Want To Make Chair Massage Your Full-Time Job? Here's How!

Maybe you love travelling with your job as a Massage therapist, you might enjoy taking part in events and festivals, fancy just trying something different and mixing it up a bit, so you’re not stuck in the treatment room all day? Whatever your reason, there are so many paths you can take as a Seated Acupressure Massage Therapist and there are equally some not so fun parts too!

In this blog I will speak on my own personal experience over the past year and a half specialising in Seated Massage and I hope you take away some inspiration to start that business or add an extra string to your bow!

Find Your Why

So, like anything we must know why we’re doing what we’re doing, we need our work to be sustainable and enjoyable to create longevity in our careers. As practitioners we know we give a lot of our energy everyday to other people, we heal, we use touch and we empathise, this is why we need to know our why, why are we choosing this path? Why do we think this is right for us and how is this going to help others?

Personally I had more than one why… the first being after battling Contact Dermatitis for over a decade as a Therapist, I saw Therapists on Instagram performing Seated Acupressure Massage and it was like a light bulb switched on in my head, I felt this rush of adrenaline and excitement about the fact I had just found a treatment I could do on clients without using any oils which would irritate my skin. Phillipa Spivey Therapies was born.

My second why was the fact I have a deep passion for improving mental health conditions, especially in the workplace. After struggling myself with my mental health after having my child and having worked in some toxic work environments, I wanted to support people who maybe feeling the pressure, the ones who don’t feel seen and heard, the mothers, the introverts, the people who lack self-esteem, the rundown, the exhausted and the employees dealing with Anxiety and Depression. In fact, anyone and everyone who found themselves in my chair needed that space which was created especially for them.

That leaves me with my third why, my never satisfied, can’t sit still, can’t be in one place for too long, free spirited character. I find myself always looking for what’s next and it gives me such excitement to go to a new office every week, to meet new people and experience new surroundings, not to mention the number of steps I get in whilst travelling around London!

So, if you are thinking about exploring Seated Acupressure Massage have a think about why you want to do it as it’s not for everyone and it can be tiring on the body if you don’t take care of yourself.

Do The Training

I have had many Therapists ask me if they need to be trained in Seated Acupressure Massage and the answer is yes! This type of massage is totally different from table/oil massage, and you will need to learn the technique, the Meridian lines of the body, and you will need to practice, practice, practice! Usually a 1-day course, once trained you will have the tools to complete a full 40-minute Chair Massage, you will know the contraindications and how to market and start your small business if that’s what you wish to do. I recommend Gateway Workshops as that’s where I completed my course, and I had the best teacher and experience I could have hoped for.

Connect With Agencies

The first thing to do once trained is to connect with agencies who can get you corporate Chair Massage work. I literally went to google to do my research and found and partnered with around 8 companies, most of whom I still get work from today. Build a professional relationship with these companies and continue to be consistent and reliable, once you build trust and feedback is positive you should have consistent work. Now I say consistent lightly as every freelance Massage Therapist will know the amount of work will fluctuate, there are busy periods and quiet periods, but fear not! I have a few ideas that will keep you busy in Seated Acupressure Massage even when the agency work isn’t coming in!

Work With A Seated Acupressure Walk-In In Studio

Want to do Chair Massage but would like to be based somewhere regularly? If you haven’t already got a regular corporate office from an agency, a great way to create  consistently is to enquire with a walk in Seated Massage studio. The two I would recommend are Walkin Back Rub and Backworks in London. This is such a magical way of building a regular client base as clients will continue to come back to you, having the freedom of being freelance whilst also being part of a workplace community of other Therapists! Win win if you ask me! You can usually have a day or two weekly or be contacted as and when work comes in, it depends on the company. Overall, a fantastic concept!

Get Your Own Corporate Clients

One of my most frequently asked questions is how do I get my own clients? And there really isn’t a complicated special way I do this, I literally have a think about the kind of company I would like to massage in and work with, and I contact them, it really is as simple as that!

Think about the area you are prepared to travel to, what company ethos do your potential clients need to have? Where would your dream client be? Aim high and email or dm on social media and keep positive, remember for every 20 clients you contact you may only get 1 or 2 replies, but keep going!

The must haves for your business are a strong, non salesy company outreach email, keep it fun, to the point but cut out the over-the-top sales approach. Remember you are not selling something; you are changing people’s lives through massage. (Sounds cheesy but it’s true!) A solid consultation form listing all potential contraindications, Public Liability Insurance, great marketing and a very reliable and reputable Massage chair, mine is the Porta-Lite Advantage Massage Chair from Massage Warehouse UK. Once your business is set up the expenses are low as you don’t need to buy oil/wash towels etc, sounds perfect doesn’t it!?

Go Mobile

The great thing about a Massage Chair is that its pretty easy to carry around and travel to clients, another way of staying busy with Seated Massage is to offer this treatment in peoples homes, now there is a downside to this, as we usually do 15-40 minute massages and the fee is lower than a table full body massage, you may need to massage more than 1 person per household to make it worthwhile. You could do a 40 minute massage and add to the price to cover your travel, or better still, try and get a group of people together, do they have any siblings or friends who would like a massage too? Massaging 3 people for example instead of 1 will be better financially and makes for a fun pamper evening for your clients!

Rent A Space

I was contacted last year to rent a room in a co working space to offer my Seated Massages. This is another incredible way to build your business, your client base and guarantee regular work. Try and find a space which resonates with your ethos, your offerings and your work, make sure the rent fee isn’t too unrealistically high if you have no clients and need to start from scratch. If marketing isn’t included in your contract do make sure your marketing is on point from before your start date, ensure everyone knows where you are, how to contact you and what you are offering, they need to know why you differ from the competition and decide on pricing which reflects your values. The space in which your rent would need to work with your 15-40 minute massage offerings, co working spaces I find are the best fit for this and most of them will have rooms to rent.

Become An Expert But Take Breaks

To allow for longevity in your Seated Acupressure Massage career, becoming an expert in this field will set you apart from others, put 100% into each massage, re train in your Anatomy and Physiology if you aren’t new to massage as there will be gaps in your knowledge somewhere or another so knowing your stuff when a client asks you for advice is going to ensure you are remembered. Now while we are not here to diagnose or correct acute pain or injury, we need to understand how we are releasing energy blocks and how we are correcting the flow of energy through the body.

One thing I will always be very passionate about is taking breaks, this could mean a few days, a two-week holiday or taking 3 months away from massage to reset, realign and start over if you are able to. There is no failure in listening to our bodies and taking a step back if you feel you are not giving 100% to your clients. Life can throw unexpected trauma and situations our way which we cannot always successfully navigate through if we are taking care of others every day. Your Massage career is one of your greatest gifts, but we can carry this gift with us for the rest of our lives if we nurture ourselves, be kind to ourselves and take time to heal. Remember to protect your energy and ground yourself and most importantly, absolutely love what you do!

I hope this blog has given you insight into how you can be busy solely performing Seated Massage, it is possible and its very fun and rewarding if you in turn continue to practice self- care daily. Never turn down an opportunity and continue to grow through your journey, the universe has your back after all!

About the Author

Phillipa Spivey, founder of Phillipa Spivey Therapies, is a Beauty and Massage Therapist with 19 years’ experience in the industry. With a passion for mental health in the workplace and taking care of people she started a small business offering Seated Acupressure Massage in corporate environments to combat Anxiety and Depression symptoms at work. Phillipa has extensive experience in Salons, Spas, Hotels and Aesthetic Clinics in London. Her goal since the very beginning has always been to spread love and light and to simply make people feel better physically and mentally.