Should I start my own massage therapy business?

By Erin Shelby

Once you’ve passed the exam to become a licensed massage therapist (LMT), you have two main options: working for someone else or working for yourself. Should you work for an employer or start your own massage therapy business? Take a look at the advantages of each to decide.

Licensed massage therapists have several post-graduate employment choices. Working domestically or abroad, LMTs are employed by hotels, resorts, spas, salons and cruise ships. Beyond these services, massage therapy is slowly making its way into the American healthcare system. Due to a growing awareness of alternative medicine and patient curiosity about non-pharmaceutical alternatives, massage therapy is being offered in some hospitals as part of an integrated health care team to nurture the physical and emotional well-being of patients. LMTs can investigate hospitals, hospice centers, retirement communities and other healthcare facilities to determine what jobs may be present. After years of experience, an LMT may be qualified to teach classes for a massage therapy certification program.

As a self-employed licensed massage therapist, you can provide services to clients in their homes which is uniquely convenient for them. Alternatively, you can rent space in a salon, hotel or shopping center. Self-employed LMTs can contact local companies and ask about providing on-site massage therapy services for employees either at the cost of the employer or the employee. Receiving a massage during a lunch break can promote increased job satisfaction and higher morale among employees.

If you’re not already gravitating towards one choice, research how to start a massage therapy business. By becoming better informed of all that’s involved, you may instantly decide that there’s too much involved with starting your own business. On the other hand, you may decide that the reward of having your own business is worth the effort. If you choose this route, you'll need to make appropriate plans to promote your business.