How to Choose a Massage Therapy Business Name

When choosing a business name, you can attract the client of your dreams—or the client of your nightmares. Choosing a professional name will help deter clients who are looking for illicit services. 

Words to Avoid

These commonly used words seem innocent, but when used in a massage business name, they may give the wrong impression. Here are some words you should avoid in a massage therapy business name: 

•  Anything that implies speed (e.g., fast, express, quick)
•  Body
•  Finish, Ending, Happy
•  Hands
•  Magic, Magical
•  Pleasure
•  Private
•  Rub
•  Soft
•  Touch
•  Unwind
• Using modalities, technique names, or massage types in your business name—clients do not understand what these words mean. Speak in a languagethatthey understand. Speak in terms of results, not how you will get there. Your clients want to feel better, they don’t care if you are using cups, or trigger point therapies, or deep tissue. You wouldn’t go to a doctor that talked about the surgical procedures they use or the names of medications, so why should you speak about your business based on the type of massage you offer? 
•  Wellness (more on this in a bit)
•  Your first name

Things to Ask Yourself 

1. Is It Easy to Pronounce?

Word of mouth is hands down the best way to market your massage practice. When others are talking about your business, your name needs to easily roll off the tongue. Stay away from words that can be said many different ways or are easily mispronounced. This is another reason to not use your name in your business name. I made this mistake when I named my practice Gauthier Medical Massage. Oops! No one could pronounce it correctly and it is difficult to spell. Which leads me to the next tip . . . 

2. Is It Easy to Spell?

Your business name should be easy to spell, so if your business is searched for online, it will pop up when typed in. Another reason not to use a name like Gauthier. 

3. Is It Memorable?

If a name is too long or has too many unnecessary words, no one will remember it and they will not be able to find you online. Keep it simple and unique. That’s the main reason I advise massage therapists to avoid using the word “wellness” in their business name. It’s a generic, overused word that does not add anything to your business name, and just makes it longer. If you feel yourself gravitating toward using “wellness” in your massage business name, get more specific. Niche down and use a word that better defines the results you provide for your clients. 

4. Does the Name Reflect What You Do?

Make sure your name speaks directly to the clients you want to work with by describing your work in terms of results. Listing modalities does not accomplish this goal. Modalities do not describe the results you provide; they speak to how you provide results. Your client does not care all that much about modalities—they just want to feel better. So, get to the point and describe your massage therapy business in terms of results.

5. When You Search Online for the Name, Is Another Business Already Using It?

If another massage business is using the same name as you, even if they are far away, it means your name is too generic. Your name should speak specifically to what you offer to your clients. That means no one else would be able to use the same name.

Speak to Your Target Client

Avoid using a name that is really special to you and only you. This is where I see most massage therapists make mistakes in naming their business. By choosing your favorite color or word, it pulls your business name away from speaking to your target client and explaining what you do. Do not waste words by using unnecessary ones. Get to the point, explain exactly what you do, and keep it as short and as memorable as possible. 

Keep in mind, your massage business name is the number–one resource for providing keywords so your potential clients will find you when doing an internet search. You can boost your business in Google rankings simply by taking advantage of using words that your customers will be plugging into search engines when looking for a new massage therapist. That’s why it’s a good idea to use your town or city in your business name. What do people type into Google when searching for a massage therapist? The location and the word “massage.” So, if your business name is “Detroit Massage and Pain Management” this speaks to the location, that it is massage, and the results you provide. This is SEO gold! They may have been looking for pain management and did not even consider massage to be an option—they click on your website and book an appointment with you so they can avoid pharmaceuticals and surgery. Boom! Magic. 

How to Create an Effective, Memorable, and Professional Massage Business Name

Here is a simple formula to develop a unique massage therapy business name:

1. Town Name
2. Massage, Bodywork, etc.
3. The results your business provides

Examples:

• • Detroit Massage for Autoimmune Health
  • Albany Bodywork for Prenatal Support
  • Atlanta Massage Therapy for PTSD

Looking for More Tips for Your Massage Business?

Shocked at what you have learned here? Interested to learn more about code words and red flags for happy endings you didn’t know existed? Protect yourself from these sneaky sexual solicitors that fly under your radar until they are on your table with “Ethics: Create A Zero-Tolerance Practice.” There are over 30 red flags presented in the video, along with how to spot sexual solicitors before they are on your schedule, what to do if faced with a dangerous situation, and real–life practice scenarios to test how you would react when your boundaries are challenged. More info on the course is HERE. 

Want more?

Protect You and Your Practice from Solicitors

Take the ABMP Respect Massage CE course, “Ethics: Create A Zero-Tolerance Practice,” for a complete list of 30+ red flags, how to spot sexual solicitors before they are on your schedule, excuses to get out of dangerous solicitations, plus real–life practice scenarios to test how you would react when your boundaries are challenged.