Spa Business Management

Relax. Rejuvenate. Renew…

Entering its 19th year, International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference, Las Vegas is the largest spa conference and exposition in the nation. It is the perfect venue to network and relax with peers, renew your passion and rejuvenate your business for the year ahead.

IECSC Las Vegas includes:

• 600+ leading skincare, wellness and equipment companies looking to do business with you on our Tradeshow Floor
• 100+ FREE Manufacturer Education classes
• FREE admission to the Spa Business Conference
• Admission to the International Beauty Show - Las Vegas

Daily Admission tickets are $35. Prices increase after March 29.

To register, visit IECSC or call 800.498.6984.

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We'll be at the upcoming IECSC event at Javits Center, so come by, catch up with our team and let us show you our newest features!

Show hours:

• Sunday, March 7th: 9:30 am — 6:00 pm
• Monday, March 8th: 9:30 am — 6:00 pm
• Tuesday, March 9th: 9:30 am — 5:00 pm

We hope to see you there! And yes, there will be chocolate. Blissful, yummy chocolate!

For info on the show, visit IECSC or call 800.498.6984.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Business Management, General • Comment »

An email autoresponder, simply put, is a message that is sent back automatically to anyone who sends you an email message. Here's an example of a real email we receive from one of our spas:

Thank you [name] [email address] for contacting [spa]. We will be contacting you regarding your request very soon. Due to the volume of online requests, it may take up to 48 hours for us to respond. If you wish to contact us sooner, you can reach us directly at (123) 123‑1234.

Email autoresponders are used heavily throughout the business world — a quick Google search will turn up far more results for how to use them than results on why they are bad, bad, and possibly even dangerous.

Yet everyone seems to use them — are they really such a bad thing?  Let's think about it by taking yourself out of your business and into your personal life for a moment with this scenario:

You will be hosting a dinner party.  You invite lots of people, both those you know and those you do not — future friends, future networking contacts, family, anyone.  You arrange for the catering or do lots of advance cooking to make sure your guests will be fed well.  You buy great wine to serve with the food.

The magic day arrives and someone knocks on the door, but you are probably busy.  So, how do you handle the situation?  Easy — your high-tech front door is programmed to automatically open and then play a message to say, "Hi!" and welcome the guest through the doors, letting them know that you'll be with them in as soon as you're able. 

Here are the potential effects of your very special automated door:

• Does the door know whether or not this is an invited guest?  No — it opens and plays the message for any knock.
• If it is a guest, how do they feel?  Like you are placing an artificial barrier between their interaction with you, and supplying information that is not helpful. (Of course you'll be with them soon — after all, you invited them to a party!)
• Further, if it is a guest that you have not yet met, you are now giving them a rather impersonal first impression of your hospitality.
• If it is not a guest, what then? They know you're hosting a dinner party, that's for sure.  But they also know the inside of your house, the fact that you're a cook, what your social practices are, et cetera.

This is what you do every day with your autoresponder.  You supply a temporary and unnecessary barrier to your real and valued clients, a virtual brush-off to potential clients, and a opening to your business email address to marketers and spammers.

Once you've disabled your autoresponder, what should you do?  Easy.  Set aside two short windows of time each day (or more if you are not busy all day long) to genuinely respond to each email that you receive.  Give it the attention it deserves, whether it is a personal response or a quick trip to the trash bin in your email client.

Your business will be more focused, your customers will appreciate the personal touch, and you'll receive less spam.  Can you beat that?

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • 3 Comments »

Let the Rejuvenation Begin!

International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference New York is celebrating its 8th year as the premier Northeast spa show. Thousands of spa professionals from across the U.S. have looked to IECSC NY to keep them abreast of the latest trends, techniques and business practices in the fast-paced and ever-changing industry.

IECSC New York Offers:

• FREE Tradeshow floor Admission with over 200 leading skincare, wellness & equipment companies
• 45+ FREE Manufacturer Education Classes
• Industry-leading Conference Program designed to build your bottom line

To register for your free admission, visit IECSC or call 800.498.6984.

Posted in Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, General • Comment »

Imagine a lovely hotel in South Beach; swaying palm trees, a lovely sun-warmed breeze and a relaxing massage in the afternoon. The Swedish massage is fantastic and the therapist could not be more delightful. Add to this perfect equation, a spa facility replete with amenities designed to relax and delight any travel spa client.

