Thinking of stepping into self-employment as a massage therapist? It can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Many therapists get stuck in “analysis paralysis,” spending months (or years!) trying to get everything perfect before they even start. The truth is, you don’t need a fancy website or expensive marketing agency to get going.
In fact, I’m going to share with you a simple cheat sheet I use when helping other therapists set up their businesses quickly, efficiently, and without overcomplicating things. You can start seeing clients and earning money while you fine-tune the rest.
Let’s break it down step by step.
1. Set Up a Booking System (Do this first!)
Before you even think about business cards or websites, make sure people can actually book you. Without an easy way to schedule appointments, you’ll spend half your day messaging back and forth.
One of the simplest tools I recommend is Fresha. It’s free if you’re a solo therapist, and it lets clients book online, see your availability, and even pay ahead if you want. The best part? You can use Fresha as a temporary website until you get your own. It looks professional, works on mobile, and saves you loads of admin time.
Quick steps:
- Sign up for a free account at Fresha.
- Set your services, prices, and working hours.
- Add your bio and a few photos.
- Test it yourself—make a pretend booking to see what your clients see.
2. Set Up Your Google Business Profile
If you want people in your area to find you when they type “massage near me” or “deep tissue massage in [your town],” Google Business Profile is your best friend. And the good news? It’s free.
This is your digital shop window on Google Maps and local search. The more complete and active it is, the higher you’ll rank locally.
Quick steps:
- Go to Google Business Profile.
- Complete every section—your name, location or service area, opening hours, services, and photos.
- Start posting updates (even just resharing your Instagram posts) 2-3 times per week.
- Ask your friends, family, and past clients for reviews. These matter—a lot!
Tip: Google favors active profiles. Even if you’re not a tech whizz, posting a simple photo or massage tip keeps your profile looking fresh.
3. Run Simple Ads on Google and Facebook/Instagram
Once your booking system and Google Business Profile are sorted, it’s time to get some traffic. You can do this quickly with small, local ads.
I suggest starting with £5 per day on both Google and Facebook/Instagram ads. It’s enough to get your name out there without breaking the bank.
Must-do:
- When setting up your ads, make sure you set a radius around your location (e.g. 10km around your town or postcode).
Otherwise, your ads might show to people in another city, which is a waste of your money.
Keep your ad message simple:
- Who you are.
- What you offer.
- How they can book.
Remember: keep it local and keep it simple.
4. Only THEN Think About Building a Website
Many therapists make the mistake of spending months (and loads of cash) building a website before they’ve even got their first client. Truth is, your website is not step one. It comes after you have your booking system, local presence, and ads working.
Once you’re ready:
- Create a clean, simple website.
- Include your services, prices, about you, and contact details.
- Add a blog where you post 2-3 articles per week (these can just be expanded versions of your Instagram posts or FAQs).
Blogs help you get found on Google over time, but they take a while to build momentum. Don’t expect overnight magic—think of it as your long game.
5. Focus on Instagram Reels and Stories
If you’re going to pick one social media platform, I’d suggest Instagram.
And if you’re going to focus on one type of post? Reels.
Instagram is currently favoring Reels (short videos), and they get better reach than static photos.
Also, don’t forget Stories—the more you post to Stories, the more your followers will see you at the top of their feed.
Simple ideas for Reels and Stories:
- Behind the scenes: you setting up your massage table.
- Quick tips: stretches for tight shoulders.
- FAQs: explain what to expect during their first massage.
- Daily check-ins: selfie saying “good morning” or “heading to a client in [location].”
You don’t need to dance or go viral. Just be real, show up, and share value.
6. Automate Copying Your Content to Save Time
Once you’re posting regularly to Instagram, you can repurpose that content to other platforms like:
- Your blog.
- Facebook.
- Google Business Profile.
- LinkedIn.
Instead of manually copying and pasting, use a tool like Make.com to set up automations.
For example, I have a client who posts massage tips on Instagram. We’ve set up an automation that:
- Turns his Instagram post into a blog post on his website.
- Updates his Google Business Profile.
- Posts to his Facebook page.
- Even shares it to LinkedIn.
This means you can focus on creating just one post, and the system does the rest.
Final Words: Keep It Simple and Get Started
Becoming self-employed as a massage therapist doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. In fact, the biggest mistake I see is people overthinking it and never actually launching.
Here’s your simple action plan:
- Set up your booking system.
- Get your Google Business Profile live.
- Run local ads to get found fast.
- Build your website once you’re up and running.
- Show up on Instagram Reels and Stories daily.
- Automate your content once you have a rhythm.
That’s it.
Focus on these steps, and you’ll have a lean, professional-looking business up and running without the overwhelm.
If you need help with any of this just get in contact
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