5 Key Things to Consider When Starting a Spa

spa

You have set out to invest in the spa industry. Like every business entrepreneur, you wish to make a good profit and see your business grow.

But how do you start off on the right foot and increase your chances of growth and sustainability? The spa industry is currently chock-a-block with players. And unless you have everything well thought out, it may be challenging to get your startup off the ground. Here are five key things to consider when starting a spa before you put your money into buying an existing spa or building a new one from the ground.

Your vision

In a busy service industry like the spa market, the way you package your services may make all the difference. Give customers a good experience and you’ll win them over. Otherwise, your chances could be slim.

So from the very onset, be clear on the kind of experience are you looking to create for your guests. Does it fall within your own vision for the business? If not, your best option would be to review the vision to ensure it can be mutually shared with your clientele.

Target market

Whom do you intend to serve? Start by defining your guest; what they do, where they live, what they look like and how much they earn. Then you’ll have your market figured.

Sales and Marketing Strategy and Plan

This is the infrastructure and method you are going to use to reach your target market. After you have figured who your guests are, then you are in a strategic position to define what means you’ll use to get to them. Whatever the case, the social media is likely to be central to your marketing plan.

Location

The best place to put up your spa is close to the target market. It must be accessible to the people you wish to serve. This location can, therefore, be a new building you construct from the ground or an existing building you buy or lease from another owner, downtown or at the city suburbs.

Startup Costs

Like any business, ideas and strategies will not kick off without the capital to fuel them. This is by far the most crucial factor. Consider how much you can raise for the business you have conceived and make all plans within that start-up budget.

Need to know more? Book a Discovery Session here.

Positive Changes – Effective Spa Reception Team

Building a successful spa business heavily depends on the quality of its spa reception team. As such it pays to invest in the people comprising that team.

Here are some positive changes for an effective spa reception team. Implement these to enhance service delivery through a better, happier and more capable team of receptionists.

Hire the right skillset

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Some weaknesses are inherent in the person, and if you hire a person who is lacking, say, the essential communication skills needed in a receptionist, man, you are doomed.

No amount of training might be enough for such a person. The chances are that they are better at doing something else.

Be sure to get a minimum skill set before you hire. This process can be as simple as integrating the basics such as computer typing, spelling and math tests.

Further, the person will be handling nearly all your client communications. Some of the clients will be judgmental and may readily form opinions from their first interaction on the phone. As an insurance against such eventualities, drop a mock phone call into the very first meeting with this recruit.

The secret is to be thorough and sieve your applicants to ensure you secure the top cream for your spa.

Train your recruits

Even the best staff needs on-job training. Take your reception team through orientation training. This involves communicating to them all your company policies and essential procedures immediately they are hired. They should understand the organization.

Train them about the product. Refresher courses are a perfect option here. Just be sure to have them understand every aspect of you product.

How should they handle clients? How do they communicate effectively and sales efficiently? Train them about that too. Don’t just assume they know.

All said and done, ensure you have set dates when your spa receptionists meet and review performance, eliminate mistakes and draw their plan of work.

That’s recognition at its best. It will cement their solidarity and solidify their sense of recognition.

These are feelings that motivate a worker.

These are changes that will motivate your spa receptionists. 

Learn more about how your spa receptionists are the cornerstone of your spa business here.

Reception Team: Cornerstone of the Spa Business

Spa Business Team

They receive the tiniest paycheck.

They are often forgotten. They are left on the fence when training is offered to the spa service providers. They are sought out only when something has gone really wrong with service provision in your spa business. 

They are the Spa Reception Team.   

They are the most invisible yet most indispensable of all teams for the success of any spa business. The very fact that you seek them out in the event of customer dissatisfaction indicates how much they are needed. Here are 3 reasons why the reception team is a cornerstone of the spa business.

1.The reception is your business’s initial touchpoint

The reception team is the main, and perhaps the only gateway into your business. They are always there to bridge your spa with the clients.  A first time customer will form an opinion about your business depending on what your receptionist sells them. And there’s never a second chance to make a good first impression. There’s always the receptionist, whether on the phone or in person. Their communication is the conduit through which your services are communicated.

They play a major role in winning sustainable business by creating that vital first impression.

2. Agents solidify customer retention

The longevity of your business depends on how well you win new customers. It also depends on how effectively you retain them.  Your reception team is constantly in touch with your customers and will determine the feedback your spa gets. Your customers are highly likely to tell others about their experience at your spa. Good feedback will win you amazing customer loyalty.  Loyal customers will spread positive information about your business and earn you more customers.

This is a great way to market your business and win clients particularly in today’s spa marketplace that’s brimming with competent players.

