‘Whirlwind’ doesn’t even come close to describing the month of November. Boy, have I learned a lot and will continue to keep learning. Can I just start by saying that I have the most supportive friends, family, and community?! I can’t thank you all enough for showing up. My sister even flew down from Massachusetts to surprise me! I have a drawing today for a free massage for anyone that came to an appointment before December 1st and I have 52 names in my bowl! That’s amazing!
With all that being said, here are some important lessons I’ve learned this month:
There is too much of a good thing. Well, as the therapist at least, NEVER for you! I went from practicing a couple times a week/month to 4-5 people a day. That first week, I slept for 9.5 hours a few nights and had to increase my snacks in between sessions just to keep up. Did you know that an MT burns about 200+ calories per massage? Sheww! I also strained my thumb with all the deep tissue clients and had to come up with my own rest/recovery plan. It was actually one of the reasons for writing the previous ‘rest’ article, too. I have since adjusted my schedule to not put that many people on one day and also invested in some tools to help my thumbs. My body was very astute to remind me that I am just one person and I can’t do it all. I must practice what I preach, right?
I have also come to truly appreciate other small business owners and the work that goes into keeping it afloat. We are the whole operation from the actual “hands on” person, to the book keeping, scheduling, social media, billing, marketing, cleaning, charting, research, etc. Any mistake is our own, but the rewards far outweigh those errors. I knew what I was getting into and I couldn’t be more fulfilled and happy. The only difficulty is when I can’t help someone get the relief they are hoping for. THAT is my only regret in this business. However, I only have two hands and the issues sometimes are just beyond what I am capable of at this time.
I have also listened to the helpful critiques to try and make this business even better. *Please feel free to email me ali@thedragonfly.us any more suggestions as well. Here are next month’s tasks:
- Putting a sign near the road to make the entrance more visible
- Add room darkening curtains because it is bright when face up
- Send reminder emails for appointments the day prior
- Work on my Facebook page, it gets a lot of traffic and needs to be spruced up
In conclusion, I’ve had an amazing first month. I learned a lot and still have things to improve upon and lucky for me, I’m having one heck of a good time while I’m doing it! Love you all!
