Financial Woes & Solutions

Our budget, like many, is tight.  Sometimes so tight it has holes in it.  Since we have moved into this amazing home, our "housing" payment went down, but we also added a new member of the family and there are at times, costs to owning a home.  Here is where we're at.  We have a lovely secluded room which is the entirety of the second floor.  It has it's own bathroom with a shower, jacuzzi tub, and great natural lighting.  We go for months without stepping foot in that room.  I want to rent it out to solve our financial problems.  My husband is not keen on the idea of inviting a "stranger" to live with us.  I have work to do to convince him... mainly organizing my kitchen and keeping the living areas at top level for a month (oy).  

Our second option is me.  I have a massage studio and a massage license.. I have not gone fishing for clients yet though- which is silly, but I am apprehensive... I've never self promoted before and I also don't want to have people think I am more of a miracle worker than I am.  That's silly.  I'm really amazing at what I do & sometimes what I do is miraculous.  Confidence is 70% of the battle.  If others are confident in you & see your confidence, they let their knots loosen.  If they are not confident in you, it will be hard for them to let go of their knots.  Let them know they are in good hands- the best hands.  So, I need to get a sitter.  Someone to watch my kids one day a week for a month so I can go fishing.  Ideally if massage business gets going, my day would be: Be a mom until 7. @ 7pm be a massage therapist until 9ish.  I plan on offering my clients water and a healthy snack.  I only do one massage a night.  Ideally I will only work 3-4 nights a week.  I am now charging $60.  Ideally I want to charge $70, but I have to gain a few Massage therapist points before increasing the price- like add hot stone & some ambiance.  So, that would ideally make 720-1120/month.  After thinking about this, I want to do both... but I definitely ought to work on my practice. (If you're wondering why massages cost so much here are some things to consider: 1. It is manual labor and most massage therapists only work for 5 years or less in many cases because of injury [ex: tendinitis]. 2. Skill & time- each skill costs something to acquire & increases the value of your time. 3. Maintaining practice costs -taxes, oil, sheets, laundry, cost of space, Continuing Education requirements to keep license.)

Personal Plug: I do not put an hour limit on your massage.  The price is per massage.  I only do one a night to make sure you get the most I can offer as a therapist.  I do Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger point release, Reflexology, and Acupressure.  I have these "Gua Sha" cups which instead of painfully squeezing the blood out of knots, use suction to create an antipressure in which there is space for blood to freely run through and take away toxins and nourish the tissue.  My cups are unique.  They twist instead of needing fire or pumping.  It creates a nice accuracy in practice.  I have my own space to work in.  It is the perfect place to relax and heal. You are my purpose.  With a love of massage and a love for my clients, I offer the best.  Walk in as a human, leave as a noodle.

Inspiration: For some odd reason, good Bollywood movies inspire me a lot.  Another thing that inspires me is the thought of having a little girl some day.  My dreams inspire me.  There is so much I want for my family and myself.  There is so much good we could do if only we were more provident and self-sustaining.  I also want to help people- to provide the best service I can & improve their lives.