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Newly updated in October 2026! Learn how to plan and prepare for starting a massage therapy practice in this 4-hour continuing education course. The course walks massage therapists through important business decisions, goal setting, and the key components of creating an effective business plan.
Whether you are considering opening your first massage practice or want a structured approach to developing your business ideas, this course provides practical information to help you organize your plans and prepare for the responsibilities of owning a massage therapy business.
In this course, you will learn:
Important decisions to consider before starting a massage practice
How to analyze and establish business goals
The importance of setting realistic business deadlines
The key components of a massage therapy business plan
How to develop an effective business plan
Financial and organizational considerations when planning a practice
How to approach business situations from a practical perspective
Strategies for organizing and developing a plan for your massage therapy business
Why take this course?
Starting a massage therapy practice involves more than providing massage services. Careful planning, goal setting, financial preparation, and a clear business plan can help you make more informed decisions as you build your practice.
This 4-hour course provides a focused introduction to the business planning process and is a good choice for massage therapists who are considering self-employment or preparing to open their own massage therapy practice.
Identify important decisions that should be considered before starting a massage therapy practice.
Describe the purpose and importance of business goals.
Develop realistic and measurable business goals.
Identify the major components of an effective business plan.
Explain how to organize information when creating a massage therapy business plan.
Recognize financial and organizational considerations involved in starting a practice.
Describe the importance of establishing deadlines when developing a new business.
Apply basic business-planning concepts to the development of a massage therapy practice.
Text: Startup Guide for Massage Therapy Practices by Corrine Rubida and Stephan Shipe, 93 pages
Course guide with instructions
20-question multiple-choice examination
Course evaluation
Certificate of achievement upon completion
Unlimited phone and email support for any questions
The Center for Massage Therapy Continuing Education, LLC is an Approved Provider through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); Approved Provider number 409296-00.
Our massage continuing education courses are also accepted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP), and most state boards.
For more information on individual state requirements and approvals, please visit our Approvals page and click on your state.
Its very informative, loved the spread sheets and the use of Excel. I'm very technological and analytical so seeing numbers and everything laid out that way helped me out a lot. As well as the use of planning goals and setting adequate deadlines to get the business started. - Ryan Lee
When the time comes to open my own business with massage therapy, this has given me a good reference on what I need to do and be aware of when owning my own business. - Morgan Luecht
Simple to understand, very concise. - P. Scott, LMT
I like the ability of having it in textbook form better over online reading for me personally. - Chad Prentice, LMT
I liked the comfort of being at home and going at my own pace! - Kerry Vucinovich, LMT
Thank you for sending so quickly! - Theresa Lewis, LMT
I loved this course and will definetely be back for more. - L. Fontaine, LMT
What determines whether a worker is legally an employee or an independent contractor?
A. The title written on the worker's contract
B. The worker's preferred classification
C. Whether the worker provides massage services
D. Applicable law and the actual working relationship
Which of the following is NOT a relevant detail to examine once potential competitors have been identified?
A. Services offered and any clearly stated areas of specialization
B. Business hours and appointment availability
C. Secretly stated qualifications, client names, and professional affiliations
D. Client feedback and recurring themes in publicly posted reviews
What are startup costs?
A. Expenses that occur only after the practice becomes profitable
B. Personal expenses paid by the business owner
C. Costs associated only with leasing commercial property
D. Expenses required to establish the practice and prepare it to serve clients
Course Authors
About the Instructors
Corrine Rubida, BS, LMT
Corrine completed her massage therapy training at Gateway College of Massage Therapy in 1997 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Administration in 2012. She has been practicing and teaching massage therapy since 1997 and currently holds a massage therapy license in South Dakota. She is also a member of the ABMP. In 2002, Corrine founded the Center for Massage Therapy CE to make professional massage continuing education courses available both online and by mail. Since then, she has developed more than 100 home-study massage continuing education courses and has taught live courses for AMTA and the Gateway College of Massage Therapy.
Stephen Shipe, Ph.D, CFA
Stephan Shipe is a finance professor at Wake Forest University. He has a Ph.D. in Finance from Florida State University, a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of North Florida and is a CFA Charter holder. In addition to teaching at Wake Forest University, he has taught in the business schools of Florida State University and the University of New Hampshire and has started and managed multiple businesses. Stephan has combined his experience teaching, his extensive business knowledge, and his industry experience to form a collection of business based continuing education courses available to massage therapists.
