How to salvage our efforts

[Sindy]

Just as we ramped up our marketing efforts and were about to see a pay off, a car drove through our office knocking out the exterior wall to the massage room and doing who knows what to our equipment. My husband is out surveying the damage now. This is our first attempt at business solo and I can't afford to relocate our replace anything. Is this it, or is there anything we can do?

 

[LANE (D)]

How to salvage our efforts

Oh my I am so sorry. I hope you have insurance that should cover most of what you lost.

 

[HEY LIBS]

How to salvage our efforts

No insurance. literally started this on a wing and a prayer. A chiro friend of ours was letting us use the space for free.

 

[the boss]

How to salvage our efforts

You might contact your liability insurance company (AMTA or ABMP). I think the standard policy covers some equipment.

 

[letterstoheather]

How to salvage our efforts

I don't suppose there's any way to find out who did that to the office? That person's auto insurance should cover it. I'd at least file a police report.

Also, if a chiropractor friend is letting you use the space to conduct your massage business, wouldn't THEIR business insurance cover the damage to THEIR building? (Leaving you to cover your own business items that might have gotten damaged- but possibly it might cover your stuff too. This is a good reminder for me to check if our business insurance would cover our tenant's belongings in such an incident.). What does the chiropractor say about the situation?

I'm so sorry this happened to y'all. Do I understand, since you said "our equipment", that your and your husband are working together in this? Or you're working together with *someone*, at least? ((( hugs ))) Good luck with getting it pulled back together. Please don't give up- if you can survive this, you will likely be able to survive "anything"!

 

[Pompal 09.]

How to salvage our efforts

Wow I am so sorry. '

I hope there has not been much damage and I believe that the building's owner's insurance should cover the building part of everything. Unless of course you have the insurance info on whomever ran into it. Their insurance should cover everything. Building and your business items. I worked in insurance for 7 years, but in CA so it can change from state to state.

Good luck!!

 

[yotu]

How to salvage our efforts

Thanks all. The indecent occurred at 9:30 this morning, so people were in the office when it happened. Thankfully no one was hurt. The guy who went through the wall had insurance but it was expired. Amazingly nothing was actually damaged although the massage table was thrown across the room. Thank goodness no one was on it. Everything else has a layer of insulation and sheet rock on it, but seems to be in working order! The management company is in charge of repairing the building. My concern at this point is the amount of time it will take to repair it. The entire exterior wall is GONE and given this companies track record, it will take them a long while to repair.
After discussing things with my husband we have decided to work out calls and cold call event coordinator and see about lining up some chair gigs. Until the building is repaired I think it's the best we can do. This really was a fledgling business and we have spent the past 3 months doing promotional gigs just to get people in the door. Even turned down a spa gig to work our business full time,lol. Oh well, hopefully we can generate enough interest in the mean time to keep momentum.
Oh and yes we are a husband and wife team

 

[Bonzo The Wonder Pig]

How to salvage our efforts

Well be thinking about you.

I think that if you can't see people in the practice, it makes a lot of sense to find out how long until you are able to work out of the practice again... and as soon as you know, send out a note or phone all of your clients or phone them letting them know what is going on.


Here's what to address:

• Problem: what happened.
  
  
• Solution: offer to set up house calls until the office is up in working order or give a secondary location of where the clients can be seen until the office is in working order.
  
  • I suggest that if you do outcalls, you specifically inform the clients that the price will be
    $xx during this time, and that outcalls are normally double (or whatever you deem appropriate) the price of an in-office rate. You may end up picking up some clients who will keep you as an outcall therapist at the higher rate and makes the clients happy to know that during this event you are willing to do what you can to make sure everything continues to flow easily for them. And, if they don't already know it, now they will be aware of outcalls being higher rates than
    in-house massage.
  
  
• Conclusion: provide the proposed date of return into the office.
  
  • Fudge this by 3 weeks - and prepare to return calls or make a second mailing as soon as you are back in the doors.

