Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas, the largest branded luxury day spa company, partners with DMX to enhance their spa atmosphere with a cost-effective multi-service solution. All spa and resort locations will have an eclectic mix of in-store music and informational on-hold phone messaging.

Red Door was previously using three different vendors to supply their music and messaging, but wanted to reduce the overall cost and total number of devices at their spas.

Under the agreement, the Stamford, CT-based Red Door Spas will market DMX’ services to the 30 locations it currently serves in 13 states. This will augment the company’s in-store music process, by having DMX as the sole vendor to deliver and easily manage every location’s customized service. With DMX’ ProfusionXS, Red Door will have three music styles in four separate areas of each resort and spa, including a wide range of upbeat, modern, cosmopolitan hits to relaxing, calming acoustic tracks.

“Each Red Door Spa location is unique in its own way, but it’s important that we maintain a consistent overall experience,” said Sarah Egan, Marketing Manager of Elizabeth Arden Red Door Resorts & Spas. “Knowing DMX has a history of supplying upscale-clients, we realized they would have the best solution for Red Door. We are extremely pleased with the entire process and end result.”

In addition to music, DMX has incorporated an on-hold messaging service, also delivered through their ProfusionXS device. This enhances the Red Door experience for customers over the phone, to extend their inviting image beyond the physical walls of their spa.

“This is a great partnership between Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas and DMX. Red Door was looking for efficiency and DMX provided a solution to meet both their branding needs as well as their budget,” said Brian McKinley, VP of Marketing at DMX, Inc. “With their goals in mind, we reduced the number of devices at each location from four to one, and supplied messaging and music styles that best suit their ambience and brand image.”

The combination of two sensory branding components, in-store music and on-hold, voice messaging, provides the final solution to be a very upscale and invigorating spa experience.

About Red Door Spas
With nearly 100 years of beauty expertise based on fundamental elements and philosophy of day spa pioneer Elizabeth Arden, Red Door Spas operates 30 day and resort spas nationwide. Committed to enhancing the lives of their guests through beauty, harmony and well-being, and to providing pioneering techniques, quality treatments and advanced services, Red Door Spas will continue to expand, innovate and remain the leader in the day spa industry for years to come.

About DMX, Inc.

DMX, Inc. designs branded business environments and extends this experience into the lives of customers. This helps businesses differentiate themselves from competitors, build brand loyalty, connect with consumers, and provide an unforgettable experience for anyone who walks through their doors. On-site services include music, video, messaging, scent, and A-V systems. New media services include mobile message marketing, webcasting and music downloads. DMX also provides digital music services for cable television systems around the globe. For over 35 years DMX has represented businesses large and small, including some of the most identifiable international brands such as Coach, Starwood Hotels, 24 Hour Fitness and DKNY

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Spa Equipment, Spa Professionals

A mandatory tool for all estheticians would be a loop, a 5x magnification. We spend a lot of time in the early parts of the training on this. You have to have a good eye and any tool you use is only as good as the operator. A loop five diopter is mandatory. You’re not an esthetician unless you have that in your toolbox. The reason why that loop is so important is that you get a clear picture of skin type, dry or oily, you get a host of conditions you see using your senses, looking at it, touching it, smell—a smoker, ill—and listening to the client, looking through the loop. When you magnify it, you have a clear picture of the secretions, thickness, epidermis, dehydration, dead cells. The loop is still the best tool for the esthetician for diagnosis.

The Wood’s lamp as a handheld device and you can use it as a dermal scan. Again, it is only as good as the person interpreting what they are seeing. The tools help explain to the client what the treatment plan is going to be and what the conditions are that need to be addressed. You have a way to look at it so the customer can see how much dehydration, pigmentation they have. It strengthens your hand to recommend a treatment plan for the individual.

There are handheld devices that judge hydration, that look at veins, that look right at a mole or a bit of pigment or a ruby point that are great tools. They are only small areas and are for really close magnification.

