Grappling with personal existentialism is a worthy and inevitable holiday undertaking, to reflect on the quality of past decisions, both business and personal, as time sets its sights on a New Year. As that New Year, fresh and untarnished, looms in front of us, it is critical to set a deliberate course for business success in 2010.

Trying to predict next year's economic temperature is nearly impossible, independent businesses rarely rely on leading economic indicators because they often don’t apply in their town or state. Many spas have spent the past year unloading overhead and streamlining business practices, which puts them in a position to take advantage of any possible recovery.

There are concrete steps to take to ensure your spa is ready, regardless of what the New Year brings to your business.

Update Your Spa Website.
Your spa website is the very first thing many new customers see even before they enter your spa. The website speaks for you, represents your brand and the trust you have built with clients. It is extremely important that your website be up-to-date, easy to navigate and expresses the look and feel of your spa in a true and simple way. Give your customers the information they need to find your location easily and provide valid contact information.

Create a Healthy Work Environment.
Your spa may have cut back on extras but you can still make sure your spa is a great place to work. That means you create a professional, clean and harmonious environment for your staff that consistently enhances their well being. A great work environment, that is pleasant to come to every day, can compensate for a great deal in lean times.

Create unconventional employee benefits.
Many spas have had to cut back on the number of employees they staff, which implies that you have retained the best and brightest. Let great employees know that you appreciate their hard work and encourage them to continue to work hard.

It is very important to stress that while you are a lean staff now that will change as the economy improves and will create an opportunity for staff development. Loyal, hard working employees can be rewarded with new responsibilities and benefits as the spa adds staff in the future.

Implement creative employee benefits that are less costly but directly improve staff work life. It can be as simple as recognizing hard work and rewarding staff for excellence in customer service. Surprise and delight your staff with rewards that will create more work/life balance for them individually. In addition, empower your staff, let them make decisions that will improve revenue and have a side benefit of improving their feeling of control.

Get to know your clients.
Set the bar high and show the spa staff exactly how you want them to interact with clients. Employees might not be able to do it 'just like you' but they will take your lead and see that it is important to you. Let the spa staff know that they should take an active role in communication and make an effort to know clients, new and old. If a new customer feels comfortable in your spa they are much more likely to rebook and come back for more treatments.

The ultimate goal is to engage your staff and provide them with a satisfying work environment. Getting the spa in shape and retaining the best spa talent during difficult economic times will ensure that your spa will come out of it stronger, wiser and better able to beat the competition.