3. Power to make or break your business

Being your business ambassadors, your front-end staff have more power than anyone. They set appointments and direct client traffic. They are your front line. They make or break your business. 

So, in a nutshell, any spa with outstanding customer service owes it to the reception team. Hats off. 

To learn more book your Discovery Session today.

Staff Interactions With Your Spa Guests

spa guests

Having standards for the way your staff communicate with guests is crucial to maintaining the desired professional atmosphere for your spa. Staff interactions with your spa and salon guests are of utmost importance.

There are many communications skills and standards that should be expected in all workplaces, and then there are other more subjective standards that will depend on the atmosphere you want for your spa. 

In any spa, speaking clearly and making eye contact with guests should be a minimum standard of interaction. What is considered acceptable regarding other elements of verbal and physical interaction between staff and guests depends on the policies of the individual spa.

Staff should never be heard by a guest speaking negatively about management, guests, other staff, or the spa facility. The guest must experience only a positive attitude.

Policies should be developed for what constitutes acceptable behaviour for different categories of staff, and at different stages of the spa visit.

All Staff Members

Personal communication between staff and guests should also have standards. Do you have a list of topics that are to be avoided, such as religion or politics? The spa owner needs to decide the level of personal sharing that takes place. For example, is it alright to discuss the guest’s family or personal life only when the guest initiates the conversation? Or perhaps you let your staff use their own discretion based on the history between them and a particular guest?  Is hugging OK? How about a ‘high-five’? 

The Reception Team

Consistent in-person and phone communications standards must be established. Do you have a checklist for your reception staff? When a member of the reception team gets all the required information, it can help make the guest’s visit run more smoothly. How does your team respond if the guest does not want to share their email or credit card information? Who guides your spa or salon guest from reception to where they will receive the service? Is that the role of reception, or does the other staff member providing treatment meet them there? Making sure all staff know their role will make the spa guest’s visit run more smoothly and the experience be more enjoyable.

What does the conversation look like in the chair? Is there a set of mandatory topics such as the condition of hair and scalp, trends, and home care? Do you have guidelines for how communication takes place, for example: face to face, not in the mirror?

Estheticians, Massage therapists, and Medical therapists

Staff must know the details and standards of all services they provide in the spa, and be able to make recommendations. Does your spa have a policy in place for the pre-treatment conversation? Is your staff able to explain, in detail, the service the guest is about to receive? Do they give the guest an opportunity to ask questions? Are staff required to ‘check in’ with the spa guest during a service to ensure the guest is comfortable and that everything is satisfactory?

Assistants, Cleaners, and Other Staff

Defining the role of support staff will help them to do their job effectively, and contribute in a positive way to the guest’s experience. How much, and what type of, communication is expected between support staff and guests, and between support staff and other staff? Do you expect the cleaner to address a guest by name, or do you expect them to be ‘seen but not heard’?

Guest Retention

Do your guests leave happy and relaxed? Have you improved their mood? Brightened their day? If your spa guests experience consistent, positive treatment from your staff, you can count on them coming back.

So make sure you provide excellent services in a beautiful environment, but at the end of the day, it’s the human factor—your staff—that make the difference for your spa guests.

Need help getting results in your spa? Contact Spaformation at [email protected]

Spa Industry Team Standards

spa reception

We have a saying, “Your business is only as good as your worst employee”. Your goal must be to have your staff doing the same things, to the same standards. All the time. The guest must leave with a positive impression of how they were treated by all the staff. It is so important to have team standards in the spa industry. 

Creating a gracious, welcoming environment for all guests—regardless of their physical appearance, weight, disability, or gender—must be a top priority. 

There are standards that should apply to everyone employed at your spa. There could be a simple dress code, or a more detailed one to fit with a spa’s theme. What about wearing a lot of jewelry, tattoos or strong scents? Should that be allowed or not? Guidelines on punctuality, use of personal devices (cell phones etc.), use of social media and communication between staff members are examples of standards that would generally apply to all staff and have an effect on the atmosphere created for the guest. Everything should be clearly laid out in your policy and procedure manual. 

Everyone plays an important role in the smooth operation of a spa. From the cleaners to the massage therapist, all staff must treat each other with respect in order to achieve a harmonious work environment that will benefit everyone—including the guests. Guests have ears and eyes for communication not always intended for them so your team must be clear on these standards…

Having clear standards for your team in the spa industry, and expectations for staff behaviour is a necessity for creating a positive guest experience. The team are your front line when it comes to communicating with guests.

Would you like to learn more or book coaching for your team? Sign up here to learn more!