Unfortunately this beautiful experience ends abruptly, with a frustrating shower test of the spa’s private label products. It manages to instantly end the bliss. The skin feels tight, hair is an uncontrolled rat's nest and the perfect moment is broken. It turns an ideal spa experience into a real downer and gives the client pause to recommend the hotel spa to local friends and family. All the warm fuzzy feelings wash down the drain with mediocre products and the client is now left with a film of disappointment. It can blemish the entire spa experience.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The good news is that there are wonderful private label product companies that use quality ingredients to meet your spa needs and increase revenue. The trick is to find the one that works for you.

1. Be willing to use the products yourself, on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean the spa products in the shower area have to be from the line used during treatments but as a spa owner you still need to stand behind the products. A client’s ability to test the product leads to an increase in purchases so make sure it is up to your personal standards.
2. If a product company promises the stars, moon and sun, chances are they will fall short. Stick with the straight shooter, your private label company will be a partner and their objective should be to develop quality products to keep you happy long term. Empty promises will lead to disappointing product sales in the spa so follow your gut.
3. Remember, it has your spa name on the bottle. Your marketing plan should include a strategic vision for the products your spa carries; private label spa products are an extension of your spa’s brand. Clients that purchase your products will be taking them home, and each time they are used it will remind them of your spa.
4. Word-of-mouth is a good start. It is worthwhile to do the research, talk to other spas, and find a vendor that will work hard to meet your spa’s needs. It will make all the difference to your clients and it will improve your spa brand.

No one wants private-label letdown. Spas work diligently to help clients live more meaningful, happy lives; it is the power of spa in action. Remember, the spa experience does not end until that completely satisfied client leaves the spa ready for the next occasion. It will make the full hotel elevator ride truly blissful.

Posted in Spa Product Sales, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, General • 1 Comment »

Business owners often find themselves disseminating their usual marketing message without taking a fresh look at reaching the right spa clients with the right message. In reality, a spa’s client base may evolve over time or change quickly due to the economy or other conditions. It is very easy to overlook a demographic target that is in need of your services and is able to spend the money on regular spa treatments.

The market shifts, a major retailer driving traffic to your center moves, what do you do? Take the time to reevaluate and research your target client. In the Wall Street Journal, Willa Plank provides fresh insight to businesses seeking to acquire new clients and meet revenue goals.

Read the article.

First, you must identify your ideal customer.  "Do you know your target?" says Tom Patty, a volunteer small-business counselor for the Orange County, Calif., chapter of SCORE. "What do they do? What do they value?" Mr. Patty, a retired advertising executive, says he worked with a video biography company that attracted more business by simply shifting its focus to younger customers—baby boomers rather than seniors. –Willa Plank, Wall Street Journal.

Her advice is very applicable to the spa industry.

1. Go to where the growth is. Day spas and salons need to clearly understand what the growth potential is for their business. Increasing your customer base requires time and research.
• Is there a population in your area that is not being adequately serviced in spa? Get the specifics, design treatments to meet their needs and put effort into attracting them to your spa.
• Is there a well educated/professional demographic your area? If so, are you in an urban (single, young) area or more suburban setting (married, children). As you conduct your research let your answers guide you toward a new client target and set a course to increase your client base.
2. Ally with other businesses. Developing creative partnerships and community relationships is critical to the long-term success of your spa.
• Seek out partners that have a proven track record with your target demographic.
• The synergy of a well-suited partnership can increase revenue, streamline business practices and provide insight that can lead to new customers.
3. Use online tools. Redesigning your website can have a dramatic increase in your spa revenue. Why? Transitioning to a dynamic website puts the control in your hands.
• You can update the look and feel of the site to attract a new audience. It will enable you to easily add content, sell instant gift certificates and communicate effectively with your email contact list.
• In addition, a spa blog on your website adds content which can improve your ranking. As you improve your Google ranking you will see an increase in target traffic.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

Marie Danielle Vil-Young, owner of event-planning company À Votre Service Events LLC, says she is redesigning her Web site to attract a specific audience—young, professional brides—by changing the site's colors to black, hot pink and white. Ms. Vil-Young said social-networking is important; her intern's sole responsibility is to research and write for the company's blog. –Willa Plank, Wall Street Journal.

