Bringing in another Therapist?

[Jane Marple]

I would like to request some opinions on something...Since I graduated from MT school in 6/03 I have had my own business. I offer therapeutic, swedish, medical massages, stone massages, ear candling, facials, salt glows, body wraps and waxing. I am the only employee and love it!  I love being my own boss, working by appointments only so I set my own schedule. Come and go as I like. I keep my business phone forwarded to my cell phone when I am out of the office so I can take appointments and sell (sometimes delivering) gift certificates.  I live in a very small town and there is currently only one other MT working at a local chiropractors office (I got her the job b/c I did an internship there and they offer referrals when they get behind).  There is someone else in town that is going to school that will soon be graduating. She has approached me a few times and I would like to know what you guys think I should offer...if I decide on anything. I currently have a great location that before me occupied the retired MT. So I get a lot of her prior business and I am doing pretty good considering I don't spend a lot of money on advertising. My only overhead is my lease payment which is $100/wk, my phone services including cell and of course all the necessities of running a practice like detergents, etc. I have a small lobby, an office, a kitchen, a bathroom w/shower and 2 massage rooms (one hasn't been redone). I have my own washer and dryer here at the office.  I am currently bringing in about $2,000/mth.  I'm currently not turning clients away but know that I could get more in if I pushed it (but I don't want to push myself too hard). Do you think I should bring in this other girl? What conditions? I don't really want a "partner". If I brought her in as an employee what should I offer her? What %? If she uses her own linens/oils but MY washer/dryer/detergents? How would we work our scheduling/phone? What about Gift Certificates?  Any thoughts, ideas and opinions is appreciated.

 

[Giggles]

Good morning!  I have the very same thing going on.  I have an empty room also but I am a little nervous about having an employee.  I could charge rent for the other room but then there is the issue about advertising and using my company name...etc.  I have contacted a massage center near me (but not too close so that they might feel threatened) and asked the owner how much he offers his employees and bounced alot of questions off of him.  He was a great source of info and very friendly.  Luckily, most people in this business are eager to help others!  Be careful if you think about subcontracting.  The IRS gets a little bent if they're not getting a cut...     Run it by your accountant if you're thinking about going that route.   Keep me posted on what you decide to do!

 

[adamantia3190]

Mende, I have a similar type of practice to the one you've described with a similar situation happening.  I appreciate your question and am interested in the suggestions you receive.  Thanks for posting it.  This is what I'm currently doing though I'm not completely satisfied with the arrangement.  About two years ago a young man approached me for apprenticeship, I suggested he go to MT school.  He did and graduated last fall.  He approached me about working out of my treatment room.  For the moment, he has full use of my treatment room and equipment on the days I don't use it, he's responsible for his own linens and oils/lotions, he's working on a 60/40 split.  I consider him an independent contractor.  I understand your quandry regarding the phone.  Since you have a business line at your office could you set it up with separate mail boxes?  I think you could still route calls to your cell phone while she would have a separate box to record her messages.  Currently I use my cell phone for my business number.  I field the initial phone calls and then give clients his cell phone number so they can contact him directly and schedule the appt.  I then call his cell phone and leave the client contact info with a request that he call me back once he's set the appt. that way I know the client has been contacted.  It is a pain to do it this way but at least I know that the client has been contacted.While I understand you don't want a partner but what about a contract worker?  I think you could contract with her to be in the office certain days and times but not be responsible for any tax liablility.  Does anyone here know for sure?  From what I've experienced so far I believe I would be better off having set up a rent situation from the beginning rather than a perceneforum.xxxe.  It seems he has little ambition to cull his own clientele and waits on me to refer to him.  While I like his work and I believe he has the ability to develop into a very good practitioner I find he lacks drive.  I've tried to work with him on his rebooking skills but so far no luck. One issue that I would like to find a solution for is when he leaves and wants to take the clients I've been referring him with him.  There is a very good possibility of his leaving my practice within the next 6 months.  I would like to find an equitable solution that pays my business for the referrals he's gotten.  I'm not looking to get into his pocket deeply but I think it is important for him to compensate me for setting him up.  I've seen on another board someone posted about a "letting go" contract she has with her MT's.  I'll see if I can find it and get permission to share it with everyone.

 

[Ryan / Stumpy]

Bringing in another Therapist?

