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Outcalls, Onsite, or Mobile Massage

Fresh Out Of Massage School· Running A Massage Therapy Practice

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In this Post: Learn tips, tricks, and safety considerations for outcalls, onsite massage, or mobile massage.

Outcalls, onsite and mobile massage

Do you offer mobile massage? Outcalls, onsite massage, or mobile massage where you actually go to your client’s home, condo, hotel, or place of business to give massage treatments.

While it can sometimes feel like a pain to lug your table and not know if you will have adequate room to move around your table, – the rewards can be huge. At least the financial rewards can be huge.

Some Reasons You May Consider Doing Mobile Massage

  • There is demand in your area. (Often areas with heavy tourism have this kind of demand.)
  • Elder massage is your gig.
  • You want to get into corporate massage, either chair or table.
  • Low overhead. (If you forgo having an office to do onsite massage exclusively you can save a lot on monthly expenses.)
  • You specialize in working with athletes or musicians, who want onsite massage.

Setting Your Mobile Massage Price

I know some therapists who don’t charge more to travel to their clients. They claim to do so because they have lower overhead and therefore feel that they shouldn’t charge more. I think this is a mistake and I’ll explain why below:

Physically demanding

There is a lot of extra physical work involved with traveling to our clients. When we are young and vibrant, we may not realize how much work this actually is, but trust me after you have been practicing for a while you will feel the toll of lugging tables back and forth.

Maybe shlepping a table is the last thing your body wants you to do, respect that! I had a therapist tear a muscle hucking her table into the back of her pickup. She was out of work for three weeks. I’m pretty sure the premium she made from doing this one outcall didn’t make up for three weeks of lost income!

When people make requests to have you come to them, they are willing to pay a premium. Take advantage of this. They expect to pay more, so charge more!

Think about the last time you felt really hungry and had nothing to eat in the house. Maybe you had a rough night the night before; you spent all night trying to get your baby to sleep, or you drank one too many. Whatever the case may be, I’m willing to bet you were willing to pay a large sum of money to have someone bring you a warm, delicious meal.

This is the same with outcall massages. The client doesn’t want to be bothered to leave the warmth and comfort of their own dwelling to drive to you and then have to get back in their car after their treatment to drive home.

Maybe this seems lazy or lavish to you, but again think about the last time you ordered food to be delivered. Remember how justified this purchase felt in your mind?

Now charge the premium.

I recently scheduled three days of outcall massages for a gentleman and his friends. The total came to $2200. There was no hesitation to relay his credit card for this hefty bill.

$2200

To me, that is a ton of money! Like a ton, but to him it was nothing for the convenience of having therapists waiting for his group after long days of hitting the ski slopes hard.

Remember that you can always offer discounts, but it is much harder to raise your rates after you have already established them.

You may have clients offer to purchase a massage table. This way you don’t have to lug your table over every time you work on them, here is a perfect example of when a discount might be appropriate.

Now all of this being said, outcalls aren’t for everyone. If you are still having a hard time establishing clear boundaries – DON’T DO OUTCALLS! If this describes you read my post How To Protect Yourself From Illicit Massage Requests.

Safety Considerations for Mobile Massage

  • Feel out your client over the phone to make sure they understand you provide therapeutic massage only. You could even have a waiver for them to sign on your website that clearly states you are a professional therapist who does not offer sexual favors.
  • Unless you have clear, established boundaries you shouldn’t ever consider mobile massage. It is important that you are comfortable saying no, trust your intuition, and present a professional image when you are practicing mobile massage.
  • Wearing conservative clothing is always a good idea as a massage therapist, especially with mobile massage.
  • Set up a system where you let someone know where you are going and what time they should expect you to check back in with them. If I ever feel at all uncomfortable, I will call a friend in front of the client. Saying something like, “I am at the Highmark unit 330, I will be leaving at 5:15, I will talk to you then.” This way the client knows someone is expecting me to check in at a particular time.
  • Let the concierge or front desk know that you will be checking out with them at a certain time. Ask them to check in on you if they have not heard from you by a particular time. This works best when you have a relationship built with the hotel.
  • Carry mace or bear spray with you in your travel bag.

Cons of Mobile Massage

  • Potentially tight working spaces.
  • Noisy or distracting pets, phones, or kids.
  • Clients are overly comfortable and may not treat your time with as much respect as if they were coming to you directly.
  • More risk of illicit massage requests.
  • Travel time eats into the potential to book more appointments.
  • Physically demanding.