The Human Factor- Spa Business

I think we should start with getting one thing clear: It is not all about the hair, the hands, the face, or the feet. It is about the experience people have when they come to your business that determines if they return. I’m talking about the human factor in your spa business.

Yes you need to be skilled and get results. I made that sound trivial and I know that is far from the truth. But for the purposes of this conversation I am going to assume you, and your team, know that. Everyone, you included, stay current with your chosen service and treatment techniques. The results you deliver are important BUT I find most people/customers find it hard to separate good from great treatments. What clients want most is to FEEL special in that heartfelt way. They want to be heard, appreciated and understood. That everyone in your business “gets” them and know how to make them feel like they are the one and only most important client. I describe it as the experience you get when an exceptional person you know, and we all know at least one, who makes you feel “happy” after talking with them. They look you in the eye and they don’t look away, get distracted by their phone, look for someone or something more interesting during your conversation. They make you feel like the most important person in the world! You know that feeling don’t you?

So it really does boil down to the human factor. How you make your fellow humans feel after doing business with you.

So my question for you is what steps are you taking to assure a quality experience each and every time between your customer and your team?

Are you relying on your team to have your same standards you have? Do they know what they are? Are they in writing? Do you manage them to this standard?

Simple things like greetings and departures. Simple to say, no so simple to detail, write out, train, and manage to, improve and do it all over again. Getting into the details like how to shake someone’s hand. How long is good eye contact? What is the tone and volume of the voice? What to say, precisely. I am not a fan of creating robots but rather highly skilled professionals that I would be comfortable and proud to leave alone with my highest spending customer.

So just start by doing it step by step today. Keep it simple:

Review all moments of truth in a client arrival.

– where they enter

– how long it takes to greet them

– what is said by a staff member

– what does a customer see and hear and smell?

– etc. etc. etc.

Just keep going though the client experience. If you want consistently excellent experiences you will invest the time and training needed to make sure everyone who does business with you is thrilled with the outcome and the feeling they leave with.

Be well and Be Excellent!

Rob

 

 

 

 

Spa Training – Love the Learnin’

People always are asking me what are the traits of the most successful people I work with. What do they do? How do they think? How do they know what to do? For those of you who are wondering. Sorry, there is no magic bullet. In my experience, there is no one singular trait that makes a successful business owner. Some are real hard asses, some are warm and fuzzy. Some are number crunchers, some just know there’s money in the bank.  Some are passionate leaders and others one of the herd.  Spa Training – Love the Learnin’.

That said, the one consistent activity I see that successful spa and salon owners take on is training and education. They are constantly looking for betters ways to do things. They are not stuck on yesterday but looking forward to tomorrow. They will go anywhere and pay anything to get what they need. When I ask them why the answer is inevitably something like, “Whatever I learn I can use to be more profitable and whatever I pay is a drop in the bucket in comparison”.  To me, that also speaks to their understanding of not always fixating on being the smartest person in the room and being able to learn from others.

So my question for you is, what are you doing to be better, smarter, inspired or more profitable today? When is the last time you took time away from your business to work ON the spa business rather than IN the spa business. Is it time to get some spa training for your team?

Take time each week and set it aside. It may be reading an article online, or watching a video and maybe getting out of your office and somewhere else where knowledge is being shared. Start with a little time on a consistent basis and it will build to something meaningful. I read a great example the other day in the world of fitness. The man was speaking about the wonders of doing pushups. He said make your goal 100 pushups a day. That can be 20 sets of 5 or 10 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 20. Whatever it is, get it done throughout the course of a day. That makes it sound pretty doable right? At the end of the year, it would mean you did 36,500 pushups. Do you think that would make a difference to your fitness?

Take the same approach to your learning. be a ravenous learner and bask in the results.

Do you want spa training for your business? Contact me here.

Be well,

Rob

Spa Business Staff Training

Staff education and training is the way to achieve this. Individual and group training must be continuous. Practicing mock situations can be helpful in training staff to deal with unusual situation and unhappy customers. Practice, practice and more practice. Staff training is essential in your spa business. 

Setting clear expectation for staff is key to achieving a happy, efficient work environment. Detailed job descriptions covering all aspects of a job help staff feel secure in what they are doing. Providing detailed information for procedures from answering the phone to re-booking, will help your staff to improve the guest experience.

A positive, friendly workplace environment is essential to having your staff feel like they’re part of a great team. Celebrate your staff’s successes, communicate with them, and empower them. Happy staff generate positive guest interaction. 

Staff training—both group and individual—should be mandatory and be done on a regular basis. There should be opportunity for the sharing of ideas, and for feedback—both positive and negative. 

For this and other coaching in your Spa business contact us here.