Opening A New Spa!

I am opening a spa in a up and coming city in Florida. Although I have training in Massage Therapy and I am working on my licensing as an Aesthetician, I need LOTS of help. I can tell from previous postings that the people on this site no what they are talking about. ALL advise is welcome especially concerning pay for staff, services that are worth their costs(ie laser machines, cellulite treatments, wraps, etc), amenities that every spa should have, etc. I have my own ideas about this stuff but I haven't worked in the industry, I have only been trained in it. Thank you very much.

Congratulations! on your decision to open a spa. As you know, this is a competitive business. It is great that you will have experience as a massage therapist and an aesthetician. This is very valuable. When I was a Spa Director, I was able to better operate the spa, manage the costs and develop new services due to my background as a licensed therapist. Have you done a business plan? Have you studied the demographics of the spas in your area and the demographic of the population around you? Have you selected your site yet? Have you conducted competitor surveys of services and prices? What product lines will you be using? Who are your suppliers? Have you done a revenue projection and budget? How many treatment rooms do you have? What services will you offer? What is your break even? Who is your clientele going to be?

These are all questions that you need to answer. As for equipment and treatments. Lasers in most states require that you are an ARNP or a Physicians assistant to operate a laser. In addition, I believe that there may be a requirement there must be an MD on staff. This is not my expertise, so check with the Cosmetology Board.

As for other treatments, you will need to look at the basic, Do you have the room to accommodate the equipment? How effective is the equipment? Can you lease it for a short period to determine if it gives results and will be used by your clients? What is the ROI (return on investment) How many treatments must you do before the equipment pays for itself.

When it comes to salaries, you need to work with your budget while being competitive in your market. Are you an ISPA member? If not I recommend that you join at ISPA . They have a company which offers discounts to ispa members www.wagewatch.com. They can provide you with information for the various positions in your area. You can also do your own informal survey by calling the spas in your area. At least here in Arizona, all of the spa directors are friends and are very helpful and supportive of each other. ISPA also has a Compensation Workbook that may be helpful for you.

When you are ready to market, of course my site Spavelous is the best value and very effective. If you have any further questions or need support, please feel free to contact me. Spavelous is here to support the spa industry. We are only successful if you are successful.

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Should start of business be linked to peak season?

I would like to understand peak and low seasons for massage business to decide on start date for my new business. Should start of business be linked to peak season? Ex. if summer is a lean period for business, should i avoid starting my business in summer.



It is almost always good to have a soft opening and build your staff with the business. There will be plenty to do before you open as far as training all staff on procedures, systems and services. However, the downside is if you open and you are very slow, you may lose some of your service staff before you hit your season. Many services providers, who are dependent on commissions and tips to live, may not be able to stay working for you if they can not meet their own financial needs. So make sure you think about an opening compensation plan so that you will at least have a core number of service providers who will be with you as the business builds. Have a business plan for how you will bring guests in and how you can market to the local people in your area. If you would like some ideas, please feel free to contact me.


Marie Bernat
COO / Founder
www.spavelous.com
mbernat@spavelous.com

Is Seattle a good place to open up a salon/day spa?

There currently are several profitable spas in Seattle. The question of opening a spa up will be answered in your business plan. Have you defined who your target market is, what type of a spa you will have? Day Spa, Salon Spa, Medical Spa? Do you have a location in mind? Is it Residential? Tourist area? Business Area? As a Salon/Spa you will be needing more of a residential area, take a look at the area you are thinking of and see who the competition is, how are they advertising, where are their clients coming from. Do your homework first. Make sure you have adequate capital to start the business, equipment, training, advertising. The business plan will set you in the right direction and give you the correct choice for you.