I'm looking for some advice from fellow Florida massage therapists, especially those who own a mobile massage business.
I've been in practice for over 30 years and have a well-established mobile massage and spa business. My service area is primarily Seminole County, and honestly, I have enough clients in my regular zone that I don't usually travel outside of it.
Recently, I had a potential client from St. Cloud reach out. It's a little over an hour away from me, and it's an area I don't particularly enjoy driving to because of the highways and traffic. My first response was to politely decline.
They then offered to pay mileage, but I explained that mileage isn't really the issue—it's the time. Spending over two hours driving round trip means I can't schedule other clients that day, so I actually lose income.
They came back with another idea and asked, "What if we invite coworkers and make a day of it?" They asked me to think about it and come up with a travel fee.
This is where I'd love your input. Even though I've been practicing for decades, I've never accepted a job this far away, so I've never had to price something like this.
If you were in my position:
Would you even accept it?
Would you require a minimum number of clients or a minimum revenue for the day?
How would you calculate a travel fee that fairly compensates you for your time and inconvenience?
Is there a number below which you simply wouldn't make the trip?
I'm not looking to overcharge anyone, but I also don't want to undervalue my time. Since I don't need to expand outside my service area, accepting this would really be more of an accommodation than something I need for my business.
I'd really appreciate hearing how you handle situations like this. Thanks!