Think about whether outcalls are right for you, if you decide they are, here is a list of supplies to have ready for performing this type of massage. If you are considering getting into mobile massage I would suggest that you have a bag packed and ready to go, as well as a dedicated travel massage table. This way you won’t be searching to pull together all of your supplies as well as taking down your table every time you get a call.

Supplies You Will Need for Mobile Massage

      • Table – I like this Earthlite table because it is super light and made from sustainably sources wood. The lightweight nature of this table is something you will be happy for when you are hiking up a flight of stairs! I have also made the mistake of going for the cheapest table available in the past and hugely regretted it. Quality tables are worth the investment. Not only are they more comfortable for your clients, they also last longer, saving you money in the long run.

      • Lotion – My favorite ever lotion is actually a cream. Sacred Earth is a super clean brand that has excellent glide, and a little goes a long way! I am pretty sensitive to scents, and find that a lot of unscented lotions do in fact have a scent. This one is indeed odorless. The recently started offering 5 gallon containers, which is pretty awesome too!

      • Credit card processing equipment and cash change – (Though I typically like to collect payment ahead of time, this way you know people are more committed to their massage. It also eliminates some of the hassles of getting packed up after you have finished the treatment.)
      • Bolster – There are half bolsters, that are cut length wise, but I prefer the full round. I feel like it gives the knees and ankles a more natural curve.

      • Device to play music – (Bonus points if it doubles as a clock!) This particular speaker can also charge your phone.

      • Sheets – I recently started using Comphy Brand sheets. They are amazing! The launder beautifully, are silky smooth, and never wrinkle.
      • Blanket – I always like to use blankets because I feel like it gives clients a heightened sense of security, something I strive for them to feel in their massage.

      • Mace or bear spray – This is just an added layer of protection for you as the therapist. You will probably never need to use mace, but won’t you be happy when it is in your bag should the case arise.

      • Stool (This is optional, but I highly recommend it, I never travel without my stool.)

Traveling to our clients can be very lucrative! If you charge as you should. If you feel like your body can handle it, you have clear, established boundaries, and you enjoy seeing new locations, you may LOVE outcall massage. Maybe you find yourself gravitating toward this type of work for a season of your career. Then you get pregnant or have an injury, and it no longer seems as desirable. RESPECT the stage of life you are in and build your career around these stages.

MassageOutcall, Mobile of Onsite Massage

Author Profile

Ali Boehm
- Boulder College of Massage Therapy Graduate
- Nationally Certified through NCBTMB
- Colorado Licensed Massage Therapist
- Certified CranialSacral Level 1 through Upledger
- Certified Herbal Therapist through Nutrition Therapy Institute
- Certified Fujian Massage through Barefoot Masters
- Fort Lewis College - Majored in Art, Minored in Business Administration
- 6 Year Winner of Best Massage Therapist for "Best of The Boat" Competition
- Massage Business Owner Since 2008
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Comments

  1. Melissa says

    November 4, 2019 at 4:02 pm

    Thankyou for sharing! Any advice when you don’t know what to blog about anymore? I’ve written over 400+ small Massage blogs . I feel burn out … how to get more content or ideas ? Thankyou!

    • businessmama says

      March 21, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Ya, it can get tedious for sure. Maybe switch it up and write about your area. This will help your SEO for your area, where you are trying to get clients.

  2. Jennifer Norton says

    December 25, 2019 at 9:08 pm

    Great job! Do you outline all of your blog posts? I’ve read a few of them now and they are way higher quality than other blogs I’ve read.

    • businessmama says

      March 21, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      Thanks Jennifer. No, I don’t outline them first. Wish I was that organized!

  3. Tendai says

    April 20, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    I enjoyed your article I am struggling to get clients even though I have someone who does marketing for me its still zero clients.
    I do mobile massage.

    • businessmama says

      April 20, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      Tendal,

      Well, right now is a tough time to get massage clients. Have you been working with your marketer for a while? Are you struggling to get any clients or just mobile clients?

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Recent Posts

  • Podcast Episode 050: Show Up & Shine on Social Media with Stacey Hagen
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the.massage.business.mama

the.massage.business.mama
My son is becoming quite the portrait photographer My son is becoming quite the portrait photographer. Don't you think? 

