Massage Therapy Software – Which Should You Choose?
If you’re thinking of becoming a licensed massage therapist we recommend the following five stages. Also to keep in mind – massage therapists must complete 500 hours of training from a board-approved massage college.
- LEARN ABOUT THE CAREER
- COMPLETE A THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE PROGRAM
- OBTAIN LICENSURE
- KEEP LEARNING AND TEACH OTHERS
- BUSINESS LICENSE
Say you finished all the schooling and necessary legal work for becoming a massage therapist. You found a location, bought all the supplies including lotions, towels, tables, and anything else you might need. You went around your community, found enough employees, got good clients and people to spread the word about your massage therapy business. There is just one more thing that you need, though it brought up some confusion, and that is what is the best software for massage therapists.
A business and financial management platform is often a key factor for success when running a business. It is the very thing needed to run the processes (such as payment collection, invoice management, booking management, taxes, and much more), and keep everything organized. Software is defined as “a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks,” according to the website SearchAppArthitucture. It is not to be confused with hardware, which is the physical aspect of a computer. Software is the generic term used to refer to applications, scripts, and programs that run on a device.
Best Massage Therapy Apps – What’s the Next Step
Specifically, massage therapy software is designed to help massage practitioners and massage therapy providers manage everything they need, such as clients, staff, schedules, appointments, and financial operations. So, which software is best for your massage therapy business.
Before looking for software for your massage therapy business, you need to think about what features you might want to have. You have to consider all aspects of your business online. It is hard to think of what is the most important, as all of them are needed to run the online business smoothly.
Important Features to Have
When thinking about customers, they need to have a place where they can book appointments. Sure, they could call the business, but that would mean somebody always needs to be by the phone, but that takes time from working with clients. So there needs to be a booking system, and one being available 24/7 is even better.
After clients book an appointment, they need to be able to pay. Some people like to prepay, so that needs to be available; for your business. Having a portal for payments is the next step, offering to prepay is better, but an automatic service when paying in person makes it easier. This would be a POS system.
Finally, on the business side, there is a lot that needs to be done. There is creating a schedule, and further on, having that schedule organized in a way that it is easy to understand. One way to do this is by creating color-coded calendars. Another great feature is finding software that has app options and is compatible across devices, so you can access it anywhere. And finally, being free or having a free option is even better. Because we know there are other things in a business that costs money, and they add up fast.
Popular Massage Therapy Apps
Persona
Our platform, Persona, is one of the best apps for fitness professionals if we may say so ourselves. Persona is completely free; it is free to download, it is free to use, and there will never be any charges. You never have to pay to use our software at any step of your business. We have a website feature, and you can also download our apps on both iOS and Android, and you can access it from anywhere.
Not only that, but we will take care of everything for you. We will take care of everything behind the scenes. There is no need to worry about customizable features because we will take care of everything. We have payment collections that sell services, send reminders, and track package uses. We also have hassle-free scheduling, which eliminates the back-and-forth conversations with your clients. We also have a feature where clients can book themselves in pre-approved timeslots. We offer an online store feature where you can share a link with your clients that allows them to purchase any of your services without directly including you.
Another great feature of our software is that we take it a step further! We will automatically generate your schedule c/1040, manage your expenses, and have a real business account. We will take care of all the things you might not think about and have them done for you.
Square Appointments
It is one of the most commonly known and used software. It offers a free option and has $50 per month for paid plans. That is because it is one of the simplest tools available for booking and integrates with plenty of other software and apps that you may be using. It has a dedicated client-facing booking engine that allows you to have custom scheduling availability and rules. Though, that is it for being customizable.
Other great features of this software are that the free option is for businesses that have one staff calendar for a single user, and there is custom pricing for more than ten employees. It also has several different features for scheduling and its ease of integration with the square POS tool that partners up with their square stand and square register for payments.
Mindbody
This software does not offer a free option and is a bit pricey, but it can be worth it at a monthly price of $129 a month. Wellness businesses like massage therapy can manage appointments and schedule better than before. You can set multiple administrative permissions and find custom dashboard options for calendars, reporting, and more.
Other features of this software include text and email notifications, automated campaigns available, scheduling with rules-based availability, reporting tools, and POS integration. This software stands out because it’s customizable, cloud-based, and fits the needs of massage therapy well. Because of the price, it might be better for bigger businesses and need a bigger solution.
MassageBook
This tool offers a free option, but paid plans start at $7.50 per month. This software is designed to make managing your massage therapy business easier than ever. It has easy scheduling tools and a user-friendly dashboard where you can customize rules and organize in color-coded tabs for different appointments, tasks, and more.
It also has a client-facing booking solution and joins a network of professional massage therapists, which makes it easier for clients to find. There is also a cloud-based deployment, meaning you can use it anywhere you access the web. MassageBook also has apps for iOS and Android.
Schedulicity
This software does not have a free option, but it is not expensive, at only $20 per month. It is available for Android and iOS and has been designed for cross-compatibility for any computer or device. There isn’t a major customizable feature, however, you can customize forms and form fields, custom policies for deposits, appointment bookings, and waivers.
There are other great features of this software. You can request prepayments and deposits, offer to schedule 24 hours a day, and block people who are constant no-shows. It also offers automated reminders, notifications, and birthday greetings to your clients. This helps with marketing tools to build your brand and continue communication when you are not present.
Fresha
Fresha is software that offers a free option and a paid one. The cost of this app is 2.19% and $0.20 per transaction for their upgraded feature of Fresha Plus. This software has ranked as #1 software for spas and salons. This software offers a customizable and color-coded calendar that makes it easy to schedule. It is possible to monitor sales, manage clients, and integrate with payment solutions and other tools.
There is a multi-device compatibility that makes it easy to switch from desktop to mobile. It includes a built-in analytic tool that tracks your time and makes sure you’re managing your business effectively.
Acuity Scheduling
This software does not offer a free option, but the cost of $14 per month to start is not that bad. It is one of the most popular scheduling and appointment booking tools. It offers features and a variety of solutions for any of your massage business needs. The customizable features include rules-based availability, custom business hours, and creating a dedicated client booking site so that people book when they want.
There is an app for both Android and iOS, and is mobile-friendly for cross-compatibility on multiple devices that make it easy to run your business anywhere. Other great features include adaptability to any business, calendar syncing, online payment integration, membership and package offering for clients, and HIPAA-compliant data storage.
SimplyBook.me
This software has a free option, however, it is only for 50 bookings a month. It might be a good thing if your massage therapy business is still small, and you’re not expecting to have that big of a clientele. There is a price of $9.90 per month to start. This software allows you to set and display availability based on custom rules, and booking is available 24/7.
Other features of this software include Android and iOS apps, meaning booking can be managed on any device. There is also a widget and embed link that has easy integration on social media and other channels, and you can integrate with all kinds of software and tools. A unique feature of this software is that it offers an admin app and a personalized client app.
So, what’s the best massage therapy software?
No matter what software you chose, hope that it includes everything that you might need. You may have to search around a bit and find something that fits everything you need, and that’s okay. That’s why the majority of these software options are free or offer free trials. You might even find software options that offer more help than you could ever imagine.
Here at Persona, we can help you with any questions you might have and are here to navigate you along the way. Everything we offer is available in one simple place, whether that is online or through an app on your phone. We make it easy for our users to manage their business so they can focus on what is really important. From hassle-free scheduling, payment collection, tax management (some self-employed pros need to file four times a year!), and even an online store. We will even do more by doing your taxes and managing your expenses, all behind the scenes.
You only need to focus on starting and running your massage therapy business. You can download the Persona app on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.