Pros and Cons of Becoming a Massage Therapist

Shifting from regular employment to running a home-based business seems to be an international trend nowadays. Indeed, thousands upon thousands of people have quit their jobs in the last couple of years in favor of establishing their own business, which apparently has a bigger income potential.

Of course, the kind of income that you would receive from a home-based business would depend on several factors, such as the demand for your chosen product or service, your capability of providing this product or service, and the size of the initial investment.

The good news is that there are actually several types of small businesses that you can choose from so that you can earn the extra income that you need. Service-based businesses like party-planning, catering, house-cleaning, and so on are very lucrative because people are usually too busy to do these tasks on their own because of their jam-packed schedules. It is also because of this busy lifestyle that the massage industry is practically booming nowadays.

Becoming a massage therapist is undoubtedly one of the best career moves that you can make, although there are also some drawbacks that come with the job, as with any other profession. In order to help you determine whether a career in massage therapy would be the right one for you, we have compiled a number of pros and cons of this business for your consideration.

What are the pros?

Just like many other home-based businesses, one of the most obvious advantages of being a massage therapist is that you will be in control of your own time. You can schedule your house calls or client visits as you wish, and you can take as many or as few clients as you want in a day.

However, the most popular reason why people go into the business of massage therapy is because it can bring in a huge income if you do your job right. If you exude an amiable personality in addition to having exceptional massage skills, there is no doubt that you will have many returning clients, who will provide you with a more or less stable business income. The demand for massage service, particularly home service, is also very high so you won't have trouble looking for new clients at all.

Another perk of being a massage therapist is that you get to meet many different kinds of people on the job. Although a lot of massage clients to prefer to be quiet during the massage and just enjoy the relaxing massage in silence, there are also those that like to strike a conversation with the masseuse, which gives you the opportunity to learn more about your clients and build a good professional relationship with them.

What are the cons?

There are not really that many disadvantages of being a massage therapist, except perhaps that it can get tiring for your hands and arms if you have to visit several clients one after the other. However, as mentioned earlier, you do have complete control over your schedule so you can space out the client visits so you will have time to rest in between these visits.

You might also have to spend some time training to become a massage therapist so that you can learn the right techniques that will bring satisfaction to your clients. If you feel that you already know how to give a good massage, you may skip the training. After all, professional training is not required for anyone to become a massage therapist. There is no need for licenses or certifications as well.

Another disadvantage, if you could call it that, of being in the massage therapy business is that you would have to purchase your own equipment before you can launch your business. The largest expense would probably be the massage table, which can cost anywhere from $200 to more than $5000 apiece. In the beginning, though, all you will need is a basic portable massage table, which does not really cost all that much.

Since you will be dealing with all kinds of people in the massage business, you should also prepare yourself to handle irritable and overly stressed out clients, who can be extremely hard to please. However, if you do the massage procedure correctly and efficiently, you can be certain that even the grumpiest client will be in a much better mood after you're done with them.

There really is no definite answer on whether becoming a massage therapist is the right move - this is a question that you and you alone can answer, based on your own interests, preferences and passion. If you are still on the fence, you can try talking to a few massage therapists so that you can get a better idea of what to expect once you do make that major career change.