Starting Off. Own business or work for someone else?

[allankw]

Hi i just graduated and i wanted to know what is the better option. To work for someone else like at a salon/spa or either rent space or own my own business?? I dont exactly have alot of money yet so i dont know how much it would cost to start up my own business. What did you do starting off? And did that work out well for you?

 

[Pompal 09.]

Starting Off. Own business or work for someone else?

If you don't have the money for start-up and you don't already have an established clientelle, it may be better to work for someone else until you have a nest egg built up. When you start your own business you have to allow a certain amount of time to build it up till you reach a point where you are actually making money.

That doesn't necessarily mean you have to go work in a spa or massage envy-type place. There are certainly lots of options available to you.

Angie

 

[Pompal 09.]

Starting Off. Own business or work for someone else?

One of the first steps in even considering going out on your own would be do run the numbers. How much will your rent be? Will you need insurance on the space? What kind of advertising will get you the number of clients you need to make ends meet? Don't forget to factor in costs like laundry, lubricants, lighting, music, toiletries, utilities, etc.
Good luck!

 

[ScroogexJones]

Starting Off. Own business or work for someone else?

At least one thread that may be helpful until you get more replies: Starting a new business

 

[doradoe]

Starting Off. Own business or work for someone else?

(Meant to post this a week ago but managed to set my netbook in a tub of water in the middle of posting when I got a phone call t108 But I got an appointment out of it! :grin: )

When I first got out of school, I knew I wanted to eventually be on my own, but I wanted to start out simple and either be an employee or an independent contractor. I also knew I did not want to work at a spa or discount massage chain place because I didn't want to get burned out too fast (not to mention I don't like the "goopy spa stuff" as I saw it then ). While still in school, I looked online for and found a wellness center near my home that looked nice and bookmarked the site. After getting my license, I contacted them and became an IC. This I feel was the the best thing that happened for me because while I had no money to start my own practice, the owner and other therapist at the center encouraged and helped me create my own identity. They supported my endeavors while I started my own website and started using online scheduling and payments. I would have had a much tougher time trying to do this while at the same time worrying about getting my own clients.

That experience helped me so much that even after an almost 2 yr break from being able to massage, I was able to start back up, in my new state, once I found a really great deal on a shared office space close by. I had the confidence and experience from the wellness center. I was able to use the example of how they did things, from gift certificates and brochures, to the logs to keep track of my appointments and income. This helped me get things up and running quickly, and now I can tweak them as needed to suite my situation.

That being said, I am still just getting started and when summer brought a stall in my income, I did have to go out and get a part time position (2days/wk) working at one of those discount massage chain places. However, I gave them the requirements I needed; no more than 4 appointments/shift, only these days, these times, and these modalities. If they hadn't agreed, or try to change it in the future, I'm gone! I decided to give them a try as I felt it would help keep me in practice and build up my strength for when my practice starts getting busy , but I have no problem switching to a non-massage related job if necessary. Either way, it's helping me continue to add to my own practice and be ready for all those clients I know will find me! :grin:

 

[steadyside]

Starting Off. Own business or work for someone else?

Well, there's nothing more satisfying than starting your own business. However it comes with risk (unless you are already wealthy

Do you have a space you can use already or would you have to rent one?

The main benefit of working for someone else for a while that I can think of, is that you would really learn a lot about how you want to run a business, how you want to treat your clients, etc.

Go with your gut!