My current business model is considered to be successful by some of my colleagues and social peers. I spent three years growing a full-time massage therapy business out of my home and the 4th year-I moved it out of my home and serviced three neighborhoods equally with a demand of growth in each neighborhood. All of this occurred with only the referrals of friends and clients who believe in me. Thank-you so much for that!
My accountant and potential investors beg to differ on my level of success however. In one year I have managed to save only $2,000 for emergencies, retirement and rainy-day fun. In my current model, I have a profit of $100/ month and  I can physically massage only  2-5 more clients each week to improve profits and then I am tapped out. I tend to agree with them-not much room for profit here.  I spend my time running from location to location to location- that is 3 in sum- to service my clients and help them recover from injury and step out of stress patterns. My need for diversity and movement has the potential to make this model satisfactory for me- on paper anyway.
In each business location I have a very unique type of client. I find it exciting and challenging to meet new clients and devise a treatment plan that will help them overcome pain.  This sentiment seems to be an industry standard.  Most Massage Therapists love to be around people and help them with whatever it is they need.  After 5 years of renting space from landlords and running from place to place I realize the harsh reality; in order to survive as a massage therapist I need to generate a whole new income in addition to the one I currently have.  It is necessary to take that superficial success and make it into a deep-seeded entity that will sustain, profit and provide a service for all.  I can no longer survive merely as a sole proprietor; it is time to write a new business plan and set a path for the future.  So I purchased the following book by Rhonda Abrams.
Six-Week Start-Up: A Step-by-Step Program for Starting Your Business, Making Money, and Achieving Your Goals!
Initially I hesitated to buy the “Six-Week Start-Up” because I already have a business. Why do I need a start up book? Aren’t I trying to save more money? And then I imagined what my retirement would be like with an annual $2,000 saved for retirement and I forked out the money.  Now is the time to leave behind any misguided concepts I had about running a business. Nobody really taught me how to run a business- I just winged it and it is time to re-structure and create a profitable massage business.  It is time to grow my business and bring other experts in to play.
One of the first steps to accomplish, according to Rhonda Abrams is to clarify the business concept. What is the vision of your business?  The entrepreneur seeks to start a business for many reasons. Identifying those reasons and creating a business to support personal goals and business values will ultimately lead to the most success. In order to clarify the concept Abrams suggests you complete the following tasks: identify your personal goals, spell out your business values, remind yourself of your source of inspiration, describe your business concept, identify your strategic position, decide whether you want partners, decide whether you want investors, consider potential exit strategies and discuss the impact of starting a business with your family.
Creativity, control, challenge and cash are the most common personal needs involved with owning a business. In order to be successful you need to decide what is necessary to satisfy your personal needs and what needs you can be more flexible on. If you are the creative sort you might want to find a business partner who can take care of the business operations and problem solving so you can concentrate on your art. If you are in need of control then you might want to hire people to take care of the creative aspects of the business while you handle the cash and management.
Reading further into the tasks I see how if I want to grow my business I will have to give up some control to a potential investor.   I am not sure I like this idea.  The way I run my business would now be under the scrutiny of investors. I would have to answer to why I spent money on something…return on investment…and justify new opportunities. On the flip side I will get help with the challenges that arise in a business. I will have an additional critical eye to problem solve, devise new procedures and create new services.  I can see how giving up some control allows for more free time in my personal life. It also allows for more of my cycles to be spent on the creative aspects of my business, such as developing treatment packages and the challenge of developing new modalities.
Already this book is definitely worth investigating more. Â Not only does this seem like sound business advice I find it useful to apply to my personal life. These four C’s can be applied to potential partnerships and decisions that need to be made in the future. Â It helps me understand the dynamic of motivation behind the individual and how to offer a more valuable service as a business entity.