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Tips for Therapists: |
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 This
page is intended for qualified self-employed therapists but
may also be of interest to others.
Interested
in tips and ideas to improve your therapy business ?
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1
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Always make the effort to be cheerful !
People visit a therapist to help themselves to feel better,
not to cheer-up the therapist. Both clients and therapists
feel better and gain more benefit from the treatment(s) when the therapist
acts in a confident, cheerful, and positive, manner.
Why ? : Cheerful people are pleasant to be around.
Your warm friendly smile can make all the difference in such a people-focused environment. |
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2
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Always have some of your smart, professional,
business cards with you.
Why ? : Business Cards say a lot of subtle things about their owner !
For example, if you have a quantity (such as a box) of business cards available for clients to take one, you must be serious about your business and expect people to want your contact details.
Don't expect people to remember how to reach you - do everything you can to make it easy ! |
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3
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Offer a voucher scheme !
That is, make it known that you sell vouchers for treatments that may
be given as gifts.
These are popular for Birthdays and other special occasions and
may be of interest to people who do not live near you, but would like
to
buy
a
treatment
for a friend or relative who does.
Why ? : If people don't know that you offer this
option, they'll keep looking for someone who does ! |
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4
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If you make your email address available
to clients then:
- Choose an email address that sounds professional, and is
easy to remember.
- Check email to the address known to your clients daily -
especially if you also receive enquiries from the internet.
Why ? : This is part of your business image, and
as all PR Consultants know: Image Matters. |
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5
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| If you do some or all of your treatments
at a clinic or health centre, find out if you can leave some of your equipment
there.
Why ? : The less you have to carry with you to
each appointment the less you can forget, and the calmer you are likely
to look and feel when you arrive to greet your client.
If you can leave anything (e.g. CD player) in-situ, you might save time
too. |
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6
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Use a simple spreadsheet to track every treatment you give and every expense you incur (including travel, consumables, and continuing education courses) if you are working as a
self-employed therapist
[Aside: However, do also remember that there may be regulations about storing any client information electronically.
That is, recording that you did a 2x 1-hour massages on 31st March 2005 and charged £30.00 for each is useful, but as far as mentioning client names' is concerned, be aware of the implications of the Data Protection Act (UK) or other applicable legislation in the country/state in which you work.]
Why ? : Being self-employed usually means that you must complete a "Self Assessment" Tax Form. This is very easy if you have kept track of your income & expenses as they occurred. |
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7
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Do you use Consultation Sheets for pre-treatment
consultations ?
If so, print enough of them for about 3 months of treatments
each time you need to refresh your stock.
Why ? : Printing simple A4 pages is generally
inexpensive and printing several months-worth at a time can save your
time spent on such administrative tasks. |
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8
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| If you do more than just occasional treatments,
buy yourself a spare uniform.
Why ? : Your focus should be on your treatments
and your clients; not your clothes. By having a spare uniform you
can eliminate crises, and last minute anxiety if you didn't have time
to prepare by washing/ironing, and/or in case of last minute accidents. |
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9
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When preparing and updating your consultation sheet / questionnaire, ensure that you can explain your reason(s) for asking each of your consultation questions - in no more than 1 or 2 sentences per question.
Why ? : Some day, someone is likely to ask !
When faced with an uncomfortable question, many people would prefer to "question the need for the question" than to answer it. You will be more likely to get an honest answer, and will certainly look far more professional if you can confidently offer a positive yet concise response in all cases. |
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10
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Have you considered being listed on any
of the many "Therapist Listings" on websites ?
Bear in mind that practicing
holistic therapies is a local business.
A general website must have a lot of traffic of potential clients
in your local area in order for it to be of much use to you, and
even then, people who only see your name phone number and list of therapies
might not have sufficient information to decide to call you.
Instead, make sure you have a whole page on the internet
that is just about you and your services. If you do have other listings,
ensure that
they all link to your webpage.
Why ? : That is what works ! |
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Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only - the above are intended to
be helpful issues to consider and, if appropriate,
investigate
for your own particular situation. Applicable regulations
differ with location and change over time.
Always
ensure that you are operating within whatever regulations
and accepted "best practice" apply in your area. |
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