Anamika KhannaStarting a business from scratch can be tricky. There are many well-established luxury brands on the radar of consumers. Hence, it is difficult to enter the luxury Industry. Spas and salons are in plenty so it is of the essence to stand out from the crowd. People go to spas to relax and calm themselves. Their experience at the spa should be as such. Consumer satisfaction is of the essence while running a luxury brand. Research and knowledge of your consumers help in developing a good business plan around them. Spas are a service for the people and their service should reflect that. Consumers pay the spas for providing the utmost luxury and comfort. While running a profitable spa can be tricky, with planning and research, it is not difficult.
What Is A Spa?
Ancient Rome and Greece had naturally occurring thermal springs called spas. The people believed it to have medicinal and healing properties. Even today, luxury spas are a place to relax, heal and calm yourself. It is a getaway for people from their otherwise tiring and hectic lives. The 3 letter word spa encompasses a variety of different types of spas. The International Spa Association defines a spa as a place devoted to overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit.
There are different types of spas catering to the different needs of people. The different types of spas include the following:
- Ayurvedic spas: These spas use traditional and ancient Indian methods and principles of Ayurveda to help people relax and heal. Herbal medicine, meditation, yoga, and massages are some of the therapies in Ayurveda.
- Cruise Ship spas: Imagine being on a cruise and getting a relaxing, professional spa treatment amidst the sounds of waves…how soothing! The services on the cruise spa range from massages, salon services like waxing, and also cosmetic services like Botox.
- Day spa: On a daily basis these spas provide professional treatments to their consumers.
- Dental spa: When a spa has licensed dentist supervision, it is a Dental spa. Along with dental facilities, spa treatments are also provided.
- Medicinal spas: A medicinal spa is a facility that provides personal care treatments like massages, aromatherapy, acupuncture, waxing, manicures, and pedicures. It promotes wellness and fitness through these treatments.
- Resort/Hotel spa: It is in the hotel or resort and provides its services to the guests staying there.
10 Reasons To Consider Starting A Spa
Owning a profitable spa can be difficult but not impossible. You need patience and a hard-working spirit. If you feel it won’t be a good business choice consider the following points on why you should start a spa.
- Networking: Networking is one of the important benefits of starting a spa business. You will get to meet and interact with a ton of people and learn from them and their varied experiences.
- Opportunity to learn business skills: The luxury industry is a growing and difficult industry to tap into. Therefore, you can gain a lot of practical business knowledge.
- Variety in work: When you own a spa your day never gets monotonous. Everyone will need different treatment so you have a variety of jobs to do.
- Independence: You are in charge of how the work gets done. The cool part is you get to own a profitable spa.
- You are presentable: You have to show the consumer how getting treatments from your spa will benefit them. The plus side is you get healthy and well-groomed yourself.
- You are motivated: When you are working towards your passion you are constantly striving to do better, you became hard-working and also enjoy the process. If the leader is motivated, so is the team.
- Gain expertise: You must have expert knowledge about your product so that you can market it to consumers.
- Learn marketing skills: You learn first-hand marketing skills when you grow your brand.
- Learn from your failures: You get to constantly learn and improve yourself. Failure is the best teacher so learn as much as you can from it.
- Stable business: This iconic Jerry Maguire reference holds here. Once you start getting clients you don’t have to worry about financing your business.
How To Start A Profitable Spa
Starting a profitable spa requires dedication, patience, training, hard work and motivation. It is a long process which requires you to constantly stay dedicated.
- Research to Know your Consumers: The core of any good business is research and market knowledge. You have to know the ideal area and your target consumers and observe how the other spas work. Conduct market research. Know your consumers to give them personalised and good service.
- Develop a good business plan: Once you have analysed the market and your consumers, it is time to develop a good business plan to tap into it and make sure you have a profitable spa business. A good business plan includes who your target consumers are and what your business is about. It should also include a solid mission and value statement. They help understand what your goals are and what value will your business have for the consumers.
