Lesson Analysis: Sound Business Strategies for the Massage Therapy … · 2016-04-10 · of...

Running Head: ANALYSIS REPORT FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 1

Lesson Analysis:

Sound Business Strategies for the Massage Therapy Profession

Tracy L. Jones

University of North Texas

Course 5210, July 27, 2015

ANALYSIS REPORT FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 2

Project B Analysis Findings Report

Overview

Students at the Stretch for Life Academy who are studying to become licensed massage therapists must be aware of sound business practices and be able to incorporate them into their own work environment. In order to maintain a profitable litigation-free business, licensed massage therapists must not only be proficient in massage therapy techniques and knowledgeable in areas such as anatomy and physiology, they must also need to comprehend how to run a business. Typically massage therapists either operate their own practice or they conduct business as an independent contractor. This business structure requires skills in accounting, legal knowledge, marketing strategies and customer service expertise.

The title for this lesson is “Sound Business Strategies for the Massage Therapy Profession.” This lesson will address the needs for business expertise as described within this report.

The audience for this lesson must be age 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent. Typically these students are passionate about health care. They plan to become nationally licensed as a massage therapist. About 25% of the students are already licensed massage therapists who are seeking continuing education credits as required to maintain licensure. This secondary student type tends to be age mid-20s or older. Typically the students have little to no prior knowledge with standard business operating practices.

The purpose of this lesson is to prepare students for passing the business practices portion of the national certification exam, and to provide the students with sufficient knowledge of standard business practices to grow and sustain a successful massage therapy practice.

The format of this lesson is currently instructor led lecture only. The revised, improved lesson will use instructor-led lecture as the base, but the format will be supplemented discussion, projects, exercises, and competency testing. The use of interactive activities will enhance knowledge retention and facilitate critical thinking through practice of learned skills and repetition of acquired vocabulary and concepts. There will be an end of lesson test that is designed to mimic the certification test.

Core problem with existing instruction

The current lesson content is dry and disconnected to actual application in the workplace. There are few exercises included with the state-mandated textbook, and the ones provided remain in the realm of theoretical discussion, rather than practical application of the content. Additionally, the content in the book, while preparing the student for the


national certification test, do not address tax, cultural, and accounting requirements specific to the State of Texas.

As opposed to other topics in the curriculum where the majority of the content lends itself to hands-on demonstration and student practice, the topic of business practices lacks student participation. It is all lecture based with a few anecdotal stories thrown in. The textbook focuses equally on all possible avenues of employment and the issues and challenges associated with each.

The customer would like to see all aspects addressed because this material will be on the national certification test; however, the customer would like more emphasis placed on self-employment and entrepreneurship as, in reality, this is what most students will do upon graduation.

Needs

The typical massage student has no prior knowledge of business practices as related to running a business. In order to be successful, the student will need to be knowledgeable and be able to practice the basic concepts of doing business, including legal requirements, customer service, accounting, and marketing. A student must be aware of and know how to set up a sole proprietorship, establish business and marketing plans, and maintain accounting records for tax reporting.

Students tend to be dismissive of the topic of business practices and do not take it very seriously. Therefore, the students need to be convinced of the criticality of establishing and maintaining sound business practices.

In order to facilitate the lesson’s objectives, the instructor must have a clear understanding of how to conduct the project and evaluation of the completed reports. Also, the instructor must be prepared regarding the timing of the lesson and distribution of handouts. The instructional success of this lesson depends on thorough instructor preparation. Since the topic of business practices requires a great deal of critical thinking, the instructor must be provided with specific directions and extra-curricular strategies for bringing the material to life.


Table 1

Learner and Instructor Needs

Learner Needs 1 Bridge between textbook description of business practices and in real world

application. 2 Sufficient familiarity basic concepts to be able to pass the business practices

section of the national certification test. 3 More real life practice of establishing successful business practices 4 Examples of sole proprietorships in the massage therapy industry. 5 Practice handling scheduling challenges and customer service “must do’s”. 6 Exploration of marketing, advertising, and strategizing on how to use these tools

to build a business. 7 Exposure to basic accounting techniques, minimum legal and tax requirements

and the importance of compliance. 8 Discussion on personal business goals and strategic planning on how to achieve

these goals. 9 Quizzing on terms and concepts introduced with the topic of business practices.

10 Experience in constructing a business plan.

Instructor Needs 1 Strategies for making the topic more memorable and interesting to the students. 2 Supplemented state-mandated materials with activities that require student

involvement. 3 Exercises for applying code to real life situations. 4 Instructions on timing for each portion of the lesson, lecture vs. discussion vs.

project work vs. testing. 5 Instructions on how to learner activities. 6 Hand out for business plan project. This will be a worksheet questionnaire that

will step a student through building a business plan. 7 Activity for prepping the students for the national certification test. 8 Take home assignment other than reading the textbook. 9 Instructions on how to guide students in building a business plan.

