How to Start a Reiki Therapy Business - Basic Marketing Tips

So you've been doing Reiki for a while now, and your friends and family say you should open a business. This idea is definitely appealing. But you're not sure how to develop a Reiki practice. How can you attract clients - other than the ones you already have, of course? Here are some things to think about when marketing your new Reiki business.

First steps
Depending on where you're planning to practice, Reiki can be difficult or easy to market. It all depends on how much the people in that area already know about it. If they don't know much, you'll probably have to do some explaining and maybe give away a few treatments to show what Reiki can do.

The pros and cons of free treatments
"Freebies" can be a good way to introduce people to the benefits of Reiki. But try not to give away too many. There's a weird psychology when it comes to pricing; generally the higher the price the more valuable people think something is (whether it really is or not). If you do a lot of free treatments people may not think they're worth paying for. So try to keep your freebies short - long enough for the person to experience the energy but short enough to make them want more - and be willing to pay for it.

Marketing materials
You can get a lot of different kinds of marketing materials, from brochures and stationery to promotional items like pens with your name and telephone number. If you have the money to spend then feel free to do that. But when you're first starting out you really don't need that much. Business cards and a brochure should suffice.

Your business cards should include your name, your business name (if you have one), and your telephone number. It's also a very good idea to include a couple of phrases about the services you offer and the benefits of Reiki energy therapy. And unless you're working out of an office, it's not a good idea to include your address. In fact, some local business ordinances specifically prohibit putting an address on a card for a home-based business.

It's really important to take business cards with you everywhere you go; you never know when you'll need them (and you may be surprised at the situations where you *will* need them). Brochures are necessary to explain Reiki to people who don't know about it but don't have time to listen to your explanation.

If you don't want to write your own brochures check with your professional organization (you did join one, didn't you?). They may be able to supply them. If not, there are also commercially prepared materials that you can order. Just make sure your brochures include your name (and business name, if you have one) and number. If they don't, attach your business card. Brochures won't help your business if people can't get in touch with you.

Final thoughts
Marketing can be as simple or as complicated as you like. But when you're first developing your Reiki practice there are lot of things to think about, so try to keep your initial efforts simple. Just don't neglect them. They're important to the health of your business - just as Reiki energy itself is important to your physical, mental, and emotional health.