One thing I would like to add first here is I'm not sure that you could ask someone to pay you for the clients that you have referred to them.  Not that I'm saying you are asking, but here's the way I see it.  If you refer a client to someone, yes...that is your client.  After that therapist works on them and that client decides to return to that therapist, that client is now his/hers.I would say if you were looking for any sort of compensation for referrals, it should be for the initial referral, not for the client continually seeing that therapist.    Once that therapist has worked with someone, they return because of what that person had to offer them, not because they were referred.As for the initial question, seems like a few of us have this same situation.  I have 2 treatment rooms and of course, I only use one.  Everyone tells me that I should rent out the other room but I really, really like the fact that everything is mine.  I don't have to worry about anyone else messing with my stuff.  BUT, it sure would be nice to have someone paying me a portion of my $650 a month rent.  I have the same questions as everyone else here.  One thing I don't want to have to worry about is keeping someone else busy.  I have troubles of my own on that one.  Maybe if you had someone that was willing to rent the space but have it be their own business.  ie...their own phone line, their own business name and taxes and other stuff like that.  I don't even know if it's possible.  It's interesting when you start adding in all the possibilities of having someone else work with or for you.  

 

[komets.geo]

Bringing in another Therapist?

If you refer a client to someone, yes...that is your client.  After that therapist works on them and that client decides to return to that therapist, that client is now his/hers.

I would say if you were looking for any sort of compensation for referrals, it should be for the initial referral, not for the client continually seeing that therapist.    Once that therapist has worked with someone, they return because of what that person had to offer them, not because they were referred.

I see your point terab and agree with you.  What I'm looking for has more to do with being compensated for helping him build his business rather than a focus on referrals.  My current arrangement does not do this.

The reason I am mentioning this is Mende is being faced with a similar situation.  A brand new therapist wanting to work out of her space.  Some questions to think about:  Is the new therapist expecting her to feed her referrals or overflow?  Will the new therapist be willing to sign a contract?  Should Mende expect compensation for building this person's business?  If so, what is an acceptable arrangement?  Would a steadily reducing fee structure work as the new therapist learned how to build their business for her/himself?

When this happened for me I didn't think the arrangement through very thoroughly (I can see that now) and now wish I had done things somewhat differently.  This is the first time I've ever allowed anyone to share my space/equipment so I'm learning by experience.  

FWIW, I think the perceneforum.xxxe arrangement would work if the person were a more seasoned practitioner who knew how to market themselves.  

 

[Milou]

Thanks Intuitouch!  My point exactly!  This is why I am so thankful for the people on this board. I want to think this all through before I make a big mistake. I absolutely LOVE being by myself and my own boss after years of the corporate world!  I want to be fair to the "new" person if I bring one in but at the same time, fair to myself. Especially in such a small town. I will be helping her build her practice in a way and want to protect myself for my future. Not only will I be helping her financially now (and she me) but I will also be allowing her to actually see and learn from me how to run a business. That to me is a valuable lesson and worth some compensation of some sort, whether it be from a business contract of some sort or financial.  So many things to think about. I will probably just keep it like it is.  Just little ole' me!

 

[manx_sue]

Bringing in another Therapist?