10 Instructions on how to facilitate practicing successful customer service interactions.

Expectations for Learning

Expectations for mastering the topic of sound business practices for massage therapists include the following criteria:

• Students will gain familiarity with financial, tax, and insurance requirements for operating as a sole proprietorship or independent contractor.

• Students will consider the risks and benefits of the various work options for massage therapists.


• Students will gain proficiency in building a business plan.

Desired performance outcomes include:

• Students will pass the certification test. • Students will have developed a rudimentary business plan for launching their

massage therapy careers. • Students will be able conversant on business topics such as marketing a small

business, successful customer service and minimum accounting requirements for maintaining legal and tax compliance.

Learning Goals and Objectives

1. Prepare students for passing the business practices portion of the national certification exam. 1.1.Define key concepts associated with massage business best practices such as

employment versus self-employment and types of business structuring, accounting for client payments and expenses. (cognitive)

1.2. Describe the components of a business plan. (cognitive) 1.3. Explore the ethical, marketing and legal “do’s” and “don’ts” of advertising a

massage therapy practice. (affective) 1.4. Outline the consequences of not establishing and adhering to sound business

practices. (cognitive, affective) 1.5. Summarize key strategies for employing sound business practices. (cognitive)

2. Expose students to the business aspects of running a successful massage therapy practice. 2.1. Make a business plan for establishing, building, and maintaining a successful

practice. (cognitive) 2.2. Explore record keeping strategies for tax compliance. (cognitive) 2.3. Prepare a resume. (cognitive) 2.4. Plan marketing to build clientele. (cognitive) 2.5. Practice excellent customer service. (kinesthetic, affective)

Environmental Resources

The teaching environment is set up for a lecture-style teaching format. There is no facility for electronic/projected presentation images. There are some posters and diagrams for the more medical/technical aspects of training as well as supplemental books that contain various images. Occasionally, video is used. Generally, technology is not used when teaching. There is a white board available and it could be used to capture discussion points. There is a therapy room and massage table available and it is used frequently to demonstrate massage techniques.


Table 2

Available Resources 1 Easels and wall space for visual aids such as posters and diagrams 2 Supplemental reference material and books 3 Television and DVD player 4 White board and dry erase markers 5 Traditional classroom set up with desks in a row and lecturer at the front of room 6 Therapy room with massage table and equipment and room for all students to

observe

Lesson Components

Learners will require the following lesson components: State mandated textbook, paper and highlighter for note taking, a laptop or tablet, and Internet access. No prior knowledge of topic needed.

The instructor should be knowledgeable about key terms and concepts. The instructor should be prepared to share his or her personal resume. The instructor should have personal anecdotal stories to support the lecture points. The instructor will require instructions on preparing for facilitating the interactive activities. A best practice would be for an instructor unfamiliar with teaching business practices to shadow or audit the lesson being taught as preparation for teaching it.

Timeline

The total length of this lesson is 7.5-10 hours taught in five 90 to 120 minute sessions. The first hour of each session will be devoted to lecture and discussion to impart required vocabulary, concepts and legal requirements. By the end of the five sessions, the learner should have a basic understanding of Goal 1 and its associated learning objectives.

The second half of each session will be used for hands on practice, projects, and exercises designed to provide hands-on experiential practice of the concepts introduced at the beginning of each session. Each session will focus on a different topic as related to business practices.

Activities will include creating a resume, reading and interpreting a client data sheet, deciphering a basic account ledger, building a business plan, and role-playing customer service scenarios. The purpose of these activities is to enable student mastery of the second goal and enabling objectives. At the end of five session students should have advanced understanding of both goals and all the learning objectives.


During final half hour of the lesson period, students will take a test designed to model the ethics portion of the certification exam. The test will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.

Table 3: Summary of Timeline Tasks

When Task Duration Week prior to lesson

Assign student prework 5 minutes

1 day prior to lesson

Instructor Preparation (includes reading over entire lesson, textbook chapter and handouts) Duplicate handouts for students Think about and prepare personal anecdotal examples and experiences that support lesson points

3 hours

½ hour prior to lesson

Instructor organizes materials and handouts, ensures classroom and therapy room is cleared of trash and unnecessary materials

.5 hour

Session 1 Lecture and discussion on employment and business terms concepts, vocabulary In class activity: resume writing Assign homework for next session

2 hours

Day of Session 2

Record receipt of resume peer review completion pass/fail grade

15 minutes

Session 2 Starting a business concepts lecture In class project: Start a business plan using the business plan template/questionnaire Assign homework.

2 hours

Session 3 Bookkeeping concepts lecture and discussion In class exercise: Interpret: a client form Assign reading homework finish business plan and turn it in.

2 hours

Day of session 4

Grade, provide feedback and record scores on project. 15 minutes per project

Session 4 Marketing and customer service mini-lectures Advert in class exercise Customer scenario based Q&A session

2 hours

Session 5 Summary lecture Competency test

2 hours

Within 24 hours after lesson

Instructor grades practice test 15 minutes per test

Next class session

Instructor returns tests to students and clarifies any consistent errors found in tests answers.