This is a perfect opportunity to adjust your target customer and seek out ways to reach them. It can improve revenue and bring a fresh set of clients seeking relaxation, tranquility and peace.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, General • Comment »

As a spa business, it is your job to make an impact on clients each day, to make their lives perceptively better, more balanced and richer.

That impact is incredibly inspiring, the notion that you can make a person’s life better, and it must carry your staff through the most challenging and hectic moments. There is no question that your spa produces a valuable impact on individual health and wellness.

Remember, the wave of spa synergy begins before the client reaches your threshold. It is wound up in the little things your business does, the follow-through, the 'in the moment' opportunity to exceed expectations. When you ponder client needs, looking for ways to harmonize and improve the entire spa experience consider these loyalty-building fundamentals:

1. Give clients multiple methods to reach your spa.  It is so important to have a website that is easy to find online and content that leads clients directly to your spa. That means your target customer must be able to communicate with your staff using their preferred vehicle: email, phone, face-to-face, Twitter, and Facebook.
2. Personalize their experience.  Value radiates from spa experiences that incorporate tailor-made treatments to meet a client’s specific needs.
3. Respond to client needs 100% of the time.  If there is a problem, respond and resolve it. It is your best advertising at work, and that action leads to glowing recommendations.
4. Give clients as much control as possible.  Hand it over whenever possible, it shows that your spa understands the value of convenience. Allow them to book their appointments onlineand don’t wait to confirm their appointments, give them a prompt response.
5. Give clients more than they asked for each time.  It is called a bonus and it will be memorable to them.
6. Follow up with clients.  Keep the communication flowing and let loyal clients teach you how to improve your business. It is very valuable to see your business from a different perspective; you can listen, absorb the information and gauge its value to your organization.
7. Go to your clients first.  Use email marketing to promote your business. Existing clients are already engaged and aware of your business. They are much more likely to respond to promotions, events and new spa treatments.
8. Reward immediate action.  If you have a series of unexpected schedule openings, announce it on Twitter and then reward clients who respond right away. Once clients experience their reward they will be watching and waiting to take advantage of the next unexpected spa opportunity.
9. Exceed expectations.  First, know what they expect from their entire spa experience and then make a point of exceeding it.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, General • Comment »

According to a current spa industry research report, over 60% of the avid spa respondents went to a spa at least 3 times a year and more than 9% went 10+ times per year.

Read the report.

It begs the question, could a spa membership program entice more avid spa goers to your business over the course of a year?

We all know that repeat customers are extremely valuable and tend to spend more at each spa visit. A Spa membership program ensures that high value clients visit the spa every month and creates new opportunities for you to build revenue.

There are definite advantages to spa membership programs but I am curious what local spas think, so leave a comment and let us know what your experience has taught you.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • 5 Comments »

There is a reason, as Tech Crunch reported, that Google was looking to purchase Yelp, an online local review website. Local review websites like Yelp are becoming very important in the mind of the consumer. More and more, consumers are looking to their peers online to help them make every day purchase decisions. Managing your spa's online reviews has never been more important.

These sites, which include Yelp, CitySearch, UrbanSpoon, Yahoo Local and MenuPages, rely, in part, on voluntary, user-generated reviews of local companies. And they are becoming increasingly influential among consumers. — Diana Ransom, Wall Street Journal

Read the article.

Pay attention to what consumers are saying about your spa online and look for ways to resolve any negative reviews quickly. Businesses that deliver quality service and tangible value consistently to their clients will see positive online reviews increase.

As always, building a strong relationship with loyal clients continues to be very important. Expand your effort and get to know new spa customers. The handshake and extra time spent with a new customer may bring forth a review that builds momentum for your business.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates • 3 Comments »

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.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, General, Spa Website Design • Comment »

To help you prepare your spa for the holidays I found inspiration in the Twelve Days of Christmas, re-envisioned for spa marketing.  Cheesy?  Perhaps.  Catchy?  Definitely!

In each, we link back to other blog posts or directly to help files to get you started.  Here are the first SIX - consider them your homework for the weekend - the second half will be on Tuesday.