- Scout for your ideal location: Once you know your consumers and have a business plan, start looking for places that meet your needs and expectations.
- Hire good employees: Your employees represent your brand hence make sure to hire people whose goals, passions and objectives align with your brand.
- Have a marketing strategy: A good marketing strategy goes a long way. Do not compromise on your advertising and marketing budgets.
- Offers: Provide good offers to your consumers initially. Once they try your treatments they will provide good marketing by word of mouth.
Et voila you will have a profitable spa to your name.
How to Hire The Right Candidates
Hiring the right candidate is of the essence when owning a business. It is all the more important if you want to own a profitable spa which includes your employees to face the consumer. Qualities to look for in a candidate are:
- Empathy: Empathy is one of the most important qualities to look for while hiring for a consumer-facing job. This makes the consumer feel understood and heard.
- Presentable: Your employee represents your brand hence it is of utmost importance for them to be presentable.
- Courteous and hospitable: Your consumer should feel welcome and important when you are providing them with a service. If the customer service is good they will refer your brand to their circle of people.
- Expert: Your employees should be experts at what they do. They should have in-depth knowledge about the treatments. In addition, they should be able to answer any questions that the consumer might have.
- Hardworking: A hardworking employee will ensure working towards the betterment of the company. In addition, this will also lift the spirits of their co-workers.
Top 10 Best Spas in The World
Have a look at the top 10 spas in the world:
- COMO Shambala Estate, Bali
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COMO Shambala Estate is a wellness centre in Ubud, Bali. Their treatments include various massages, hydrotherapy, facial care and other Beauty care treatments. It is one of the best spas with amazing food.
- SHA, Spain
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This is a medicinal wellness centre in Spain. They have a wide range of health programmes. Their programmes include detox treatments, wellness treatments and optimal weight treatment. They have 3 branches in Spain, Mexico and Emirates.
- Mii Amo
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Opened in 2001 and located in Arizona, this is a prime spot for relaxation. It has amazing architecture and design which gives this place a unique vibe.
- Chiva-Som
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This is a must-visit spa when you are in Thailand. They have packages ranging from facials and body massages to energy treatments.
- Rancho La Puerta, Mexico
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This spa makes for a great place to unwind, relax and embrace oneself. They have amazing casitas and ranch activities for guests to enjoy.
- Ananda in the Himalayas
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As the name suggests this place is happiness in the Himalayas. They have wellness programmes ranging from spa holidays to introductory and comprehensive wellness programmes.
- BodyHoliday Saint Lucia, West Indies
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They have restoration beauty treatments, therapy massages, fitness treatments and Ayurveda treatments. Definitely, a must-visit when in Saint Lucia!
- Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, California
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They offer a European-style spa and wellness retreat in Southern California! They have wine and culinary treatments among others. They also conduct weddings and meetings.
- Lake Austin Spa Resort, Austin, Texas
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Soak in the beauty and culture of Texas hills at this secluded spa and resort.
- Miraval Arizona Spa and Resort, Tucson, Arizona
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They offer amazing treatments that you can’t refuse. When in this desert land visit Miraval to feel replenished.
10 Best Spa Name Ideas
Coming up with good spa names can be tedious. Don’t worry, we are here with a list to help you out.
- Midas Spa: Midas, a mythical Greek king could transform anything he touched into gold. Therefore, this makes up a good name.
- Rose Spa: Rose is a flower with rejuvenating properties. Therefore, this is also a good match for a spa.
- Spiritotality: This implies being totally spiritual.
- Universal spa: This implies being in touch with the universe and also implies it is for people all over the globe.
- Ikigai: The Japanese word that means reason for being.
- Soothe spa: Means ‘to relax’.
- Infinite spa: Means never-ending.
- Miracle spa: To trust in miracles.
- Manifest spa: The ability to experience in reality what you truly believe.
- Absolute spa: Meaning wholesome.
