Europe currently has 38% of the world’s spas, making Europe the number one spa destination. As a new or soon-to-be graduate of a spa management program, this makes Europe and France in particular, a great place to consider beginning your spa career. Here are a few hints and tips to make your spa career search easier.

Why France?
France has several qualities which make it a great place for launching a spa career. The country offers a range of spa types; day spas, large hotel run spa chains, small health oriented spas which cater exclusively to women, spas along the coast which offer a number of thermal water therapies and seaweed treatments. These varying spa types offer someone considering a spa career in France the opportunity to find employment in a spa which suits their management style and treatment philosophy. Keep in mind, that spas in France, like most of their European counterparts focus more on the health and wellness aspect of spa treatments. The health aspects of spas are a big deal in France, so big, in fact, that each French citizen can have up to three weeks of curative spa treatments prescribed by their physician and covered by the government. Read the rest

Popularity: 31%

Check any website which maintains employment listings for spa jobs and you will notice listing after listing for spa management jobs. These listings can range from spa director positions, down to assistant spa managers. While the exact number of jobs is difficult to quantify, there are over 14,500 spas currently operating in the US (according to the latest industry statistics published by the International Spa Association). For anyone considering a career in spa management, the sheer number of US spas means a lot of opportunity. Also, keep in mind that 30% of the world’s spas are located in the US, outranked only by Europe at 38%. Using this statistic as the basis, it stands to reason that the US would then hold 30% of the world’s spa management jobs, making this a career path with enormous growth and potential. The question then becomes, how do you get a spa management job? Read the rest

Popularity: 24%

Men like to be healthy, and they love to be pampered… they just don’t always like to admit it :)They like to be pampered so much, in fact, that they account for around 30% of all spa-goers, according to a survey conducted by the International Spa Association. Men are obviously booking spa reservations in record numbers, and as a spa owner or manager there are several steps you can take to ensure your spa is man friendly.

Create a “men’s only” menu of treatment option
Your male clients will want a menu of treatment options that cater specifically to them. Male and female clients respond to treatments differently and men should Read the rest

Popularity: 24%

As a spa manager or owner, you want to create a soothing spa environment for your clients. Many factors will contribute to the feeling of health and well-being in your spa—the friendliness of your employees, the tone of the background music, the size and layout of your treatment rooms—but nothing creates a soothing spa environment like color.

Color is one of the biggest aspects of interior design. Color sets the tone, it sets the mood, and it helps establish a theme and pattern for a space. For your spa to be appealing to clients you should design your color scheme with these tips about color in mind.

Avoid Color Trends

Each season, new color trends are reported via runway reports and design magazines. These articles discuss the new hot colors for each season. Right now, the big color is purple. Clothes, soft home goods, and other products are all available in this must have color. Do you really want Read the rest

Popularity: 34%

No matter how old your clients are, they all want to look younger. According to a 2004 study conducted by the International Spa Association, “The emphasis is now increasingly on self preservation” and “baby boomers and their children will pay to look young and healthy.” The study goes on to note that “As the baby boomers age, there is increased interest in cellulite treatments, glycolics, and skincare products. Many of these products are influenced by European and Asian trends, and there is a ‘desire and need for natural versus artificial processes.’” What your clients want are alternatives to plastic surgery, less invasive treatments that provide anti-aging benefits. These less invasive treatments will require more up keep for the client and will cause booming sales for spas that can embrace this market and deliver quality anti-aging treatments. Try some of these treatments or techniques in your spa to deliver the results your clients want. Read the rest

Popularity: 28%

We have all seen the film footage– acres and acres of rolling green fields, expansive views of the sea, crumbling cottages nestled into the sides of hills–who wouldn’t want to consider a spa career in Italy? But, before you pack your bags and jump on the next flight to Italy, consider a few of these things first.