In the future, will have better and better magnifiers to look at the skin and be able to project onto a monitor to show how the skin is aging, and if you are looking at acne, how infected is that pustule.

UV Cameras are good for before and afters. In peels, we use the Wood’s lamp to show where there is a lot of stratum corneum and they are more a benefit to the consumer to show that you have done what you’ve said you are going to do. For the esthetician, it is good to see where to exfoliate. We use the Wood’s lamp for chemical peel application, but not for analysis.

Deedee Crossett, president, San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, San Francisco

Some of the classic tools would be high frequency, steamer, galvanic, Wood’s lamp, brush system, a vacuum or suction. What I find interesting is that those are good, useful tools that work really well. There are all different versions of them … lots of different ways to do the same technology. Lots of estheticians don’t use high frequency and galvanic. Underutilized.

More and more get out of school and don’t know how to use them, after extractions to defuse redness, I have no idea why it’s not a staple item in everybody’s kit. They are going to have better product penetration with galvanic. Contraindications are minimal … although they are really classic machines. They are classic for a reason. Estheticians are getting smarter and more inquisitive and their understanding of the skin is evolving, when they are already using a machine like that, the natural esthetician will pull it out and say “I wonder what it’s doing.” With the skin scope, it is a huge Wood’s lamp and excellent way to show hyperpigmentation, roughness, dryness. There’s a mirror in there for the client and it will freak anyone out. It highlights any areas of concern, it is very easy. The word hyperpigmentation, when we use words like that and the client is laying upside down, I don’t know if they really internalize that means that you have an overabundance of freckles or pregnancy mask.

We learn faster when we hear and see. It adds professionalism for the esthetician, what we’re looking at and diagnosing is really. We’re not there to push product, it’s not a snake oil situation. I see that I have dehydration here and my pores are congested. It’s a really good tool to make sure the esthetician and the client are on the same page. Sometimes what we see is not a concern to the client, we start talking about lightening the skin, we may lose the client because she likes her freckles. It makes it easy for the guest and the skin specialist to be on the same page. The same goes for the digital cameras. They are getting more sophisticated and easier to use for the esthetician to automatically put up a picture, that is really powerful. At the end of the series, they forget what it looked like the first time because they are seeing it gradually and looking at it every day. If I was going to look at trends, there seems to be a trend having more than one service at a time … Lydia Sarfati came out with that 3-1 where you can get everything done at once, moving toward equipment that is multifunctional and if it’s handheld, that is where people are bringing people out from the back room that would encourage them to do a more traditional treatment. Any equipment that can be brought out that is more user-friendly is going to attract more attention. One thing that I was going to mention, for a new esthetician starting out, if they’re going to be doing multiple body treatments, facials, waxing, they need to invest in a bed and esthetics chair that moves up and down, you’re not going to do it; at some point you are going to be ergonomically out of whack. Invest in the bed for the comfort of your guest, but for you … you’re behind that bed 6-10 hours a day.

We had a graduate from one of our first night programs, she was working a corporate job and wanted to get into esthetics and bought used equipment in good shape, documented it and bought insurance right away … she was set up and operating for a couple weeks and the building flooded. She got liability and renter’s insurance. For new estheticians starting out, at the end of the day, make sure you have liability insurance. You need insurance to protect yourselves if in any case you can’t work, you can pay your bills. We also need to make sure if a client comes after us, you’re covered. If you picked up the room and turned upside down, that isn’t covered by the landlord. She was able to restart her business with all new stuff. It could be pretty detrimental if you didn’t have insurance.

Anne Grubek, Anya’s Skin Care, New York

An analyzer it’s a simple piece of equipment, you are checking the moisture of the skin and it is very easy to use. You just press one button to turn it on, you put it on the skin. It’s like a thermometer and you can read the moisture of the skin. You can check it in a variety of places. It is used more for people’s curiosity, so I do it after the treatment to show them that it jumps about 10 points up. After the treatment, the skin is more hydrated. I can show them the numbers before and after. They support the treatment. They see this in the mirror, but it gives you the numbers and readings. How do clients react?

