How much should I charge as an equine massage therapist?
We’ve all been there.
You’re starting your business, you’re excited, you know you can do this.
But wait…how much should I charge!?
This is arguably one of the more daunting parts of starting your business because there’s no roadmap. You might be able to look up what other equine bodyworkers in your area are charging, but does that tell you how much you should charge?
Not really.
It provides a reference, but only a small piece of a much bigger puzzle.
When determining your rate as an equine bodyworker, I recommend the following steps:
Outline your mandatory monthly expenses (things like rent/mortgage, utilities, fuel, food, board etc.)
Outline your extra monthly expenses (vet bills, nights out, new clothes, savings, etc.)
Decide how much you want to work. Are you hoping to work 40 hours a week? 20 hours? Whatever you need to make ends meet?
Assess your area and make your best determination of how far apart clients will be. Are you going to be driving 1+ hour between appointments or will clients be 10-20 minutes apart?
Market research. What are others in your area charging? Do they do the same work as you or is what they do different?
Once you’ve worked through these 5 steps, it’s time to do the math:
👉🏼How much do you need to make ÷ how much do you want to work = what you need to charge.
When you start crunching the numbers, it can feel a little overwhelming. That’s why I’ve created an Equine Bodyworker Rate Calculator to help eliminate the guesswork and give you confidence with your pricing.
This tool is not only beneficial for new bodyworkers, but for seasoned bodyworkers, too! You can use it as a reference point to decide if you’re charging enough.
Equine Bodyworker Rate Calculator
👉🏼This is a Google Sheets template. In order to use it, you must have a Gmail account.
👉🏼To begin, click "Use Template" in upper right corner ↗️ This will open the sheet in your Gmail and allow you to make edits!
👉🏼Once all fields are filled in, the last section, Rate Calculator + Analysis will populate with details on your rate and offer my personal considerations for rate selection.
👉🏼Run into trouble? Break a formula? Feeling overwhelmed that your required rate is way higher than you think you can charge? I'm here to help. Email liz@barrioperformancetherapy.com or visit my business coaching page and together we'll tailor a plan (including appropriate rates!) for you and your unique business situation 🫶🏼
