08/09/2025
📆⏳👣 woo hoo it’s been 5 years since I set up my business (north coast massage) and a lot has changed in that time.
Training wise I gained my advanced remedial qualification which has made a huge difference to the way I treat my clients. I found out about and trained in hyper mobility syndrome’s and learnt about their link to neurodiversity and fibromyalgia. I did oncology training in order to be able to treat anyone at any stage in their cancer diagnosis even in a hospital setting. I did my hot/cold stones training something that wasn’t around when I trained in beauty back in the day. I did an industry specific data protection course, prevention of infection covid specific course to add to my original prevention of infection qualification and I gained a professional standards qualification too.
I managed to hit the ground running as many people were interested in seeing what I had to offer right from the start so I increased my hours and prices to keep up with the demand which has often led to people waiting over a month sometimes two for an appointment. I went from one small filing box to filling 3 metal cabinet drawers with client files that are so full I need another drawer as new people still come flooding in too.
On completion of my oncology course I found out that a clinic or doctors room type setting can be triggering for a cancer patient so with permission from Naver I was allowed to completely redecorate my room and add a few cosy homelike touches such as shelves and plants etc.
I’ve seen Naver change hands and the new owners of the building are brilliant, so helpful and supportive. They have taken on my gift voucher sales, give out consultation forms and make bookings for those that struggle with my online booking system which has been a massive help to my business too.
I have held steady whilst competition set up locally and even in the room next door to me, sailed through a financial crisis and a very long covid lockdown right at the start. It was a massive risk setting up when I did and there was definitely no plan in my mind to set up on my own but I’m so glad I did because it’s given me the freedom to offer whatever treatment I want and given me sole control over how I run things and the way I want my room to look.
I have done a number of things for charity and in my first year I offered a discount to NHS workers for a full month because I really felt so sorry for what they had to go through during the pandemic.
There are future plans afoot too with more training and more new treatments and I never cut corners I only ever do full time professionally recognised qualifications. The majority of these online courses aren’t worth the paper they’re written on and are not recognised by the professional bodies for my industry. Sometimes they are recognised but are only the equivalent of an introductory course in the disguise as something more complete.
How long will I keep going? Well the addition of new techniques always makes my job a lot easier so at the moment the plan is at least until I’m 70!! I love the work I do and the difference it makes to people’s lives.
So with all that said Happy birthday to me on five years in practice 🎂🎉🎊
