How do you get to number one! Write a lot of RELEVANT topic on your website. Write regularly! Change your content every now and then! To let your site sit and forget! In your case it would write about massages or  and you local area. These are usually the two areas you want to focus on. So get started.

* … I know this is not 100% correct … you can buy a No 1 spot with google Adwords … but you need a lot of money which you need to pay all the time to stay there. It might be a solution when you start up … or have heaps of money.

12. Local marketing – Only local works!

Your massage or natural therapy clinic is local … so only local marketing works best. Forget the city wide newspaper … go for the local one. You think your website is international … yes maybe it is … but you should make it local. Write about local events in your suburb. Mention your suburb (and maybe the neighbouring ones). Make sure you connect locally and know as many people locally. Whatever marketing you will do … it will be LOCAL!

13. Track your clients

Ok … don’t misunderstand this. You read now a lot of different ideas how to get different clients. Make sure you find out which way works for you. You do not want to spend your hard earned money on useless marketing (hey … massageplaces.com.au is not expensive … starting at $29/year … when you get only 1 new regular client from this it paid back … sorry I had to write this.)!

You might ask yourself now how you can track the success of certain marketing methods. I keep it simple: You can’t track it 100%. But you can get an idea. An easy way what I do is to ask a little question on the clint intake form or chat with the client. ”How have you heard about us?” The client will tell you … easy!!! Track it in a little table and you soon will find out.

 14. Discounts – Do you really need to discount?

A last word about discounts. There a many different ways of discounting and people love great deals.

I am more a person who likes a reasonable price and a quality treatment. I hate comparing prices at supermarkets and negotiating better rates. I want a great deal outright. Price your services accordingly. I don’t discount on my health! I rather tell my clients to get a better health cover so that they could claim back more .

Don’t have different prices. Different prices and discounts could not only win new clients you could lose clients. How? Think about two clients meeting and talking about your prices. One got a discount one didn’t. What happens? In the best case: The client without the discount will ask for one. In the worst case: You lost a client!

Aren’t you sick of all these different prices in supermarket every day. Checking if the price is good or not … could you maybe get a cheaper deal.

More ideas? Let us know …

I hope this little list helps you to find a few new ideas you have not thought of. Please like it and share it on your facebook …

Let us know if you have some different ideas in the comments below or in our massage forum.

When a client comes to see me with ‘back pain’ I always get them to try and tell me exactly where it is and what brings it on. I’m sure all other therapists do this also but I am very surprised at how the mighty six-pack muscle (rectus abdominus) is overlooked as the source of back pain! This article is both for the interest of the client as well as any soft tissue therapist who’s interested about it.

Rectus abdominus

See above for some photos of the rectus abdominus muscle and it’s pain referral zone (Credit: One of my massage books … Travell & Simons).

Symptoms caused by active trigger points in rectus abdominus.

Pain in the mid-back area or between the shoulder blades. Maybe there is pain under the shoulder blades. This may be accompanied with stomach problems. (Make sure that these symptoms are checked out by a medical practitioner to rule out underlying conditions).

Back pain in the areas mentioned when lying down to go to sleep.

Back pain when sitting or standing.

Symptoms are normally caused by poor posture while sitting,  especially in front of the computer!

Poor posture (the slouch) shortens this muscle causing it to become very tight and activating its trigger points. This leads to pain signals which radiate around the stomach and to the back.

The worse case I have seen was a gentleman whose work load in front of the computer increased dramatically. He went to his doctor with possible gastric problems.  His stomach was painful all over as well as his whole back. Blood tests were ordered and everything came back clear. When he came to my clinic I suggested we work on his stomach muscles, especially his rectus abdominus. He was advised to self-massage regularly and stretch his stomach muscles out. He recovered nicely.

There have been other not so severe cases as that. I treat the rectus abdominus muscle of every client who presents with the pain pattern of this muscle. Most clients will notice a great decrease in pain after the first treatment. For some, the pain is completely gone. This is not to say that the pain will not come back. Poor posture will continually bring on this pain.

How to treat rectus abdominus 

I find that the  most effective treatment of this muscle is massage. I firstly try to de-activate the most active trigger points but may also treat the whole muscle. The most active trigger point is generally the one on the upper part of the muscle. The trigger point will have to be gently prodded at first (therapists call it ischemic compression), then deeper as the client feels more comfortable with it. Some people find that the muscle is just too sore and uncomfortable to touch. I would then gently massage the entire stomach area to get the client to relax or use some heat prior to treating the muscle. The client could also be advised on gentle self-massage to the area to de-sensitise it prior to the next treatment. Regular stretching helps to lengthen the muscle.

Remember that stretches should not feel painful. A stretch should always feel comfortable.

This article was provided by Souri’s Myotherapy & Massage in Melbourne, Doncaster East

When you are good with photography you would take your own shots. In some cases you even have to take your own shots or book a photographer as you will no where else get these pictures. These pictures usually include pictures of yourself or other therapists working in your massage clinic or some shots to show your massage clinic. This will help people to get a feeling about your place and they will more likely book you.

A lot of websites also use stockphotography from www.istockphoto.com, www.shutterstock.com, www.dreamstime.com or others. You usually pay a few dollars for your pictures but get high quality photos for use on your website. These photos are creative but mainly very generic. There are a lot of these pictures for relaxation massage or back pain … but specific massage related pictures are rare.

