Ask Felicia: Marketing as a Contractor

Q: Hi Felicia,

I am currently an independent contractor at a place while the owner is gone for a few years. I am wondering how I could market myself without interfering with the owner's business, and how she markets her place? I have access to a free website, but she has a website. I don't want to step on the owner's toes and how she wants to run things, but I would like to generate some business for myself that would be able to follow me when I do start my own practice. Any advice? Can you help me?

~ IC

A: Dear IC -

Let me see if I understand. You work as an independent contractor and want to market yourself to bring business in to the location you work for yourself?

You can most certainly create a website FOR YOU that promotes YOU and YOUR services wherever you happen to work without stepping on anyone's toes. You can definitely invite people to visit YOU at her business by passing out YOUR cards and telling them YOU do massage inside her business, networking and inviting people to come to YOU for massage at her salon, etc.

Do you see a theme emerging? In other words, you are helping both your practice and her business by encouraging people to see you at her place. A reasonable business owner would welcome these win-win promotions. Depending on your arrangement, you may also be able to offer discounts or other specials without discussing them every time. I do think it's better to run ideas by the business if for no other reason than to make sure they aren't caught by surprise if someone asks them about it.

But you can do pretty much anything else to get your name out there - and people onto your table. Most likely, the owner will be delighted for you to be out there promoting yourself. Check out my book Free & Easy Ways to Promote Your Massage, Spa & Wellness Business for free and inexpensive ideas on how to market yourself inexpensively.

In terms of developing a clientele to take with you when you leave, this is a delicate subject. My personal feeling is that if you are bringing in clients through your own time, expense, and marketing efforts such as a solo website, the clients who come from those efforts are yours. If you are marketing yourself to salon clients or if the salon is paying for the marketing materials, ads, etc., then the clients who come from those efforts "belong" to the salon. However, I'd suggest you talk to the owner about this to make sure she has the same understanding.

Whatever the case, I encourage you to promote yourself within and outside of the salon to build your practice and revenue stream. You will be a bigger asset and have a much heartier practice than if you reply on her to bring in all the clients.

~Felicia