Business Basics: go from dreading marketing to owning it
Brilliant in the treatment room but overwhelmed by the digital side of running a practice? This course is built for massage therapists and acupuncturists.
“Tech-itis” is real
This course is designed to upgrade your basic business tech skills, master the essentials, and get rid of the “double ick”: the fear of sharing your services with the public online.
Instead of hiding away, you'll learn how to build a clear digital presence that makes it easy for your ideal clients to find you, trust you and book with you.
It's delivered in a fun yet informative style. The subject matter can be dry, so it has to be light. Try Joseph's free intro course to get a taste of his teaching style.
Core benefits
Conquer tech anxiety
Replace confusion with clear, step-by-step tech confidence.
Live real-world case study
Watch the digital build of a brand-new practice from scratch: Google Business Profile, Blacknight website and Acuity workflows. You get screen-recorded access to the draft course as it's built.
Mindset & mechanics
Every week balances concrete software skills with coaching to break through visibility blocks.
How the course runs
Three modules, nine weeks
Each week pairs a hands-on tech action plan with a coaching theme.
Local visibility & limiting beliefs
Week 1Google Maps & local SEO setup
- Tech & action plan
- Setting up and optimising a brand-new Google Business Profile from scratch: claiming your clinic's map pin, mapping local search keywords, setting the correct health-practitioner categories and uploading your first profile photos.
- Coaching theme
- Identifying hidden visibility fears, and turning the anxiety of “putting yourself out there” into clinical empowerment.
- Live case study
- Screen-recorded setup of the new Solstice Centre expansion profile.
Week 2Google Calendar & time automation
- Tech & action plan
- A Google Calendar deep-dive: time-blocking layouts, separating personal recovery time from clinical treatment blocks, and colour-coding admin buffers.
- Coaching theme
- Breaking the “marketing is too hard” and “I don't have time” stories, and taking back clear control of how your business hours are spent.
Week 3Managing digital profiles & reputation
- Tech & action plan
- A frictionless, automated pipeline for ethical client reviews: direct Google review links, a professional email signature and a digital business card.
- Coaching theme
- Anchoring the shift: “I am taking proactive control of my presence and authority in the marketplace.”
Niche positioning & websites
Week 4Blacknight domain registration & hosting
- Tech & action plan
- Navigating Irish web hosting with Blacknight: registering a .ie or .com domain, setting up professional practice email, and configuring a basic hosting package.
- Coaching theme
- Demystifying the fear of a “niche”. Speaking directly to a specific client group doesn't limit your income; it cements your clinical expertise.
Week 5Clean website wireframing
- Tech & action plan
- Mapping a simple, high-converting homepage, and the sections every therapist's site needs to establish immediate safety and clinical trust.
- Coaching theme
- Defining your “3 key specialties”, the conditions or outcomes you excel at, to attract your ideal patients.
Week 6Copywriting for conversion
- Tech & action plan
- Headline frameworks, client-centred problem/solution copy, and clear calls to action across your site.
- Coaching theme
- Overcoming the fear of being judged for narrowing your focus, and standing firmly in what you do best.
Booking automation & future vision
Week 7Acuity setup
- Tech & action plan
- Full back-end setup of Acuity booking: appointment types, multi-practitioner availability, and custom digital intake and consent forms.
- Coaching theme
- Setting boundaries: protecting your recovery hours, firm cancellation and no-show policies, and valuing your clinical time.
Week 8Payment gateway integration
- Tech & action plan
- Connecting Stripe to Acuity: automated card payments, deposits, upfront consultation fees, and automatic email/SMS reminders.
- Coaching theme
- Business visioning beyond the spreadsheet: how do you want your practice to make you feel every day, and what should it provide for you and the people you support?
Week 9System dry-run & launch
- Tech & action plan
- Live end-to-end testing of your whole setup, so a client can find you, click, book, pay and get a receipt without you lifting a finger.
- Coaching theme
- Building your 5-year practice roadmap, aligning your daily clinical work with your long-term teaching ambitions.
Joseph Devlin, ANMT, ACI
Joseph is a neuromuscular therapist, acupuncturist and clinical educator with 20 years of international experience running high-performance practices and elite athletic recovery, including the London 2012 Olympics, Aberdeen FC and international rugby squads.
Alongside his pain recovery practice in Bray, he specialises in breaking through the operational bottlenecks and “tech-itis” that stop brilliant practitioners from filling their diaries. With qualifications in training design and delivery, he brings humour to the subject that gives therapists the double ick: marketing and technology.