 

[WHY]

How to salvage our efforts

Thanks all. The indecent occurred at 9:30 this morning, so people were in the office when it happened. Thankfully no one was hurt. The guy who went through the wall had insurance but it was expired. Amazingly nothing was actually damaged although the massage table was thrown across the room. Thank goodness no one was on it. Everything else has a layer of insulation and sheet rock on it, but seems to be in working order! The management company is in charge of repairing the building. My concern at this point is the amount of time it will take to repair it. The entire exterior wall is GONE and given this companies track record, it will take them a long while to repair.
After discussing things with my husband we have decided to work out calls and cold call event coordinator and see about lining up some chair gigs. Until the building is repaired I think it's the best we can do. This really was a fledgling business and we have spent the past 3 months doing promotional gigs just to get people in the door. Even turned down a spa gig to work our business full time,lol. Oh well, hopefully we can generate enough interest in the mean time to keep momentum.
Oh and yes we are a husband and wife team

We're a husband/wife team too- it's a wonderful way to work! We're going on our first anniversary in our place in April! :mrgreen:

I think y'all have some good ideas on how to keep on keeping on while waiting for the building to be fixed. I'm glad your table wasn't damaged. Please be careful to check it thoroughly, though- a hairline crack in a leg somewhere could prove disastrous if it were to give with a client on it.

And it might prove prudent to look into getting business insurance of your own as soon as possible. I know it's costly, but if your table were to be damaged and need replaced, for instance- it would have covered that for you.

Hopefully, this will somehow turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Hang in there!

 

[Kellayyy]

How to salvage our efforts

Well be thinking about you.

I think that if you can't see people in the practice, it makes a lot of sense to find out how long until you are able to work out of the practice again... and as soon as you know, send out a note or phone all of your clients or phone them letting them know what is going on.


Here's what to address:

• Problem: what happened.
  
  
• Solution: offer to set up house calls until the office is up in working order or give a secondary location of where the clients can be seen until the office is in working order.
  
  • I suggest that if you do outcalls, you specifically inform the clients that the price will be
    $xx during this time, and that outcalls are normally double (or whatever you deem appropriate) the price of an in-office rate. You may end up picking up some clients who will keep you as an outcall therapist at the higher rate and makes the clients happy to know that during this event you are willing to do what you can to make sure everything continues to flow easily for them. And, if they don't already know it, now they will be aware of outcalls being higher rates than
    in-house massage.
  
  
• Conclusion: provide the proposed date of return into the office.
  
  • Fudge this by 3 weeks - and prepare to return calls or make a second mailing as soon as you are back in the doors.

Pueppi, as always, I am amazed at the thoroughness and helpfulness of your reply.

 

[purplesmiles19]

How to salvage our efforts

Wow... keep your spirits up, maybe this was a sign that you need to move into a different direction. Keep your eyes open for new oportunities.

Hugs! And glad no one was hurt!

 

[iguessifuwant]

How to salvage our efforts

Thank you all again. Pueppi that is an awesome idea, thank you for it!

 

[ktk]

How to salvage our efforts

Insurance, Insurance, Insurance!

Ditto to all of the above.
(BTW - this is a HUGE wakeup call to you to make sure that you obtain appropriate insurance. Running a business is NOT a wing-and-a-prayer. You can start small but be smart!))

You will probably be covered somehow...

1) The driver's insurance will probably be the best bet and quickest payoff. Expired insurance can be re-instated but each state has an uninsured or underinsured provision - check with your state.
2) The owner of the building - if the chiro then work with him - if other the chiro is still your info person.
3) Your professional insurance
4) The chiro's insurance

Insurance may cover not only the cost of equipment replacement but you can be re-imbursed for lost business (if you can prove it).

In the meantime - you need to find an alternative place of business in case the building repair is an extended process. You would actually be surprised at how fast things can come together. Start making those phone calls, circle the wagons!

 

[Dayrena]

How to salvage our efforts

This has potential for some great press coverage. When the office has been repaired, call around to local papers, news stations, radio stations etc. and tell them about your story, and that you are having a grand reopening to celebrate. It has a real "Feel Good" quality to it - can't keep a small business down! You would be surprised how many people will want to support you.

Keep us posted!

 

[marcellinus_max]

How to salvage our efforts

This has potential for some great press coverage. When the office has been repaired, call around to local papers, news stations, radio stations etc. and tell them about your story, and that you are having a grand reopening to celebrate. It has a real "Feel Good" quality to it - can't keep a small business down! You would be surprised how many people will want to support you.

Keep us posted!

Smart!!!!!!! 8)