Not all clients hold the same (potential) value when it comes to your business. So it’s important to consider why you might be handling a client you only see twice a year, the same way you are handling a client that comes in every week. Developing service standards based on existing and potential client value is a logical thing to do, if you want to do more of what is working, and less of what isn’t. In a nutshell, your...

1. Retail Costs and Commissions Paid Let’s say if a jar of cream sells for $100.00, you have probably paid $50.00 (50%) for the cream; you may also be paying $10.00 (10%) staff retail commission on the sale of the cream; and your miscellaneous costs could be $5.00 (5%), which might include samples, testers, shipping, receiving, merchandising, etc. This equates to $65.00 in costs for a gross profit of $35.00, or 35% on that $100.00 sale. Now, if the cost...

Opened in the midst Of the economic downturn in April 2008, Boom Boom Brow Bar (New York City) hasn’t let an untimely recession keep it from thriving. The hip and upscale waxing salon, complete with a disco ball and a dog named Baby, is the brainchild of owner Malynda Vigliotti (aka Boom Boom). Specializing in brows and fun, the bar features four brow stations and a private treatment room for more intimate waxing. The menu, itself, is an homage to...

Is it becoming more difficult to differentiate your spa from the rest? I'm hearing that it is! My answer to that is always to "Get creative, do your research, protect and then perfect your idea!" This is a listing of service add-on ideas you may wish to consider, to help position you above the rest; but I encourage you to use them as jumping off points, as you further develop your customized brand of offerings. Some of your add-ons you...

Your pathway to profitability lies fully in understanding your customer…and yourself. You may understand physical energy, but do you understand financial energy? It’s very difficult to keep making money, let alone be profitable, if you have boxed yourself into a no-profit model. But as well, know that you can be hugely profitable without being huge. I have extracted and interpreted the information for this article, from the pages of a wonderful book titled “The Art of Profitability” by Adrian Slywotsky,...

Do you ever wonder why some teams win and some lose? Why some spas succeed and others close? What is the difference between a winning and losing? Winning team characteristics: *Passion *Drive *Belief *Persistence *Resilience *Energy *Positive attitude *Teamwork and Respect *Sticking to the game plan *Buy into the plan *Focus and delivering the vision, I could on… Who is on your team? Are they winning or not meeting expectations? In the book, Good to Great, Jim Collins said it...

With 37 locations found throughout the U.S., Bluemercury is one of the nation’s fastest growing spa and beauty products retailers. The friendly neighborhood stores offer a large selection of luxury cosmetics and innovative skincare products from more than 100 brands, such as Bobbi Brown, Darphin, Dermalogica, Jo Malone, La Prairie, and SkinCeuticals. The first Bluemercury opened in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., in 1999. Since then, the company has expanded with 36 more locations. This year, stores debuted in New Canaan,...

The business of Spa is not rocket sciences. We are not reinventing the wheel. The business of Spa and Skin Care is about connecting the dots. If you follow the process and connect the dots then as a spa operator or technician you are going to experience more successes than failures. What are the dots you ask? The simple things, strong team focus, watching your margins like a hawk, quality control and sales training are some of the initial broad...