Medical Spa Marketing Tips

Marketing is one of those often neglected items. Many times spa owners view this as an expense rather than a revenue generating tool. You need to regularly review your current marketing efforts, and evaluate new options. However, to stay a step ahead of your competition you need to have the right marketing strategy.

The first thing you need to do is evaluate your current marketing program. Evaluate what is working and what is not. Figure out the actual cost versus the benefit of each type of marketing you are doing. Did the postcards work better than the radio ads? Did the free media attention from the grand opening get you lots of new customers? It’s easy to get sold on a particular advertising option, and one often forgets to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. If you signed a long contract for an advertising option that did not work, cancel it, if you can.

Don’t Underestimate Email Power

When you take your customers information, you should be taking not only their mailing address, but their email address as well. You may want to start a monthly email newsletter about your spa. Highlight a new procedure. Remind everyone that summer is coming, and that they need to get in for those hair removal treatments quickly. An occasional “Daily Specials” e-mail will allow you to respond to a lull in bookings by sending out a treatment special for the time slots you have available that same day.

Cross Marketing

Visit the health food store, jeweler, or the organic store and create a marketing program with them, offer discounts at each others stores. Remember, no one has too many customers, they will be happy you stopped by.

In the past many spas had a lot of success by cross marketing with hair salons. Just as long as your spa dose not offer any hair styling services, and the hair salon dose not offer any spa services, this can me a real great relationship that the two parties can really benefit from. Also make sure to give all the hair stylists in the hair salon that you are cross marketing with really good discounts on your services. This will get the hair stylists at the salon really excited and enthusiastic and your spa. Most hair stylists have a long list of clients that have been loyally coming to the hair stylist for years. These clients usually have developed a good level of trust with the hair stylist, so if the stylist makes a positive comment about your spa services to the client, you can be almost positive that this client will check out your spa the next time they are in the market for spa services.

Technology Power

When you opened your spa you most likely purchased a bookings management system. Are you using it to its full potential? These systems often allow you to run custom reports where you can see which treatment rooms are being under-utilized, and which clients haven’t been in the spa in a while. It may be time to check out the software vendors website to remind yourself of other productivity features which can help with your marketing efforts.

Network Locally

You need to be known in the community where you do business. It is important to contribute to local charities and events. If your customers are Generation X, then sponsor a little league team. If your customers are primarily baby boomers, you may want to be involved with local charities. Remember, most people do business with people they like. So networking gives you an opportunity to connect with many different people in a short period of time.

By using these tips, you should be able to grow your spa to that next level. You can’t just hang out a sign and expect people to run in, you are going to need to actively market your spa and be constantly aware of which options are working and which are not. Your marketing plan should be well documented and should always be analyzed and constantly evolving to keep you a step ahead of the competition.

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Travel Q&A: Finding a spa in New Mexico

Q: I’m considering going to New Mexico for a high-end spa weekend. Any ideas?
- K.C. in CA

A: In my dream world, I could be paid to perform such public services as reviewing high-end spas in the Southwestern desert. Until then, we’ll have to rely on unbiased reports from those who do go to spas as regular ol’ paying customers.

Many spa magazines and Web sites are closely aligned with the spa industry itself. They may have terrific spa experts on staff, but I suggest you weigh their reports with the proverbial grain of salt.

Some spa sites lists only three spas in New Mexico: Hyatt Regency Tamaya, RockResorts at La Posada and Spa Sumadhi at Sunrise Springs. There is no mention of the dozen other getaway spas in the state. Another, offers blurbs on six New Mexico spas, with each write-up more adjective-filled than the one before it.

But plenty of travelers contribute opinions to Zagat surveys, and they regularly give high marks to Ten Thousand Waves spa in Santa Fe.

As do most spa devotees we know. Longtime travel writer Anne Chalfant calls Ten Thousand Waves, which is popular with both women and men, one of the best low-key spas anywhere.

“There are options for private hot tubs set under the pinon pines, or community hot tubs,” she says. “Don’t look for a facial or to get your nails done – it’s not that kind of spa. Instead, it’s a lovely, quieting place, like a Japanese onsen.”

Kyle Wagner of the Denver Post raves about Ojo Caliente.

