To move or not to move the business

[Magic Man]

Hello all,

Well now, I have a delimna I would like some help with. I have been in the business for several years and have opened my practice in a gym and with Chiropractors mostly. I recently moved to Wisconsin and after about 8 months I accepted an offer with a local Chiro in a very good area of town for bus. Well now, I have seen that in just a few short months and offering VERY low rates, my buz has really grown fast. I have a problem though..........

The place where I work is VERY oppressed. The Chiro and her husband work together and a lot of times don't get along to the point that they make derogitory comments back and forth and sometimes in front of the patient. I know she talks about how he is not good for the buz to patients because they come in for a massage and complain. A professional management company she works with told her that she should find something else for him to do but, alas she won't. Can't afford to she says. I have told her and so have others yet, he is there to do X-rays and some rehab that she sent him to school to do after his company folded. Sometimes I feel that he is quite immature for his position and it gets real old to ignore his silly comments in front of patients.

She has HUGE overhead and has charged me a very BIG room rent. It is a big room and great growth opportunity if I saw that she can bring in "and keep" her own clientelle but, she doesn't seem to have a lot of patients herself, unhappy business set up and all.

In the process of looking around I have found a very cute office downtown for lease. It would be 100.00 more than I am paying now, and of course I would have to pay my own utilities. It is set up for cable, etc......and in a GREAT part of downtown for growth as well. Next to a hair salon and all.

It would be a crunch but I am mostly concerned with clientelle leaving because of the move. Most people want a massage BEFORE their Chiro appt but she can't always do that so, that won't be an issue. I am in a Business Network group for referrals too and can just really hit the marketing hard and do more seated massages.

If you didn't quite have the clientelle built up, would you do the move? The drama and all at the office is beginning to look like not too many people would want to deal with that and of course their is the hubby that likes to be too silly at times.....

Any thoughts? I am going to look at the inside of this office Thursday morning and hope to come to a decision then.

 

[Nostromo]

It sounds like it is definately time to leave the Chiropractor's office. The constant bickering will just drag you down with them.

Is there any chance of sharing the new room with another therapist? This would give you some help with the rent until you built up your buisiness.

 

[chaosjmf]

Move. Your business will grow so much better if you are not in that unhealthy, squabbling environment.

Not that I'm telling you what to do or anything... :

 

[Bobby Cowboy Man]

I'd definitely look into moving, but I would keep looking for space that is affordable - unless you are sure you can move into this new space without problem.

You'll most likely loose a few clients in the move, but I am sure you will gain new ones that will make up for it. The question is how long will it be before you gain the new ones.

Let us know what you decide.

 

[colleen]

Not sure if you had a chance to read my "should i move" post. My situation was a little different but the same in the fact of 100.00 more to move where I wanted and I was concerend about my clients, and I had been at my old place 7 months. Its very early for me (just moved this weekend) but I just saw two clients that followed. I think you need to just go for it. If you really like like the place, location and it speaks to you, then you will find a way to make it work. Sounds like you already have some marketing plans. Someone on here asked me if I where really giving the best massage I could with the working conditions I had, so i will ask you the same. Get outta there. Sounds toxic. Order some Vista print move in special cards and send them out to your clients. You mentioned your rates are very low. Are they too low for the area? You have to value yourself or noone else will. I know I have said that here before. But its really really true. Maybe you can give yourself a small raise to help with the extra rent. You will get new clients so they won't even know you are higher then you where. As for the current clients, they will either understand or not. No guarntees on anything in life right?
You can do it!!

 

[globeweasel]

Go for the move ! You'll be happier for it, and when the space itself is in a better, larger, & nicer location your old clients will understand that you are also going to be charging more.

If you want to do it as an incentive, explain to your old clients that the rates will be going up, however you will offer them a lower rate initially. Or you can consider
that along with higher rates you may wish to offer a
maintenance plan for regulars, which means they get a
discount for sessions which are weekly ($15.00 off the
full rate) every other week ($10.00) every 3 weeks ($5.00).

You might also consider offering 3 different session lengths like I did. Come up with names for each one,

Mine: Bliss ~ One Hour & 15 minutes
Nirvana ~ Ninety minutes
Ascension ~ Deluxe two hour session

Then I charge an additional $10.00 for hot stone on the first two session lengths, and include it during the Ascension session.

Good luck & go for it !

 

[picazo77]

Seattlesunshine said:
Quote:
Order some Vista print move in special cards and send them out to your clients.attlesunshine said:



Good idea, just be aware of a problem with some online
companies, Vista print included. There's a company called
passporttofun (as well as several others) who are connected to Vista/Travelocity/Favorites catalog/etc. who
tap into your credit card & bank accounts via debit/check
cards and start charging fees in small amounts (easy to miss in your bank statements). Some folks, like me, have
gotten hit with these "membership fees" by agreeing to take the bait in the form of a rebate offer. Its a major bait & switch. I not only caught, but cancelled it, then called the Favorite's catalog which is where I got sucked in, and told them to take me off all their mailing lists, etc. and why. As far as I was concerned it was guilt by association, I don't deal with ripoffs well ! I posted this under another caeforum.xxxory not long ago.

