What is your experience starting out part time

[Martha S.]

I'm about to start my career. I have a full time job and want to keep it for a while. I was thinking to start at a local day spa, maybe 2 nights a week and Saturdays. I would like to hear from those who did the same. How did you first promote yourself? Was it hard working that second job? How long was it before you went full time? My goal is to be full time within a year. Do you have any other ideas how to get it started part time? Thanks.

 

[yap955]

Working both, especially if you do both jobs in teh same day, does get tiring. That's the way I had to do it to keep steady money coming in, and to build up clientele.
It can be done and you will survive it

I did multiple jobs for about 3.5 yrs after I was done with massage school, and just in the past few months I quit the day job and have just been massaging.

 

[sh5353]

Thats what I'm doing right now. Engineer during the day bodyworker on evenings and weekends. I don't think I'll transition full time until I retire. Engineering with the pay and benefits is hard to beat. I just enjoy doing bodywork though so I will keep doing that part time.

I think doing bodywork with your regular job while you transition is the way to go, minimizes risks.

Jason

 

[sandra]

I was working part time as a waitress (4-5 nights/wk) when I started working as a massage therapist. So I'm afraid I'm not exactly the example you're looking for. But I will say that there was never a point where I thought "okay, I am now making enough money doing massage to support me, I can quit my other job." I came to the point where I said, well, it looks like there might be enough massage out there that if I devote myself to it, it will support me.

Also, I have in control of my living expenses, having no dependents, so I have never had to support anyone but myself. But there was a moment when I had to take a leap of faith and free up the other areas of my life so that more massage could come in. And it did.

What I did was work at a Day Spa during the days, and worked waitressing during the nights. It took me only about 5 months after graduating massage school to quit my waitressing job.

I think the best way to promote yourself is to do fantastic massage and get people requesting you (if you mean promote yourself at the spa, and not at a private practice). Also, become well-known for "fixing" people. I have always loved working on issues and pain, so I would talk about it a lot at the spa, or when a client left who I really helped I would mention how I loved to work with those types of people. Soon, I became known as the go-to person for people who came in with pain and I wound up getting a lot of requests.

 

[thumbs down for truth]

I was working 3 afternoons a week at a preschool, so when I got my current job, I had no choice but to quit because between the days I would've had to work, plus two nights a week of school, there would hardly be any hours for me to work. I wish I didn't have to leave, but it just wouldn't have worked out. Things are slow at my job because the practice I work for is only a few months old, so I have an interview at another office for one day a week to try to generate some more income. People are really pinching pennies in my area so it's tough to get them into the office for that first massage. It takes time I guess.

 

[Nikke]

It seems I am incredibly lucky these days. I just got an offer to rent a room from the hair salon where I get my hair done for the last 8 years . The lady is very, very nice, charging me only if I make money with a very low cap. She is so very excited about it and says she can't wait to promote my services to her clients. How about that? I know the downside of working in a hair salon, but how in the world could I turn this down? I am so happy! Happy Weekend, everybody!

 

[Saxton Hardcastle]

ms simon,
congratulations! I have worked at a salon for a long time now, mostly I really like it, and the people I work with are very nice and are great at promoting massage for me..they have brought in a lot of my clients..

the only downfalls are probably the noise..I m even down the hall and it gets loud.(you know a bunch of women giggeling and talking ) I get used to it, but I have had clients say something..

another downfall is when someones getting a perm, pu..it really smells , even back into the massage room..

but overall, I really love it..oh and a huge plus is bartering for a hair service, or nails etc..

good luck!

 

[rawr_i luv him]

I started out part time, but I found that my business reached a plateau until I put more time and energy into it. The way my experience played out, I was never able to grow until I had the time. Once I took the leap of faith and opened my schedule (even before my schedule was full), the clients mysteriously appeared. Even now that I'm in school, I am somehow handed clients, but never more than I have energy for. In my experience, the "Universe" always seems to know when I could use the extra revenue, and when I could use the extra free time--and it seems to know this better than I do. But during the time I had little time for my own practice, the Universe didn't send much my way. Just food for thought

Good luck!!
Hugs,
~Jyoti