“An hour southwest of Taos sits an oasis of sanity, and a true rarity: a reasonably priced spa, complete with four geothermal springs and a mud pool,” Wagner says. “It has wonderful American Indian spiritual undertones, and leans more toward the basics, but the full-service treatments are top-notch.”

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Medical Spa Do’s and Don’ts Presented by Medspa Expert at International Medspa Conference

Owner of the Best Medical Spa in America shares information on building a successful Medspa Medical Spa success.

Owner of The Best Medical Spa in America Shares information on building a successful Medspa Medical Spa Success Presented at Orlando Medspa Conference Medical Spa Success: Best Practices from the “Best Med Spa” in America – Kile Law, Co-owner.

In 2003, Blue Water Spa literally started from scratch with no patients or clients. Just three short years later, Blue Water Spa was named the Best Med Spa in America by American Spa magazine in 2006 and went on to gain the prestigious designation again in 2007. In just five years, Blue Water Spa has doubled its space, nearly quadrupled its staff, and seen nearly 15,000 clients with an amazing 87% repeat customers. In this fast paced session, Kile Law will share her best decisions, biggest mistakes, and tells what she would do differently if she could do it all over again.

Topics covered will include:
• How to select med spa technology;
• Spa design;
• Recruiting and retaining an exceptional staff;
• Affordable and non-traditional advertising;
• Proven marketing techniques;

Kile Law is recognized as a leader in the medical spa field. She owns Blue Water Spa , a medical spa in Raleigh, NC with her husband Michael Law MD. The spa has been named Best Medical Spa in America 2006 and 2007 by American Spa Magazine.

Kile was named Humanitarian of the year 2005 by Aesthetics International, and under Kile’s leadership, Blue Water Spa has been named the Best Place to Work in North Carolina by the Triangle Business Journal. Kile has been providing training to physicians and aesthetic professionals since 1991. Her Newport Beach, CA company Laser Aesthetics was instrumental in bringing physicians and aestheticians together. Kile has appeared on numerous television programs and in many magazines.

Articles by Kile Law and interviews with her have appeared in countless medical journals and spa publications. She is an in demand speaker at both medical and spa conferences. Kile has slowed her pace recently and spends most of her time enjoying life as a wife and mother of her two young sons.

To register or for more information go to the Blue Water Spa

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Medical Spa Leaves Woman With Severe Tissue Damage

Medical spas are popping up everywhere. The CBS 2 investigators have been uncovering problems and tonight, Pam Zekman reports on a chain with a controversial treatment performed at six locations.

It’s called Pure Med Spa and it was recently hit with a lawsuit alleging fraud and negligence. The suit was filed by a patient who suffered horrifying complications from a fat dissolving treatment.

The woman believes she was the victim of a cosmetic con.

Her first introduction to the Pure Med Spa chain was their website. It described its “non-surgical technique” for “spot weight reduction” as “generally considered a safe procedure.”

The website says “side effects are extremely minimal … usually limited to minor bruising.”

But after the woman had the treatment, she said “I had rotting flesh on my legs for almost five months.”

Mesotherapy, also known as lipodissolve, involves injections of a solution that includes phosphatidycholine, a main component of bile. Bile is what breaks down fat in our intestines.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Julius Few says “the problem with phosphatidycholine is if it’s not in that controlled system and it’s in a high enough concentration, it’s like battery acid. It’ll eat through anything.”

Few has treated patients who had the treatments elsewhere and had complaints ranging from “no effect at all, meaning the patient spent thousands of dollars and saw no benefit” to tissue damage to “flesh eating infections that could have been life threatening.”

Medical spas fall into a gray area because the state does not regulate them. Many do not necessarily have doctors performing or even supervising lipodissolve or mesotherapy treatments, even though state regulators say they should because lipodissolve is not FDA approved.

Pure Med Spa’s website implies its treatments are performed by ‘highly skilled physicians,” but it was a nurse, not a doctor who screened the woman who filed the lawsuit in this case.

“She said it was FDA approved,” the woman said. The same nurse injected her stomach, hips and thighs for several hours.

Afterward, the woman said “I went to sit up and was shocked by the fact that my hips and my thighs were almost black. … I became incredibly nauseous and began vomiting.”

