1. High standard of teaching / education
At Ecole Setsuko we offer courses and programs for anyone or everyone who seeks balance, self awareness and is keen on the healing arts. We work as a family, we only succeed if you succeed. We are here to guide you and help you on your path towards a new and very rewarding career.
2. Low set up costs
The cost of setting up a massage business is surprisingly little. To get started as a massage therapist, there are two main expenses to consider.
The first is massage equipment. The following would need to be acquired as a minimum: A massage table, at $400 for a good portable table, or up to $2,500 for a quality electric table. Other expenses might include a bolster, towels, stools, oils and lotions, a small sound system to play relaxation music and possibly a massage chair if you wish to do seated massage treatments. The total cost for these accessories, including the chair should be around $700. Even adding the cost of business cards, we are looking at a start-up cost of well under $5,000. And most, if not all these costs will be tax deductible (from massage related income – best to check with your accountant).
The second is room rental. This would be variable depending on many factors ranging from the location of the premises and the size of the room to what services are included (e.g. secretary, heating, etc.). Whatever the rental cost, it would need to be offset by client fees so that it can be met each week
3. Good income potential
In private practice a massage therapist can charge $80 – $90 per hour or more. It may take a while to build up to 20 or 30 clients per week which would give a potential gross income of $1500 to $2,500 a week. Even deducting room rental and other outgoings of, say $500 a week, would give you a potential earning of $1,000 to $2,000 a week before tax.
4. Great variety of work opportunities
There are many varieties of massage specializations and different applications of massage to add interest to your massage career. For example, sports massage is very popular and there are opportunities to: Work with professional sporting teams and clubs such as rugby, soccer, football, basketball and tennis; massage at events such as triathlons, Ironman and cycling events; or work as a massage therapist at your local gym. And it’s not just athletes who can benefit from regular massage. Everybody can, whether it be for relaxation, stress management, enhancing performance or rehabilitation.
There are also opportunities for massage therapists to work in hospitals and nursing homes, in a corporate environment or in a practice alongside physiotherapists or chiropractors.
5. Never-ending areas of specialty
There are endless opportunities for learning and continuing education, so you will never be bored. All massage associations require that its members participate in continuing education to stay current. You may have received training at your massage school in relaxation massage, deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy. When you graduate you could upgrade your skills to include myofascial release or even structural integration, manual lymphatic drainage, pregnancy massage, corporate massage, shiatsu, acupressure, soft tissue release, joint mobilisation, etc. – the list is endless.
6. It is rewarding!
Perhaps more important than all these benefits of being a massage therapist is the one underlying benefit that you are making a positive contribution to people’s lives. The beauty of working in this industry is that you usually get positive feedback almost immediately after giving your client a massage treatment. It is so rewarding to have a client get up from the massage table after their treatment and tell you that their neck, back pain or head ache is gone or greatly relieved, or for an athlete to report back to you that they have improved their running time, increased their deadlift or swam a new PB in the 400m freestyle as a result of the massage treatments you have been giving them.
Massage is a skill you will never lose, whether you chose to treat 3-4 friends and/or family members a week or have a busy practice with 30 or more clients a week. It is a profession where you can continue to practice and grow, even in advanced years.
Contact our Student adviser today to discuss how you can start on your path to becoming a Massage Therapist!