elements therapeutic massage centers

[Donkey_kong]

Just wondering if anyone has worked for this company. I have seen a few job openings and was wondering what they are like to work for. They seem to provide a lot for the employee but I am wondering about the employee's cut on commission. Anyone?

 

[Pompal 09.]

I've never heard of them; where are you located?

 

[lil g]

No personal experience but I just worked an event with someone who works there 2 days a week. She said she likes it and is very busy. Don't know what the pay is. They are opening all over this area. I work on call at the larger spa across the street from the one she works for and the spa has been really slow since they opened. So they are attracting clients.

 

[The_Girl_From_Ipanema]

Similar to ME, because they are franchise, I have heard they can pay anywhere from $18/hour to $25/hour plus tips and some benefits. They are opening an Elements about 30/40 minutes from me and a colleague is about to get a job there. I'll see if I can get more info ...

 

[thatashleychick]

I live in between Boston and Worcester. There are a few out here. I work 4 days a week with a chiro but I am looking to fill up Fridays so I figured I would look into the franchise. I just wonder about places like that. Is the cut fair? They do everything. I just go and work and then leave. What do you think would be a fair cut in a circumstance like that?

 

[Pumpkin]

I'd be very interested in learning more as well. I'm graduating this month and I was thinking about getting some experience working at one of these places.

 

[Ferrochi]

I can speak to the franchises that are cropping up in suburban Boston area.

There are benefits of going with a franchise:
There is a steady revenue stream;
You don't have to do any marketing;
You don't do any scheduling;
You don't have to wash your sheets;
You don't have to pay rent for space;
You are busy and quickly build up experience and expertise.

The downsides are:
Relativly low per massage fee when compared to an indie;
Potential for overwork.

When I graduated in June I compared the three franchises in my area -- Massage Envy, Elements and Zen. Of the three, Zen came out the best because it:
Paid more per massage, $20;
was closer to my home;
Management seemed to really care for the welfare of the MTs.

Elements paid about $18 per massage; while Massage Envy started rookie MTs out at $15.

Both Elements and ME placed a emphasis on upselling clients and getting them into membership situations and charging their credit cards for anticipated appointments. That was not the case at Zen.

In the two months I have been at Zen I have administered more than 50 massages while working four days a week. I would never be that far along in experience if I had started up in my own space or partner with another health practitioner.

For someone just starting out and in need of steady revenue, I believe franchinses are a good choice. And among the franchises, some are better choices than others.

 

[higs4477]

I just wonder about places like that. Is the cut fair? They do everything. I just go and work and then leave. What do you think would be a fair cut in a circumstance like that?

I think it's hard to give you a definitive answer. This is very subjective.

It depends where one is in his/her career and what one considers to be 'fair'. One therapist may be thrilled to have a job working 20-30 hours a week making $18/session plus tips and not have to do any of the housekeeping/business tasks. Another therapist may think that $18/session is way too little to make and will look for another job or possibly into self employment.

Also, one might look at his/her overall financial picture. Working one day per week at a franchise (if they do that) might bring in an extra $50-$100 per week (depending on base rate, tips, taxes, number of clients seen, etc). So if an extra $200-$400 per month makes a huge difference in one's financial picture, then $18/session might be seen as very fair.

Just some things to think about.

 

[gultin]

In the two months I have been at Zen I have administered more than 50 massages while working four days a week. I would never be that far along in experience if I had started up in my own space or partner with another health practitioner.

THIS is the value of such jobs.

If it feels appropriate for you and you can get by on the pay for 6mos-1 year, I would say:

- Go for it

- Don't spend even two seconds during your employment thinking about the compensation. Focus on the experience you're getting. Focus on learning all you can.

- Do the very best job you can, because that's what's going to take you out of there, directly or indirectly--the quality of your work.

- Don't work so much that you don't have any time or energy left over to pursue your next step: from the very beginning be researching what you want and putting effort into it, whether it's a job hunt or researching marketing and other private practice issues. Take classes, continuing ed, self-improvement, public speaking, hypnotherapy, Landmark, whatever you need to succeed.

Frankly, franchises are using you to provide cheap massage to folks. So use them as a stepping stone, but do so with positivity and integrity.

That is, if you use them at all... there are always other options...

 

[nonya]

I'd be very interested in learning more as well. I'm graduating this month and I was thinking about getting some experience working at one of these places.

As the best friend of a franchise owner (a gym franchise, not massage), I would say please do consider your employer in taking this approach. If the franchise owner is open to basically being the local training facility for their own competition (ie, new MTs who openly plan to start their own businesses in a year), this attitude is all well and good. But the franchise owner may (understandably) want to develop longer-term employee relationships.