Spas in Italy are different. Italian spas are all about water. Italy is one of the largest spots in the world for thermal spas, something the Italians refer to as “terme” or mineral spring waters. Since the time of the Romans, people have been coming to “take the waters” in Italy, an experience which is supposed to restore good health and promote wellness. Due to the reputation for healing these spas have received, Italy is becoming known for “health care tourism” and many of the spas in Italy focus some of their treatments on healing medical conditions. What results, are spas which feel more like clinics with less of an emphasis on pampering. Most of these spas employ at least one physician, and it is routine for clients to meet with the physician before undergoing any treatments.

How to start a spa career in Italy. Once you have acquired the appropriate online spa management training, there are several ways to approach your spa career in Italy. The important thing to keep in mind is that you will probably be denied a visa if you don’t have a job lined up. But lining up a job is difficult if you don’t live there. Try searching internet job search boards for the easiest and cheapest solution. Several websites associated with the spa industry have international job listings. Websites to try are: www.spasworldwide.com, www.internationalspaassociation.com, www.espa.com and the Institute of Spa management has a very busy international job board for current students and alumni. If the job boards don’t work out, you can travel to Italy and make connections that way. Italy has several spa regions, target a few of the areas that look interesting and visit the spas. Try to meet with the person in charge of hiring, and maybe you will leave the country with a job offer. One last method to launch your spa career in Italy is to start working for an international chain. At some point they may have openings for spa jobs in Italy which you can apply for.

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Popularity: 33%

Do you want people to talk about your spa business, the kind of talk which creates a positive image of you and your services? Then you must go above and beyond what your clients believe is good service. As a spa manager, try these tips to promote your spa services via word of mouth advertising.

· Great word of mouth promotion begins in your spa. Each client coming in for a spa treatment needs to leave feeling pampered and delighted with their experience. Why? We have all heard that old cliché about a customer who receives bad service will tell ten people– and those are ten people you don’t want talking about your spa around town. Ensure your clients leave happy and they will tell at least one friend (probably more) about the great time they had—effectively promoting your spa for you.

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Popularity: 30%

According to a July 2008 study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 8% of Americans or 24 million people suffer from Diabetes. With so many people afflicted with this disease, it is likely some clients who book pedicure treatments in your spa will have diabetes. For a spa owner or manager, a diabetic client will mean a deviation from your spa’s normal pedicure routine in order to treat the client safely.

In general, pedicures and diabetes are a dangerous mix. Some of the complications of the disease - poor circulation, difficulty healing, and decreased sensitivity in the feet due to nerve damage can be exacerbated if the client is diabetic. In order to execute safe and satisfying pedicure treatments for diabetic clients, ensure your staff are equipped and trained to handle special clients. Try these tips in your spa.

· Educate yourself and your staff. Diabetes comes in two forms, Type 1 and 2. Type 1 diabetics are insulin dependent and are more likely to suffer from the physical symptoms, particularly in advanced stages of the disease. Type 2 diabetics produce their own insulin, but their bodies are resistant to it. It is possible for someone to be a type 2 diabetic for several years without knowing it. For this reason it is important for you and your staff to know the signs and symptoms of this disease in order to accurately recognize the signs of this disease in case the client does not disclose the information.

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Popularity: 30%

Even the smallest day spa has a dry room where massages, facials, and thermal heat treatments occur. But if you want to add treatments to your menu like Vichy showers, hydrotherapy, and messier body treatments like mud or seaweed, then you will need to install a wet room. If you are planning to remodel your current spa or are designing a new spa from scratch, wet treatment rooms will be an important (and expensive) part of your design. Of course, in most cases, the decision to include a wet room would be made by the spa owner, or the spa manager/director in collaboration with the owners.

Before you make any decision regarding your spa’s wet room ask yourself some questions and create a plan of action based on the answers. How much square footage can you devote to you wet room? What treatments and services would you like to add if you had a wet room? Would you have the money and the space to have more than one wet treatment room? What equipment would you need to invest in? What is your budget? The answer to these questions will help you determine the following:

· square footage needed for the wet room

· number of wet rooms to add

· the equipment needed for each wet room to support your treatment options

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Popularity: 38%