I have been reading the tarot for almost 30 years and finally took the plunge and went professional back in 2020... just as we went into lockdown! Despite that, I managed to get a few video clients and I attended my first events, and I knew I was on the right path.

My business has been growing organically quite steadily, and I've recently been finding new ways to push myself, including successfully organising my own events in my hometown after noticing there wasn't anything for miles around. However I've reached a point where I want more: I want more clients, more authority, more money and more stability for my business, and so I set my intention and put the word out on the street for ideas.

If I meet clients in person, I've been lucky enough to be able to use a small function room in a local historic hotel for free, because I work there part time and the manager at that time said it was safer to do that than go to a stranger's house, which was really sweet of him. When that manager left and his deputy took over, she continued this arrangement, but now she's gone and I have no guarantee the new manager - when they eventually start - will be ok with this, so I wanted to find a more permanent location in which I was safe to meet clients in a professional setting.

A trend I'd noticed while living in the USA was for hair and beauty salons to sometimes rent out therapy spaces to tarot readers and other psychics, so when a friend suggested a particular salon in town that also offers reiki, hypnotherapy, counselling and yoga, I emailed the owner and made my proposition. She loved the idea and thought my business would be a great fit, and so I've already had a look around and decided which room I want to use.

I can rent the room for one day a week, with the option to add half days or even just an hour-long session if needed, and the daily rent is just less than I charge for one reading; my biggest concern was whether I'd be able to get that one client through the door to cover my costs. However the advantages outweigh the risks in my opinion. I've got a professional business address for Google, Yell and my social media accounts, the salon owner is very proactive regarding networking and promoting not just the salon but the freelancers who work with her, and her clients are already on board with the salon being a wellness hub that offers alternative therapies and services.

I'm thinking if I offer the stylists and salon customers a discount on their first tarot reading, I could easily get my appointments filled and start building more repeat custom, plus I have my own list of clients I can offer the promotion to. Other ideas I'm considering are loyalty cards to encourage clients to book with me again, and maybe a referral scheme for the stylists to encourage them to recommend me.

I'm a firm believer in magick and intention, and I honestly believe that this is the right move for my business while filling a gap in the market locally. I'm having another chat with the owner this week where I'm hoping to finalise the deal, then I can buy some furniture, start a social media awareness campaign and start pre-booking clients in. I'm excited but nervous, but I know I'm on the right path.

Blessed be everyone.