Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hailie Masters, co-founder of Compass Massage Therapy Inc., located in Victoria, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a mother-daughter duo who own and operate the first fully mobile Massage Therapy business in Victoria, BC, Canada. We are removing time & location barriers to serve unmet needs, providing massage therapy & health care services to everyone, everywhere. We travel to our patient's homes, workplaces, care homes & vacation rentals. If you're a new parent at home with your baby, a senior with limited mobility, someone preparing for or recovering from surgery, or a group celebrating a bachelorette party at an Airbnb, we come to you & provide care in the comfort of your space.
Tell us about yourself
We are a mother-daughter team. We both left our previous careers and decided to start fresh together and attended massage therapy school, graduating in 2019. We knew we wanted to own a business together, and we wanted to do something different. We chose to launch a fully mobile business because we did not want to spend our workdays in a small treatment room. We noticed many people in our community were not accessing massage therapy for a variety of reasons that could easily be overcome by us traveling to them. We are motivated by our patients & the excitement of serving more individuals in exciting and unconventional locations. We love the idea of bringing health care services to our patients rather than them having to come to us. People are busy, and many have time & location barriers to accessing health care.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Growth and Access! We are still in disbelief and have immense gratitude for our team. We have grown from a team of two to a team of nine, one discipline to four, one municipality to seven in less than two years. We haven't advertised for staff once and during a pandemic! We created something for ourselves, and much to our surprise, others saw what we were doing and approached us, wanting to join.
We have accessed individuals who otherwise would not be able to seek care, at least not without great difficulty. Working with individuals who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Parkinson's, Lyme Disease, and those confined in hospital beds post-stroke have been immensely rewarding. Serving those who have difficulty accessing public spaces and those who are difficult to access themselves keeps us motivated to continue searching for unconventional places to bring care.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Responsibilities & creating boundaries. First, being responsible for our team and their well-being is such an honor but also hard work. We want their schedules to be full, for them to feel successful and happy, and their trust in us as their leaders is hard. When you decide to bring people onto your team who have bills to pay and children to care for, you feel a great sense of responsibility.
Second, after working very hard for the first year and a half in and on our business, we feel the need to begin practicing saying no and creating boundaries. It is easy and often fun and inspiring to work all of the time when you're new to entrepreneurship and a new business owner. But you must take care of yourself and spend time having fun, exercising, visiting with friends and family. This is something most business owners find very hard to put into practice.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, research, research and research! Know your craft, understand its requirements and make sure you are operating legally and abiding by any regulations that may apply to you. Build a strong foundation by determining what your mission and vision are and who your customer/patient is.
Second, talk to someone or multiple people who are already doing what you want to do. Learning from others is extremely valuable. Prepare for these connections with well-thought-out questions. Do your research first; it will show, and they will share more of their invaluable knowledge with you when you come prepared and appear professional.
Lastly, surround yourself with a great support team of like-minded individuals and ask them for help. Maybe join a local networking group of business professionals. Trust the process. If you have a skill and you truly believe in what you're offering, it will all work out!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Win, win, win. I was told a business must have three wins to be successful, meaningful & impactful. Your customers/patients/clients must win, you and the company must win, and the community must win. When creating our business plan, mission, vision, and goals, we chose a local charity to align ourselves. Community engagement is immensely important, and when you work with an organization, read the E-Myth. This book was recommended to me by a very successful business person, and I cannot express how helpful it has been.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.compassmassage.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compassmassagetherapyvictoria
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassmassagetherapy/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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