Credit crunch affecting business??

[Michael Q]

Hi all, forgive me if this subject has already been covered, I don't get to use the internet as much as i'd like so don't come on here very often.

I've been renting a room in a salon and so far it hasn't gone very well at all - i'm just wondering if this is because of the economy or if i've simply chosen a bad location to work from. My contract is up for renewel soon and I am not sure what to do. Have any other reflexologists and other complementary therapist noticed a downturn in business of late? The salon i'm at seems to be doing OK on the beauty side.

Sx

 

[igottanoe]

hi there,
sorry to hear things arent going as you planned.

I can only speak from a sports therapy perspective, and things seem to get busier each week. We are based in central Manchester, so this will be one of the factors, however, speaking to a large number of industry colleagues from North and South of the country, the story seems to be the same, that everyone is at least as busy as they were pre-credit crunch or busier.

I do think that it may depend on the type of treatments being offered. We dont really offer much in the way of massage anymore, concentrating primarily on work related injuries and problems.

I for one hope that this credit crunch doesnt turn into full blown recession!

 

[Kevin Durbin]

Hi Squirrel

At the moment I'm just as busy as always.

I have noticed generally that people are more focussed on what they spend their hard earned money on. I think there is a trend of spending money on health than on trivia. But that's my own experience. My bread and butter is Deep Tissue and Thai Massage including Sports Injuries. Reiki & Reflexology are (unfortunately) side lines.

Published in the latest EMBODY magazine, CThA members were asked if the credit crisis affected their work:

8% People wanted more treatments
28% People stayed with the same treatments
64% People cut back on treatments.

I see the so called recession as a challenge to improve my service and offer people what they need.

Best Wishes

Pixie

 

[chagmalyclats]

Hiya

Well my experience is: September - 4 clients a week: October - none. I'm seriously considering getting a job - I can't keep going like this. However, we've just taken a chiropractor on full time and we might get an upturn in business from his existing clients. I don't think it's the credit crunch as such that's putting people off, it's the negative language that's persuading people they can't afford to spend anything.

 

[vera aFa]

Sorry to hear you are also not having much luck lately Chris. It's probably as Sportstherapy said that it depends on your therapies, unfortunately I only have reflex at the moment.

I would imagine therapies that offer pain relief for specific injuries/conditions (sports therapy, chiroprators etc) may not notice much of a downturn, as the people are in pain and paying for a treatment is not seen as a luxury whereas a lot of people (not all I know) use reflexology as a treat, many people just enjoy it as a chill out or a pick me up and they are the ones that are more likely to stop treatments.

Sx

 

[nteveuhfixqinzehi]

I'm way down at the moment, I do remedial massage and lets face it, if people hurt, they hurt. People seem to be holding off for longer and expecting to get more done in an hour than they normally would, then are hoping for less subsequent bookings. I've had more people want one stop shops for longer term aches and pains than I have ever seen. I wish I could wave the wand and fix it all for them, but it doesn't work that way.

Time to get inventive.

 

[foebpasse]

I think this really nails it on the head for populations I am seeing here in the U.S. I'm really tired of the "sky is falling" mentality.

 

[ta-dah!!]

It's definitely affecting my business - I've had nothing but cancellations in the past few weeks. Nutritional therapy is hard enough to convince people that they could benefit from it at the best of times, but this current climate is just about finishing us off!
I too am having to look for another job to make ends meet - such a shame when after we left college years ago as new therapists, we were all so keen and enthusiastic to help people, and I don't know anyone who is succeeding now.
If only the NHS would start taking us seriously, but pigs might fly etc....
Michele Jane

 

[europharmacy]

Michele, don't lose faith. I have recently started with the NHS and I can tell you, things are changing. Admittedly, there are few jobs available on the NHS, but as the few NHS departments continue to demonstrate their success in symptom control and as research is put into place, the GPs and specialists are seeing a continued need for complementary support to treatments.

There are a fair few jobs these days for people trained in Nutrition and in light of current nutritional trends, I can see this number rocketing in the next ten years, as I imagine it will for CTs.

The NHS is driven by scientific study and evidence, this evidence is scant, but trials are out there and there is a demand.

 

[inilumninkesk]

thanks Gussie, I think a lot depends on the local PCT; I have heard that Thanet PCT is using some therapies, so perhaps others will folllow suit. I hoped I could maybe do health promotion work - helping people give up smoking, diet & lifestyle changes and so on. Maybe should write more letters!
Michele