10 minutes


Image 1: Lesson calendar

Running Head: DESIGN DOCUMENT FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON

Lesson Design Document:


Tracy L. Jones


Course 5210, July 27, 2015

DESIGN DOCUMENT FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 2

Lesson Design Document:


Overview

Students at the Stretch for Life Academy who are studying to become licensed massage therapists must be aware of sound business practices and be able to incorporate them into their own work environment. In order to maintain a profitable litigation-free business, licensed massage therapists must not only be proficient in massage therapy techniques and knowledgeable in areas such as anatomy and physiology, they must also need to comprehend how to run a business. Typically massage therapists either operate their own practice or they conduct business as an independent contractor. This business structure requires skills in accounting, legal knowledge, marketing strategies, and customer service expertise.

The title for this lesson is “Sound Business Strategies for the Massage Therapy Profession.” This lesson will address the needs for business expertise as described within this report.

The audience for this lesson must be age 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent. Typically these students are passionate about health care. They plan to become nationally licensed as a massage therapist. About 25% of the students are already licensed massage therapists who are seeking continuing education credits as required to maintain licensure. This secondary student type tends to be age mid-20s or older. Typically the students have little to no prior knowledge with standard business operating practices.

The purpose of this lesson is to prepare students for passing the business practices portion of the national certification exam, and to provide the students with sufficient knowledge of standard business practices to grow and sustain a successful massage therapy practice.

Problem

The current lesson content is dry and disconnected to actual application in the workplace. There are few exercises included with the state-mandated textbook, and the ones provided remain in the realm of theoretical discussion, rather than practical application of the content. Additionally, the content in the book, while preparing the student for the national certification test, do not address tax, cultural, and accounting requirements specific to the State of Texas.

As opposed to other topics in the curriculum where the majority of the content lends itself to hands-on demonstration and student practice, the topic of business practices lacks student participation. It is all lecture based with a few anecdotal stories thrown in. The textbook focuses equally on all possible avenues of employment and the issues and challenges associated with each.


The customer would like to see all aspects addressed because this material will be on the national certification test; however, the customer would like more emphasis placed on self-employment and entrepreneurship as, in reality, this is what most students will do upon graduation.

Needs

The typical massage student has no prior knowledge of business practices as related to running a business. In order to be successful the student will need to be knowledgeable and able to practice the basic concepts of doing business, including legal requirements, customer service, accounting, and marketing. A student must be aware of and know how to set up a sole proprietorship, establish business and marketing plans and maintain accounting records for tax reporting.

Students tend to be dismissive of the topic and do not take it very seriously. Therefore, the students need to be convinced of the criticality of establishing and maintaining sound business practices.

In order to facilitate the learner’s objectives, the instructor must have a clear understanding on how to conduct the project and evaluation of the completed reports. Also, the instructor must be prepared regarding the timing of the lesson and distribution of handouts. The instructional success of this lesson depends on thorough instructor preparation. The critical thinking nature of the topic requires that the instructor be provided with specific directions and extra-curricular strategies for bringing the material to life.

Learner needs:

1. Bridge between textbook description of business practices and in real world application. 2. Sufficient familiarity basic concepts to be able to pass the business practices section of

the national certification test. 3. More real life practice of establishing successful business practices. 4. Examples of sole proprietorships in the massage therapy industry. 5. Practice handling scheduling challenges and customer service “must dos”. 6. Exploration of marketing, advertising and strategizing on how to use these tools to build

a business. 7. Exposure to basic accounting techniques, minimum legal and tax requirements, and the

importance of compliance. 8. Discussion on personal business goals and strategic planning on how to achieve these

goals. 9. Quizzing on terms and concepts introduced with the topic of business practices. 10. Experience in constructing a business plan.

Instructor needs:


1. Strategies for making the topic more memorable and interesting to the students. 2. Supplement state-mandated materials with activities that require student involvement. 3. Exercises for applying business practices in real life situations. 4. Instructions on timing for each portion of the lesson, lecture vs. discussion vs. project

work vs. testing. 5. Instructions on how to conduct learner activities. 6. Hand out for business plan project. This will be a worksheet questionnaire that will step a

student through building a business plan. 7. Activity for prepping the students for the test. 8. Take home assignment other than reading the book. 9. Instructions on how to guide students in building a business plan. 10. Instructions on how to facilitate practicing successful customer service interactions.

Environmental Resources

The teaching environment is set up for a lecture-style teaching format. There is no facility for electronic/projected presentation images. There are some posters and diagrams for the more medical/technical aspects of training as well as supplemental books that contain various images. Occasionally, video is used. Generally, technology is not used when teaching. There is a white board available and it could be used to capture discussion points. There is a therapy room and massage table available and it is used frequently to demonstrate massage techniques.

Learning Theory

The guiding learning theories that will be used for this topic are behavioral and cognitive. Through lecture and reading, students will gain familiarity with key concepts and vocabulary. Concepts will be reinforced through the experiential activities such as developing tools and discussing scenario responses. These types of activities incorporate an aspect of behavioral learning.


