An Interesting Case Study

Today, I’d like to give you an example of a successful business in another industry besides massage therapy.

By studying other successful businesses outside of the massage therapy realm, you can learn new business building tips, tactics, or techniques that your competitors probably haven’t ever heard of or even tried.

I will share with you some of the steps that this company did to create it’s own success, and how you can apply some of these lessons to your own massage business.

About seven years ago, a good college buddy of mine, Tom Troxell, decided he had had enough of the corporate rat race. Tom wanted to enjoy the freedom that comes with self-employment, and yet give other people the opportunity to earn a livelihood while working for a kind and compassionate boss.

Like any new business, this one went through it’s share of highs and lows, but today Beechdale Animal Supplies employs over a dozen people and is continuing to grow steadily.

If you are curious about Tom’s company, you can check out Beechdale Animal Supplies’ website at: www.BeechdaleAnimalSupply.com

Tom’s business is definitely unique. This business supplies disease-free food for certain types of exotic animals like reptiles, snakes, and even birds. They sell directly to the public as well as to pet stores and zoos.

These pet owners want the same type of food that their expensive, exotic animal would eat in the wild. But they also don’t want to give their pet anything that might make them sick.

Here are the main points that I’ve learned from studying this business.

1. Tom did his research before deciding to start his company. He identified a niche. This specific niche has a specific need that wasn’t being met by anyone else. In this case, it’s disease-free food for exotic pets. Tom realized that on the East Coast of the United States, there was a great opportunity for a supplier like Beechdale Animal Supply and little competition.

2. He picked a niche that is relatively recession proof. Let’s face it: People don’t say to their pet, “Hey, times are tough, you need to eat less food.” In fact, many people make their pet’s care and well being one of their top priorities.

There’s a similar trend with certain types of massage therapy. If you choose to focus on the part of the market that is looking for mostly pampering or luxury oriented massage, you can be at the whims of your local economy.

When the local economy is booming, your luxury massage business could be very busy and you may even have a waiting list of clients who want to fit into your jam-packed schedule.

But, when times are tough your pampering massage service is probably going to be one of the first things those luxury-oriented clients will cut out. That’s because those types of clients won’t consider your service to be a necessity.

Compare that to a target market like Chronic Pain Sufferers. For these people, massage therapy is not a luxury; it’s an absolute necessity. If they miss a massage appointment, they see an increase in their pain symptoms.

3. Tom talked to his existing customers and found out what their ongoing needs and wants were.

By talking to a number of his customers, Tom discovered that they were looking for another option to buy crickets. It wasn’t just for the customers who owned pet stores. In fact, some of his current customers also owned certain types exotic birds that their native food is crickets.

Because of the rapport Beechdale had developed with their customers, they told Tom if he ever decided to sell crickets directly, they would be happy to buy from his company.

How can you do this with your massage practice?

You could be talking to your several of your clients and they express an interest in a technique that you don’t already perform. Let’s say for the sake of discussion, that it’s shiatsu.

You get some training to learn shiatsu.

Now, not only could you offer shiatsu as one of your services to your existing clients, but you can also go after a new target market.

You can target people who are uncomfortable with the idea of undressing completely to receive a standard massage. With shiatsu, they can still experience the benefits of regular bodywork, while staying fully clothed. And chances are, they probably have not heard of shiatsu or know a shiatsu practitioner in their area.

In my book Help Your MASSAGE Practice, I have dedicated a separate chapter to identifying a niche, finding out their wants and needs, and discuss my top 5 target markets. To learn more about this book, please click here.