We recently found a source for a few massage related pictures wich are royalty free for use on socail media and your website. Head over to http://bonvital.com/practicebuilder/royalty-free-images.php to download them.

Just came back from a relaxation massage and photographed some spring flowers – ahhh … life is good.

What are you doing on such a wonderful spring day in Melbourne?

Here is a list of 30 questions which you should expect from a massage client. Questions could arise before the booking on the phone, before the massage or even while you perform the massage. So prepare yourself.

1. How long did you study massage for and which training did you receive?
2. Where did you study massage?
3. How long have you been working as a massage therapist?
4. What types of treatment do you offer?
5. How long are your treatments and how much do you charge?
6. What discounts do you offer?
7. Can I have half an hour massage instead of 1 hour and pay 50%?
8. Will get the full time massage?
9. What happens when I am late?
10. Do you work weekends or evenings?
11. Can I bring my children to wait while I am receiving the massage?
12. Are you registered with health funds? Can I get some rebates?
13. How much money will I get back from my health fund for your treatment?
14. Do you offer HICAPS?
15. Can I pay with Credit Card?
16. Do you accept tips?
17. What is after the massage?
18. Do you offer happy ending massages?
19. How many treatments do I need to fix up … ?
20. What oil do you use?
21. Do you use any scents your oils?
22. Are there any side effects with massage?
23. I am pregnant … do you offer pregnancy massage
24. What do you do when I fall asleep on the massage table?
25. How much weight will the table hold? Can it collapse?
26. How many massages can you give a day?
27. Do you massage children?
28. I am cold, do you have another towel/blanket?
29. What is a trigger point?
30. Can I do self massage?
31. Do I need to take all clothes off?
32. I can’t get up from the table
33.  Can you massage softer/harder?
34. I am ticklish, how can I get a massage?
35. …. and many more massage questions …

We are sure you received other questions as well. This is only a short list to prepare you a little bit. Let us know in the comments what other questions you received and we will add them.

Maybe discuss a few of the questions in our massage community forum … we would love to hear about your answers …

The standing record was achieved in 2010 on the 30th of March – with 267 simultaneous massages of 5 minutes at the Lanendula Lavender Farm, Daylesford. 

The massage en masse in Daylesford smashed the previous record holder by 96. The previous record for the largest ever simultaneous massage was 167 people, set in 2009 in Washington D.C, USA.

Now 2 years later in 2012 Thailand wants his crown as the massage capital back. Some 800 therapists in Bangkok will try to make it into the Guinness World Records book. Let’s if they manage it …  Thursday is the day! Read the whole story on AP

Update: It is offical … Thailand got the record! 641 massage therapists mass-massaged 641 people simultaneously for 12 minutes to win the world record in massage last Thursday at an indoor exhibition hall in Bangkok.

Will the Daylesford massage organizers come together and plan to beat the record? It will be tough.

We found 6 little steps which should make you more happy … easy to follow. Have a read through them and then sit back. Think about them … it makes sense.

Six steps to more happiness

1. Frown less – smile more.

2. Judge less – accept more.

3. Complain less – appreciate more .

4. Fear less – love more.

5. Consume less – create more.

6. Talk less – listen more.

Sounds easy?

It sounds very easy … but think about your day so far. I bet you could have done some things differently when you would follow these bullet points. Waiting lines at the supermarket, the aggressive driver on the way to work, the business meeting you had 2 hours ago, your new iPad – which is loaded full of games and movies instead of creative apps, …

The newspapers are full of negative news. We are educated to complain when something goes wrong and be aware of scams and fraud (for a good reason). We need to maintain our luxurious life style and keep up with the Joneses.

Take life easier

Take life a little bit easier and you will be happier. Be happy with what you have. It is very likely that when you read these sentences you will sit in-front a new computer and are connected to a high speed internet. Isn’t that already some part of luxury? And maybe after reading this little article you will go a nice warm bed after having a warm shower. Unaffordable for a lot of people in this world … shouldn’t you be happy? Appreciate!

Of course things go wrong in life … but hey … when you can’t change it you will need to deal with it. It will be hard sometimes and not easy. But there should be always some little things which keep you happy – and believe me there are – you just need to look out for them …

The elephants are designed by 50 different artists and are exhibited for free in the city from August to September. Make sure you go for a little elephant hunt and enjoy the elephants.It is a great free family event.

Why do we love elephants? Easy … we love to see elephants in massage clinics. They represent tranquility and relaxation with their soft nature.

Want a little preview … head over to our friends from freshphotography.com.au to see some great melbourne elephant pictures.

Maybe you should consider Shapeshifter Yoga. It is fun! Click Here!

The affordable Yoga program you can purchase online has everything you need to start Yoga from home. Easy to follow and you will get results in 28 days. They don’t promise you too much. 28 days is achievable for the first results to feel younger. You will get your energy back. They promise you you a lot in their program like:

• more energy
• soothens your soul
• feel younger
• better control over your sex life
• people show you more respect
• less backpain
• more strength and power
• excel at sports … golf, running, …
• stay slim
• get the YOGA butt

Practice Yoga from home

You will have fun following the program and experience a new way of life. No need to go to a yoga studio. Study Yoga from the comfort of your home.  We are not sure about all these claims but some of them are correlated to Yoga. So find out … The program is very affordable but it always comes down to you to be strong enough to follow the exercises and stay engaged and motivated.

Our verdict: Give it a go … !