The Twelve Days of Spa Tips

On the first day of Spa Tips, SpaBoom gave to me:

• An Instant POP designed just for me - choose a holiday-themed flyer in your account, print it, and display at your front desk

On the second day of Spa Tips, SpaBoom gave to me:

• Two Events Online - make sure you have featured services or just promote in-house events, and show them on your website!

On the third day of Spa Tips, SpaBoom gave to me:

• Three BOGOs - Make Buy One, Get One offers to give back to your clients when they purchase gifts

On the fourth day of Spa Tips, SpaBoom gave to me:

• Four Brand-New Clients - Collect contact information from clients at your front desk - offer them a promotion for signing up, and keep them informed on all your goings-on!

On the fifth day of Spa Tips, SpaBoom gave to me:

• Five Golden Clicks - Your website can be a goldmine - make sure your clients know they can visit anytime, even in bad weather or when you're closed!

On the sixth day of Spa Tips, SpaBoom gave to me:

• Six Reports Displaying - Use SpaBoom reports to see how you're doing - from upcoming birthdays to your full client list and their details

Tune in next week for the next 6 — and have a wonderful weekend!

Posted in Holiday Promotion Brief, Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • Comment »

At a recent Spa industry trade show, an exhibitor’s employee offered a gift to people who would let her scan their official show badge. There was an obvious goal; she needed to acquire a specific number of scans by the show's end. This employee smiled warmly as she scanned prospects, exhibitors, janitors, basically anyone breathing with a pulse and a badge.

As we watched her over the course of days, the quality of her scans continued to plummet. We estimated that her total number of scans was triple the actual number of show attendees. The net result, an abysmal contact list all thanks to the exhibitor's misplaced incentives. The goal that enticed this employee to obtain a specific number of scanned contacts ultimately overwhelmed quality and strangled value from the result.

Incentives can be an effective motivating tool for employees to increase sales, improve service and increase efficiencies. It is very important to design incentives that motivate employees toward a specific, well thought out result that provides value to an organization.

What is missing?

When your spa creates incentives for employees it is very important to give context or meaning. Explain the specifics of the incentive, clarify its value to the organization and describe all applicable processes. The information you provide will influence how employees behave toward meeting the goal and achieving their incentives. Context and meaning will give employees the ability to assess value and also minimize tangential behavior and idiosyncratic interpretation.

The exhibitor story perfectly highlights the execution of a plan that is based on misplaced incentives. This employee’s behavior made no sense but it was clearly based on an underlying incentive that steered her behavior in the wrong direction. When you are developing your employee compensation program, think carefully and clearly about incentives that will ultimately result in value to your staff and organization.

Posted in Spa Business Management, General, Starting a Spa • Comment »

One of the most effective things you can do to grow your small business — whether day spa, salon, resort, or any combination thereof — is to build relationships with your clients.  Your clients are your lifeblood:  keeping them happy and coming back is a far easier task than finding brand new customers.

For that reason, SpaBoom offers you simple tools to connect with your existing clients — so simple, in fact, that you'll be amazed at how little time it takes for fantastic results to your bottom line, not to mention your job satisfaction.

This Activate Email Marketing series in three parts is our how-to guide for Email Marketing if you've never done it before — easy steps you can take to create better customer relationships.

To bring everything together, make sure you attend one of our TWO Webinars: November 17th or December 1st, both at 1 p.m. EST, to see the steps in action and have your questions answered.

First, let's talk about why you should talk to your customers:

1. Your existing clients are gold to your business — through them you can continue to improve month after month.
2. From their own experience your clients have an idea of what you can provide to them.  Keeping them up to date on new specials or changes will keep them engaged.
3. You already have a relationship:  since they have done business with you before, it is almost certain that they already appreciate your contribution to their life.
4. Happy clients will talk to their friends:  chatting about their weekend massage or giving advice on the best local place for a facial is something that will happen when you are doing a great job.
5. Emailing existing customers is one of the most effective ways to keep them engaged and coming back to you with new business or even new referrals.

Watch for the next blog post on November 9th, Step 1: Gathering Client Information

Posted in SpaBoom Webinars, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • Comment »

Ram Charan, described by ISPA's 2009 conference guide, is a business advisor and speaker famous among senior executives for his uncanny ability to solve their toughest business problems.