Learning Expectations

Students will gain competency in business terminology, business and tax law, and customer service principles. They will become proficient in selecting and performing business practices in the workplace. In summary, the end result of this enhanced training segment will be demonstrated through the following accomplishments:

• Students will gain familiarity with financial, tax, and insurance requirements for operating as a sole proprietorship or independent contractor.

• Students will consider the risks and benefits of the various work options for massage therapists.

• Students will gain proficiency in building a business plan.

Goals and Objectives

1. Prepare students for passing the business practices portion of the national certification exam. 1.1.Define key concepts associated with massage business best practices such as employment

versus self-employment and types of business structuring, accounting for client payments and expenses. (cognitive)

1.2. Describe the components of a business plan. (cognitive) 1.3. Explore the ethical, marketing and legal “do’s” and “don’ts” of advertising a massage

therapy practice. (affective) 1.4. Outline the consequences of not establishing and adhering to sound business practices.

(cognitive, affective) 1.5. Summarize key strategies for employing sound business practices. (cognitive)

2. Expose students to the business aspects of running a successful massage therapy practice. 2.1. Make a business plan for establishing, building, and maintaining a successful practice.

(cognitive) 2.2. Establish record keeping strategies for tax compliance. (cognitive) 2.3. Prepare a resume. (cognitive) 2.4. Plan marketing to build clientele. (cognitive) 2.5. Practice excellent customer service. (kinesthetic, affective)

Course/Lesson Components (Needs and Environmental Resources) Learners • State mandated textbook: Beck, M. (2011). Theory & Practice of Therapeutic Massage

(5th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Cenage Learning. • Paper and highlighter for note taking • Laptop or tablet computer • Internet access

Instructors • Knowledge about key terms and concepts


• Personal resume • Prepared personal anecdotal stories to support the lecture points • Instructions on preparing for facilitating the interactive activities

Learning Activities

• Learner will research massage therapy resumes via the Internet and select one to share with classmates. (2.3)

• Learner will prepare a personal resume using a Word Processing application. Email draft of resume to a peer for review. (2.3)

• Learner will review a peer’s resume and provide evaluation to resume owner. (2.3) • Learner will make a business plan using an instructor-provided questionnaire/template for

guidance. (1.1, 1.2, 2.1) • Learner will interpret a client intake form. (2.5) • Learner will convey mastery of customer service principles by participating in a scenario-

based Q&A session with group. ( 2.4, 2.5) • Learner will research massage therapy advertising via the Internet and select one to share

with peers. (2.4) • Learners will participate in graded multiple choice and short answer test that models the

business practices section of the national certification test (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2)

Assessment

Business practices require a foundation of knowledge in several key areas including a solid written framework to guide the practitioner throughout the first year of business. The instructor will assess and evaluate mastery of these foundational skills by completing the following tasks:

• Grading the student’s use of learned concepts to create a business plan. • Through observation of a student’s willingness to complete homework assignments and

arrive prepared to each lessons. • Using a group setting for the customer service scenario discussions to allow the instructor

to informally assess learner competency.

Additionally, peer feedback on the student resume will benefit both the reviewer and the author by requiring learners to identify and document positive and negative aspects of the writing. The end of class summary test will provide input for the instructor to evaluate adequate learning. Learners will participate in graded multiple choice and short answer test that models the business practices section of the national certification test.


Evaluation

Demonstration of successful instructional design will be reflected in the learner performance on the business practices section of the certification test. Student satisfaction will be discerned by the instructor from the level of participation in the various activities conducted during the lesson sessions.

Achievement of the lesson goals and objectives will be qualitatively measured by the instructor informally questioning students on their thoughts about the effectiveness of the scenarios used in discussion. Achievement of the lesson goals and objectives will be quantitatively measured by the adequate completion of the in class activities, the end of lesson test, and by the learner’s passing of the certification exam.

Timeline

The total length of this lesson is 7.5-10 hours taught in five 90 to 120 minute sessions. The first hour of each session will be devoted to lecture and discussion to impart required vocabulary, concepts, and legal requirements. By the end of the five sessions the learner should have a basic understanding of Goal 1 and its associated learning objectives.

The second half of each session will be used for hands on practice, projects and exercises designed to provide hands-on experiential practice of the concepts introduced at the beginning of each session. Each session will focus on a different topic as related to business practices.

Activities will include creating a resume, reading and interpreting a client data sheet, deciphering a basic account ledger, building a business plan and role playing customer service scenarios. The purpose of these activities is to enable student mastery of the second goal and enabling objectives. At the end of five session students should have advanced understanding of both goals and all the learning objectives.

During final half hour of the lesson period, students will take a test designed to model the ethics portion of the certification exam. The test will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.


