How-To Guide for Launching Your Own Business as a Registered Massage Therapist

With the surge in understanding precisely how important our health and wellbeing are to living a vibrant life, there are extraordinary opportunities for those in the alternative and natural health fields. After attending massage therapy school and completing your massage training, you may be considering career options and trying to determine whether starting your own business is a viable avenue to success.

A massage therapist education with a leading-edge college should provide you with access to industry-expert instructors, allow for theoretical learning and direct, hands-on training, and give you the skills and confidence to pursue your career goals. But there’s a technical and practical side to launching your own business, as opposed to working for someone else.

While filling a position within a clinic, hospital or business is certainly easier and may enable you to gain experience and build your client base, having your own practice is exceedingly rewarding and can be lucrative. Knowing precisely how to begin, gives you the edge. We want to give you that edge …

Your Topline, How-To Guide for Launching Your Own Practice as an RMT

#1. Get Certified

First comes putting the “R” in RMT. To practice in Ontario, you not only need to select from one of the massage therapist colleges and attend those massage therapist classes, you need to be certified with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO). At Anderson College, our accelerated Massage Therapy Diploma program is 88 weeks and is recognized by CMTO as meeting the academic requirements for a graduate’s eligibility to challenge the CMTO registration examinations. The program includes in-class instruction and hands-on training within our in-house public clinic to ensure you are confident come exam time. Whether you choose Anderson, or another leading-edge college, you’ll want to ensure they hold their curriculum to the highest standards to give you a head-start on success.

#2. Envision Your Future

Take the time to consider, in detail, what your ideal future and business look like. Consider the type of massage therapy you want to offer, injury relief or a focus on relaxation and wellbeing, or any combination thereof. What type of client do you want to serve; who’s your target audience? What is your practice like? Who are your competitors? How much will you charge for services? What is the ideal location for your practice? What name and brand will you select to reflect who you are and what you offer?

#3. Build Your Business Plan

Now that you have the details determined, it’s time to put them all into an organized, professional, business plan. This is a document that outlines your objectives and your plan on how you will achieve them. Not only does this help you stay on track in the short-term and long-term, but should you need a loan to launch your business, this is a document that will be required. What goes into a business plan? While you can find templates online, overall it includes an executive summary, company info, market analysis, marketing plan and financial projections and a breakdown of potential costs. Taking the time to put your vision to paper will pay off in countless ways.

#4. Registration and Legalities

There are technical, business, and legal aspects to consider, research and complete. These include acquiring a business license and the necessary permissions. You’ll want to do your detailed research to understand precisely what is required, based on your province, business goals and plan. You can find more information from these sources/websites: Government of Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, to name a few. You’ll also want to research and consider obtaining health and liability insurance. One source of info to review and consider can be found on the CMTO site.

#5. Market and Promote Your Wow-Factor

Now that you’ve completed the planning and legal aspects, it’s time to turn your attention to your brand and how you will market and promote what you do to who you do it for. Having a consistent social media presence, creating an online community of support, running special events, offering coupons and discounts, and inviting people to sample your services, are all terrific ways of connecting with your audiences and building your clientele.
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Launching your own practice isn’t easy, or everyone would be doing it. But if you ask anyone who’s done it before you if it’s worth the energy and effort, most would answer with a resounding, “YES!”. If you’re looking for autonomy, setting your own hours, being able to work with your ideal clients and be in charge of your business and your future, this is the way to go.

And if you’re dreaming of this for your tomorrow but haven’t yet attended college or are still trying to find the right program and career fit for your talents and passion, we have some options for you.

To find your best career fit, take the “Anderson College Massage Therapy Career Training Readiness” Quiz. To talk to a team of professionals who’ve been helping students gain career confidence and become in demand in the marketplace, for over 137 years, reach out. Book a virtual appointment with one of our Admissions Advisor today to start exploring your Massage Therapy career. We’re here for you.

Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:

• Massage Therapy – Anderson College
• Top 5 Reasons to Become a Massage Therapist
• College of Massage Therapists of Ontario
• Canada Start-Ups Biz Plan Template – for Massage Therapists
• Government of Canada – Biz Permits
• Business Development Bank of Canada – Licenses and Permits