After enjoying his Tuesday afternoon presentation, it was clear that part of his strength comes from his ability to filter out the 'noise' of everyday business and see the relevant issues clearly. That skill, in my opinion, falls within the simplifying is hard category, and is remarkable in itself.

Charan encouraged the attendees to try to do the same, and gave other specific ways he'd recommend to do so.

He also rendered a simple but powerful concept from the idea of economic uncertainty. What he said, (and this is all me interpreting here) is that though unemployment may be hovering around 10% on average, with some areas only suffering 5% and others as much as 22%, that means, overall, that 90% of us are working. 90% of us are contributing to producing goods and services.

90%. When you let go of the fear that we've all been holding onto for over a year now, and look at the positive side of things, 90% is a big number.

Focusing on that number means looking forward, expending energy on creating new and innovative ways to produce those goods and services.

Sounds like a very spa-like approach, and a solid way to look at any business.

Posted in Spa Business Management, General • 3 Comments »

International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference

November 7-8, 2009
Ft. Lauderdale
Broward County Convention Center

IECSC Brings the Magic to Fort Lauderdale…

To celebrate its 12th anniversary in Florida, IECSC has moved to one of the fastest growing spa markets in the world… South Florida. IECSC Florida is the perfect destination for all your spa and medical spa needs. As an attendee you can purchase products from more than 250 skincare, wellness and medical spa companies and attend more than 75 FREE classes.

Special Discount Offers:

Register by October 19 and get your Daily Admission ticket for just $35 (that’s $10 off the regular price) PLUS up to $50 off on your conference registration.

Register online or call 800.498.6984.

Posted in Spa Business Management, General • Comment »

We'll reveal ten tips that you can apply in 30 minutes or less to energize and maximize your spa's revenue.

Even better, you'll actually save time and energy:

• The easiest thing you'll do to make your front desk less hectic
• The simple change that will increase retail sales
• The key to instantly double your out-of-town gift certificate sales
• How to rally your team to achieve extraordinary Holiday sales
• The new non-negotiable rules to end 2009 with cash in the bank
• And 5 more!

Join SpaBoom's Seth Gardenswartz and Strategies' Neil Ducoff as they reveal 10 Top Tips for Holiday
Success and unleash the revenue potential of your spa before the season begins!

Choose from two dates and times for this FREE webinar! Sign up using webinar code TOPBLOG.

• Tuesday, October 13th — 10 am EDT
• Wednesday, October 14th — 1 pm EDT

Posted in Strategies, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • 3 Comments »

Your front desk is a busy place and a critical touch point for most spa clients as they enter and leave your spa. The attention and service the front staff provides to spa clients in those pivotal moments is critical to your success. If the front staff can focus on your spa clients to rebook appointments, sell products, and tackling issues as they arise, your customers get better service and you make more money.

Move Spa Reservations Away from Front Desk

A ringing phone pulls your staff’s attention away from current clients to speak to potentials clients. The ideal solution is to completely move appointments to a call center away from the front desk, but many small spas don’t have the budget to accomplish it. Alternatively, many spa clients utilize SpaBoom's Online Booking, which reduces the need for the front desk to address reservation requests via phone. It increases your staff’s efficiency and revenue by allowing them to take care of current clients, rebook and sell retail product.

The SpaBoom booking program collects all the information your spa needs to book an appointment including credit card information. The SpaBoom platform is secure and PCI compliant so you don’t need to worry about having clients share their credit card information. It puts the control in your hands and fits the needs of your spa.

Online consumers expect ease and simplicity when it comes to making a spa reservation. Utilizing the SpaBoom online booking program makes it easy and simple to book a reservation and it will keep your customers coming back again and again. SpaBoom booking allows clients to interact with your spa the way they want every time they visit your spa website.

Free is a beautiful thing especially when you receive an online tool proven to build your business. Existing SpaBoom booking clients tell us that moving reservations away from the front desk has a dramatic improvement on rebooking rates and ultimately increases the spa’s revenue. Did I mention it is FREE?