Table 3: Summary of Timeline Tasks When Task Duration Week prior to lesson

Assign student prework 5 minutes


Instructor Preparation (includes reading over entire lesson, textbook chapter, and handouts) Duplicate handouts for students Think about and prepare personal anecdotal examples and experiences that support lesson points

3 hours


Instructor organizes materials and handouts, ensures classroom and therapy room is cleared of trash and unnecessary materials

.5 hour

Session 1 Lecture and discussion on employment and business terms concepts, vocabulary In class activity: resume writing Assign homework for next session

2 hours

Day of Session 2

Record receipt of resume peer review completion pass/fail grade

15 minutes

Session 2 Starting a business concepts lecture In class project: Start a business plan using the business plan template/questionnaire Assign homework.

2 hours

Session 3 Bookkeeping concepts lecture and discussion In class exercise: Interpret: a client form Assign reading homework finish business plan and turn it in.

2 hours

Day of session 4

Grade, provide feedback and record scores on project. 15 minutes per project

Session 4 Marketing and customer service mini-lectures Advert in class exercise Customer scenario based Q&A session

2 hours

Session 5 Summary lecture Competency test

2 hours


Instructor grades practice test 15 minutes per test

Next class session

Instructor returns tests to students and clarifies any consistent errors found in tests answers.

10 minutes


Image 1: Calendar of Timeline

Running Head: MATERIALS FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 1

Lesson Materials:


Tracy L. Jones


Course 5210, July 27, 2015

MATERIALS FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 2 Student Materials

Peer Review Feedback Form for Resume Activity

Reviewer Name: _________________________________ Peer Being Reviewed ___________________________________

Rating: Needs Improvement Satisfactory Excellent

Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peer Review Feedback Form for Resume Activity

Reviewer Name: _________________________________ Peer Being Reviewed ___________________________________

Rating: Needs Improvement Satisfactory Excellent

Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MATERIALS FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 3

Business Plan Template

Use this template and questionnaire to draft a business plan. Complete the sections listed here and type up your plan in a separate document. Make it look professional. Given the employment options described in your textbook (pp. 808, 814-816), which would be the ideal work environment for you? _______________________________________________ Provide 3 reasons supporting your choice. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ List three goals you want to accomplish for the following timeframes. Goals should be specific and measurable. 3 months after graduating ________________________________________________________ 1 year after graduating __________________________________________________________ 5 years after graduating __________________________________________________________ For the business type you have chosen, indicate if you will incur costs in the categories listed here. If yes, estimate a cost per month. (You might need to do some research on the Internet.) MONTHLY EXPENSES Rent: ________________________________________________________________________ Utilities:______________________________________________________________________ Equipment/supplies: ____________________________________________________________ Furniture:_____________________________________________________________________ Office supplies: ________________________________________________________________ Advertising:___________________________________________________________________ Printing expense: _______________________________________________________________ Permits and licenses (divide annual fees by 12): ______________________________________ Insurance (divide annual cost by 12): _______________________________________________ Education/Professional memberships: ______________________________________________ TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENSES: _______________________________________________ This is how much you need to earn to cover the cost of running your practice MISC. ONE TIME OR STARTUP COSTS: _______________________________________ Professional fees (lawyer, graphic artist, web designer) This is how much you need to get started


Business Plan Template (continued)

MASSAGE FEES: How many massages do you plan to do in a month? ___________________________________ Divide your total monthly expenses by the number of massages: _________________________ (This is your estimated massage fee) Determine the going rate for massages in your geographic area: __________________________ How does your fee compare to what your market will bear? _____________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ What is your plan for adjusting your rate to better align with the market rate? _______________ (Look in your textbook and online for strategies.) _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ List three strategies for initial promotion of your new business. How will you get clients? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Pick a target market: ____________________________________________________________ Describe three strategies for building interest in your business in this market _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ This is a very simplified Profit/Loss exercise designed to help you get started thinking about your

career. There are many other expenses and avenues for income to consider.


Activity: Client Intake Form Analysis

Individually or in pairs, examine the sample completed client intake form (2 pages provided here) and formulate an analysis using the following questions.

1. Is the form completed adequately to perform a massage on this person? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

2. What is missing? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

3. What information indicates a possible medical or therapeutic issue? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

4. What information would help you provide appropriate therapy? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

5. Are there any responses on the form that indicate cause for concern? If so, what are they? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

6. How would you go about getting additional information? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

7. Is there any information on this form that would indicate you should NOT perform a massage on this person? If so, what is it? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

8. What other questions might you want to include on a client intake form? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________


Sample Client Intake Form – Page 1


Sample Client Intake Form – Page 2

MT BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON ACTIVITIES 8

Massage Therapist Business Practices Module Final Exam

1. True or false? Your confidence, professionalism and personality are just as important as your education and massage skills.

