Massage Therapy
Task 1: Marketing Skills
- The 4 P’s of marketing include Price, Product, Promotion and Place.
- Product- Businesses need to have knowledge of the product and the elements that makes it unique. In a massage business, the entrepreneur should have adequate knowledge on what entails a massage and the different types of massage to offer customers. Also, the business should identify ways to make their services unique to enhance its competitive edge.
- Price- Price is a major element that has major impact on the marketing strategy, the profits margins, supply and demand. A massage business can make pricing decisions by identifying the competitors in the area and their charges for similar services. Additionally, the pricing decisions can be made by determining the profitability of the price to the business and also take into consideration pricing offers.
- Promotion- Promotion involves the use of various marketing strategies including public relations, email marketing, advertising, social media marketing and search engine marketing among others. The massage business can market itself through social media, offers and fliers. Additionally, the massage business can market itself through the way the business treats their customers, how therapists present themselves and through delivery of services.
- Place-Marketing of products requires marketers to put the right product at the right price, place and time. A massage business can identify the target market and find out the demographic segment of the population. A massage business can be effective in a population with many people who have experienced complementary medicine and seeking for massage therapy. The massage business should be located in areas with adequate numbers of potential clients and promote the development of a sustainable business (Goi 2009).
- When developing a product, the business must consider the market opportunity, the customers’ needs and wants and the competitiveness in the marketplace.
An entrepreneur needs to have adequate understanding of the needs and wants of customers. Customers’ needs and wants are based on cost, time and quality. Understanding these variables will enable the massage business to establish continuous strategies and practices that will fulfill the requirements of customers. The business should identify market opportunity by understanding and observing the current market, the potential client and the existing technology. This will enable the business to identify its market opportunity. Business should the competitive nature in the market environment when developing a product. If the marketplace is competitive, then the business should derive ways of making its product unique and have a competitive edge (Ulrich 2003).
- When setting prices for a product, the business should consider the perception of customers, costs of the product and competition in the market place. Customers purchase products by placing prices on the value of the product. Therefore, if prices do not match the price of the product, then customers will not purchase the product. The costs of the product establish the floor of the price. If the price of the product is lower than its costs, the business will make losses. Competition in the market place determines the setting up of prices of the product. Companies can set prices based on the competitors prices, market offers, and costs. Customers will purchase a product by comparing prices on the value of the product that a competitor sales for the similar product (Ham & Bertini 2013).
- The costs of doing a flyer door drop to a 1000 homes will amount to $5500
Costs of printing per flyer-$5
Number of flyers printed-1100
Total costs-$5500
- Delivering 100 pieces of flyers will take a good portion of the morning and another 100 pieces in the afternoon. This means that flyers cannot be distributed to suburbs that are beyond 1 km from the company. The most effective distance for distributing flyers can be tested and measured through understanding the target audience, the time frame and the safety of the location.
- The massage business can get free promotions through signing up with online advertising companies such as Massage Advantage. Massage Advantage is a massage industry that operates online that helps other massage business to obtain new clients through direct marketing and social networking without any charge.
- Advertising ¼ a page is charged at $400. The total percentage for marketing the product in the massage is calculated at 3%. Therefore, to obtain my money back, I would need to have a 12% of readers. This is obtained through dividing 3% by 100% then multiplying by $400 to obtain 12%. The most effective way for measuring success of an advertisement is through the web content. If the webpage has more followers, then it means the content used for campaign was quality thus successful.
Competitor Analysis
The massage industry is a growing business with millions of America seeking massage therapy everyday.
a. Zen Massage Company has provided adequate information for the customers. It provided information on the types of massages it offers including body, facial and relaxing massage. The company assures customers of fulfilling their needs adequately causing them top feel relaxed, renewed and rejuvenated. The price charged for number of hours for the massage therapy is also indicated on the website. The ingredients used for the massage and the type of massages offered have been displayed and look appealing to the customer.
Matrix Spa & Massage Company has indicated spa packages it offers to customers, and the types of massages it offers. It has explained to the customers the type of experience they will get and the room setting. It has also provided the direction to their location making it easy for the customer to locate it. It has displayed the image of the spa which is attractive and massaging room and various massage activities undertaken.
Infinite massage Company offers unique massage services to customers. It offers corporate chair massage, mobile spa event services and other Spa services. The website has provided adequate information to customers about its offers. The website has also displayed the images of the various massage activities undertaken in the Company.
b. Zen massage Company website can be improved by providing information on the prices offered on massage services. Additionally, it should provide customers with direction to their location to make it easy for customers to locate them.
The Matrix Spa & Massage can improve its website by providing adequate information to customers about its services and offers. It should also indicate the charges of different types of massages offered to customers. Additionally, the company can as well improve its website by providing customers with the address of its location.
Infinite Massage Company can improve its website by displaying more images of the corporate chair massage and the mobile spa event services. The images will provide customers with more knowledge on the unique services that the Infinite Massage Company offers.
References
Goi, C. L. (2009). A review of marketing mix: 4Ps or more?. International journal of marketing studies, 1(1), 2.