Right now it is curiosity. I am working with a long-time client base, and they know the results and see the results and have no doubt that whatever I do, it works. For the new clients, it makes a point.

Terri Wojak, educator, True University, Chicago

The Wood’s lamp is very important when I’m teaching during chemical peeling treatments and looking for pigment is more superficial or deeper in the skin. It helps you analyze the skin during the consultation and you can see how evenly you’ve applied the acid. I still use a steamer if I’m doing extractions to soften up extractions, as well as magnifying lamps.

We use ultrasound in the office … it helps reduce swelling postsurgically, it helps to induce lymphatic drainage, speed up healing and reduce swelling, as well as to drive products into the skin. It helps stimulate collagen. This is the most up-and-coming.

Steamers will always be around for facials.

New tools are great for building clientele. A seasoned esthetician should be able to look at the skin and be able to tell, like the UV camera. That gives you documentation. UV cameras are going to become an industry standard to see what the treatments are doing. I think they do play a large role.

Skin analyzers will become the standard, it’s a really great way for clients to see what is going. It is great to have for the client, to build a clientele, to show them that you are making a difference for the skin. Often, we do before-and-after pictures with a digital camera. Clients say they haven’t seen that big of a difference and then you show them the picture. A lot of clients need to see that.

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Spa Equipment

The esthetic profession has traveled a long, bumpy road to becoming the accepted and respected industry it is today in the United States. Although a great many details about esthetics have evolved throughout time, astoundingly some have stayed as relevant today as they were 30 years ago, namely must-have tools that help estheticians do their job as well as possible.

Classics such as Wood’s lamps, skin scopes and magnifying lamps have stood the test of time. “What I find interesting is that those are good, useful tools that work really well,” says Deedee Crossett, president of the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology in San Francisco. In fact, they’ve been around long enough that companies are beginning to adapt their technology into more user-friendly forms, making them the must-haves of the new millennium.

Think about it: You could always pay for gas with a credit card, but by including the credit card machine on the pump, a whole new world of convenience was opened up to you. The classic esthetic tools are beginning to enjoy this type of new take on old favorites, and some new classics are being introduced and adopted, as well. But no matter how effective your skin care arsenal, “Any tool an esthetician uses is only as good as its operator,” reminds An G. Hinds, president and CEO of Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics in Woburn, Massachusetts.

The classics

In order to break the barriers for the profession, diagnostic tools were used to help estheticians identify the condition of the skin, resulting in more thorough and effective treatments.

“They are classics for a reason,” says Crossett. “But today’s estheticians are getting smarter and more inquisitive, and their understanding of the skin is evolving. When they are already using a classic machine, the natural esthetician will pull it out and try to find out how that classic tool views today’s treatments.”

Wood’s lamp. This test is performed in a dark room and involves shining ultraviolet light on the area of interest.1 Different skin conditions show up as different colors: blue is normal and healthy; white spots indicate dead skin cells; light purple shows dehydration; dark purple indicates sensitive, thin and dehydrated areas; brown spots show pigmentation and sun damage; orange indicates oily skin; and light yellow is acne and comedones.2

According to Hinds, “The tool helps explain to the client what the treatment plan is going to be and what conditions need to be addressed.” In today’s spas, the Wood’s lamp has taken on a different use—most likely due to the inquisitiveness of the natural esthetician—to assist with the application of peels. “It is very important when I’m teaching chemical peel treatments to use the Wood’s lamp to see how evenly the acid has been applied,” explains Terri Wojak, esthetics director and educator at True Skin Care Center in Chicago.

Skin scope. Very similar to a Wood’s lamp, the skin scope uses ultraviolet light in the same way to identify the condition of the skin. The big difference is that the skin scope features a mirror that allows clients to actually see what the esthetician sees. “It will freak anyone out,” exclaims Crossett. “It highlights any area of concern. It’s really easy to say ‘hyperpigmentation’ when the client is laying down getting a facial, but I don’t think they really internalize it unless they see it.”