Hi.Maybe my past situation can help you some, and , maybe it can't. I'll fill you in on what I have done in the past.I have an office.  I rented out a "room" to another therapist for $300/month.It was her responsibility to pay her taxes, and either get a phone line installed in her room or use her cell to book her appointments.  She came and went as she pleased.  If I had someone who could use her services, better than mine, then I referred them to her, and she would do the same for me.  No money exchange for that, it was more of a "whatever is best for the client". I had the locks on the doors changed, so that I had a key that opened every room in the office, including hers.  She was given a key that opened the main door and her room.  She could use the refridgerator, the waiting, filing and checkout areas -- she rarely used the fridge or the filing area.  She had her own code to the alarm system, which I was also given.  I kept my own personal code to the alarm system which she was not given.  It worked out well, and we were together for 5 years.  When she left, all I had to do was get the key back, and delete her from the alarm system.If you have someone you like, and can work out an arrangement like this, it is a big help on the rent.  You may not get rich with it, but you always know a certain income is coming in on the room.  We made sure to let each other know when one or the other would be out of town and I never used her room.  I strongly believe if the therapist is renting, then it is theie space rather they are at the office or not. The reason I was "keyed" for her door, was so that I would never have to change the main keys in the office.  The locksmith made it so that if a problem had arose, I would easily be able to have him come out, move whatever pin he had set for her key which in turn would make her key would useless, while mine would still work.I don't like "other people" in my space and am not trusting, so, I figured better prepared ahead of time than to be sorry later.  But, we never had a problem and everything always worked out just fine.That (above) was the third time I rented my space out....Now, twice before I did this as well, with the same pretenses.  The first renter lasted a little less than a year, and I made the mistake of not putting down my foot  the first instance she didn't pay rent on time.  To this day she still owes me money.  *heh* I figured out quickly I wasn't ever going to get that back.The second renter, was fantastic.  She rented in my office as her "second location" (she had another office on the other side of town) -- we worked together for about a year until she decided to get married and go back to a single location.Mmh.  One other thing, if you can make sure and get someone who is willing to give you a few months notice if they decide to leave, it is really helpful.  With the second and third person I rented to -- they both were on the up and up.  We agreed if they needed to leave they'd give me as much notice in advance as possible and that if I ever needed them to leave, I'd do the same.  I don't like people to feel like they are going to get screwed over, just because "the person they are renting from gets some freaky whim".Even with the first renter I mentioned, I made sure to give her a few months notice that things were not working out, since she was having difficulties paying the rent as originally agreed on.Addendum:  Also, I gave 6 months heads-up before I raised the rent to $350.  This gave the therapist plenty of time to look for new space, see what was out there, decide if they wanted to stay, prepare how it would affect their pocketbook, ect.  I think that is a really fair time frame if you ever decide to up the rent.  something to keep in mind, as you will probably up the rent sometime in the future, if you decide to rent out.Hope this helps.  

 

[wizard]

Bringing in another Therapist?

Thanks Intuitouch!

   

You are welcome.  

I want to be fair to the "new" person if I bring one in but at the same time, fair to myself. Especially in such a small town. I will be helping her build her practice in a way and want to protect myself for my future. Not only will I be helping her financially now (and she me) but I will also be allowing her to actually see and learn from me how to run a business. That to me is a valuable lesson and worth some compensation of some sort, whether it be from a business contract of some sort or financial.

I agree with you Mende, what we have to offer someone who is new and wanting to learn how to be a successful practitioner is something of value, but it is difficult to price.  The "fair to both of us" is the same quandry I find myself in.  I've spent a lot of time developing my business to suit me and up to this point I had never considered bringing anyone else in to my practice.  If this young man hadn't pursued working with me so diligently I wouldn't have sought someone out.  

The more I think about it the more I think several rather long interviews with the person is a good place to start.  Possibly helping them think about or begin writing a business plan.  This would at least get everyone on the same page in terms of short and long term goals.  Had I done this the first time he asked about apprenticing I would not be in the position I'm in currently.

Another example of what is happening - that I wish I had known beforehand:  Shortly after this young man started working out of my treatment room I found out that his mother is a local salon owner who had every intention of setting him up in her shop but never seemed able to get the treatment room finished.  Upon discovering this I asked him if he was planning on working out of his Mom's shop.  Initially he stated he had no intention of working in his Mom's salon and he was pleased with our arrangement.  However, in late November she purchased a 2nd salon locally and is currently remodeling it into a salon and day spa with the plan that her son will be offering his services there.  (He didn't tell me this btw, I found out through several clients who go to his Mom and thought I should know what was being planned.)  When I found this out I asked him about it at the next opportunity, he was surprised I knew and extremely non-committal about his plans.  At that point I mentioned to him that I wanted an agreement drawn up regarding how we would handle his eventual leaving and handling of clients.  He agreed that this was a good thing to do.  

Now, IMO, he'd be crazy not to jump on his Mom's offer and see if he can make a go of it there.  I don't wish him ill will or think he shouldn't go.  What I want is better compensation for the time and income I've diverted to him rather than directing it into my own business and family.  A reducing fee structure would handle this better.   Life's little lessons (sigh)...

I realize I may be to late on this one but Mende is in a better position to think this through a bit more and come up with a more viable solution.  

 

[Bhupesh]

Thanks for all your input!  I believe I will be happier keeping things like I have them.  Too many issues that I really don't want to handle right now at this point in my life. I have a 13 year old daughter and have only been divorced for 1-1/2 years. I just have so many ideas to help my business grow that I don't have time to work on because I am doing all the hands-on work! Oh well, everything will fall into place sooner or later. I just have to be patient and remember that this is only going into my 2nd year of business!  Thanks to all!I LOVE THIS SITE!!!