10 Creative Spa Name Ideas
Here are 10 more creative ideas to name your spas:
- Sante: French for ‘to your health’.
- Detendez-vous: French word meaning relax.
- Calm centre: Meaning to be calm.
- Unwind: A place to relax.
- Woods spa: Suggesting oneness with nature.
- Treehouse spa: Suggesting being close to nature.
- Seven seas spa: Suggesting it for people across the seven seas.
- Klick Spa: Suggesting one needs to kick back and click with oneself.
- Aroma Spa: A spa specialising in aromatherapy.
- Trishul Spa: The weapon of Lord Shiva, believed to be spiritual.
Tips and Best Practices
There are no tips and tricks to having a profitable spa etched in stone. Just some common tips include:
- Having a good SEO-friendly website. This makes it easier for people to find your business through Google.
- Always remember that the Customer is King. Hence have a very good customer service team.
- Always update your treatments according to the ever-evolving scientific technologies.
- Have a calm and conducive environment for consumers.
FAQs:
How Profitable Is Owning A Spa?
Owning a spa is extremely profitable once you gain a loyal customer base. Once you have regular customers visiting your spa you will gain a regular income and even earn profits soon. Everyone needs pampering and relaxation so your customer base is quite wide. Although, like any business, the luxury industry also has its ups and downs. The key to owning a profitable spa is patience and expert knowledge. It is important to prove to the consumers that your brand can provide them with the best service. Therefore a very good business plan and ever-evolving marketing strategy are essential.
What Spa Services Make The Most Money?
Spa services help people to relax and be in touch with themselves. They also make a person feel better about themselves by providing grooming services. Spas must also provide customised services to people wherein they are free to choose their package. It is of utmost importance to provide quality services. When it comes to which spa service makes the most money, it depends on the area of the spa and the demographic of the area. Therefore conducting a thorough market and consumer research will help you understand what services are the most preferred by people. Therefore it is lucrative to conduct interviews or surveys to know your consumer’s preferences and likes.
How Can I Make My Spa Business Successful?
Owning a profitable spa requires motivation, a good team of employees, expert knowledge about various topics and good marketing skills. A good marketing team and customer support team is also important. Hiring the right experts whose goals align with your brand goals goes a long way. Providing attractive offers in the initial stage is also helpful. Having a good influencer or celebrity marketing campaign also proves to be beneficial. When a trusted and loved public figure endorses your brand, people feel inclined to follow them. Also, one of the most important things is to build the brand as authentic to you as possible.
Is A Spa A Good Investment?
This is a subjective question. Some spas that have poor quality services are not a good investment. But investing in spas that have hired a good team of employees and are profitable spa is a good option. Spas are enjoyed by a lot of people so providing them with top-notch service will build brand loyalty. They are highly likely to get their friends and family to your spa. Once the brand image is built and customer loyalty established, your business is most likely to be successful and lucrative.
Are Spas Successful?
Spas are only as successful as the employees and the owner. If you manage to build a brand and not just a profitable spa, then your business is more than successful. You will build a loyal customer base that will stand by you through thick and thin. Spas are more than just businesses to people and their owners. They provide the owners with a sense of purpose and the customers with a sense of calmness and luxury. Spas also make for a great family day out and provide a sense of closeness. It is how most people choose to spend time with their loved ones.
In Conclusion
To conclude, when starting any business planning and execution are of the essence. When it comes to creating a profitable spa, hiring the right people, staying motivated and providing expert services are important. Also, remember to form a pragmatic business plan and do not rush for results. Take your time to build a loyal customer base. Understand the journey that your target consumer goes through and try to market your service accordingly.
A spa must have extremely good treatments and customer service. Your employees have to be empathetic, understanding and kind towards your customers. Hence, hiring the right representatives for your brand is essential. All in all, follow this article to kickstart and own your own profitable spa.
Did you like our tips and take on how to start a profitable spa? Let us know in the comments section what are your tips to run a spa.
