Best Way - What Is Needed to Open a Massage School?

A massage school provides a community with career choices, learning opportunities and employment prospects. Carefully planning the elements needed to open a massage school will create long-term success for you and enrichment in the lives of all students choosing to attend.

Budget

1. Prepare a budget. This includes start-up and monthly expenses for rent, advertising, teachers' salaries, insurance, massage tables, linens, oils, lotions, utilities, state and local fees, and miscellaneous supplies. Include tuition fees and expenses that will be charged to students. Be realistic and investigate costs such as real estate and insurance.

Students

2. Determine the number of students necessary to operate the school within the budget you have created. Ideally, a lower number of students should be needed for start-up. Fewer students result in reduced expenses such as rent, supplies and teachers' salaries. You can expand the school in later years as it becomes more successful.

Funding

3. Obtain the necessary funding to start and maintain the school for at least three years. It would be unethical to recruit new students to a school that cannot operate due to lack of monies. Funding might be obtained through bank loans or small-business loans.

Requirements

4. Determine the massage-therapy training requirements necessary for your state. Each state varies in the amount of training necessary to become a massage therapist. Some states, such as Kansas, have no licensing requirements, while states such as New York require a minimum of 1,000 hours of training. In addition to state requirements, there may be municipal requirements necessary. Local regulations will need to be checked as well.

Accreditation

5. Contact the accrediting agency responsible for your region to determine accreditation requirements. Accrediting agencies are private associations that create educational standards for higher learning institutions. States that require massage therapy licensing usually stipulate students graduate from an accredited institution. A list of accrediting agencies can be found with the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).
   
   Prepare for accreditation according to the requirements set forth by your local accrediting agency. You will need to work closely with the accrediting agency to ensure all educational specifications are met.

Location

6. Rent the space that is most ideal for your school. Parking, maintenance and noise of neighbors are several considerations for this choice. Check with the locality of the building for business license requirements. If you choose to operate a massage therapy clinic for the public, a health certificate may be required by your state.

Curriculum

7. Create a core curriculum for your massage school based on state and accrediting-agency requirements.

Staffing

8. Hire teachers and staff needed to run the school. The accrediting agency and your state's department of education may dictate the requirements all instructors must have to teach in your facility. Be certain to check all references and perform all background checks prior to hiring any staff.

Advertise

9. Advertise your school. Advertising can be done through print, television, radio, internet and word of mouth. Be certain that all local high schools have information about your school, as well as local and state labor departments and unemployment offices. You can distribute information about your school with local health professionals, such as chiropractors and naturopaths. Schedule an information booth at career fairs to recruit students. Advertising will help educate potential students about the benefits of therapeutic massage and will stress the quality of the educational program offered.

Professional Organizations

10. Join professional organizations such as the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), The Federation of Therapeutic Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Practice Organizations and the Massage Therapy Foundation.