She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, stabilized and sent home. Over the next week, she says she repeatedly called Pure Med Spa to complain of increased pain, redness and swelling at the injection sites.

Finally, a Pure Med Spa doctor bandaged her sores, gave her an antibiotic and sent her home.

“It just became progressively worse,” the woman said. “It was not scabs. It was rotting flesh … and the whole outside was just completely infected. And it was just eaten from the inside out. Oh my God.”

Hospital doctors diagnosed dry gangrene and warned that two things could happen if surgery was required.

“One is removing large parts of your legs. And the worst case scenario would be the removal of one or both of my legs,” the woman said.

In her lawsuit, filed last month, she accuses Pure Med Spa and its doctors of negligence and consumer fraud.

Her attorney, Marc Shuman, said “it’s misleading (to say) that it’s FDA approved. It’s misleading as to the side effects. And it’s misleading as to who actually gives the procedure; a nurse versus a doctor.”

Many doctors believe the treatments should not be done at all. Few said, “It has not been evaluated scientifically and therefore we do not know what the long term or even the short term risks are.”

The woman’s wounds finally healed but she’s badly scarred. “I’m angry at the fact that these medical spas are allowed to perform such a procedure,” she said.

In a statement the company said “We have performed thousands of these procedures to date and the vast, overwhelming majority of these clients are completely satisfied with their results. We’ve had very few reported complications from these procedures.”

As for the issue of a nurse giving the fat dissolving injections, the company said Illinois law allows doctors to delegate their tasks or duties to nurses or other staff.

The company issued this statement to CBS 2 in response to our questions:

“Pure Med Spa is a leading international provider of med spa services with over 50 locations across North America. We have thousands of satisfied clients who are thrilled with the results of their treatments. Our services are provided by trained professionals including medically trained and accredited physicians, nurses and aestheticians. Our practices, procedures and protocols, together with our training and certification programs, ensure that our clients receive the highest quality standards of treatment. All procedures involving injections are handled either by physicians themselves or by nurses trained by a Pure Med Spa supervising physician. All physicians and nurses are required to take continuing education in their fields. With respect to mesotherapy/lipodissolve procedures, we have performed thousands of these procedures to date and the vast, overwhelming majority of these clients are completely satisfied with their results. We have had very few reported complications from these procedures. We truly regret any situation where a client is not 100% satisfied with the results of any procedure. We strive to make every client a satisfied and loyal Pure Med Spa client.

“With respect to certain procedures which are being performed by nurses, please see Section 54.5 (d) of the Medical Practice Act which states “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the delegation of tasks or duties by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches to a licensed practical nurse, a registered professional nurse, or other persons.” We are not aware of any ruling from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or any other regulatory body or agency that supersedes the provisions of the Medical Practice Act.”

The company did not respond to our specific questions about the two cases of tissue damage highlighted in this report.

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Recession Proof Your Medical Spa

Industry Experts Agree: Medspas Must Alter Their Business Strategies To Find Success In Today’s Economy.

Fortunately for medspa owners, current economic conditions have impacted their industry less than many other business sectors. Still, many medspas have seen their revenues dip by 10-20% during the last 12 months and others have had even worse results. Med Spa Closings Despite the industry figures, a number of medspas across the country are flourishing, increasing revenues and their bottom line. The successes mark a trend in the industry…the ‘cookie cutter’ approach is not working the way it did when the economy was stronger, but there is still great success to be had if companies make some strategic changes.

“It’s a matter of structuring your business in a way that responds to current market conditions”, says Dee Deluca-Mattos, President of the Medical Spa Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the medical spa industry. “By making a few key changes, we have seen some medical spas do very well, even doubling their revenues, while other locations that simply ‘stay the course’ are languishing.”

The Medical Spa Society introduces industry expert, Francis X. Acunzo CEO of Acara MedSpas to present a Webinar that focuses on how to manage your business in these changing times, “Recession Proof Your Medical Spa”.

“I have personally and successfully weathered 2 recessions owning and operating Spas and Medical Spas in the US. I look forward to sharing my insight and wisdom on how to recession proof your medical spa.” states Francis X. Acunzo.

