Why Is Massage So Expensive
We are always looking for a deal. None of us want to spend our money irresponsibly. You might do price checking on various businesses to look for the most cost effective option. These options often lead us to shopping and spending at larger corporations, who have an established value and can charge less in the short term. Which can help us save money in the short term, but some options are worth a little more.
Small, local businesses may sometimes appear to have higher prices compared to larger corporations for several reasons. Many factors contribute to pricing strategies, the following are the specific factors that influence the prices at Massage Solutions and the methods in which you can save money:
Overhead Costs: Approximately 45-50% of the cost of each service is put back into maintaining and running Massage Solutions. This includes saving 30% of each service for taxes. The other 10-20% covers rent, utilities, credit card processing fees, website maintenance, booking software, marketing costs, and the cost of inventory.
Competing with Big Brands: Small businesses may not have the bargaining power or marketing budgets of larger corporations. As a result, they might face higher costs for acquiring goods or services, and marketing expenses may represent a larger portion of their overall budget. This is another reason while smaller businesses benefit so greatly from personalized reviews (Massage Solutions offers a $40 discount for all positive Google Business reviews; they are THAT important). Word of mouth is another avenue that garners a large amount of my favorite and best clients (Massage Solutions offers a $40 discount for all referrals).
Customization and Personalization: Small businesses may offer a higher level of customization and personalization, tailoring products or services to individual customer needs. Me, Samantha, owner and operator at Massage Solutions, values each client. You are the reason that I can do what I love and am passionate about. Which is helping people improve the quality and experience of life. Massage Solutions is able to create a personalized experience and invest time and energy into your well-being, even outside of your scheduled massage appointments.
Economies of Scale: Larger corporations benefit from economies of scale, meaning they can produce or purchase goods and services in larger quantities, reducing the per-unit cost. Small businesses, operating on a smaller scale, may not enjoy the same cost advantages, leading to relatively higher prices. In the case of massage, larger massage businesses may pay their therapists a small percentage of the overall cost. The average of this is that only 30% (or less) is actually reaching the therapist you are receiving work from. The rest of that money goes to the business and the business owner.
Pricing has to be competitive to the cost of other local services, while also accounting for higher operating costs and effective survivability and growth for business. A 60-minute massage at Massage Solutions costs $90. The 6% Kentucky Sales Tax brings that total up to $95.40. After the 45-50% cost that goes into overhead costs, marketing, taxes, and credit card processing fees, that leaves $45-49.50 per 60-minute massage. Full-time work for a massage therapist is considered 15-20 hours a week, as it is physically demanding work. As an independent, small business, it is also hours spent with marketing, writing blogs, creating social media posts, booking and communicating with clients and continuing my own education on how to better help my clients.
I am still growing my business and trying to do better for myself and my clients. I hope that reading this gives you some insight into the cost of massage for small, independently owned and operated businesses. Also, to note, I do accept gratuity, and I appreciate it. It allows me to price competitively and to allow discounts and rewards for veterans, dedicated clients, referrals, and positive Google reviews.
Here are some options for saving money at Massage Solutions (discounts do not stack and are based on the full priced service).
Prebooking your next session: If you book your next session before you leave, you save $10 off of your next full-priced service.
Veterans: As a former military member, I am appreciative of anyone that has served in the military. I show this by offering $10 discount for all former and active service members.
Cash Payments: Credit card/debit card processing fees are an annoyance. Paying in cash allows me to save money, which I am more than happy to send back to you with a discount of $10.
Google Reviews: Small businesses benefit substantially from Google Reviews. Massage Solutions offers a $40 credit to your next session for each positive review. Thank you for your help!
Referrals: This is a win-win situation. You benefit from a $40 credit to your next full-priced service and you get to help your friends and family experience a GREAT massage.
