5 Smart Tips to Grow Your Spa Business
Although we have only just welcomed a new year, the seemingly infinite winter season is ending and this means we can happily begin the countdown to spring and summer. From warmer weather and lighter evenings to an overall sense of renewal, spring certainly provides us with the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate, relax and brush away the winter blues.
According to Accenture, the global health and wellbeing market will grow to $737 billion by 2018 – with spas already accounting for $99 billion of the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy. Therefore, it is becoming more essential than ever that spa businesses adapt their promotional efforts for seasonal opportunities to increase growth potential, stay competitive and, most importantly, achieve profits. With this in mind, check out these springtime incentives for your spa businesses:
- Get your Outdoor Area Ready
Along with spring comes a gradual increase in hotter weather and longer periods of daylight – opportunities that customers will want to take full advantage of during their spa visit. Providing indoor facilities is idyllic for the colder and wetter seasons, but this might create limitations for customers during the warmer and drier months.
If you have unused or outdated garden space available, you could expand your business by introducing an outdoor area to integrate your clients’ spa experience with the pleasant weather. This could include spa pools and Jacuzzis to a simple outdoor seating area with heating and/or water spritzers.
It is vital you evaluate your business’ capital before undertaking any new project. Check out your resources and do some due diligence to see what this new area will cost you. Once you have a budget and know the new area will provide you with an adequate return on investment, you can calculate your small business loan potential to determine your available options.
One example of adding outdoor space was done by Bedruthan. They have created a separate “Spa Garden Experience” for their customers. They advertise this new experience as an hour-long, seven-stage experience. This outdoor exclusive features a hot tub, sauna, shower and seating area alongside a fire. They have enhanced this investment further by creating a sunset-themed outdoor package called “The Sunset Sensory Spa Garden.” This will maximise their return-on-investment in the long-run and offer their clients something new, special and worth coming in for.
- Create a New Experience
If you are able to create an outdoor experience, (or even create something new indoors), you can also offer new and exclusive treatments to reconnect your customers and amplify their relaxation pleasure. Massages, exfoliation sessions, body scrubs and seaweed wraps are all excellent rejuvenation techniques that can be bundled, named and offered as packages that can really draw your customers in for the “entire experience.”
Other ideas are outdoor or indoor yoga or meditation sessions if your space would allow.
- Provide Spring & Summer “Ready” Treatments
The build-up to summer, with wanting to look and feel good, often encourages consumers to indulge in pampering sessions. Everyone wants to have a “beach ready” body and you want to be sure clients are coming into your spa first. Woo them with Spring and Summer specials so they know you are the ones who can make them look and feel great.
Offering spring and summer specific treatments during this high demand period is essential for increasing bookings during the warmer seasons. For example, The Ocean Rooms Spa provides a range of summer-specific treatment sessions called, “Summer Fruits, Strawberry and Kiwi Facial”, “Jasmine and Rose Summer Oriental Scalp Massage” and an “Oriental Summer Back Reviver”. They also offer an anti-cellulite “Summer Cellutox Powder Cocoon” for anyone wanting to lose a bit of weight before bikini season.
Providing treatments of the season can help to ensure you stay competitive and prevent your business from facing seasonal booking fluctuations.
- Offer Spring Discounts on “Second” services
Up-selling a current client is so much easier than trying to get a new client into the spa. One method of doing this is to offer 10% off on any second service or 20% off 3 or more services. It gets your clients thinking about booking more treatments and helps you raise income levels fairly easily. Treat an existing customer like gold!
5. I am always surprised how many spas do not offer online booking systems. They are so convenient and easy to use for customers it seems crazy to me that every spa and salon does not offer them. Give your customers a way to book a next day appointment online at 12am if they need to.
This will ensure your schedule stays full and help clients that work long hours to be able to easily book a service with you.
Once you start using online booking systems you can also market easily to your client list. Send them an email or text every 6 weeks and ask them if they would like to come in for a facial or “treatment of the season.” You can also advertise unsold services at the last minute for 10% off and really fine tune your business. The sky is the limit so good luck to you!!