WAGE TRANSPARENCY

Wage transparency is a newer topic for me in my biz. Why talk about it? In general, I hope to reach other service providers in the industry who may be starting out and still charging the same price for massage therapy that I was 20 years ago in our region and I also think it's a great opportunity to educate the public about pricing in small biz. Being an independent business owner has real costs to consider, to not only operate the business but to also thrive in your life outside of the treatment room.

The 'anatomy' of the cost and time of a 90 minute massage session:

TIME:

I arrive at the office at 12:00 for a 1:00 client.

This offers me 45 minutes of set up (so your towels and the table are warm for your arrival).

Client consultation, change, get on massage table 12:45 - 1:00P

Client service 1:00P - 2:30P

Post session consultation, client get dressed, payment, and rescheduling 2:30 - 2:45P

2:45P - 3:15/3:30P disinfect room, clean up and set up for next client, client note.

= just over 3 hours for one 90 minute client appointment.

COST:

$140.00

-$3.74 credit card processing fee

-$48.00 taxes (35% of each session paid quarterly)

-$10.00 laundry fee per client

-$20.00 rent per day

-$5.00 - $12.00 products/poultice costs per client

-$34.00 savings (25% of each service to save towards the costs of yearly liability insurance fees, licensure fees, continuing education costs, accountant fees, quickbooks fees, documentation software, website fees, products and supplies for the month, and general savings, to cover unexpected costs that come up in the biz)

= $12.26 - $22.26 from each 90 minute client session for my cost of living and life outside of the treatment room from each client session.

Spending money is a subjective topic, so even with the breakdown, I know that my service fees do not resonate with everyone and their budget and that's okay! Some people will spend hundreds of dollars on clothes, nails, and hair each month, others on bodywork and facials. We are all on our unique path with how and what we can spend, but sharing the behind the scenes info for the industry feels positive to create the reality of the why behind pricing.

Please share your thoughts!