Article by Asha Surti
After recently completing my Reiki Master training in Chiang Mai, Thailand with RMT Nicholas Harris, I am now beginning to focus on building my own Reiki practice. While taking the course, we directed some of our time to discussing business strategies and marketing. As I now begin to shape a practice, I feel it is vital to map out a strong plan implementing both strategies learned in the course, as well as those founded through my daily work and exploration, in order to slowly scale up a business that feels right to my core existence.
Here are my top five key strategies for building a Reiki practice:
1. Research Reiki in your area. Do not look at other Reiki practitioners as competition. Instead, share experiences and ideas amongst one another if possible. Do your homework. Research what others are charging in your area. What are their qualifications? What level of Reiki did they complete? Although I do self Reiki daily, I believe receiving Reiki from other professionals on a regular basis is important to remain grounded and centered to fulfill my work. This also enables me to observe how practitioners open and close sessions, as well as make use of their space.
2. Research possible locations. I recall last summer I was looking at a space that was $300/month which would have taken just four clients a month to make up this cost. This space was within a wellness center, just above a holistic chiropractor, with a physical therapist next door, and an acupuncturist across the hall. Joining within a holistic or wellness center will maximize your ability to obtain referrals. Having a regular influx of referrals is important if this is going to be a source of income for you. There are also many clinics that are open to renting a room for a fee per hour or visit. Be open to cold calling practices to see if they are receptive, especially if you feel drawn to a particular location. You may initially want to start with seeing clients in your home, if the setup is right. Questions to keep in mind as you plan your setup location for practice: Will it be convenient for your client base? Is it safe? Is there adequate parking? Will there be any noise disruptions? Are there zoning or building restrictions?
3. Network within your community. A few months ago, I joined a holistic women entrepreneurs group in my town through meetup.com. Being around such a strong group of women really motivated me to get my ideas together. During meetings, we discussed how we marketed our services, determined our fees, used social networking, and explained our business to others. This last point crucial for me, as I initially had trouble effectively communicating Reiki to potential clients. Through verbalizing my thoughts out loud with these women, I came up with a clear concise message that I wanted to stick with others. Also, make sure you have a business card with you at all times. You never know who you will meet! On occasion, I have met people in my building’s elevator, or even at a hair salon, that were interested in learning more about Reiki. Always have a card in hand for other professionals and potential clients to remember you.
4. Promote your services through marketing. I am currently expending resources on having a website built, in order to really capture the essence of my services. Having a website is essential to building a client base for your services. And as Nicholas mentioned to me during training, Google keeps track of everything! Linking every article or blog post to your site will further verify your identity. There are many online resources that give in depth information on building SEO (search engine optimization) to allow your website to be search engine friendly. Don’t forget how important it is to have a contact button on every page. Other ideas are to create pages on Yelp, Facebook, and Google to market your services, allow people to rate your business, and post reviews. If you have given Reiki to friends or family in the past, don’t be shy to ask them to rate and review your services on these sites!
5. Value yourself, time and energy by setting prices. So often we desire to give free sessions to family and friends, but it truly is an exchange of time and effort. You have gone through hours of training to become a Reiki Master. You have studied a great deal, and are now more confident and skilled in your practice. Imbalances can arise on all levels if we do not value this exchange. Also, others will respect your knowledge and expertise as well when you place value on your work. Of course, there is a difference between a 15 min trial session for someone who has never received Reiki, to an individual who is interested in a 60 min session with you. I did this for a friend who was curious about Reiki, and she now has decided to come back on a monthly basis. Set rates that are in accord with your beliefs, skill set, and level of expertise.
Hope these tips help guide you as you form your own Reiki practice! Many blessings! Now to follow my own advice….
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Asha Surti is an Occupational Therapist who studied at Boston University, and a Reiki Master currently practicing in Hoboken, NJ. She completed her training with leading RMT and Hypnotherapist Nicholas Harris in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She was inspired to integrate holistic healing practices into her work by her late aunt, Urmila Surti, who was a RMT in India. She believes everyone has the ability to heal themselves, and feels guided to assist others in their journey; she is currently researching integrating two of her passions, OT and Reiki in serving children with special needs, particularly on the autism spectrum. She can be followed on Instagram @ReikiTraveler, or contacted at www.reikitraveler.com
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