Category Archives: Spa

Aug 08 NO comments
Business Plan, Competition, Competitors, Entrepreneur, Ideas, Investors, Spa, finance

Adding Services and Diversification – Add Services, Extend Your Hours and Diversify

Adding cosmetic procedures is a great way to add services to your existing salon or spa. The only way for any salon or spa to stay in business is to constantly evolve. Adding services that are extensions of the services you currently offer is a good way to get started.

Like any plan to expand, start-up or remain competitive, it should be put to paper. Adding services and otherwise adding diversity to your salon or spa requires a proper business plan, not just a discussion and some notes on a napkin.

The economy can challenge any business that depends on revenue derived from discretionary income. Some existing and prospective salon and spa clients will make the decision to spend less or stop visiting the salon or spa altogether. Adding bundled services that cost a little less, keeps the client’s appearance up, and keeps the client coming back should be developed.

Adding additional salon or spa services can mean bringing in additional equipment that will deliver advanced results without adding an additional staff member.

Every salon and spa should have the resources to afford an expansion. Expanding to add additional services and diversification may not mean you need more square footage. If necessary bring in a space planner to make sure you are using your space efficiently. Consider a campaign to reallocate space for the purpose of bringing in additional services. Get the whole story »

Jul 12 NO comments
Entrepreneur, Ideas, Set Up, Spa, finance

What’s All The Hype? It’s Just Water – Creating Memorable Spa Experiences Without A Wet Room

Huvafen_Under_Water_Spa.jpgIt was possibly the most luxurious treatment on the planet, the smells, the sensation……As I lay there, swaying in my hammock reminiscing about my luxurious day at the spa, I couldn’t help but think about how it compared overall to spa treatments around the world and the spa menu promise of a tropical escape.

Elements of almond and honey polish those neglected areas. Harmony is induced with a cascading Vichy Shower, followed by a cooling mente de coco wrap. Cocooned in heated fragrant linens, your own personal sanctuary is created as your skin continues to absorb the cleansing and balancing effects of coconut and mint, finished with an exotic blend of oils smoothed over the skin. This is something to take home. Aside from using mind altering agents, this treatment was a close runner up in the search for total bliss.

I had just spent a great day in a tropical resort. A place where they specialized in creating a client “experience”with packages, indigenous rituals and native fruits and plants. From the Four Seasons, Papagayo, Costa Rica, to The Banyan Tree, Phuket, Thailand, they are going out of their way to include all the expected amenities of spas, including wet rooms. But is the wet element really necessary, and worth the expense?

Though spas were originally based on “taking the waters” for health and beauty, the modern day spa guests and spa developers have other considerations when it comes to spa concepts. In the extensive and growing area of spa development, owners need to decide what their floor plan will be, what equipment to include, and what technical requirements will be needed for that plan, some of which may include a wet room. With a realistic expectation of each wet room costing $20,000 – 30,000, or even more with
elaborate and palacial concepts, it could be a while before you break even on your investment. It has been of growing advisement from industry consultants and builders that a wet room is not needed, and in a lot of cases, should not be included as an anchor to grow a spa business. They are expensive to build out, to maintain, and more difficult to sell than other treatments. Especially away from the resort concept.

With a majority of day spas opting for a more intimate to moderate square footage, it’s not recommended a wet room be considered for this type of floorplan. In working with technicians, owners, operators and developers we see more development towards total wellness retreats, and a focus on inner health, with treatment menus listing anti aging facials and indigenous body treatments rather than water oriented therapies. Spa guests on the other hand are now looking for results based treatments, anti aging and unique culturally based indigenous experiences. Once again, a wet room is not a necessary element to give your market what they want. For the purposes of this topic, we’ve opted to evolve a fictitious practice without a wet room, and look at wet vs. dry and other unique elements you can take advantage of. We will utilize the many beneficial treatment options and add on’s for a memorable waterless spa treatment. You will no doubt find ways to apply this to your business, and relieve some of the stress of feeling you have to include a wet room in your concept, or follow suit in what your neighboring spas may be doing. If your market segmentation, feasibility and strict mission concept doesn’t show you will fail without a wet room, forge ahead with your own spa identity and apply some of the tips here.