_________________
The song of the spirit is as the song
of the river, on a journey back to source.

 

[momof3]

don't walk out of there....RUN! i say go for it.

 

[Volleyballcutie2009]

Hi to all,
THANK YOU all for your wonderful advise...........to answer some questions and update......

I didn't have time to say EVERYTHING in my first letter to you all but, I have noticed that since I talked to the Doc about how patients are complaining and how we (her two receptionists as well) are being put in the middle of her problem with her husband. Her husband is just not a good fit for what she wants in her buz BUT that is not our problem nor good professionalism. Think what would happen if she adjusted someone wrong because she is upset for crying out loud!!!!1 :shock: Anyway, I noticed that she is not talking bad and neither is he. At least I don't hear it and the girls at the front desk aren't either I don't think.

So, I called and set up a time to look inside the office............I then was feeling a little scared due to the increase in rent/utilities, yard upkeep and needing a receptionist or answer service. I called the guy back and told him I should probably wait.

Well................this guy is a gem, he decreased his rental rate to 625.00 (that is what I am paying now that includes utilities, receptionist and every other week cleaning) for a 900sq. ft office!! This place has a kitchenette, large bathroom and two Large rooms like sitting rooms. I will have to put a curtain up in the back or partitions. I will also be paying my own utilities and need to come up with a plan to have someone answer my phone. I think it is better to have a live person via an answer machine. I also have to do my own yard care but, that will be fun.

The other place that was there doubled in size in 3yrs and moved to a bigger office close by..........INTERESTING!!

Yes, I am considering sharing the space but maybe with someone who will do nutrition counseling or something like that to utilize the front reception space. There is also a basement he said but said it is full of webs. I am still considering using that for a hot tub someday and maybe washer and dryer.

If I take this place, how would I work doing a massage and still having people walk in????? that is kind of dangerous isn't it???

You all have had such great thoughts........I appreciate the input and yes, I think I am going to take it but will look at it tomorrow and make a decision then. This man was VERY nice to talk to and wants to meet me and help me grow anyway he can. He owns a bagel shop down town and many people know of him. They all have nice things to say to him.

Any new thoughts???

 

[Pompal 09.]

Congratulations!

I'd suggest you don't take walk-ins during a massage. Post your business hours and "By Appointment Only". That should suffice.

There are a few really good threads on ideas for that -- but I don't have time to look them up right now.

I'd also say you don't have to have a receptionist right now. There is a nice thread on telephone messages in this forum, as a sticky, I believe.

Congrats again!

 

[June Dafina May]

That is great, Alexa! It sounds very interesting and exciting!

I would definitely have the door locked while you are doing a massage, if you don't have a receptionist.

I'll have to make it down there sometime to see you. You aren't that far from me!

 

[Chef]

Again, THANK you all for your great reply's.
I saw the place yesterday and hmmmmm, not sure. It is really cute outside. PERFECT location for good business and visibility but, I would have to put up a partition or a door that would separate the two areas. That is definately doable. Just needs some paint & splatter and definately new carpeting. He said I can do whatever I want with the place inside.

Quite honestly there is another business option I was thinking would be REALLY awesome for that house. A tea room!! This guy thought that would be AWESOME.It is right next to a fancy gift shoppe, hair salon, big pretty church and across from a park. The tea room has been another dream of mine.

Hmmmmm, decisions, decisions.

 

[Mooches]

A tea room could be in front with the massage room in back. You'd need a decent amount of insulation in the walls and a good door, but that wouldn't be difficult or all that costly to do. Around here there are several gourmet coffee shops with MT rooms in the back. Tea would be much less of an aroma to deal with, and the concepts would mesh very well.

Interesting! I can't wait to hear how you proceed! Maybe you could start with just massage and add that tea room when you are financially more ready/able.

 

[ask me a question!!!]

Yep! I am all about multi-functional facilities.

My dream is a connected - coffee/1950's malts/smoothies/dominos/music/massage/chiro and a dojo --- kind of place -- with a place to do a little artwork too... OH! and maybe have a few munchie items (like keylime pie and pound cake). *hehe*

 

[misty-dawn]

Massage room & Tea room

Well, not sure I can do both in the same building. Imagine just two LARGE open rooms...........there is a doorway of sort leading in a hall where there is also a large bathroom with no shower. On the other side of the bathroom in the room in the back is a sink with counter and cubboards. No refrig or stove..........to make a massage room there would be too noisy. I would need the kitchenette for the tea room. And even if I built walls around that small space for a massage room would be too much noise. SOOOOOOOOOO, I am going to be doing massage out of my home until I figure where else to move it. Save on room rent.

I am thinking the tea house with an area to read would be nice. Upscale, organic teas.............sweet breads...........hmmmmmm, sounds yummy!!