About the Medical Spa Society:
The Medical Spa Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising and upholding the level of professionalism practiced throughout the medical spa industry through professional and consumer education. The Society’s mission is to promote education, communication and standards of excellence for the medical spa profession. They are committed to providing educational forums that allow the industry to stay informed about the latest innovations and cutting-edge developments in the spa and medical fields.

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Core Dimension Training and Corporate Realty Advisors announced an agreement centered on providing national real estate consulting services to physicians offering medical aesthetic services in their respective markets.

 announced an agreement centered on providing national real estate consulting services to physicians offering medical aesthetic services in their respective markets.

Core Dimension Training is one of the nation’s leading aesthetic practice management companies. James Finnegan, Bruce Vermeulen and Paul Herchman are the Managing Partners and have extensive experience in the med-spa industry as owners, investors, managers, financiers, vender’s and consultants. They have been involved in hundreds of aesthetic businesses in the US and have an in-depth understanding of the economics and key business drivers of aesthetic businesses. Corporate Realty Advisors’ unique expertise and consulting platform in working with physicians in the development of aesthetic centers located in multi or single tenant real estate developments has enabled Corporate Realty Advisors to become one of the nation’s most respected commercial real estate consulting services company.

Paul Herchman said, “Today’s economic and aesthetic environment is changing. Now more than ever physicians must understand the details of revenue enhancement programs and the legal/operational aspects of their business. We have worked with Corporate Realty Advisors on numerous occasions in the past and we are confident that they will continue to provide our customers with the most accurate market knowledge, generating the best real estate course of action, facilitating the most favorable terms, and mitigating the physician’s exposure.”

Jay Rigelsky and Clint Dansby stated, “Corporate Realty Advisors is extremely excited to be working with Paul and Core Dimension Training.

Like Core Dimension Training, Corporate Realty Advisors strives to continually place client’s immediate needs at the forefront, while providing forward thinking strategies facilitating the client’s long term objectives. Our Medical Services Consulting Group has developed an individual services platform that generates unmatched negotiating leverage while successfully reducing exposure for the individual doctor or physician group. We are dedicated to exceeding the needs of the Core Dimension Training customer.”

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BANKRUPTCY FILING

As the economy slows, the nationwide Solana chain of 50-plus franchised medical spas has locked its Irvine headquarters, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, shut down its Web site, and disconnected its phone.  Their website indicates that another site is being developed by Higher Images.  Higher Images is a SEO and Internet Marketing and web design company.

The following is from a Medspa Blog:

Solana Medspas is out of business?

Sunday, June 29, 2008, 10:15:16 AM | Jeff Barson

Neither the company’s chief executive, William Maya, nor its bankruptcy attorney could be reached for comment.

The company founder, John Buckingham of Mission Viejo, said he sold Solana on Nov. 20 to a private equity company in San Clemente and could not speak in detail about its current status.
Buckingham remained a director of the company, which helped entrepreneurs set up medical spas that provided spa services plus non-invasive cosmetic medical procedures such as Botox injections.

As recently as March, Buckingham predicted that the nation’s economic slowdown would help Solana MedSpas by freeing up new retail locations for its medical spas.
In an interview with CNN/Money, he said he was “excited about taking advantage of this year’s store vacancies to open another 20 locations in malls.”

At that point, he said Solana had 50 spas “located in upscale strip centers and lifestyle centers, which are typically open-air malls.”
In May, Solana struck a deal with cosmetic-laser company Cutera Inc. of Brisbane, Calif., which declared Solana the “preferred provider” for its products at medspas nationwide.
That announcement said Solana “has sold over 70 stand-alone retail med spas with others scheduled to be opened in 2008” and had established a new division, Solana MD, to open aesthetic spas in doctors’ offices.
Solana’s filing said it had $370,028 in liabilities but assets of only $11,713.

FRANCHISE ADS

Solana MedSpa franchises are still listed as for sale on franchising Web sites, with a total investment of $400,000 to $780,000.

The Franchise.com site, for example, says:
Solana MedSpas has forged a new medical spa model by combining cutting-edge aesthetics and wellness technologies with traditional spa therapies in a retail environment.
In a short period of time, Solana MedSpas has become a nationwide leader in medical spa development with a growing network of uniquely branded medical spas. With an emphasis on regulatory compliance, healthcare innovation, education, marketing and customer service, Solana MedSpas has emerged as the fastest growing developer of MedSpas in the US.