Mag lamp. A magnifying lamp is used to analyze and zoom in on the skin to enhance the view for more detailed work. This is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment for an esthetician, says Hinds. “A mag lamp with a 5-diopter lens is mandatory,” she says. “You’re not an esthetician unless you have that in your toolbox.”

The mag lamp allows the esthetician to easily identify a client’s skin type and its conditions. “When you magnify it, you have a clear picture of secretions, thickness, dehydration and dead cells. It is still the best tool for diagnosis,” Hinds explains.

New must-haves

New diagnostic tools take the classics a bit farther to help the esthetician not only identify skin issues, but also supply proof to clients that their skin is really improving. “New tools are great for building clientele,” explains Wojak. “A seasoned esthetician should be able to look at the skin and tell what it needs, but the new tools give documentation for the client.”

Imagers and UV scanners. If you feel as if you would like to have proof about the effectiveness of your treatments, look no further than the imagers and UV scanners currently on the market. Ranging from highly magnified cameras to imagers that show subsurface pigmentation and vascular features, these tools allow for a more thorough consultation, as well as the ability to refer back to documentation in order to reassure clients wondering if they are seeing results. “Cameras are good for before-and-afters,” says Hinds, and Wojak agrees, saying, “Some clients say they don’t see that big of a difference, so then you show them the picture of the beginning of their treatment series. A lot of clients need that.”

Hand-held skin analyzers. New to the market are pieces of equipment that, in a second, detect the levels of a variety of skin elements, such as sebum and moisture. These tools are also used to help clients understand how and when a treatment is working. According to Anne Grubek, owner of Anya’s Skin Care in New York, hand-held analyzers are easy to use and make an important point to clients. “You just press one button to turn it on and place it on the skin. It’s like a thermometer that allows you to read the moisture of the skin in a variety of places,” she says.

Because it is new to her business, Grubek says the analyzer currently serves to satisfy her existing clients’ curiosity and help new clients see solid results. “I do the readings after treatments because the skin is more hydrated. I can show them the numbers before and after, supporting the service. They see this in the mirror, but it gives you the numbers and readings,” she explains. Wojak also believes this type of equipment will become standard. “It’s great to have in order to build clientele and show them that you are making a difference on the skin,” she says.

Skin magnification systems. If you are looking for all the benefits of a mag lamp and more, today’s skin magnification systems offer a variety of options for viewing the skin up close and personal. These adaptations include versions that can be worn on the head, featuring lenses with various magnification and lighting options for better visibility.

Also available are scopes that attach to a computer allowing for skin magnification and documentation of a variety of conditions that can’t be seen with the naked eye. “These judge hydration, look at veins, moles, a bit of pigment or things like a ruby point. They look at a very small area and are for really close magnification,” says Hinds.

This type of device offers a more convenient and multifunctional way to see the skin, which Crossett sees as a new trend. “Any equipment that is more user-friendly is going to attract attention,” she notes.
The future

The future of the industry is clear. More research, more scientific documentation, more analysis and more proof are going to help back up the results of spa treatments, enabling clients to realize that spa services aren’t just luxuries; they are effective at maintaining skin wellness. Using diagnostic and analysis tools, whether they are classic, current or the equipment of the future, will go a long way in helping clients know what a good esthetician knows all along—the condition of the skin and the effectiveness of the services received.

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iinnLight Launches Spa Industry’s First Molecular Massage™ with New Energizing Light Therapy Delivery System

Patented Device Capitalizes on Wellness Revolution; Offers Spas a New Source of Revenue without Adding Headcount.  iinnLight Technologies, the emerging leader in optimizing light to transform and energize lives, today launched Read more…

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Volante POS Systems “Checks In” at the Southampton Inn & Spa
 
Toronto based hospitality software company Volante POS Systems was contracted to consolidate all guest services at this Inn & Spa, allowing for a stress free, seamless guest experience.
Volante POS Systems has announced their first installation in the Inn & Spa industry.