True

False

2. Which of these is a reason for a suspension of your license?

Being addicted to alcohol

Practicing under an assumed name

Having deceptive advertisements

All of the above

3. What type of insurance protects the therapist if he or she injures a client during a procedure

Workman's compensation insurance

Health and wellness insurance

Disability insurance

Professional liability insurance

4. You are required as an independent contractor to:

File a schedule K

File quarterly estimated taxes

File taxes at the end of the year

You don't have to worry about filing as an independent contractor

5. Which of these types of businesses does NOT require a lawyer to set up?

Partnership

Sole proprietorship

Corporate

Limited Liability Corporation

6. Which of the following are essential to the success of a massage therapy practice?

Good recordkeeping system


Professional business phone demeanor

Short- and long-term business goals

All of the above

7. In case a client sues, what type of insurance do MT's buy to cover their work?

Liability

Homeowner

Business

Malpractice

8. What schedule form do you file if you have a business partner?

1040 SL

1040 EZ

D

K

9. A disbursement ledger is where you _____.

Document notes about the treatment each client receives

Record all business expenses that you pay for

Itemize anticipated items you wish to purchase in the next 12 months

Note any malpractice claims against yourself or your business

10. A client's medical record or health intake forms can only be released:

When the client's insurance company requests a copy

When the attorney calls to get it faxed

When the client signs a release form stating who they are releasing them to

When there is a verbal release given on the phone

11. Business income should always be recorded in _____.

An accounting ledger

Your bank register

An email to the client


A written note to your accountant

12. What percentage of income from bartered goods or services is reportable to the Internal Revenue Service?

None is reportable

50%

75%

100%

13. It is important for truth in advertising in which of the following?

Professional integrity

Referrals

Repeat business

All of the above

14. If an independent contractor is compensated by a salon for massage services, what tax document does the salon provide the contractor annually?

1099

W-2

1040

W-4

15. What signed document gives the therapist permission to release client information?

Release form

Confidentiality form

Consent form

Intake form


Lesson Grading Scale

Assignment High Grade

100%

Low Grade

0%

Share sample resumes Brought 1 or more resumes and shared with class

Did not bring sample resumes to class

Resume peer review Participated in peer review by having resume reviewed and reviewing a peer’s resume

Did not participate resume peer review

Business Plan Business plan includes content based on all questions from

the template

Did not create a business plan

Advertising Research/Share Brought 1 or more advertisements and shared

with class

Did not bring sample ads to class

Customer Service Discussion Actively participated in the discussion

Did not contribute to the discussion

Final Test Answered all questions correctly

Did not answer correctly or did not complete the test

Running Head: JOB AID FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 1

Instructor Job Aid:


Tracy L. Jones


Course 5210, July 27, 2015

JOB AID FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 2

Instructor Job Aid: Sound Business Strategies for the Massage Therapy Profession

Introduction

This lesson on Business Practices in the Massage Therapy Profession departs from the typical format and content the students will study throughout their training to become a licensed Massage Therapist. The material is presented in five 2-hours sessions. Instead of observation and practice work in performing massages, students will need to learn vocabulary and concepts related to general best business practices (or all the stuff outside of the therapy room).The learning text is mandated by the State of Texas, but does not provide much opportunity for application; thus tends to be rather dry. The goal of this lesson is to enhance the required content to make it more interesting and useful to the student. The learning goals are:

• Prepare students for passing the business practices portion of the national certification exam.

• Expose students to the business aspects of running a successful massage therapy practice.

This job aid describes how to supplement the text book teaching with interactive activities that the students will enjoy and benefit from.

Lesson Outline

When Task Duration Week prior to lesson

Assign Student prework: Research on Internet--massage therapist resumes. Print and bring one to class for sharing.

Read text book pp. 807-813. Due at Session 1.

5 minutes


Instructor Preparation: Read over entire lesson, textbook chapter and handouts.

Duplicate handouts for students.

Think about and prepare personal anecdotal examples and experiences that support lesson points.

3 hours


Instructor Preparation: Organize materials and handouts.

Ensure classroom and therapy room are cleared of trash and unnecessary materials

.5 hour

Session 1 Lecture Topic: Seeking employment (pp. 807-816)

• Employed vs Self-employed • Diff between, partnership, corporation and sole

proprietorship. Do mini-lab on p. 816 as a group discussion.

In class Activity: Share sample resumes. Students create their

1.5 hours

.5 hour


When Task Duration own resume (sample resume in book).

Assign Homework: Email draft of resume to a peer for review. Peer review a resume and email feedback to peer and teacher Peer review form in Student Materials Read in textbook pp. 817-822.

Due at Session 2. Day of Session 2

Record receipt of resume peer review completion. See rubric in student materials for point value.

15 minutes

Session 2 Lecture Topic: Starting a business (pp. 817-822)

• Expenses • Permits and licenses • Insurance • Physical layout • Location

In class Activity: Start a business plan. Business Plan Questionnaire/Template located in student materials.

Assign Homework: Work on business plan (Due at Session 4) Read in textbook (pp. 823-845)

Due at Session 3.

1.25 hours

.75 hour

Session 3 Lecture Topic: Recordkeeping (pp.823-845)

• Licensing, permits and insurance • Client info • Financial records • Taxes

In class activity: Interpret a client intake form (in student materials). Assign activity to student individuals or pairs. Give them 15 minutes to analyze and draw conclusions using the list of supplied questions, then 30 minutes to debrief and discuss with class.

