Our Guide to Starting and Promoting a Canine Massage Business

If you want to help canines return to and maintain their health through massage, and work for yourself as a self-employed professional, our guide can help you take your next career steps with confidence.

So much goes into the setting up of a business, never mind the promotion of it. Our guide aims to provide you with a solid foundation to start and promote your canine massage business to potential customers.
 

Get Qualified

First things first, if you want to become a professional Canine Massage Therapist, you need to learn canine massage. Dogs have over 700 muscles and there are more than 50 approaches to a canine massage, so you need to know what’s what before you can get started.

Plus, it’s illegal for any person besides the animal’s owner to treat an animal unless permission has been granted by that animal’s Vet. In this instance, the Vet will want to see that you’re qualified before they refer their patients to you.

By studying canine massage courses, UK learners, you can get the knowledge, necessary hands-on experience and evidenced abilities that will give Veterinarians and animal caregivers the confidence they need to enlist your services.
Courses like this online Level 3 Diploma in Canine Massage include a combination of online theory and practical training. Upon successful completion, you also become eligible to apply for membership at the International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT).

Besides learning about canine anatomy and canine massage techniques, this course also has an entire unit dedicated to business management, where you explore everything from branding to managing business accounts.
 

Get the Required Checks and Insurance

The next step before setting up your canine massage therapy centre or starting to provide canine massages in your client’s homes is to complete any necessary checks and take out the required insurance.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, or criminal record check as it is otherwise known, can be beneficial to have in terms of building trust when you’re working in the homes of your clients. As a Complementary Therapist for animals, you will also need to get insurance that’s tailored to your business offering.


 

Build a Website to Advertise Your Business

Once you have the skills, clearance checks and insurances sorted, you should set up a website that advertises your business and showcases your credentials.

Your website needs to:
 

• Be user and mobile-friendly
• Clearly detail the services you offer
• List your contact details
• Detail your canine massage therapy cost
• Explain where you operate
• Showcase client testimonials (once obtained) to help boost your authenticity and reputation

While it may sound like a complicated and costly step, there are many content management systems such as WordPress that provide cheap and easy-to-use templates, so you can make this yourself.  

It’s worth noting that you will also need to pay a small annual fee to keep your domain name (website address) mapped to your site. This is really beneficial for website performance and provides a more professional appearance.
 

Create a Business Listing

When your canine massage therapy website is built you need to create a business listing to help your business become more visible in search results. Start with Google My Business and Yelp, both are free to use and will help you get your canine massage business noticed in the local area.

For instance, anyone searching for ‘Canine massage near me’, is likely to have your page shown to them.
 

Set Up Social Media Accounts

Any business that isn’t on social media these days is missing a trick. Social platforms are where people go for advertising, networking, and promotions, so being visible in this space is key.

Facebook is an excellent starting point as you can advertise your canine massage business to a wider audience through its paid advertising options. However, it’s also a great place to advertise for free by promoting your business in community groups and engaging with people in your local area.

To do this, you can search for Facebook groups related to dogs or those aimed at connecting people in your town or area of operation. You will find there are rules you need to stick to, like only posting about your business on a certain day of the week for instance, but it’s a great way to get noticed by the right people.  

Set up a business page but don’t forget to interact as yourself as well. People like to see the face behind the operation, and it helps build trust with your audience as they get to know you personally.

Use both pages to upload pictures of yourself and the dogs you’ve helped through massage. Most people love a dog picture, and it helps get other people over the line when they see that your other clients are feeling the benefit of your services.


 

Drop Flyers in Your Local Area

If you’re looking to operate in a particular area as opposed to running a mobile canine massage therapy business, doing a flyer drop is a great way to get your business information in the hands of locals.

While many of us have embraced online technology, there are still some people who don’t go online often if at all. This way, you can reach all types of dog owners, communicate important details, and give people a feel for your brand identity.

It’s also worth putting your canine massage flyers up in places where your target audience will frequent, with permission where necessary of course!

This could be in:
 

• Veterinary practices
• Dog grooming parlours
• Pet supply stores
• Dog training facilities
• Dog parks

Cafés and regular shops might also be worth a try too. Let people who work in these businesses know who you are and what you do, so they can help anyone they feel might be interested see your information.

To help track the Return on Investment (ROI) with flyers, it’s always useful to include a promotion clients claim on their first session. You could offer 10% off the first treatment for instance, with a code specific to your flyer advertisement.  
 

Speak to Other Canine Professionals

Another great option for promoting your canine massage therapy business is networking with other canine professionals in the area. As more people are spending money on their pets, demand is high for all related services, so there’s often plenty of work to go around.

You might find that another Canine Massage Therapist needs cover while they’re on holiday, or that they’re at capacity and need someone else to take on the work they can’t commit to. Local dog walkers, pet boarders and groomers would also be ideal, as they can pass on your details to anyone who might be interested.
 

Go to Dog and Animal Events

You only have to do a quick Google search to see how many dog-related events there are these days. If you find some that are close to home, it’s well worth popping by and striking up a conversation with eventgoers.

You can do this on an attendee basis and see how you get on, or you could put some money towards it and become an official vendor or sponsor of the event. This way you could have a booth or a table that advertises your canine massage business. Anyone interested could then come by for a chat, and passers-by can easily see what you do from afar.

This is often a rather expensive way to promote your business, so be sure to check exactly what costs you are committing to before you sign on the dotted line.
 

Get Started Today

If you’re ready to make a start on working towards a career as a Canine Massage Therapist, Animal Courses Direct can help you get the qualifications that allow you to practice.

You can learn canine massage conveniently from the comfort of home through our online canine massage therapy courses. This way, you learn on your terms, but you still get essential hands-on training through our practical sessions.

Find out more about our canine massage therapy online courses by speaking with our Course Advisors today on 01202 006 040 or by contacting them online. Alternatively, click below to see the course in more detail!  

Also, if you adore animals, you can keep track of all upcoming animal awareness days and events with our FREE calendar! Download it here.