A new trend in lodging, the Country Inn and Spa is quickly replacing the basic Bed & Breakfasts of yester year. More and more, people are finding it difficult to separate from the office to take that much needed annual vacation. It should therefore come as no surprise that this type of accommodation has emerged onto the weekend getaway scene. A whole new type of lodging experience, guests can now enjoy an elegant, “country” experience while indulging in some on-site Spa pampering too.

Ever aspiring to offer the latest in modern amenities to their guests, and to retain a growing business clientele, The Southampton Inn in Southampton, Ontario, introduced complimentary high speed internet to all guest rooms in 2004. Then, in 2007, Susan and business partner Tony Robins added a full service Spa and Makeup Studio. The in-house Spa is a modern facility, and offers many Spa packages and services, from relaxation and hot stone massage to both day spa and overnight packages, and a full range of esthetic services. Guests can arrange a pamper day and enjoy lunch from a tantalizing Spa menu.

As the operation grew, it became apparent that a point of sale system and reporting back office was required that would help with day-to-day operations. Toronto based hospitality software company Volante POS Systems was contracted to consolidate all the services offered at the Southampton Inn and Spa, allowing for a stress free, seamless guest experience. The installation marks Volante’s entrance into the Inn & Spa market.

It’s a testament to modern technology that a sophisticated, scalable hospitality software system can be used with ease in a smaller establishment such as The Southampton Inn & Spa. Volante is 100% written in Java, and offers full enterprise capability and stand-alone terminals with peer-to-peer design. Volante is compatible on Windows, Linux, or Unix operating systems, and is an industry leader in Linux POS solutions.

“I’m definitely not a computer savvy person,” says Closs. “But I found Volante easy to use and not at all intimidating. Besides, I’m too busy running an Inn to take a computer course. Volante’s logical layout, dynamic features and on-line assistance were very much appreciated.”

Closs also mentions that Volante’s flexibility in configuring the feature set gave her peace of mind knowing she was able to track and report on all her spa services and spa inventory, while setting the security features and managing her food, beverage and labor costs at the same time. Future plans for the system is the implementation of the Volante Gift Card Module.

“I am confident that the gift card module will increase sales for Susan along with building community awareness” Says Annette Ennamorato, VP of Operations for Volante POS Systems. “These cards are so convenient for guest payment and they are great gifts too.”

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ThermaCoolHayward-based skin-treatment company Thermage has begun shipping its new cellulite-fighting devices.

 

The ThermaTip CL treatment tips attach to clinics’ existing Thermage skin-tightening machines, which bathe patients in radio-frequency waves to try to rejuvenate skin. The machines have received a mixed reception from dermatologists — some are impressed by the results, but others skeptical or dismissive.

No matter how many trips to the gym or diets a woman endures, stubborn cellulite seems to be a persistent problem. In fact, a recent study by Millennium Research Group showed that 90% of women struggle with some degree of cellulite.

Thermage, Inc. has recently answered many a frustrated woman’s prayers with a new non-invasive cellulite solution that yields results after only one treatment. ThermaTip™ CL is an innovative deep heating treatment being hailed by numerous physicians.

“The Thermage CL tip represents an important new tool in the fight against cellulite,” says Dr. Bill J. Johnson. “The greater cooling in the tip allows the greatest amount of heat to be delivered to the area where cellulite develops. The result is smoother skin with fewer dimples.”

Unlike current cellulite treatments on the market, ThermaTip™ CL produces noticeable results after only one procedure–without surgery, injections or downtime. The deep heating treatment works to restore collagen connective tissues, while improving blood flow to tissues. This causes the skin’s surface to appear smoother.