Homework: Finalize business plan and turn it in for a grade.

Read textbook pp. 846-853

Due at Session 4.

1.25 hours

.75 hour

Day of session 4

Grade, provide feedback and record scores for Business Plan project.

15 minutes per project

Session 4 Lecture Topic: Marketing and customer service (pp. 846-853)

• Advertising mini-lecture

In class activity: Research on Internet--massage therapy

.5 hour

.5 hour


When Task Duration advertisements. Share with class and discuss pros and cons of each image.

• Customer service mini lecture • Attitude, self-image • Scheduling best practices

In class activity: Conduct scenario based Q&A with group. (Q&A is in this Job Aid)

.5 hours

.5 hour

Session 5 Summary lecture—review key concepts and vocabulary

Final test: Hand out test. Explain to students that they have up to 1.5 hours to complete it and turn it in.

.5 hour

Up to 1.5 hours


Grades final test. (Answer key in this job aid.) 15 minutes per test

Next class session

Return tests to students and clarifies any consistent errors found in test answers.

10 minutes

After the Class

There are no post–class activities for this lesson. Best Practice: Continue to refer to this lesson and its contents as you teach other lessons. Look for appropriate instances to review and apply principles presented in this lesson.

Lesson Calendar


Q&A for Customer Service Scenario Discussion

Q1: A client shows up for a massage who is not on your schedule. You remember talking to the client and making the appointment, but forgot to put it on your calendar. How would you resolve this situation?

Instructor Guided Feedback: • Apologize for the error. • Depending on how irate the customer is, offer a gift certificate for a free massage. • Make every effort to reschedule at the clients convenience, even if it is inconvenient

for you. • The goal is to do what it takes to keep the customer. One dissatisfied customer talking

to other people can cause serious damage to your clientele list.

Q2: You want to establish a constant day of the week that your practice will be closed. A client calls and requests an appointment for that day stating that it is the only time she can get there and mentions that she really is in pain. How might you handle this request?

Instructor Guided Feedback:

You must find a balance between meeting your client needs and controlling your work parameters. It is important to keep clients happy, but it is also important to establish clear business hours and down time for yourself.

Q3: You are working as an MT in a spa which houses many MTs as well as offering other services such as facials and pedicures. A client calls the spa manager and complains about the massage you gave him. What should you do? How should you respond to your manager? Should you reach out the client?

Instructor Guided Feedback:

There are many possible ways to handle this situation. It depends on the spa policy about calling a client. Seek advice from your manager. This approach shows the manager that you want to make amends and puts the manager in charge of helping you resolve the situation.

Q4: A client offers to pay you cash for his massages mentioning that cash is untraceable and there would be no need to document having received it. Is this OK? How would you respond to the client?

Instructor Guided Feedback: • It is NOT OK to not report income. This could get you in trouble with the IRS. • You could just smile and thank the client, not responding to his suggestion to hide

your income. • You could explain why you can’t do what he suggests. • It really depends on the relationship you have established with your client. Consider

the client’s personality and how well you two communicate.


Answer Key for Final Test

Massage Therapist Business Practices Module Final Exam 1. True or false? Your confidence, professionalism and personality are just as important as your education and

massage skills.

True

False

2. Which of these is a reason for a suspension of your license?

Being addicted to alcohol

Practicing under an assumed name

Having deceptive advertisements

All of the above

3. What type of insurance protects the therapist if he or she injures a client during a procedure

Workman's compensation insurance

Health and wellness insurance

Disability insurance

Professional liability insurance

4. You are required as an independent contractor to:

File a schedule K

File quarterly estimated taxes

File taxes at the end of the year

You don't have to worry about filing as an independent contractor

5. Which of these types of businesses does NOT require a lawyer to set up?

Partnership

Sole proprietorship

Corporate

Limited Liability Corporation

6. Which of the following are essential to the success of a massage therapy practice?

Good recordkeeping system


Professional business phone demeanor

Short- and long-term business goals

All of the above

7. In case a client sues, what type of insurance do MT's buy to cover their work?

Liability

Homeowner

Business

Malpractice

8. What schedule form do you file if you have a business partner?

1040 SL

1040 EZ

D

K

9. A disbursement ledger is where you _____.

Document notes about the treatment each client receives

Record all business expenses that you pay for

Itemize anticipated items you wish to purchase in the next 12 months

Note any malpractice claims against yourself or your business

10. A client's medical record or health intake forms can only be released _____.

When the client's insurance company requests a copy

When the attorney calls to get it faxed

When the client signs a release form stating who they are releasing them to

When there is a verbal release given on the phone

11. Business income should always be recorded in _____.

An accounting ledger

Your bank register

An email to the client


A written note to your accountant

12. What percentage of income from bartered goods or services is reportable to the Internal Revenue Service?

None is reportable

50%

75%

100%

13. It is important for truth in advertising in which of the following?

Professional integrity

Referrals

Repeat business

All of the above

14. If an independent contractor is compensated by a salon for massage services, what tax document does the salon provide the contractor annually?

