Easing away stress of big business

By ELLEN READ

Two years ago, Michelle Le Gassick set out to forge a career as a mobile massage therapist.

Her appointments were at customers' premises and she ran the business from a corner of her home.

Today, Le Gassick has nine staff, studios in Auckland and Albany, and big plans for her company, LiVevo.

The Auckland business rebranded itself through a lot of hard work, investment, taking chances and believing it could happen, LeGassick said.

LiVevo, formerly The Mobile Massage Company, has taken the growing market of corporate and relaxation massage to a new dimension.

It opened its first massage studio in Auckland, and plans to have a nationwide chain by the end of the year.

The Mobile Massage Company operated for 20 months, providing a service to corporate clients in Auckland.

A team of qualified massage therapists serviced about 30 companies, visiting weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Director and creator Le Gassick said there was a big demand for a massage/relaxation service that was accessible, professional and affordable.

"We want people to be able to identify our LiVevo massage service as being completely professional, high quality and an absolute must at the end of a busy and stressful week," Le Gassick said.

"We are aiming for LiVevo to become the symbol of professionalism and quality in the massage therapy industry in New Zealand."

The company offers fully-clothed 10 minute or 30 minute massages for $12 and $32 respectively.

The new massage studios will not look "new agey or clinical but more relaxing and funky", Le Gassick said.

She is preparing to franchise in the next 12 months - but before then will set up branches in Napier, Wellington and Christchurch to meet demand.

Le Gassick said the negative views sometimes attached to the massage therapy industry were changing.

She said LiVevo would help take the massage therapy industry to a higher level of professionalism.

Her therapists had done extensive full-time study in massage therapy and several had also done personal training work.

Le Gassick said changes to the Health and Safety Employment Bill, introduced in Parliament last November, would also have a big impact on the industry.

The changes will recognise stress and fatigue as hazards.

Labour Minister Margaret Wilson said the law changes were necessary because of the unacceptable illness, injury and death toll in work-related incidents.

Le Gassick said the on-site workplace massage programmes of LiVevo could help reduce stress and fatigue. This was good for staff health, welfare and morale.