To be a professional in a certain field, you need to have the necessary education, training, and license to perform your job efficiently and legally. The same is true when it comes to the massage therapy industry. Whether you’re a practicing massage therapist or an operator of an establishment which offers massage services, you need to have the proper license to operate, which is what we will learn more about here.
Licenses for Massage Therapists
If you are a massage therapist, you need to have the proper education, skills training, and a license to operate in your state. Let’s say that you have already acquired the necessary education and training to work as a massage therapist. Depending on the state where you wish to practice your profession and hone your craft, there are licenses that you need to acquire. This applies whether you are working as a freelance massage therapist, or if you wish to be employed by an establishment offering massage therapy services. A license as a massage therapist will be required by your clients even if you are working on freelance basis, even more so if you will join a clinic, hospital, day spa, beauty salon, hotel, or any other establishment where you are seeking employment.
Licenses for Establishments Offering Massage Services
Now, if you are the owner of an establishment offering massage services, you also need the proper licenses to operate. Here are the top reasons why you need to acquire a license if you have a business that’s related to providing massage therapy services to clients:
- Having a license to operate is a state requirement.
In most states, having a license to operate as a massage therapy establishment is a legal requirement. This applies to both the massage therapists employed, and the employer. On the operational side of things, a license serves as your protection against possible lawsuits. A license should be combined with the proper insurance plans to ensure that once operational, the day-to-day running of your business will go smoothly from a legal standpoint.
- A license assures clients of their safety while inside your business premises.
It’s a big no-no for clients to go to massage parlors or day spas which do not have a license to operate. More than the sanitation concerns, it is the personal safety which is being put at risk when you walk into an unlicensed establishment offering massage services. As a business owner, having the proper licenses assures clients that they are 100% safe while relaxing on top of a massage therapy bed while the knots on their muscles are being worked on by the therapist.
- A license enhances your reputation as an employer and as a legal massage therapy business.
More importantly, a license serves as a safeguard against any unsavory reputation that your business might earn in the industry. Most massage referrals come from word-of-mouth advertisement. So the more that clients give you a sterling review, the more business will come your way.
As a massage therapist, you don’t want to work in an unlicensed massage parlor. On the other hand, as an operator of a massage establishment, you would not want to operate without a proper license and make clients doubt the legality of your operation. This goes to show how important acquiring the proper license is when working in the massage therapy industry.