Happy Halloween, all.

“Halloween” is, of course, what “All Hallow’s Eve” has evolved into. It’s surprising how many Northern Hemisphere cultures had big celebrations right around this time. Most marked the end of harvest while girdding up for the long nights of winter.

That’s exactly what it feels like out here today. Mom and I have finished our canning and saucing and pickling. Dad’s been out fishing nearly every evening so I’ve been minding the smoker, too. Our yard is almost put to bed and my husband is currently rearranging the garage to accomodate his winter projects. And it’s raining sideways.

I’m feeling very tucked in.

Websites
I came across Eilzabeth Fletcher Brown’s MassageBusinessCenter the other day. I haven’t had the chance to go through her site in detail but I’ve enjoyed the interviews on her Massage Radio page and also reading the feedback from her readers and her blog. Anybody worked with her? Used her stuff? Report!

Does anyone have a decent, non-creepy online massage video resource? I was following up on a suggestion made by a massage blogger and I can’t find a good example.

Sock monkeys! Maggie’s Organics has always been a huge favorite of mine. They are good to the environment and to their workers and very creative in how their “leftovers” are used. Now they have sock monkeys made from their not-so-perfect socks. My son loves his. I love their socks (especially the grab-bag irregulars - cheap and a surprise); I have never had any that fit so well as my Maggie’s. Check them out.

Blogs
I ran into Robert’s ThinkDiagonal.com this morning. It’s interesting from many marketing angles but the biggest standout for me is that the site is so very masculine. In a good way, for sure. I just keep forgetting how female dominant the profession of bodywork is. The different topics are in the terra cotta bar towards the top of the page.

For those of you who are looking to re-do your site or to create one, note that Robert has a place for potential clients to read his Yelp.com reviews right there at the top of the page.

(Yelp.com is really hot in California and is becoming more popular up this way. Surely wherever you live has a popular review site. Encourage your clients to post comments about you on it. Potential clients read them. Really. When you visit his Yelp.com review page, you can see that people who have read his reviews have also reviewed other MT businesses. It’s an incredibly underused tool.)

Articles
Kendra came across an interesting article on color and its effects. It’s a very short piece so take some time to browse it. Seems like this is a way you could increase the perceived value of your service without too much cost or effort on your part. You could find out what your client is working on in their life and respond in color. Use lights, table blankets, banners of solid color hung on the wall opposite their head, etc.

As always, I want to remind you about Get to the Point and their archives. This month hasn’t been too bodywork relevant but there have been a couple of points to ponder. I recommend
You Don’t Say (a topic I’ve covered recently),
A Clearly Good Marketing Plan (this doesn’t look like it’s for you on the surface, but remember, you are the chief, cook and bottle washer),
Meltdown Marketing (again, stuff we’ve said before, but it can’t hurt to remind yourself), and
A Skeptical Look at Word of Mouth (something to make you think, “Hmm …” and revisit the idea of getting your clients to write a review for you on places like Yelp.com).

Okay. Enough. My husband’s been managing two dogs, a one-year-old and trick-or-treaters by himself for a half hour. I shall now show mercy. (He’s not even making them do tricks! What’s the point?)

All my best,
Eileen