The FDA approved Thermage technology has already been used on over 450,000 pleased patients and featured in over 45 peer-reviewed articles. Its popularity continues to grow as more physicians add this to their medical bag of must-have cosmetic treatments.

The FDA has approved the ThermaCool system for “temporary improvement in the appearance of cellulite,” the company said.

 

“Cellulite offers a new market opportunity for our company and we expect the new tip to provide a solid contribution to our revenue in 2008,” said Stephen J. Fanning, Thermage chairman and chief executive.

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Spavelous introduces Spavelous Pro a site designed for the spa professional, where you may find information about spa marketing, spa advertising, spa operations, spa employment postings.  spa job openings as well as information about: spa organizations, spa consultants, and continuing education classes and conferences for the spa industry, massage therapist and aestheticians.

If you are a spa consultant or recruiter and would like to contribute articles please email us at marie@spavelous.com.

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Looks can be deceptive. When it comes to a hydrotherm massage, that is certainly the case. With reports of it being among the most relaxing of massages, the thin, blue, water-filled mattress lying there did nothing to impress on first sight.

But don’t be fooled. Hydrotherm massage has its advantages. From a pure relaxation perspective it is like resting on a toasty, warm waterbed while having a full body massage from your tippy toes up, without even having to turn over.

Used worldwide in hospitals, as well as salons and spas, it was developed in 1992 by British sports and remedial therapist, John Holman. At that stage it was a solution to wrist and lower back problems suffered by many massage therapists, of which he was one.

It has since gained in popularity as it offers the client the opportunity to have a full body massage without having to turn over and is now used in 17 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe.

“Some people aren’t comfortable lying face down due to suffering from asthma, chest complaints, neck problems, post-surgery, or for other reasons,” says therapist Jocelyn.

Greater comfort

“With hydrotherm massage, they don’t have to. They can still have a good full body massage and, because the water in the cushions remains around body temperature at between 95°F and 104°F, it encourages the muscles to relax and allows for a deep massage.

Also, when we slip our hands under the body we are working with the client’s body weight, rather than exerting our own level of pressure.”

And then Jocelyn suggests that I have the massage naked under my towel to get the most out of it. Thrown a bit by the suggestion, I go for it.

It’s that unusual free sensation of skinny dipping and, before long, I can see why she suggested it. With no underwear on, she can do long fluid strokes — some uninterrupted from my ankle to hip.

Effortless

Lying on my back on two water cushions, with another propping up my knees to relieve lower back pressure and two foam blocks at my head to keep the spinal column aligned, she starts at my feet.

With a blend of essential oils mixed into a warmed base oil, she works up my body, often massaging the front, side and back simultaneously. The massaging of each area — whether foot, calf or tummy — flows effortlessly to the next.

The sweeping strokes feel good, as does the more pointed work in my shoulders, for example. Jocelyn finishes with a gentle facial massage and, after 90 minutes, I feel like I’ve had one of the most complete massages ever.

Verdict: Due to the fluidity of the water, the long strokes and not being disturbed to turn over, I found Hydrotherm wonderfully relaxing and grounding. I liked the variety of strokes — such as the therapist slipping her hands underneath me and doing cross strokes on my back and, best of all, staying warm throughout.

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A large percentage of spa owners are failing to achieve even modest financial success. We have rooms full of spa operators attentively listening to a business expert explain the many reasons small companies fail to perform as expected, most hands raised when asked if the information applies to their own experience. We now see a silent but growing list of day spas on the seller’s block, and an upward swing in outright closures. And yet with all these reasons to take on professional business help why do so relatively few actually get any, or when they do, why have they waited so long to do so?

