Massage Therapy Establishments

There are many challenges to starting, restarting and managing your operation during good times, but additional challenges during the pandemic need even more careful planning, oversight and management. It is important to understand the COVID-19 requirements that may still apply to your industry, suggested best practices, and resources available to help you.

COVID-19 Requirements

Nevada’s Roadmap to Recovery lays out requirements for businesses with specific capacity limits and other requirements Starting May 1st, 2021, the state transitioned to local authority for setting specific requirements by business types. Visit the Nevada Health Response website for the latest updates on COVID-19 Guidelines in Nevada.

To learn more about Nevada’s specific requirements for Massage Therapy establishments, CLICK HERE.

Industry Best Practices

Some general best practices and tips that may help you comply with guidelines and help your clients and employees feel safe include: 

  • Require clients and employees to wear face masks
  • Social Distance
    • Stagger or limit arrivals of employees and clients, following current capacity limits
    • Install plexiglass/clear acrylic panels or barriers between the customer and cashiers
    • Encourage clients waiting for an appointment to wait outside in their cars or practice social distancing
    • Stagger appointments between treatment professionals to maximize social distancing recommendations in locker rooms and waiting areas
    • Group employees by shift to reduce exposure and make contact tracing easier between employees
    • Encourage clients to complete an online COVID self-assessment questionnaire prior to appointment
    • Designate – with signage, tape, or by other means – six feet of spacing for employees and customers to maintain appropriate social distancing
  • Innovate
    • Update your website to be mobile-friendly
    • Post online tips and videos for clients on self-care, wellness and destressing
    • Install and use a touchless, non-signature payment system
    • Offer an on-line reservation platform for your clients
    • Have clients pay through an app on their phones
  • Cleaning
    • Have hand sanitizer and sanitizing stations and products readily available for employees and clients
    • Launder all towels and linens between clients and completely dry items and store in closed, covered cabinets
    • Limit the use of fans – if fans are necessary, place them to blow away from clients
    • Open exterior doors when possible and if owner has access, open fresh air handlers
    • Declutter and remove items from reception area to minimize possible surface contamination
    • Make tissues or sanitizing wipes available throughout the facility
    • Eliminate communal product testers
    • Clean massage tables and/or chairs after each client with disinfectant
    • Remove unnecessary items from waiting areas, locker rooms, restrooms, and treatment
    • Discard all single use items after use
    • Establish new operating hours so you can close earlier to thoroughly clean the operation each night
    • Use cleaning products that meet the EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) – this list of products can be found on the EPA website here: List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2
    • Read more about Cleaning and Disinfecting during a pandemic

Business Basics

Business basics are more important than ever. Evaluate your profit and loss statement. Look for ways to reduce operating costs. Analyze your cash flow and breakeven to evaluate the impacts of the new guidelines and best practices on your operations. As Nevada’s COVID-19 measures evolve you may need to continually adjust your operations. Here are a few things to think about: 

  • Get Help
    • Contact a business development counselor at the Nevada SBDC by calling 800.240.7094 – we can help you assess your operations and decide on best strategies for your business
    • For questions about cleaning and disinfecting, strategies to control new waste streams, or other environmental questions, contact an environmental business advisor at BEP at 800.882.3233
  • Communicate
    • Keep communicating with your customers on social media and your website with announcements about your current hours and new or expanded services so your customers understand your current operations
    • Be open about the measures you are taking to meet the guidelines; consider signage at your entrance so customers can be aware of the steps you are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to meet new industry guidelines
  • Expand Services
    • Offer gift cards
    • Consider offering service or product sales that are an “add-on” to scheduled services to reduce client visits and PPE/disinfection cycles  
    • Offer hours of business that are most popular or stagger days and schedules to offer services that closely match clients’ schedules
    • Streamline your menu of services offered and focus on services that allow for ease of cleaning and disinfecting between clients
    • Offer incentives for pre-paid services and multi-service packages
    • Offer product kits and sales of product to reduce inventory and satisfy customer needs
  • Potential Cost-Saving Measures
    • Reduce hours to minimize utility bills and increase time for cleaning, for example instead of staying open from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM operate from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
    • Only turn on utilities that are needed – do not use all fans, lights, or air conditioners in the facility when there are fewer people
    • Consider energy efficiency, waste minimization and other sustainability strategies
  • Creative Marketing
    • Update or redesign your website; make sure it is mobile friendly
    • Use micro social media to focus more on your immediate neighborhood to bring in local customers
    • Advertise through local homeowner associations
    • Consider starting or expanding client referral programs

Resources