1099

W-2

1040

W-4

15. What signed document gives the therapist permission to release client information?

Release form

Confidentiality form

Consent form

Intake form

Running Head: EVALUATION REPORT FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 1

Evaluation and Implementation Report:


Tracy L. Jones


Course 5210, July 27, 2015

EVALUATION REPORT FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES LESSON 2

Business Practices in the Massage Therapy Profession

Implementation

In order to determine the effectiveness of the instructional design of this lesson in the appropriate context, the owner of the massage therapy school conducted a pilot of the materials simulating as closely as possible a realistic classroom event. The lesson was taught to two students. The small size of the class was due the pilot being held during the summer and the students are between academic sessions. The lesson was taught in a traditional classroom setting over a period of five consecutive days.

I observed the pilot without intervening. I used the following criteria to record my findings. The questions were extracted from Chapter 4 of the textbook, Rapid Instructional Design (Piskurich, 2014, pp. 272-281). I tailored the list of questions to fit the format and topic of the Business Practices lesson.

Table 1: Observation Questionnaire Form

Question Comments

1 Did the lecture topics and scenarios represent reality in the workplace?

2 Did the lecturer use language that is easy to understand?

3 Was the information presented in a logical order?

4 Was all essential information covered? 5 Did the lesson meet the stated objectives? 6 Were terms clearly defined? 7 Was the amount of material appropriate for

the allotted time?

8 Was the delivery of the content adequately paced?

9 Did students complete the homework prior to coming to class? Did the “show and tell” activities successfully add learning value?

10 Were students able to produce a usable resume and business plan?

11 Did the post-lesson test adequately cover the key points of the lesson?


Evaluation

After the completion of the last lesson session, I conducted a simple, informal Level I evaluation by asking the following questions and having both the instructor and the students write their answers on a piece of notebook paper and turn the paper in to me. I used the questions listed in chapter 7 of our textbook, Rapid Instructional Design (Piskurich, 2015, p. 317).

Table 2 is a compiled summary list of the instructor and student comments. I included the majority responses and any specific points that were made.

Table 2: Evaluation Findings (compiled)

Question Comments 1 Rate this class on a scale of 1 to 5. 4.5 2 State the one thing you liked best about

this lesson. Writing a resume was hard, but I am glad to have both a resume and business plan ready for when I start building my business.

3 State the one thing you would most like to change about this lesson.

Need more explanation on what sort of advertisement to bring to class (Instructor: post lesson examination is too short—make it longer)

4 What was the most important thing you learned from the lesson?

It’s not all about massage technique. I need to know how to run a business, too.

A level 2 evaluation is built into the curriculum of the massage therapy program. Each student must pass a national certification to become licensed as a massage therapist. Part of the exam covers the topic of sound massage therapy business practices. Passing scores and test feedback will provide evidence of student skills and knowledge mastery and retention of the lesson key points.

The student takes this exam at the end of a year-long course of studies. At that time, data can be collected regarding the learning effectiveness of the Business Practices lesson. For the purposes of the pilot offering of this lesson, I relied on the post lesson exam scores to provide Level 2 evaluation. The post-lesson exam covers key facts that are tied directly to the learning objectives. Based on 100% passing scores by both participants, the lesson learning objectives were adequately met.

Conclusion

Here are my notes based on the observation questionnaire form (see Table 1). The initial offering of this lesson was successful. Given the existing constraints for teaching this lesson (having to use a state-mandated textbook and the need to deliver the lesson without electronic media), the


supplemental activities helped to bridge the gap between the textbook’s theoretical approach to the subject and the need for applicable skills for the workplace, and enriched the lecture-nature of the content.

The instructor was able to follow the directions provided in the Job Aid, which ensured that the information was presented in a logical order. Because the lesson format and order was new, the instructor was particularly careful to prepare for each class. The language the instructor used was simple and clear. Terms were succinctly defined and the stated objectives were clearly met. For future offerings of this material, ample instructor preparation will be the most important aspect of the success of this lesson.

The students appeared enthusiastic and engaged. They brought their completed assignments to class. Additionally, the learners were prepared to discuss their findings and share their results. The “show and tell” sessions provided a venue for some lively discussions regarding what one should and should not do with a resume and include in advertisements. There was a bit of confusion on exactly what was required with the advertisement assignment. As a best practice, I recommend collecting each class’s ads and creating a scrap book of examples to show future classes when assigning this homework.

With such a small pilot class size, it is difficult to determine if the post-lesson test covers the lesson material sufficiently to demonstrate content mastery. Prior to the next lesson offering, I recommend doubling the number of the questions in the exam. If possible, it would be helpful to see a copy of the national certification test and model the exam questions on the national exam.

Reference

Piskurich, G. M. (2015). Rapid Instructional Design: Learning ID Fast and Right (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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