The intended purpose of this article is to help you, the potentially distressed spa entrepreneur, find help in overcoming some common impediments to improving your business’s success potential. Here’s the list of excuses:

1. Too new to know any better

The business is barely off the ground—how can one know if there’s anything unusual happening here thus far? It’s a reasonable perspective. Sure, after five months sales have not met our projections and costs are higher than expected, too. But, it’s way too early to start thinking that we may be heading for trouble. Negative thinking isn’t going to get us anywhere so we’ll stay with the program and wait to see how things go. Besides, the holidays are right around the corner and we’re sure to pick up some great gift certificate cash. As far as employee turnover is concerned, I read that it’s always fairly significant during the first year you’re open, so the four technicians that resigned recently are to be expected. Of course I’m a little nervous about the situation but isn’t everyone when they first start out? We’ll be fine.

2. It’s not me or us; it’s everything else

We’ve been growing steadily in the 16-months since we opened, and I’m glad about that, but we’re still not making ends meet very well—not even close, actually. How can you expect to get ahead when every time you hire and train a new employee they either quit or move away and take their clients with them? I’m becoming pretty negative about training, in fact. Can you force someone to pay you back for their training if they quit before a certain amount of time has passed? I’m getting tired of being ripped off like that. I also think that new day spa that opened across town is having a bad effect on our appointments though I can’t really prove it. Their services are a little cheaper than ours are—should we think about lowering our prices a little? The staff has really been pushing me to do more advertising but whenever I do the new customers don’t seem to come back more than once. People say we’re still being affected by the war, 9/11 and the recession but that was already happening before we opened. How do you find good help?

3. I’m in over my head but a good manager will fix that

Operating this spa is far more work and stress than I ever imagined! My family barely sees me and I’m running around like a headless chicken. I knew that there were things about business I wasn’t good at but I’ve got to do something about that pretty soon. I need a strong manager to help me run the place, someone organized in a way that I’m not. Staff doesn’t cooperate with me, probably because I’m too much of a softy and always give in when they want something, even though I know it’s wrong. Besides, they have these licenses to perform services and I don’t, so how do I know what they do or don’t need when they demand things? My new problem is that I can’t find this manager anywhere. A few people have applied but I don’t think they’re qualified for the job. Spoke with a spa business consultant after attending a trade show class but we’re not ready for anything like that yet.

4. My manager is good in some ways but she doesn’t seem to be on my side

I thought by hiring a manager I’d get better performance from my staff but it seems like she sides with them more than me. She doesn’t want them to dislike her so she’s not making them follow the rules here, even sticks up for the employees sometimes when I don’t like what they’re doing. I probably should try to find another manager but this one was hard enough to get and I can’t afford to take on her work right now. Read about these spa management classes that look like something I need but there’s no way that I can take the time off to go there, especially with the lousy week we just had. Mother’s Day is coming; let’s see how that goes…

5. Once more around the block

Well, I knew my manager was probably going to quit but I thought she’d have been more professional than to walk out with two days notice! So much for trusting people! Never again. So now I’m back to personally running things, which feels better and worse than before. It’s a relief to have that sullen manager out of here but I’m no better prepared to handle this place alone than ever. Worse, some of the girls are pretty negative about the manager leaving and I’m afraid some of them may follow her to wherever she ends up next. I’m going to make it harder for them to get our client contact information than it’s been. Right now I don’t feel much loyalty from my team. Maybe what I need is to clean house and start over. I could call that consultant guy but I already know what he’s going to tell me, so what good could it do?

6. We’re always short on cash no matter how big our sales get

I can’t make heads or tales of our financial picture. The bookkeeper sends me monthly reports (but always two months after the fact!) yet I’m not very good at understanding what they mean anyway. Our service sales keep going up even though our retail sales are still terrible, so how come I’m always racing to meet payroll, rent and my vendor invoices? Is someone stealing money from me? This really freaking me out now! Our product rep came in and did a sales class for the staff but it didn’t make any real difference at all. They still just seem to hate selling no matter what. A retail expert told me that our sales could and should be at least $40,000 higher by this point in the year, August, than they are but he wants $4,000.00 to come in and correct the problem. That’s a whole lot of money for a retail class! I can’t afford something like that.

