Property Insurance
Equipment, furniture, office supplies and inventory are covered by property insurance. Trudeau recommends
including "replacement coverage" in the policy, which provides the replacement cost of an item, rather than its
original value minus depreciation over time. "I would advise massage therapists get as much insurance
as they can afford," says certified massage therapist Jeanne Troncao, owner of Bakersfield Bodywork
and Massage Supplies in Bakersfield, California. She should know. Her new practice was closed for three long
months after an arsonist targeted an attorney in an adjacent space. Although her property insurance covered the restoration of massage tables,
she didn't have any business interruption insurance. She relied on her own cash reserves to carry her
through. While the staff applied for unemployment, Troncao oversaw the day-to-day renovation tasks, including
the installation of an alarm system, replacing signage, adding exterior lighting and re-covering
stairs. Troncao worked with the contractors, got quotes and scheduled all the appointments. Because
she didn't want to wait, she paid for the work and was reimbursed by her landlord.
A wise choice, as the fire happened almost a year ago and the rest of the building still isn't restored.
Visible smoke damage and boarded windows remain. A dumpster filled with burnt items sits behind the
building. "We have not completely recovered," Troncao says. "I took out a loan to pay bills. We reopened
in August and business has steadily increased, but I believe the disrepair of the building has deterred some
clients."
Since the fire, Troncao increased her property insurance, but hasn't been able to get business interruption
insurance. "Be willing to take the initiative," she advises. "My daily presence and communication with
the restoration company, landlord and Bakersfield Police Department expedited the restoration process."
Licensed massage therapist Felicia Brown, who owns Spalutions! in Greensboro, North Carolina, shares
how an overflowing toilet affected her business. "It flooded locker rooms and a basement,
leaving those parts of the building unusable," she remembers. "I contacted the insurance company immediately.
Although I still had to pay the deductible, my insurance covered thousands of dollars worth of work to
dry out the walls and floors, and replace carpeting and drywall."
Disability Insurance
"Because you rely on the use of your hands for your business, it is important to purchase disability insurance,"
explains Trudeau. "This insurance replaces your income if you cannot work." Be sure to check the definition
of disability, however. The difference between "your occupation" and "any occupation" is important.
"Any occupation" means the policy won't respond if you can perform other work—such as a greeter at WalMart—outside of massage therapy.
Alternatively, Trudeau says, "your occupation" refers to the work you've been specifically trained to
do. A massage therapist who no longer has the use of her hands, for example, can't effectively perform her
job. "A policy with 'your occupation' coverage would pay a claim in this circumstance," Trudeau says.
Brown purchased disability insurance after a kitchen accident. "I sliced open my hand opening a
can of cat food," she says. "Within minutes, I was getting stitches at the emergency clinic and wondering
how long I would be out of work. I realized I was incredibly vulnerable to future business interruptions due
to injury. I bought disability insurance through AMTA and keep it to this day."
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American Massage Therapy Association®