Breaking into your “style career” with spa essentials

Think of your own practice or spa as a vital part of your “style career”. In other words a career with style. You can create this with any career, and in the spa and beauty industry we have the added benefit of working in a highly consciousness driven business. Treat it as if you were the choreographer of a motivational event, with lots of fans booked to see you, and you are the star of your own fiction or fantasy. Your spa essentials kit should include a high level of professionalism, knowledge of products, benefits, contraindications, an authentic design and the desire to succeed in everything you do. Receiving continuing education for specialty therapies can also make a big difference in your sales, treatment concept and booking abilities. Get the whole story »

Jul 12 NO comments
Business Plan, Ideas, Investors, Loans, Spa, finance

If I Was Going To Start Up A Day Spa

Spa PartyFor several years, I dreamt of opening my day spa. I would spend hours in my 10×10 cubicle planning the service menu, the decor, the marketing theme, the perfect location. I spent zero hours thinking of managing staff, bookkeeping, dealing with plumbing issues.

BUT if I was going to start up a spa, I would do these things to create the best marketing strategy and plan:

I would visit every competitor — day spas, medical spas, salons with spas, solo practitioner, and hotel spa — in a 15 mile radius of my target location. I’d get their brochures, inquire about “what are you known for” with the front desk, schedule an appointment and go home and cancel my appointment. This would give me a wonderful view of my competition on the inside, how they view “what makes them special” what type of service they give to prospective new clients and whether they ever call me again to try to get me to come in again. While the service treatments are highly important, they do not help attracting new clients in a startup — is mainly it the external view of your business that attracts new clients.

I would use professional help. While creating a website or designing your logo yourself can be done…the time it takes you figure out the applications, fiddle with things, change your mind again, etc. is really best spent doing more strategic things that only you can do. So I would definitely get a graphic artist, web designer, interior designer, a general contractor, a lawyer, an accountant, a spa consultant and a publicist to advise me on the best way to achieve my goals. Granted, my dream is about a fairly large spa … in reality we all have to make tradeoffs with startup costs and which trusted advisor is the most critical to your success. And you can make shortcuts with college interns or new businesses getting started, but the key is that you don’t get stuck doing everything yourself. If you look at the most successful spas — they do have a team of trusted advisor’s in place.

I would write my marketing plan for the year even before I opened. Using my competitive research I would make sure my business stood apart — in colors, words, concept and services. I want to have a unique angle. Not unique to the world, just unique to my local competition. Then I would determine what marketing and publicity activities I’d do every month to communicate that uniqueness over and over again. Get the whole story »

Jul 03 NO comments
Entrepreneur, Investors, Loans, Set Up, Spa, finance

Your Massage Business Success in 2008

massageSuccess is different things for different people, but what I can assure you of is that success is about personal and spiritual fulfillment. This means that you can not experience success in one area that’s detrimental to another. For example if a Massage Therapist has great success in attracting a huge number of clients every year but pays their staff very little and works them into the ground then this person would not be successful.

Success is about fulfillment. True fulfillment spills over into other areas of your life as well. For example if this Therapist wanted to experience complete or true success he or she would look at the massage business as a whole and examine areas that need improving and alter the way the staff is working. This would then maintain a sense of harmony and peace throughout the clinic. This energy would then spill over into the hearts and minds of the staff and eventually the clients. This would in turn bring a deeper level of satisfaction for all those working and visiting the clinic.

Success is about really living your healthy potential. It’s about tapping in to a well of happiness inside you and creating a life accordingly. Life goes very quickly and once you are at the end of it, it would be good to look back and say “wow, I lived a full and wonderful life.” This doesn’t mean a life free of challenges, but it’s how you respond to those challenges that are where the fulfillment and growth comes from.

A definition of success could be something like;

A person conscientiously experiencing and creating truth and happiness in all areas of their life for themselves and for others.

This is just my definition; it doesn’t have to be yours. Let’s just work with it now. Get the whole story »

Jul 03 NO comments
Ideas, Investors, Spa, finance

Practice What You Preach – Define Your Spa Training Needs

Deerfield Spa - Destination SpaIt seems like we are on a role lately with training articles, but it seems to be a necessary topic for many. I’ve been talking training with so many clients recently that it seems like that’s all I do now. Hey….it’s not like me to complain, that’s a good thing. It means more and more people are seeking out valuable trainings and doing the research needed to decide what training will work for them, in their world, when they need it. Training was even the running theme in this month’s Spa College newsletter among others, and will be a focus in this year’s World Massage Festival, and was previously a topic at the 2007 Spa Summit.

As we all know, getting the right training for your spa or wellness facility is a key point that needs to be continuously addressed by companies. Don’t worry, it’s certainly not an issue unique to the healing arts industry. Training, the lack of, and the how to’s, have long been a challenge for companies across the board. A few places you can check out more precision training, include Lotus Effects, and Preston Inc, who provide private and group trainings designed to enhance first impressionas and profitability at your location. So of course I thought….hello…..why not introduce you to some targeting planning types to help you get focused. Check these out, compare them to others, and make a great decision for your next year’s training budget.

