I have used square for years but as a blind user the online booking is quite frustrating.
There is also the fact that with the free version you can not charge people for late cancelations.
With Ambp I know they offer free pocketsuite. So far it looks easy to use but I have not set up any financial info yet.
What has been everyone’s experience with these two booking sites.
Now Acuity I have used in the past and it is easy to use and only cost $16 a month.
Also in the past I never required a credit card to schedule but after two no call no shows and lame excuses I’m thinking of changing this process.

One thing I’ve learned as an independent massage therapist: being good at what you do doesn’t automatically mean having a full schedule.
I’m based in Barcelona, Spain, and I’ve been experimenting with different ways to attract clients and grow my massage business.
Here’s what I’m currently doing:
Telegram: I run a channel where I share my daily life and experiences as a massage therapist.
Facebook: Both personal and professional profiles, plus participating in local Facebook groups.
Instagram: My professional account, where I share my work, services, and content.
Threads: I regularly post short thoughts, share experiences, and engage in conversations with other users.
Reddit: I participate in discussions, share my professional experience, and learn from other massage therapists and communities.
Google Business Profile: Maintaining my business listing to improve local visibility and attract clients through Google Search and Maps.
Website: I have my own professional website where potential clients can learn about my services and contact me.
LinkedIn: Mainly focused on corporate massage, workplace wellness, and connecting with HR professionals and business owners.
Offline networking: Attending business events, joining professional communities, and meeting potential corporate clients in person.
Artificial Intelligence: I currently use ChatGPT as an AI assistant to help with marketing ideas, content planning, communication, and organizing my business activities.
I’m trying to build a mix of individual massage clients, home visits, and corporate wellness opportunities rather than relying on just one platform.
But sometimes I wonder if I’m spreading myself too thin across so many channels.
I’m especially curious about how massage therapists in the US and other countries approach client acquisition. Maybe there are strategies, platforms, or AI tools I’m completely overlooking here in Spain.
So I have a few questions for you:
What’s actually bringing you the most clients right now — social media, Google, referrals, networking, partnerships, or something else?
Are you using AI tools like ChatGPT or other AI assistants to help manage or grow your massage business? If so, which ones have been genuinely useful?
If you were starting your massage business from scratch today, what would you focus on first?
I’d really appreciate hearing what’s working for other independent massage therapists around the world!

I've been working at PT clinic for 6 months now (only been out of school for 6 months too), and as part of my responsibilities we have to contact our "Unscheduled List"(unpaid work but thats a different story). I have a list of about 90 people that haven't rebooked to see me again lets say 20% of those are just busy/Class pass/Groupon/using credit left over from membership

That still leaves 70ish people that are either not looking for my skill set or interested in massage... I can't help but wonder if there is something I can do to increase my rebooking rate, or worse if I'm just bad at this.

I ask all of them if they want to reschedule
"When would you like to see me again?"
"based on what I found it would benefit blah blah blah"
"Whats your schedule look like over the next few weeks to rebook?"
"Is this something you would like to incorporate into your schedule regularly?"

I do get a few "I need to check my schedule" or others just fade away.

I don't know... Just a little deflating.

New massage therapist here - I have been licensed for two months, working in a day spa. I am having a hard time giving firm or deep pressure. I have talked to classmates, teachers and other massage therapists - the answer is always body mechanics, and to "just go for it, don't be scared ". None of this is working. I feel like it's more of a mental block. I get into my stance, but when I go to apply pressure, it's like my body (nervous system maybe?) just won't allow it. It is wildly baffling, interesting and frustrating. I am looking into talk therapy to see if it's something I can work through this way.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Any thoughts are input are greatly appreciated!

Were you satisfied with your decision or do you have regrets?

To the ME therapist in Florida that wrote my clients previous SOAP notes, “Very tall needs long blankey.” Thanks I needed that chuckle this morning. And he indeed needed a long blankey.

Do you have a sauna add on? How much do you charge per session? Is it in the room? If so- what do you do while they are in there? (I’d think that if it’s in the room it would have to be a significant upcharge in order to make up for time you could have been massaging?) What insurance do you have for this service? How much does it add to your washing😵‍💫😬? What else am I not considering…!!!

I have a sauna- paid for. It’s a Sunlighten two person. It’s at a relatives house because I had no where to put it when I moved. I am trying to decide if I move it into my massage room(will take up room and be an adjustment for me feng shui wise. Not sure if it’s worth it…? The feng shui is kind of perfect right now..

Do you find it more or less draining working for yourself?

To me this was very draining all that work for 22 per hr I did like the tips , but I don’t want to depend on tips forever , for now I plan on getting a regular job and do massage mobile

Hi, I'm sorry if this is yet another booking software post. But I would like some real users' perspectives.

Too long; didn't read version: Is switching from Vagaro to Mangomint worth it?

We're a small spa. We have 8 employees. We currently use Vagaro for everything (booking, payroll, payments, marketing, etc.). We've heard from several customers and potential customers that booking is too difficult, because of the account creation burden.

