How to Lease Massage Chairs
A profitable side line to a massage business is offering chair massages at corporate or other institutional sites. Chair massages are shorter (usually 10 to 15 minutes) than other massages and do not involve setup of a massage table, disrobing or oil/lotion cleanup. For the professional looking into this business, leasing a massage chair is a solid intermediate step before taking on the expense of purchasing a chair.
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Things You'll Need
- Quiet, but public location or corporate sponsor
- Massage supply store leasing a variety of chairs
- Massage equipment (music, towels, sanitizer)
- Massage registration (or licence depending on local requirements)
- Operating capital
Instructions
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Choose the chair best suited to your own body mechanics (your height, weight and massage style). All professionally built chairs will offer comfortable padding and supports for the client. The right chair places the client's back, shoulders and neck at the best height for you to apply pressure and strokes over long periods without overstressing your joints and muscles.
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Select a massage equipment dealer who offers several makes and models of massage chairs for lease. Insist on a lease program that allows you to trade for a different model if your current chair leaves you with joint or muscle fatigue. Most dealers will be flexible on lease terms, as a lease typically turns into a sale if the massage therapist is happy and successful in her chair-massage experiment. Do not overcommit in your first lease in either time or cost, as you are simply "testing the water" for a business venture. A three-month lease may be renewed or extended, whereas a one-year lease will be a financial burden if you decide in two months that chair massage is not a good business for you.
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Expect to pay higher lease prices for more expensive chair models, as the leasing company is risking a more expensive piece of stock. Do not let a few dollars discourage you from the chair best suited to your personal body mechanics. The chair that leaves you ready for the tenth or twentieth patient is a much better deal than the chair that leaves you exhausted after two patients.
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Consider the cost of chair leasing (and eventually purchasing) when setting the price per minute or price per session for your chair massage service. Your lease is an expense and needs to be part of your business plan if you expect to be successful. The purchase price for a new massage chair is in the $300 to $500 range. Leasing should cost you $50 to $100 per month. Most leasing companies will offer a lease-to-own program where a portion of the rental price may be applied to final purchase.
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Set your lease price and terms with the massage supply company with an understanding of your costs and expected profit. The supply company will have its own requirements. If the cost of leasing the chair is too high compared to the money you can realistically expect to earn, then you need to rework your plan or reconsider whether offering chair massage is practical in your situation.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider approaching a large local business (corporation, nursing home, convention center) and offering a per-minute chair massage service on site. Some corporations offer chair massages as an employee benefit and pay you a fixed rate; others allow you space and you charge the clients an agreed-upon rate (often $1 per minute).
Research local prices and expenses before committing to a lease. You must approach chair massage as a business with a reasonable expectation of profit.