Back to me. I love training not just because I provide it as part of my consulting services, but because it offers a way to provide goals, specific action tasks and a contingency plan for your business. Since our hands on work is such an import part of what we do everyday in our spas, knowing what to do once your in the treatment room, or knowing what you expect your therapists to do will contribute to bringing clients back. Whether your upgrading to include LIPOMASSAGE by ENDERMOLOGIE, the glide of the JADE STONE MASSAGE, or a little indigenous therapy with HERBAL COMPRESSES your one on one time with the client should be top notch. This goes back to our discussion on POWER UP. This hands on therapy goes hand in hand with the quality and training of the rest of the support staff, front desk and especially management. Taking the steps to ensure that your plans will achieve your organizational goals, will create happier over all facility, and it will need to include everyone on staff. Here’s a quick look at some planning types to help you reach your target and training needs:

Single use plans- This takes into consideration planning that will focus on a one time “use” or goal, that will most likely not be used in the future. (seasonal offerings, opening parties etc.) Hopefully a single use plan will not be what you use in planning for training, since it is recommended that training occur on a consistent ongoing basis.

Standing plans- Used to focus on repeated goals, which can be adopted as policies and organizational rules. This is what I recommend in planning for your staff’s training goals. You may need quarterly trainings, or a standing plan for internal policies and protocols.

Contingency/Alternative plans- Always have one of these no matter how small the task or decision. A lot goes into planning that could also go wrong. Know the resources required for your goal, the obstacles that could occur, and how you will overcome them if they do. This may not seem necessary for training, however it will help in quantifying and analyzing your budget, project plans, and client needs. Get the whole story »

Jul 01 NO comments
Business Plan, Hair Salon, Ideas, Investors, Set Up, Spa, finance

Why Marketing And Adverting Your Salon Should Be The Last Thing You Do

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Why marketing and advertising your salon should be the last thing you do.

Do you want to know why marketing your salon or spa is the last thing you should be doing right now??

And the reason is very obvious.

In fact, I’m going to fly straight into the face of all those ‘experts’ out there and tell you that until you do one very important thing, you can forget about marketing totally!

Marketing will be no good for you. Actually marketing could make your journey to bankruptcy a heck of a lot quicker! And that’s not the reason you’re in business, is it?

There is one thing you need to do before you do anything else, and you need to do it right now!
How do I know? Well I’ve owned, run and managed salon chains for 24 years. I’ve employed thousands of staff in that time, and I’ve gone from turning-over $16 a day to turning over many, many millions of dollars a year! And I’m not telling you that to impress you, but to justify the success in what I’m about to tell you.

And it’s this … it’s the one thing that almost all the wildly successful salon owners do… and that is… stop deluding yourself.

That’s it. Stop deluding yourself! You see, the reason why more clients aren’t coming to you in the first place is because you are not that special. You offer only average ‘perceived’ value for money. And there is nothing compelling about your business that makes your existing clients want to recommend you to their family, friends and work colleagues. Get the whole story »

Jun 28 NO comments
Business Plan, Entrepreneur, Spa, finance

When Should You Start A Day Spa Business?

SpaNot all day spas are the same and customers have learned this the hard way. They don’t all offer the same procedures and they don’t all offer the same level of service. You need to make sure you cover all aspects of what your customers will expect so that they do come back. You want to be ranked as the #1 day spa in the area so they won’t go anywhere else. They will also encourage others they know to come to your facility. Focus on what you offer, how you deliver it, the environment, safety, and sanitary issues.

It doesn’t matter if your day spa business is large or small, you can still offer quality services to the customers. This includes quality customer service and quality in the procedures they request. If they pay for a 30 minute massage make sure they enjoy every single minute of it. Large day spas have more capacity so they can schedule more people for the same day. Smaller day spas are more intimate and it is easier to get to know the individual needs of the customers.

You definitely want to address any issues that occur while a customer is at your day spa. You only get one chance to make a good impression on them. If they ask to tour the facility before they commit to paying for a procedure you need to be willing to honor that request. Informed consumers will likely move forward with the purchase as long as they are confident it has what they need.

Any employees for your day spa need to understand how important the issue of customer service really is for your business. This includes the receptionist, those that perform the day spa treatments, and those that clean up afterwards. Be very picky about who you hire as they are going to influence the impression that customers get from your business.