8. Hey, we’re doing great now!

Wow! After 3 years I’m finally caught up with my bills and haven’t had to worry about payroll as often as I used to. That’s a BIG relief, too. But, now I’m wondering when I can make a little something for my self as well? This has been a long time to go without a personal income, though I do write my car and gas off from the business. How much is a manager or owner supposed to make, anyway? I’m afraid to start pulling money out of the business right now since we only recently got caught up financially. I feel like we’re successful at this point, as it is. Finally did talk with that business consultant. Seems like a nice guy but I’m afraid to have him look at the spa and my management of it. I’ll be too embarrassed for him to see our books or how we do things here. He’ll probably show me just how stupid I am as a spa owner. Besides, I hate things like numbers and spread sheets that I know he’ll want me to work with. If I can’t handle that information why throw good money away on it? I’ll just start to read that book I picked up last year, The 7 Traits Of Highly Effective People That May Or May Not be Just Like You! I think I can get around to that after we get past vacation season.

9. We need to make more money so I’m thinking of expanding

Weekend and evening appointments are getting pretty full, especially with all of those gift certificate sales. There’s a larger space that’s available right next door to us and I don’t want it to get away. The landlord wants me to make a lease decision by next week or else he’ll let another business take it. I think that between our remaining home equity line and a bank loan I can come up with the money for the remodel and new equipment. Besides, we need extra room to install that Dynoaquathermomassageä unit I saw at the trade show. The vendor said it would make our spa truly unique in that no one else has one yet. Now $25,000.00 isn’t too much to spend for something like that if it sets you apart from the competition, right? The staff has seemed a little unmotivated lately so maybe this new treatment will charge them up again. I know that expansion is a big deal and that I should get a second opinion but everyone keeps telling me that we should get more space or even franchise. How could you go wrong with more sales? Plus, I’m hoping that more income will finally allow me to get a decent salary.

10. This isn’t what I thought would happen…

The expansion went far over budget and took a lot longer than the contractor promised it would. Had to get a personal loan from my parents to cover the $40,000 shortfall. Now we’ve lost the holiday shopping season we were hoping to cash in on to bail us out. We also don’t seem to booking all that many more appointments than we did before moving into the new spa. Some of the new people I hired are sitting around with nothing to do and our expenses have shot through the roof. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to add on space when we did. I’m thinking that maybe I should take on a partner to handle some of the costs and management work. I thought I had more than enough to do before this new spa but now I’m way in over my head. That grand opening party cost us a fortune but hardly anyone showed up for it Saturday night. Practically had to threaten the staff to help out with it. They’re unhappy with having to do complimentary treatments as a means of showcasing their services, saying that they hate doing “free” work. Why don’t they understand that they’re doing marketing instead of just giving their work away for nothing? I certainly would do it if I weren’t busy like some of them aren’t. Maybe I ought to just sell the spa. I wonder how much it’s worth? I’ve got about $600,000.00 in it so far, not counting all of the unpaid work I’ve put into it. If I could just get my initial investment back I’d be pretty relieved. How easy is it to sell a spa?

Without exaggeration, this is an extremely accurate tour of the distressed entrepreneurial mind at work. It operates on a strange fuel of bravado, denial, fantasy, rationalization, blame, and action avoidance. Very often by the time a business consultant is brought in the owner is standing at the steeply angled stern of the ship, the remaining few feet left above water. It’s the Titanic revisited; ignore the threats lying in wait, run full speed ahead in the belief you’re your design is unsinkable, wait too long after hitting trouble to save the situation; you’ve got all of the ingredients for a perfect disaster and now the worst has come true. But, the fact is, it’s almost all avoidable.

The meaning of this story is simple: if you think you need help, GET HELP! There are many sources of savvy and experienced spa business professionals that can keep you from following this common course to failure. It takes courage to admit that a plan isn’t working, and even more to embrace the cure. But, all businesses eventually turn out to be something very different than how they were originally conceived. In the end it’s successful survival that really matters!

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