Why Your Massage Therapy Practice Needs Core Values

Updated October 11th, 2022

The long-term success of any business is often built on a foundation that includes core values at the center. Your massage therapy practice is no different. Why? Because as a professional massage therapist, your commitment to helping your clients improve their quality of life starts with a framework for how you should operate your practice.

So what are core values, and how are they different from a mission statement, goal, or business strategy? These concepts are often intertwined and can be easily confused with each other.

Core values are a set of fundamental beliefs or actions that a business uses to conduct day-to-day operations, make important decisions, build relationships, and excel over the long haul. Think of them as the ideal attitude of everyone who works at your practice.

A mission statement declares the purpose of a business and why it exists. Look no further than your mission statement if someone ever asks you about the who, what, and why behind your practice. Plus, it can be a valuable springboard when it comes time to creating your core values.

A goal is simply a desired result a business wants to achieve in a finite amount of time. Yours probably resemble something like gaining new and regular clients each month.

And finally, a business strategy is the roadmap a business uses to achieve its short and long-term goals. For example, suppose your practice wants to gain regular clients. In that case, your business strategy could be to create a monthly membership program for easy and convenient scheduling.

Now that we’ve covered what core values are and how they fit into your practice’s overall success let’s move on to ideas you can borrow to create your own.

Core Value Ideas for Your Massage Therapy Practice

Is your practice lacking core values? Do you want to give your existing ones an update? Core values are essential for establishing ways of thinking and behaving for both solo practitioners and multi-staff practices. No matter your situation, here is a list of helpful ideas to get you started:

Accountability

Stand behind the service your practice promises to deliver. This is likely the most important core value to give your practice credibility and longevity.

Integrity

Hold tight to your moral, ethical, spiritual, and artistic principles. Work with passion and purpose even when nobody is looking.

Commitment

This is an integral part of accountability and integrity. Each staff member must commit to delivering superior service and fulfilling all responsibilities.

Enjoyment

You’re a massage therapist because you enjoy helping people improve their lives. Embrace that as one of your core values. As Bob Marley once said, “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.”

Innovation

Massage therapy has indeed been established, in its different forms, for many years. But it continuously evolves, and new ideas should, at the very least, be given proper examination and consideration.

Ownership

This might be overused, but its importance cannot be overstated. All staff members must take responsibility for their actions and ensure that their work is delivered satisfactorily.

Empowerment

Loosening up the reins of control and allowing staff members to think outside the box can help your practice grow stronger over time. Even better, the ways this can happen will be as individual as everyone working at your practice.

Service excellence

Massage therapy is a very competitive industry, and word of mouth can make or break your growth. Always strive to treat clients the way you would want to be treated.

Compassion

Show your clients compassion and understanding when they need it. Maintain a peaceful spirit and always listen out for ways you can provide support.

If you need more help creating the perfect core values for your massage therapy practice, here’s a pro tip from Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos:

“Just figure out what your personal values are then just make those the corporate values.”

Stick To Your Core Values With Help From MassageBook

If you want to set your practice up for long-term success, you should consider building core values into the center of your foundation. Solid principles you can lean on help steer you in the proper direction anytime you need to make a decision or take action that comes with consequences. So even on the days when you feel like cutting corners, all you have to do is look at the world through the lens of your core values for guidance and clarity on whether or not you’re doing the right thing.

The problem, though, is that actions speak louder than words, and adhering to your core values can be challenging when you’re stuck juggling all the roles you’re responsible for as a small business owner. When you’re overwhelmed just trying to check off your daily to-do list, the ways of thinking and behaving you’ve set for yourself can easily fall by the wayside.

Fortunately, MassageBook is here to help. Our easy-to-use software streamlines your practice management and frees you up to center your decision-making around your core values.

That, and it’s really good at scheduling clients, reminding them of appointments, taking payments, organizing SOAP notes, maintaining your website, marketing your services, and more of the daily tasks needed to keep your practice moving forward.

Try every feature free for 30 days. Then choose the best plan for you!

Why Your Massage Therapy Practice Needs Core Values