Thinking of operating a spa?So you want to open a day spa. Have you considered what type of spa you want to operate? What range of treatments do you plan to offer? How do you decide which treatments work best for your customers? For years, spa industry surveys and spa experts have told us that the majority of guests, who go to spas, seek escape from stress, to relax and to feel better. Don’t get carried away by those advertisements and images that portray a spa as a place that is representative of exotic treatments. Now, it is an entirely different story in several different ways. The hyped up splurge to grab media attention on spas is giving way to more simplified menus that reflect the main effect of each category of services – all aimed towards relaxation, feeling better or looking better. The goal is to guide guests to a transformative experience, and not to change them. This makes it less confusing and all the more easier for guests to make clearer decisions on treatments that will be beneficial to their individual needs. In addition, the effective offering of stress reduction requires adequate relaxation spaces including lounges and amenities that offer the flexibility of spending more time at the spa before and after a treatment. I’ve seen Spa’s, some in 5-star city hotels, where guest rooms have been converted to treatment rooms with hardly any relaxation spaces. Regrettably, the first and last impressions are that of an unpleasantly confined operation. Just as with all hotel spaces, having all or a wide variety of relaxation amenities does not work if they are crowded and uncomfortable. It is better to plan the spaces for serenity and leisure, even if it means reducing the variety of amenities, since space and menu go hand-in-hand.
Most of the day spas create a theme for the spa. There are a variety of themes, like "Spiritual," "Health and Wellness," "Cultural," or one conducive to your environment. Environment would mean that you wish to open a spa next to the hotel’s fitness and recreation centre or if you operate a property which is known, say for its golfing. Many spas used to put sports massage on their menu as a way to appeal to men. As spas have become more sophisticated, however, they realize they shouldn't list sports massage unless they have some therapists with specialized training. Once you have selected a theme and created a rough draft of your menu, two of the most important things you next need to think about is a business plan and the location of the spa.
Before embarking on the business plan, you have to do considerable research on the idea and the feasibility or viability of a spa operation. As defined by the market research, the spa facility will represent the type, number and flow of treatment rooms. A spa menu created for the services offered in your treatments may include facials and scrub treatments, signature applications and custom blended body scrubs. Visit spas in your region and observe the services that are being offered to the client. This would enable you ‘differentiate’ your offerings and distinctively position your spa. Develop a business plan to track the progress, prior to the opening of the spa, and following through with a five-year plan. This includes start-up funding - necessary for a spa to run smoothly without any hiccups in the operation of the establishment. Ensuring a steady revenue stream, optimum spa utilisation, attractive rate structures, adequate staffing, lean payroll and operating expenses, identification of revenue sources and the margins of each source, will be the building blocks of your business plan. The location of the spa is critical to attracting and retaining clients. It must be centrally sited, in a convenient, visible spot, easily accessed with adequate parking for non residential spa customers. Location is also pivotal to the overall concept design to address the image and eventual positioning of the spa. Don't be discouraged if you find yourself having to make adjustments to your menu, design or theme as you progress with the design concept.
Your spa may consist of remedies for relaxation, skin and body treatments, fitness, health/lifestyle management and nutrition. Several packages designed, even group package themed programs to suit the individual/individuals that serve your spa market could be developed. Your spa fixtures and equipment includes facial steamers, massage tables and other treatment specific fixtures, shower and sauna equipment, depending on what services you offer. Equipment has the longest lead time when ordering. It also can be one of the more expensive investments for your day spa. Think long-term when considering equipment. What is going to produce the quickest return on your investment? For example, you can put portable massage tables in your new four-room day spa. They will be less expensive now, but are they able to produce the most return? Conversely, you might decide you need multifunction tables that can be adjusted to meet the needs and services of your clients quickly and easily. The more often you are able to use the equipment, the quicker it's going to pay for itself! Also keep in mind is that you generally will get a better deal if you can purchase all of your products, including crèmes, lotions, mud’s, equipment, stools, bolsters, uniforms, disposables, herbs, skin care items, etc., from the same "one-stop shopping" source. The last thing you need to concern yourself with is calling six to ten different distributors to check on delivery! Your budget ofcourse will determine how to balance these factors.
Hiring a full service consultant, with competent industry knowledge on mechanical, engineering and plumbing requirements, in spa programming and operations is advisable. Choosing the right candidate for the position at the beginning of the project, can save money on costly mistakes in facilitating flow, engineering and equipment, and also add to the competitive edge of the spa program. Good management skills are vital for the smooth flow in steering a spa concept, to manage the guest’s experience, to help staff grow within the spa and the control of expenses incurred in operations. Spa directors have to manage diverse groups of people, who mostly are trained to work on their own. Job descriptions, standard operating procedures and staff training are decisive in the running mechanism of a spa. The staff in a spa needs consistent training and the opportunity to work in a pleasant atmosphere. They will need appropriate training by the spa and the product companies in order to be effective educators of the intended result of the products. Partnering with product companies that offer thorough and effective training and support raises the likelihood of successfully retailing products. Most reputed product companies’ offer training, a few are better than the rest.
Be mindful of the overall experience of the client in the use of the oils and lotions, treatments aromatherapies, other offerings special lighting, music, décor-all suited to add to the ambience of the spa, and enhance the expectation of the client’s overall experience. To summarise, the success of a spa is concept, program and facility design, spa operations, marketing and profitability of the operation. Mehroon Wahab The writer is a former media representative for ‘Spa Asia’ and it was during her tenure that the Singapore based magazine published a 14-page feature on Sri Lankan Spas |
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