The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing means that the company will be liquidated, not reorganized.

BANKRUPTCY DETAILS
Solana’s current owner is Strategic Connections L.P., which is listed in the July 7 bankruptcy filing as “c/o WEM Management Company, 422 Avenida Salvador, San Clemente.”
The company’s largest listed creditor is its owner, which had floated it a $160,000 loan.
Solana said it had income of $456,989 so far this year from its consulting services to owners and operators of spas.
It paid Maya $161,112 in salary from Nov. 24, 2007, through June 24, the bankruptcy filing said. Buckingham’s salary for that period was $148,918.
The one company-owned medical spa, Resolutions, A Solana Medspa, also filed for bankruptcy under its legal name, Solana Medspa Development LLC.
The Resolutions medspa, located in a Rancho Santa Margarita shopping center, closed suddenly two weeks ago without explanation, said a hairdresser working in the adjoining hair salon.
The medspa listed assets of $11,713 and liabilities of $121,329. It cited $0 as the value of its unsold inventory of cosmetics, cosmeceuticals and Botox, which were purchased for $51,388.
Irvine-based Allergan, the maker of Botox, is its largest creditor. The medspa owes Allergan $49,260, the filing said.
The Resolutions spa had income of $225,555 so far this year, its filing said.

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Solana MedSpas launches three new divisions

US-based medical spa development and consultancy group Solana MedSpas has expanded its company with the launch of three new divisions.

The first division, Solana MD, will provide consulting strategies for the integration of aesthetic medicine into existing practice. The second, Solana Elite Partner, will be operated as a membership program that grants access to elite discounts and services. The final division, Solana RX, will be a physician-based line of cosmeceuticals.

The Solana network of MedSpas currently contains 70 sites, with another 12 scheduled to launch around the US in the second half of 2008.

The group has also recently formed a strategic alliance with laser and aesthetic systems provider Cutera.

The partnership will enable Cutera to provide clients of Solana MedSpas with aesthetic systems for the latest anti-aging procedures, as well as hair removal and vascular therapy procedures.

Executive vice president of sales for Cutera, John Connors, said: “Solana and Cutera share the same philosophy so our alliance is a natural fit.”

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According to the International Medical Spa Association there are over 1,000 open medical spas in the U.S. Jeff Russell, CEO of MedSpa Financing says, “Competition is definitely setting in, and it’s not only direct competition from other medical spas, but indirect competition from businesses that offer the same services. You have salons that offer hair removal, day spas that offer dermal filler injections, and mall outlets that offer microdermabrasion.

If you are going to not only succeed, but thrive in this new environment, you are going to have to be better than your competition. Following these 5 tips will help you get that extra edge you’ll need to stay ahead of the pack.

1: Are you marketing to the right customer?
First and foremost, you need to look at your current customers and ensure your medspa is operating at capacity.

2: Get to know your neighbors
Do you know all the businesses surrounding yours? You may need to take another walk around the neighborhood, and see what new business building opportunities are available. As you are walking around, ask yourself these questions: Do they compliment my services? Can we help each other increase business by referring customers between us?

3: Network within your community
Many people associate networking with schmoozing. As a MedSpa owner, you need to always be networking. Where to network? There are many places from the local chamber of commerce, community groups, industry associations, or you can join a board or peer group.

4: Develop your communication skills
As a MedSpa owner, you interact with people everyday: staff, clients, suppliers, and the media. If there is one thing you need to master, it’s your communication skills. You need to be able to clearly articulate your key message consistently.

5: Recharge regularly
Quite often you are so focused on your customers, you forget about yourself. As a Medical Spa owner, you are going to find yourself absolutely drained. How are you going to grow the business? Should I advertise with this magazine? I just don’t have enough time. You need to achieve a balance between the MedSpa and your personal life.

“As you develop and grow your Medical Spa you are going to experience the same growing pains common to any new business, the key is identifying them and responding to them” says Russell. By following these 5 tips, you will see your revenues increase.

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