the road life on
By planning your working area, you will have an idea what your petrol costs could be per visit. Remember that petrol prices can change daily, and it would be worth keeping a note every time you fill up your car of how many miles per gallon / litre you can achieve, so that you are aware of every euro you are spending.
“You may also consider a minimum call out charge so as you know you are covering your basic costs,” says Marie-Louise. “There is little point in travelling a distance for a short €10 treatment, although it is worth pointing out that such clients may become loyal and start to add other treatments to their appointments. However some therapists have a minimum call out charge of €15- 20 so it may be something you choose to consider.”
Beauty -MobileBusiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing your
business’ name Whilst you may have in mind what you’d like to call your business, it’s not always that simple. “Check with the Companies Registration Office the name you choose is not already registered and has a registered trademark, if it does you will need to choose another name,” explains Marie-Louise.
“Remember you are going to have this company name for a long time so you want to make sure it is a name you like, that it is memorable, unique, quirky and the earlier in the alphabet the first letter is the higher in directory listings you will be therefore optimising your business to your audience.”
Insurance
There are a number of insurances you will need to operate your mobile business.
“Your car insurance company will need contacting as you will be using your vehicle for business purposes and this will increase your premium,” says Marie-Louise. Remember to advise them of the approximate value of the products and equipment that you could be transporting at any one time, to ensure that you fully covered – and be realistic. If you fail to disclose this information, then you may not be covered for the contents of your car if it is stolen or damaged in an accident. As well as leaving you seriously out of pocket, this could also jeopardise the future of your business so although you may begrudge paying an increased car insurance policy now, it could be well worth it in the long run.
What’s more, you would also be wise to take out therapy insurance.
Consider what you would do in case of an accident with your products in a client’s home?
“Some mobile therapists tend to think that [insurance] isn’t important to sort out right before they start their first treatment and therefore leave it for a later stage when it is possibly too late,” says Audrey. “Make sure you have all your certificates to hand for all the
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treatments you would like your insurance to cover. Your insurance company will need copies of all of these in order to complete your cover. Be sure to get adequate cover for all your treatments and be sure you are very clear about what you are insured for. Shop around some insurance companies and compare the different policies they have to offer and the prices they are quoting.”
You will be working in someone else’s home so will be liable for any damage caused by you, your equipment or your products, for example, to their carpets, furniture or furnishings. If you accidentally spilt nail polish or hot wax on their carpet or sofa, could you afford to replace it?
By taking out insurance Public Liability Insurance, which is included in many professional therapy insurance packages, you would be covered for this type of accident. “This insurance covers you / your company in terms of legal liability to pay damages to members of the public for death and injury or damage to property or possessions, which has resulted from the business's activities,” explains Dave Horton of Associated Irish Therapists (AIT)
“Whether you are a mobile therapist or you have your own business premises it is strongly advised that you have this cover. Potentially a client could claim for an injury they have sustained on your premises or if you have visited their home and the injury is a direct result of the treatment activity / equipment used.”
A package, such as that offered by AIT, will also include Product Liability Insurance in case a client has adverse physical reaction to a product you use, sell or give to them as a sample, as well as Professional Indemnity Insurance which protects your business against claims for loss or damage made by a client if you make a mistake or are found to have been negligent in some of the services you provided to them.
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