Maintaining Work Life Balance in a Small Business

Question

My main focus is to get experience and immediate income by offering massage and life coaching from various areas, ie gym, healing centre and day spa. Eventually I want a spiritual healing centre. Am I doing too many things?

Answer

This is the classic catch-cry of people in their own small business. It comes down to being able to maintain a healthy worklife balance. I don’t believe there is such a thing as “too much” when starting out to grow your practice, so long as you look after your own health and don’t burn out!

The more you are in action getting clients, the quicker you will fill your practice.

The beauty of my system is that even if you end up in the wrong place initially you will learn and understand how the system works under any conditions. So the experience you gain now will set you up for future projects. When it comes to having your own centre you will know how to fill it quickly by simply returning to what you have learnt in this set up phase. Use this time to get out there and test the market and learn.

A word of caution is to stay focused and not spread yourself to thinly and be trying to work out of too many different places at once. Even if there are no bookings, it is important to be on the spot ready for non-booking walk in clients. If you are in too many places you often miss the opportunity to fill with walkins. For instance if you are at the gym and have no clients, put a sign at the desk in a plastic holder that says “free 15 minute neck and shoulder massage”. That will give you the chance to persuade the recipient of the neck and shoulder massage (who just happens to be in your target market and niche) to take up a 2-4-1 offer with you.

Any news is good news when setting up a new practice – the worst case scenario from giving away those 15 minutes is that the member now knows there is a good massage therapist at her gym! Obviously when you have bookings you bring the sign in.

A-boards at the front of the building also work well with these types of offers but just make sure you find out the rules from the local council – don’t get fined for illegally placing an A-board!