Posted in SpaBoom Online Booking, SpaBoom New Features, Spa Business Management, General • 1 Comment »

The economic environment of 2009 has been a challenge for all businesses. As we approach the beginning of a new year, Strategies - the leader in salon and spa business coaching and training - is taking an unprecedented step to ensure that salons and spas enter 2010 armed with the systems and skills needed to make it their best year ever.

For the first time, Strategies is offering a limited number of salon/spa professionals to attend The Strategies Incubator at no charge. That's right… attend the Incubator for free.

There is no catch. All that we ask, is that you write up a short paragraph telling us a little bit about your business and why you deserve to come to the Incubator.

If you are chosen, you will receive one (1) seat at the November 8-11, 2009 Strategies Incubator at the Strategies Business Academy in Centerbrook, Conn. (A $1,295 value!)

You must submit your entry by the end of the day on Monday, October 5, 2009. Strategies' Founder & CEO, Neil Ducoff, will conduct the final judging. All winning submissions will be notified by Friday, October 9th.

Since 1994, Strategies has been coaching and educating the nuances of better salon/spa business. The Incubator has been our flagship program… attended by thousands of beauty professionals. Now, Strategies is giving back to the industry that we love so much.

Enter HERE.

We want you to attend the Incubator for free… but spaces are limited.

Visit the Strategies website for complete details!

Posted in Spa Business Management, General • Comment »

We have started to hear rumblings that the recession may be easing and that leading economic indicators are on a slight upswing. Some large companies are posting profits but many independent businesses around the country are looking around for the slightest tremor of hope in their communities and there has been very little progress to report. The reality is that there’s no magic switch to instantly bring back the heady spending that spas experienced before the recession hit.

Couple reality with a simple truth, spas that are able to adapt and thrive in these economic circumstances will continue to grow and flourish as the economy visibly recovers. Applying Darwinian theory to business insight might be stretching it, but most would agree that inaction and contraction are strong predictors of an entity's imminent elimination.

There are spas out there executing their own turnaround by revving up their creativity and actively collaborating to fashion their own economic revitalization.

These spas are looking for new revenue streams and getting more from what is already brought to the table. SpaBoom offers clients a series of webinars designed to equip spas and salons with powerful tools they can use to improve their businesses and gain competitive advantage.

A recent webinar:

Watch The 6 Numbers You Need to Run Your Business

They are taking the social media leap and finding channels that allow spas to establish a deep engagement with their clients. They are launching blogs, sharing their enthusiasm for spa and creating communication lines with Facebook and Twitter that will have lasting effects.

Turnaround spas are on the lookout for value-added opportunities to make each client’s spa experience more significant.

They are getting creative by enlisting bright, valued employees to come up with new ideas to service clients better. This kind of collaborative experience will strengthen the entire team and bring great ideas to life.

These spas are specializing to reach an important and growing population or diversifying to reach new audiences with tremendous potential.

They are increasing their visibility in their community and city. The spas that get noticed, get their name out there and are reviewed will boost brand awareness and engage directly with potential customers.

So don’t wait, create your own recovery by adapting your business activities and practices. Actively examining how you can run your spa better, smarter, and more efficiently will help your business adapt and evolve toward abundance.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • 3 Comments »

The Greek word synergy is used to describe instances where individual entities collaborate advantageously for a definitive result. Spa synergy is cooperative teamwork, a dynamic environment within a spa that produces exceptional results consistently. It requires that you give individuals freedom to act in the spa’s best interest and leverage great employees with processes that allow everyone to get more done and improve the business over time. Spas that communicate, encourage responsibility and expect the best of each individual will reap the rewards of that synergy.

Managing a synergistic spa means you are ensuring that each employee is productive and valued, that you have created a work environment wherein all individuals are encouraged to participate. It means you cultivate great employees and show them they are important to the spa by allowing them to use their unique talents each day.

Spa clients feel synergy intuitively; it wraps them in a sense of harmony and elevates the spa experience. Clients are swept up in that synergy and believe that the staff seeks the best possible experience for them. It leads to long-term success because your clients won’t be able to have that spa experience anywhere else. (We've chosen the Chinese symbol for longevity to accompany this post… which feels apropos.)

Align your team toward specific goals and values that each can understand in their individual way. Then make sure each employee knows how to further those goals and improve the spa as a whole system. That kind of synergy is amazing to watch.

Posted in Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management • 3 Comments »