A client of mine raised her daughter into a poised young lady with social graces. I’ve known them since the daughter was in fourth grade. She’s graduating college this year and I couldn’t help but remark what a wonderful job my client had done molding her into a well-rounded human being. Her reply: “If you surround her with enough culture, she won’t pay any attention to the gossip.” The spa industry is full of workers who talk about other workers...

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...

Microdermabrasion is a great tool for treating acne, improving skin texture and stimulating skin cell regeneration. In addition to facial treatments, there are many other creative uses for this versatile workhorse all over the body. Here are five “alternative” uses of your microdermabrasion equipment that will alleviate common conditions and put money in the bank: 1. Battling “Backne” Acne on the back, or “backne” is a common and embarrassing condition. “Microdermabrasion is ideal for acne on the back,” says Luba...

This Part 1 of our 2-Part Blog Series on Rising Supplier Costs will cover the importance of ‘reflecting’, not ‘absorbing’ price increases, as well as an introduction to setting standards for price increases in your business. Running a profitable spa business takes experience and know-how It’s very important that you watch that thin line between profit and loss like a hawk. As business costs rise, so must your prices. Let’s say your revenue has been increasing year over year, but...

The phrase "Mental Health" in the work environment is usually related to: Job Stress and/or Burnout Communication or the need for Conflict Resolution between employees Employee Anxiety We think because we are in the spa industry we don’t get stressed. The fact is many employers and employees in the spa industry rarely go to spas or practice what they preach. Cry for help? Daily, we receive indicators that many are stressed. What are you doing about it? Mental Health is...

Welcome to my blog. While many Business Builder blogs in this section focus on the spa, its offerings, promotions and other revenue-producing ideas, I plan to devote my posts to building business through conscious leadership, personal integrity, “walking the walk” and “talking the talk” if you will. As business owners and operators, we spend so much time focused on the external that I would like to invite you on a journey with me to explore the internal – what makes...

I recently came across a really great blog written by Sally McKenzie of McKenzie Management ; a dental management solutions company. Her article on Bonus Plans really resonated with me, so I’ve decided to © SPAdapt her blog and target it to the global spa industry. I know many of you struggle with the whole team bonus model, and hopefully this piece will help you make decisions that are both sustainable and beneficial for everyone involved… There are many moving...