It helped to shape my business hours to optimise my time spent doing sports massage.
For all of you who may have missed out, here at PowerKnapp, for the first two weeks of 2018, I was offering a 24/7 service, whereby I would accommodate clients any time of the day they wished!
So, why? Other than our love to have our sleep patterns broken for two weeks (not…) it was a brilliant opportunity to tap into a potential market - the night owls. With the rise of gyms like PureGym and 24/7 fitness, people are now able to exercise well into the night and before dawn. The fitness environment has changed and so the time and way we train and keep fit has altered as well, but the sports therapy industry hasn’t shifted with this.
And there you go - ‘lightbulb’ moment (da-dah!). Lets get the clients determine our opening hours!
Although the service was only on for two weeks, it gave me valuable insight into the demands of the local people here in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Come March, I then implemeting new fixed hours to reflect my findings from this turbulent first fortnight.
As a new business, I am at the mercy of the demands of the clients. This isn’t anything profound, but it provided me with an opportunity to respect those demands and understand them and, subsequently, adjust. Even with alarms at 2am in the morning, the data gained from doing this was worth it and proved invaluable.
So how did my hours change? Well, doing this fortnight highlighted the need to be flexible without compromising my own wellbeing and work-life balance and hence working towards at least somewhat *reasonable* hours.
The night time slots just didn;t work out for a city like Portsmouth. For those interested, the hours I formally set was to offer appointments from 6am up until 10pm Monday to Friday and 7am - 1pm on Saturdays. But I endeavoured to regularly block out strategic slots in my diary for non work related down time to ensure I didn't end up burning myself out and to make sure I was using my time effectively, rather than clients just spread throughout the entire day.
Don't get me wrong, the 24/7 fortnight may have been useful, but it took probably three years before I finally understood how to best manage a Sports Massage diary that works for me, my clients but also my family and social life. So for new therapists and business owners, don't fret about getting the a balance right straight away. My advice is to keep an open mind, don't be afraid of change or making mistakes and prioritise your wellbeing. If you're burnt out and miserable, the business will look and feel the same
Thanks to all who supported us during those tough two weeks! It was great fun, and as I grow, I may want to reevaluate my hours once again in the near future. 24/7 service round 2...? Maybe ;)
Look forward to seeing y’all at your next Sports Massage!
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