Ham, T., & Bertini, M. (2013). The Right Price, at the Right Moment, to the Right Customer. Business Strategy Review, 24(1), 49-53.
Ulrich, K. T. (2003). Product design and development. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
http://www.zenmassageandspa.com/
https://www.infinitemassage.com/
Task. 2
Part A. Types of Massage Business
| Conditions of Employment | Self-employment | Cruise Ship Massage Therapy | Licensed Massage Therapist |
| Hours of work | 5 hours per day | 5 hours per day | 7 hours per day |
| Rates of income expected | $10,000-$18,000 monthly | $2800-$4500 monthly | $2500-$5000 monthly |
| Employees expectations | · Keep up-dated and accurate clients records
· Have adequate knowledge on the massage business |
· Effectively identify the needs of the clients
· Adhere to the principles of good practice |
· Physical fitness to enhance high quality performance
· Smart look and improved personal hygiene
|
| Qualification requirements | · Highly-skilled therapists in Swedish Massage
· Excellent Commercial skills to take charge of the business |
· Highly trained therapists in aromatherapy and reflexology
· Excellent communication skills |
· Professional therapists in all types of massage including remedial massage
· Fine physical stamina to effectively carry out massage treatments |
| Health Funds requirements | Indemnity Insurance | Liability Insurance | Liability Insurance |
Part B. Massage Associations
The massage industry consists of many associations including AMTA, DSP and CSFA).
- American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
Email address: info@amtamassage.org
Phone Number: 847/864-0123
The membership cost for a professional is $235, for a graduate $89 and for a student is $45.
- Day Spa Association (DSP)
Email address: info@dayspaassociation.com
Phone number: 952.283.1252
Website: http://dayspaassociation.com/
The membership costs for Day Spa Association is $399.00 annually. The membership value is at $700.
- Club Spa & Fitness Association (CSFA)
Email address: info@csfassociation.com
Phone number: 786-554-2933
Website: https://www.csfassociation.com/
The membership costs for Club Spa & Fitness Association is $99 annually for professionals.
Part C. Insurance
The insurance companies that offer insurance to massage therapists include: The Massage Magazine Insurance Plus. The contact is 844/675-6359 and their email address: info@massageliabilityinsurancegroup.com. The Zurich American Insurance Company contact details include +41 (0)44 625 25 25 and the email address: zurich.basics@zurich.com
Massage therapists require a Beauty and Bodywork Insurance (BBI). The BBI provides professional and students massage therapists with liability insurance. The liability insurance coverage is significant for protecting the massage therapists practice. Additionally, the liability insurance provides massage therapists with perks and benefits such as accessing the professional website free of charge to improve their skills.
The BBI policy covers various areas for massage therapists. It covers personal and client allergies, accidents and injuries, legal expenses, safeguards massage therapy businesses, covers members massage operations and the reaction of clients to the products offered in the massage company. The insurance costs for one year include $99 (Beck, 2016).
Part D. Complementary therapies
| Similarities | |||
| Physiotherapy | Osteopathy | Chiropractic therapy | Massage therapy |
| Treat lower back pain and neck pain | Treat lower back pain and neck pain | Treat lower back pain and neck pain | Treat lower back pain and neck pain |
| Aim at restoring patients full fitness | Aim at restoring patients full fitness | Aim at restoring patients full fitness | Aim at restoring patients full fitness |
| Differences | |||
| Restores functioning and movement of individuals with disability, illness or injury | Focuses on diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders | Focuses on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of neuromusculoskeletal disorders | Focuses on relieving pain, relaxation and energizing the body |
| Method of treatment and rehabilitation include manual therapy, exercise, and education | Methods of treatment include acupuncture, soft or deep tissue massage, and joint manipulation | Methods of treatment include rehabilitation program, education, exercise and joint manipulation | Methods used in the massage process include breathing exercise and simulations at pressure points of the body |
| Physiotherapists can use hands and other tools such as activators to conduct treatment | Osteopathic therapists only use hands in their treatment | Chiropractors may use hands and other tools such as ultrasound to undertake treatment | Massage therapists make use of hands and other tools such as thumpers and massagers(Cassileth, 2016). |
Characteristic of Allopathic and Naturopathic Approaches to Treatment
The allopathic treatment focuses on diagnosis and treatment of diseases though use of suppression or removal approach. The process of allopathic treatment involves countering symptoms, managing the symptoms and eradicating the symptoms through treatment. The forms of treatment involve use of chemical drugs, surgery and poisonous drugs. The naturopathic treatment focuses on preventing the occurrence of diseases. The process of naturopathic treatment involves treating the cause of the disease and eliminates factors that interfere with the ability of the body system to get back to its normal state. The forms of prevention and treatment process include detoxification and maintenance of suitable nutritional balances (Locher & Pforr, 2014).
References
Beck, M. F. (2016). Theory & practice of therapeutic massage. Nelson Education.
Cassileth, B. R. (2016). Symptom Relief with Complementary Therapies. group.
info@csfassociation.com
Locher, C., & Pforr, C. (2014). The legacy of Sebastian Kneipp: linking wellness, naturopathic, and allopathic medicine. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(7), 521-526.