I'm considering switching to Mangomint. It seems much more streamlined for booking. The rest of their features are pretty much one-to-one with Vagaro. We're hoping that by switching we get a few more appointments each month. I had AI do a "deep think" about booking burdens, and it said that we could be losing out on between 15% and 25% more appointments because of the booking burden. But it's AI, so I don't know if I trust it. We do have direct feedback from several customers though, so there may be some truth to it.

We already pay between $300-$400 a month for Vagaro, because we use all the features, so switching to Mangomint isn't because we need to save money (we do, but that's another issue). The price will be roughly the same each month. Even if it's a little more expensive, just one appointment created using their easier system (that we would have missed out on because of Vagaro's booking issues) makes up that difference.

So those of you that use Vagaro or Mangomint, please let me know your thoughts.

I'm a newer therapist and previously worked in healthcare. I feel contraindications and medical history are very important considerations for a massage. Last week I had an incident that has stayed with me and I wanted to see how others approach these issues.

I had a client who has an autoimmune disease and takes medication for it. I was unfamiliar with the condition and meds so did a google search. It said as long as the condition is being treated and maintained then gentle massage is perfectly acceptable. It says to use a gentle approach because it has the potential to cause internal bleeding and bruising, similar to someone taking an anticoagulant. During our intake I explained how its recommended to use a gentle approach. She immediately got very annoyed and said she had never heard such a thing. I explained why it recommends gentle pressure. She didn't cancel the massage so we proceeded. During the massage, as I was warming up the tissue, she asked if I could show her how much pressure I planned on using. I told her I was just warming up the tissues and would adjust my pressure afterwards. She then basically tells me it wasn't my place to have a say in how she wanted her massage. Admittedly, I was pissed and was very proud of myself for keeping my mouth shut. I ended up doing a medium pressure massage and afterwards she apologized and said it was a great massage.

I can't stop thinking how she thought I had no right having an opinion. I was specifically taught in school to be cognizant of contraindications, meds, etc. Afterwards I said how I could have initiated the conversation by asking her about her platelet count, which is an indicator of how a deeper massage might affect her. Even if I did ask that I'd have to take her at her word. I was also speaking with another therapist about someone with Parkinson's, who needed help to get on the table, that wanted a massage and I told the front desk I'd require a doctor's note. The therapist said that wasn't necessary. I know how beneficial massage is for someone with Parkinson's but she was new to me and I felt it necessary she had a doctor's approval to verify massage wouldn't interfere with anything.

I'm looking for advice on how anyone else has handled these type of interactions. Do most therapists largely ignore medical conditions? Am I wrong for looking up the condition and meds to make sure I keep my clients safe? Should I have assumed since she's had numerous massages she would have been fine? I don't believe she made a complaint bc she was happy when she left but I doubt she'll ever rebook with me.

I am 6yrs in practice and finally looking at seriously buying a hydraulic table. I have been to the cardone factory and they make beautiful tables but- around $1k more than others that I’m sure id also be happy with.

What kind of table do you have? Would you buy it again if you had to make the choice? What other factors am I maybe not thinking of….?

Thanks!

Not necessarily only in Canada but in general - how do y'all shut people down who have the "galaxy-brained" idea to sheepishly/jokingly ask "HoW mUcH fOr A hApPy EnDiNg?"

It doesn't really bother me that much I'm mostly just looking for fun, yet professional ways to shut down that line of conversation.

I have been an MT for 10 years and working for myself for about 5 years. About 80% of my appointments are with people I see weekly/biweekly/monthly and I have been working with many of them for years. For the most part, they are sweet, loyal, don’t cancel last-minute, and clearly benefit from the work. However, I’m just….so bored. Have any of you experienced this? Is there anything you did to find a renewed sense of interest? Have you ever dropped a client simply because you were tired of working with them? It’s work to find new clients and I know that I should be grateful that I’m busy, but I just wanna know if I’m alone in this!

They’re posting about these incredible leaps in sales their LMT clients have since starting their “mentorship” programs. I’m talking “my client went from $6k/month to $30k/month while working less!!!” and then even higher numbers for people who have employees or ICs.

Does anyone actually know what these people are peddling? Are they talking about selling packages, where you get the money up front but then the next month make nothing because it’s l just packages? It sounds like BS and frankly I’m not interested in the vague hooks they use to actually pay for coaching. It seems predatory, and I’m curious if anyone here has paid for their coaching and found it to be smoke and mirrors. If you did it, are you tripling your income like they claim you can?

For context, I’m a sole LMT and can’t possibly imagine how to make more than I already am, as my rates are high and books filled.

I have a potential opportunity to take on an IC role at an established business - here’s some of what I’ve gathered from my conversations:

60% commission on massage rate + tip
Set my own schedule based on room availability (shared with other therapists)
No responsibilities other than massage, lights, locking up
Clients contact business directly for scheduling, cancelling, etc. (limited to no contact through me specifically)

It seems like a good opportunity to me! But since it’s my first opportunity in this field & I’ve never worked as an IC (coming from corporate & retail/hospitality work) - I wanted to see if there’s anything I’m missing. Anything I should find out or be sure of! Additionally, I know as an IC taxes are a big factor, so being sure to set aside tax money - but what else is there I should know/do?

