With so much emphasis on treatments and relaxation, it's easy to forget that a large part of operating a successful spa lies in implementing sound business principles. This month's selections reveal key steps necessary to build a profitable spa business.
Running the Business
Calling upon her years of experience in the beauty industry, Sandra Alexcae Moren, owner of Kyron Spa and Salon Consulting, has written Spa & Salon Alchemy: The Ultimate Guide to Spa & Salon Ownership (Thomson Learning, 2005). In this how-to guide to owning and operating a successful spa, Moren gives readers tips on running a profitable business. Advice includes guidelines on implementing successful financial, operating, and personnel systems, as well as marketing, research, and development. Moren guides readers through issues spa owners confront when first opening a spa and later on a daily basis. Chapters explore spa equipment, the latest spa services and therapies, and information on Ayurvedic techniques.
Sweating the Small Stuff
Lydia Sarfati, president and CEO of Repêchage, imparts knowledge gained from more than 30 years in the skincare business as an esthetician and spa owner in her book Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business (Allured, 2005). Sarfati gives a step-by-step plan on how to take a spa business from a vision to a working, successful reality. Sarfati emphasizes the need for a defined business plan and a target market. She also stresses the importance of developing a strong marketing strategy and creating and sticking to a budget. Sarfati advises readers on how to create a spa menu, choose and successfully sell a product line, and serve spa-goers by analyzing what each generation and type is looking for in their spa experience. Throughout the guide, Sarfati stresses the need to ignore the adage: Don't sweat the small stuff. To Sarfati, a spa's success lies in its attention to the smallest of details.