Today is moving day for my business, and I'm finding myself quite sad! 

I've been in my current location for a little over three years. It was a COVID move that brought me to my current location. For FOREVER I was month to month, not fully committing to the space. 

And here we are 3+ years later, finally moving to a space that feels more like home, more aligned with my goals, more appropriate. 

Yet I'm sad!

I'll miss my neighbors and my current routine. I've helped so many people in this space. I've spent some life here! 

So today, I'm just going to feel the feels:)

#themassagebusinessmama #massagestudent #massagelife #massagetherapist #massagetherapistlife #massagebusinessowner
A few years ago, when I still had therapists worki A few years ago, when I still had therapists working for me, we had an unfortunate occurrence.

A young woman who had recently been sexually assaulted came in to receive massage. She was trying to regroup and recover from her negative touch experience through massage. 

Her therapist insisted that she remove her bra.

Under "normal" circumstances, this wouldn't have been a huge deal. Not appropriate, but not a huge deal. But in this situation, it was catastrophic.

The young woman was extremely sensitive. The recent assault left her jumpy, nervous, and unable to stand up for herself.

She didn't feel comfortable speaking up and spent an hour feeling further violated. 

I was heartbroken a few days later when the situation was brought to my attention! 

Our job as therapists is to make clients feel comfortable. We have a responsibility to tap into our intuitive sense to see when our client's unspoken needs are not being met.

WE ARE NEVER TO TELL SOMEONE THEY MUST TAKE OFF MORE CLOTHING THAN THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE!

Chances are good we are working on people with turbulent touch histories. We need to be sensitive!

We must be vigilant in our observations. Sensitive in our approach. And avoid getting stuck in ruts. Each client has a complexity of emotions and past histories that they bring to the table, and it is our job to be aware of this range of experiences.

Our job is to develop tools that allow us to give fabulous treatments regardless of whether or not a client is fully clothed because healthy touch is an essential healing tool! 

#massagetherapist #massagestudent #themassagebusinessmama #massagetherapyproblems #massageentrepreneur #massagepreneur
How do you know you are a “Massagepreneur?” # How do you know you are a “Massagepreneur?”

#massagepreneur #themassagebusinessmama #massagepodcast #massagetherapist #massagelife #massagelifestyle #massagestudent #massagecoach #massagegoddess #massage
Setting your massage rates is one of the most diff Setting your massage rates is one of the most difficult things to determine in the beginning of your massagepreneur journey.

If you have yet to determine your rates, I know this might feel daunting and that you have undoubtedly spent much time lamenting over it, but now is the time to set your prices once and for all! 

However, before you arbitrarily pick a number out of thin air, I want you to do a little research/homework/reflection. 

Setting rates is a tricky thing.

Charge too little, and you will be in the poor house. Charge too much, and you risk pricing yourself out of the market. 

BUT it is important to note that often people perceive those with lesser prices as less than therapists. Charging a higher price might actually make you more appealing. 

Oh, they charge a lot, they must be good! 

Food for thought.

#massagepreneur #massagetherapist #themassagebusinessmama #massagebusiness #massagerates #massagestudent
Have you ever heard, "No publicity is bad publicit Have you ever heard, "No publicity is bad publicity?" While it isn't entirely true, there is something to this notion!

Lately, I have been encouraging therapists to contact their local publications with press releases to get featured in their local news sources. 

While promoting yourself in this way can be intimidating, it IS your job as a business owner to put yourself out there and ensure you are being seen! 

Let's first talk briefly about what a press release is. A press release is a tool you write to a news outlet to announce something newsworthy that you want them to cover in their publication. The purpose of a press release is to get coverage and get noticed by a target audience.

Some Ideas for Press Releases Include:

🖤Opening Your Business
🖤Adding Unique Modalities
🖤Classes or Events You Are Hosting
🖤Touch Deprivation and Massage Benefits

Steps Involved: 

1) Identify who to address your press release to. 
2) Properly format your release. 
3) Include useful and timely statistics. 
4) Make your hook obvious.
5) Supply high-quality images. 

When you successfully follow these steps, you will be amazed as your name and image gets shared all over town! 

If you choose to reach out to your local news sources through a press release, I would LOVE to hear how it goes for you or has gone for you in the past! Please share!!! 

#massagetherapist #themassagebusinessmama #massagepreneur #massagestudent #massagenews #massagebusiness
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