How to Start a Massage Business in 10 Steps (2024 Guide)

The global market value of the massage therapy business is valued at $30 billion as of 2024. It is expected to grow five times to $146 billion with a staggering annual growth rate of 17%. So massage therapy is one of the booming markets globally.

In this article, we will talk about how you can start a massage therapy business. How much do you have to invest? What are the future growth prospects? We will explore business plans and requirements for a Massage business.

1. Conduct Proper Research and Draw a Plan

A detailed business plan based on proper research will be necessary for the success of any startup. You have to deeply analyze past massage market trends, cost-to-profit ratio, and expected business disruptions.

Know about the Spa Industry

You can consult with a person who is already engaged in the massage business for a better understanding of therapy business dynamics. If you don’t have access to such a manager then you can hire a business analyst who will introduce you to the rewards and challenges of data-backed research.

Pick Types of Massage

You have to select the type of massage you want to offer in your massage parlor as per local demands. Most popular of them are Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Aromatherapy Massage, Thai Massage, Shiatsu Massage, Prenatal Massage, Reflexology, Chair Massage.

2. Get Yourself and Subordinates Certified

As the massage business comes under health startups, you with your subordinate have to acquire the necessary licenses of the law of the land for conducting your business.

You will also require a license from the California Massage Therapy Council to label your worker as a “Certified Massage Practitioner”.

3. Importance of Location

Physical service provider businesses are highly vulnerable to the location of their premises. For a highly profitable and fast-growing spa business, you have to pick a prime location that has regular traffic of 40-plus people.

As a location, you can pick a spot that is situated nearby of parks, gyms, theatres, restaurants, housing colonies, sports grounds, shopping malls, bus stands, etc. Always remember to choose your location with consideration because it is very hard to shift it later.

4. Registration of Massage Business

First, decide the type of your business/company ownership (Decide your partners and stakeholders).

Licenses Required

You will need to obtain licenses and permits from local health departments, zoning boards, or professional licensing boards. This also includes a massage therapy license, business license, health permit, or zoning permit.

How to file Registration Application

A person looking to start a massage business must submit a duly filled application form with all necessary certificates to the city council. You may be required to pay a one-time non-refundable fee that may vary as per your location. You can refer to this website to obtain more information about massage therapy business registration.

5. Acquire Equipment

In the massage therapy business, you will require many specialized equipment. Although they are not very costly types of equipment are the most necessary part of customer satisfaction in this business. Always go for branded and reputable choices for customer convenience.

This equipment includes Massage tables, pillows, oil, lotions, towels, Heating pads, Aromatherapy diffusers, sterilization devices, sound systems, and other customer comfort accessories. In the case of the United States, all this equipment keeping the number of each item required in mind will cost around $3000(Cost may vary slightly as per location). If you are low on the budget, you can also prefer to rent much of this equipment.

6. Marketing and Advertising

In today’s world marketing is one of the key elements for attracting new customers and brand building. For marketing your business you can do it by yourself if you have awareness about ads and marketing business or you can hire an agency or freelancer to do it for your startup.

Create a Website and Social Media

Importance of Local Advertising

In the case of the massage business local advertising will be more beneficial. You can hire local influencers with low followers for cost-effectiveness. You can also offer some benefits for collaborating with you for your social media handles. You can find influencers by searching your targeted business area i.e. #Houston #massage #Therapy on different platforms.

In the initial stage of the business, you can also announce referral coupon codes that will help to get you new customers.

7. Customer Acquisition and Satisfaction

You can acquire new customers by spending on marketing. But for a successful profitable and long-lasting business you must have a large number of customers that are convinced and regular to your massage saloon. Providing personalized and attentive massage services will help to build a loyal customer base.

Customer Satisfaction Methods

Keep an interactive and engaging interface for old customers. You can do this by announcing special discounts for second-time visitors on special days(like festivals and national holidays). Asking about the review of the massage service and the parts that are to be improved will not only help you in improving your service but also feel your customer is valued.

New Customer Acquisition for your Massage Parlor

Acquisition of new customers will depend on your parlor location, public relations method, marketing advertising, and social media promotions. You can also create a customer acquisition chain by creating a positive impact on your existing customers through your services. You can also provide referral coupons to your existing customers that will help you to gain new customers.

8. Perform Risk Analysis

Many times things don’t proceed smoothly in startups due to perceptual and executive forces and external forces(i.e. you opened a massage center near the gym and the gym shifted its location). You have to perform an in-depth risk analysis by yourself or outsource it to a specialist.

Some of the most common problems(risks) faced by the massage business are regulatory compliance, safety and health, misconduct allegations, and employee relations. You have to consider all the possible loopholes in your massage business plan. Always remember planning is a continuous process you have to change your business plan as per demands.

9. Monitoring of Changing Dynamics

Keeping a close eye on changing market dynamics is necessary for achieving long-term goals. Your business will be flexible enough to adapt to new technologies and market trends for consistent Growth. You have to train your workers with the latest methods via video courses from platforms like Udemy and Coursea. You can also provide training as per customer reviews about your services provided.

10. Cost-to-Benefit Analysis

For starting a Massage Business you have to incur two types of costs first is a one-time expenditure and second is monthly expenses.

One-time expenses- One-time expenses would include licensing fees, Web development costs, and basic establishment and equipment costs. This is expected to cost around $8,000 roughly.

Monthly Expenses- Monthly expenses include Rent for the business space, Utilities (electricity, water, internet), Supplies (oils, lotions, towels), Marketing and advertising expenses, Licensing renewals, and fees. These monthly benefits will amount between $3000 to $5000 per month.

Note:

Note these expeses are calculated taking an average for all cities. Cost of equipments are calculated with having decent standards. But all these cost will subjet of change as per your ambitious expectations.

Final Words

In this article, I have provided a brief overview of the business plan for starting a successful and profitable business. Every step has its urgency and importance and should be used after flexible changes as per the capability and expectations of your massage parlor. Although in this article we tried to touch every possible corner, a massage business’s profitability depends heavily on management ideology and dynamics of the local market.