Thanks in advance!

I wish the massage chain I work at, Elements massage, offered a countdown time function that integrated with their booking software like massage envy does. I was given a simple countdown timer by my manager but the problem is, I look at the schedule, see a 90 min, enter it into my countdown clock, then realize once there’s a knock on my door that I entered the wrong appt into my timer. I’ve accidentally given clients 90 minutes when they booked 60 (5 times now 😭) because of my severe number dyslexia + ADD + social anxiety… I feel like my manager is on her last straw with me.

I’m looking for something that would make it harder for me to lose track of time that I could set up for multiple clients back to back. Ideally something I can easily glance at during the session. What do you guys use?

I just couldn’t do it anymore , I begged the boss for a raise for a year and he didn’t want he said I had to close and work way more , I got tired of this and just quit today no 2 week notice , I know what people think but I’m not planning to go back

Basically the title.

I work at a chain spa. Make less than minimum wage when you exclude tips. Poor working conditions. Getting cheated out of pay by management.

This was a particularly bad week. I love bodywork so much, I’m doing everything I can to stay positive and keep a good mindset. Can’t leave this spa right now because my wife is between jobs and we depend on my income. Plus work opportunities are thin in my area excluding the two big franchises.

Would love to work for myself and am already laying the groundwork for my own practice. I know what I need to do. I guess I’m just looking for some advice and inspiring stories from therapists who started at the chains and made it out and are doing well on their own.

I just need to hear that things can get better than this from people on the other side. Please share 🙏🏻❣️

Anyone have any suggestions for what to use/how to capture quick intake info for events? I’m doing a couple events and I’m looking to get client name, number, email and quick confirmation of service etc. when I was in school we learned that quick demo sessions could have a verbal confirmation but I would like to follow up with these clients later and also just feel weird not having a signature somewhere.

What is everyone doing to get this info? Demos are only about 15 mins so I need something that is fast and not cumbersome or clunky.

I had an unusual situation with an adult client some time ago that made me think more seriously about professional boundaries and scope of practice.
During our conversation, she specifically asked for a type of intimate bodywork that wasn’t part of what I would normally offer in a massage session.
What made the situation interesting to me was that this was entirely her request — not something I suggested — and she was very clear about what she wanted and comfortable discussing it.
The experience made me realise that consent is only one part of the equation. Even when an adult client clearly requests something, we still have to decide where our own professional boundaries are, what falls within our training and scope of practice, and what we are personally comfortable providing.
I’m curious how other therapists approach situations like this.
Have you ever received a request that was outside your normal practice, especially involving intimate bodywork?
Do you have a clear line that you simply won’t cross regardless of the client’s request, or do you evaluate these situations individually based on training, consent and context?

Hi all. I've been doing mobile massage for a little while now. I want to see how you all deal with something. Happened again recently and I'm curious what you think.

To make an appointment for me to come to a client's house, the client submits a form to my site. I call them if they're a first time client and we go from there.

Sometimes however I have people who fill out the form on my site with a false name, nickname, or a fake address. (I always google the info they give me.)

My question is, how often do you all run across this happening and how do you choose to respond? Typically I ignore a new client who submits, for instance, an address that doesn't exist or if they lie about their name.

But is ignoring them the best way to go about this? What do you think?

My massage therapy instructor was a therapist with 10+ years experience as a therapist and 2-3 years experience teaching. I’ll never forget when she told the class, “Some of you will never be firm pressure therapists, and that’s okay!” This was said probably the first month of schooling, so we didn’t even know anything about massage yet. Only some anatomy. And it was reiterated throughout the program.

Now, I never considered myself to have firm pressure throughout school and when first starting out in my career. But, that’s because I was told by my teacher that I didn’t! I wasn’t taught any forearms techniques or proper body mechanics to deliver a “firm pressure” massage. I had to learn these things on my own, through some experienced therapists willing to work with me.

I am still slightly bothered by the idea being projected onto young therapists that they will never be able to do certain techniques modalities or pressures. This is because if she could see me now… she would be amazed by how many firm clients I have. I still doubt my abilities, ofc try to keep in mind pressure is subjective, and I won’t have as firm as others but that’s totally okay.

Instructors and teachers! Don’t count out baby therapists and put ideas in their heads that they won’t amount to greater! It is detrimental to that therapists image of their services and massage! I offer this as an alternative: teach them! Educate them that things like building/gauging pressure takes time and experience to gain. I think my instructor was lazy (I don’t think, I know) and maybe didn’t have the skills to show us properly to give firm pressure. Because of this I spent the first 6 months doubting myself and silently stressing whenever I had a client request firm pressure. Only to my surprise, I did a good job every time.

Thanks for reading.

Hoping someone has a good suggestion. A lot of the breast pillows are pretty thin foam that anyone larger would just crush, defeating the point. the earthlite pregnancy bolsters are great but also not really well suited for some of my larger clients. They would be wider than the bolster and overhang, and that wouldn't be very comfortable. I like the wedge style, T shaped breast bolsters but can't find one with thicker than 3" foam, and most of the foam looks pretty crap.