The overall experience of personal attention and being pampered is what a good quality day spa is all about. It is the combined efforts of offering customers the treatments they want, providing extra amenities to them at no cost, and being extremely helpful when it comes to their questions. Everything from the way they are greeted at the door to the way the day spa is set up will impact the experience they have while at the facility. It is your job as the owner to make sure it is always beyond what they expected. Get the whole story »

Jun 18 NO comments
Business Plan, Ideas, Investors, Loans, Spa, finance

Making A Solid Spa Business Plan

spaOne of the most exciting business opportunities for many seeking to run their own business is the spa business.

There are a great many unique and individual business opportunities in the world of spas, from running a nail salon to running a tanning salon to running a full service day spa or even a larger spa retreat.

==The Business Plan Can Help You Raise Start Up Money==

How you structure your new spa business is entirely up to you, but it is important to create a detailed spa business plan in order to get your new venture off the ground.

Starting a new spa business can be quite an expensive undertaking, and it will be impossible to raise the startup cash you need to purchase property, rent space, hire employees and buy the equipment you need without a solid and detailed spa business plan behind you.

==Detailing The Day To Day Operation In Your Plan==

The spa business plan you create should lay out in detail exactly what will be required for the opening and day to day operation of the proposed spa business.

This information will include the equipment you will need to purchase, things like tanning beds, pedicure and manicure equipment, exercise machines and the like. In addition, the spa business plan should detail how many employees you will need to hire and at what salaries. Get the whole story »

Jun 15 NO comments
Investors, Loans, Spa

How to Start a Spa Business

spa
Variations in the spa business make it an interesting possible venture for a person looking to go into business for themselves. A spa can be a day spa, a resort type spa, a hot tub distributor and a spa attached to a hotel. The spa can include hair care, massage, nail care and body care. Your interest and the money you have available will be factors in choosing which business you should pursue. The Internet is an excellent source for finding what kind of businesses are for sale and where they are located. A potential buyer can also check out this same question with solid business brokers. By doing this, the buyer can quickly get a feel for what is available and the capital needed to complete the sale.

The other way to get into the business is to start a brand new business. This will cost somewhere near what you would pay for a similar type of spa business, except for the value of their existing clientele. The advantage to the existing business purchase versus the brand new start-up is the existing customer base and the immediate cash flow. There are many types of spa businesses and the cost of the one you would like to own will depend on the type you choose. A resort type spa for example will probably cost far more than a day spa or a distributor of spas. The services that you offer will also show up in the cost of the spa. Service usually means the need for employees to provide the service. Employees have an on going monthly cost that does not go away whether you are busy or not. Other services may be equipment dependent and therefore you have the equipment cost and the maintenance expense.

A distributorship will have its own unique costs and expenses. A show room is almost mandatory to run the business correctly. You cannot sell spas without demonstrating them. This will entail a building set up to do just this and a different set of employees to pull off this type of business. Salesmen and people persons are going to be important factors in all of these businesses. Solid sales people are a necessity in selling spas to the public. This is a luxury item, not a necessity of life.

Which spa business for you and how to find them

As stated above the Internet is a great way to start looking for businesses that are up for sale. This will give you a good idea of the difficulty in finding one that is in the area of the spa business that catches your fancy. These listings will also let you know if there are businesses in your local. Get the whole story »

Jun 15 NO comments
Entrepreneur, Hair Salon, Investors, Loans, Set Up, Spa

Are You Ready To Start You Own Business?

BIODAD!Deciding to give up your day job in order to open your own business is an exciting and rewarding time but can also be full of challenges. The success of your new business venture will depends partially on your attitude and skills as well as obtaining the correct finance.

Every year thousands of people decide to set up their own business. However out of all the people who take the risk 20% of these new businesses fail within their first year and 50% of them fail within their 3rd year. This is why being prepared is so important. You need to be completely ready to open your own business before taking any steps to make your dream a reality. If you’re not prepared you could end up failing.

In order for your business to become a success it is important that you have researched thoroughly into the area that you are hoping to set up your own business in. For a start off it is highly important that you have a good idea to pursue. You should think about whether the product or service you are trying to sell is new or is there a gap in the market for it? Is your new business venture linked to the business that you are already working in? Are you interested in this new business venture? Is it hobby? The more you know about your intended business the better chance you have of making it a success.

As well as knowing all there is to know about the business that you are hoping to go into it is also very important to ensure you have looked into your target market, you need to ensure that there is a sufficient market for your business idea. The way in which you should do this is by identifying your customers and answering questions such as does your business satisfy a need? What competition will you face? Is your product or service safe for public use? Get the whole story »

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