According to the International Spa Association (ISPA), nearly one quarter of Americans have visited a spa and the current trends are focusing on the needs of these educated spa consumers.

Spa-goers want lifestyle classes, such as healthy cooking, stress management, and medical health courses.

Spa-goers want stress relief in order to relax, soothe sore muscles, and to get an emotional boost.

Rather than being pampered, the typical spa-goer now wants specific results to repair injury, reduce pain, control headaches, or lose weight. Read the rest »

Popularity: 34%

A visit to the spa should be a full-sensory experience that provides the client with a relaxing and rejuvenating atmosphere that will transport them to another place physically, emotionally, and spiritually. One of the most overlooked aspects of the full-sensory spa experience is sound. Sound and music can be powerful healers, so providing the right sounds for your clients to enjoy while at the spa can make their spa experience more enjoyable than without it.

You should choose music that allows the mind to drift off, soothes the soul, and Read the rest »

Popularity: 27%

Choosing a spa management career can be both fulfilling and exciting. As with any profession, working your way up the corporate ladder brings with it more responsibility, opportunities, and a successful future.

Assistant Spa Managers are part of the team and required to do everything from helping clients at the front desk to assisting the Spa Manager with paperwork.

Spa Managers are responsible for making sure the spa runs smoothly and remains competitive. The Spa Manager must keep customers happy, staff motivated, and business flowing. Read the rest »

Popularity: 30%

Think About Offering This…

The future of the spa industry is looking very good, yet the focus is changing as client attitudes and desires change. While spas used to have a more general focus and appealed to a broader range of clients, the spas of the future are turning more towards specialization and personalization. If you’re thinking of renovating your spa’s focus, consider some of these ideas.

Small, bare treatment rooms are becoming a thing of the past. Clients want to feel like they have been taken away to a far off place rather than cooped up inside a small, cramped, uninteresting room. Try incorporating natural elements into your spa’s design and create different themes that will stimulate all five of the client’s senses.

Focus on medical treatments, illness prevention, and healthy living. While you don’t necessarily need to become a full service medical spa, you can offer treatments, programs, and products that will attract those who are interested in alternative health care options.

Target baby boomers and older age groups because they are much more likely to have extra money to spend on spa treatments and they are much more open to trying new products and treatments that are anti-aging related.

Popularity: 26%

Does Your Spa Cater to the Anti-Aging Craze? It Isn’t Just a Fad!

While many aging Americans prefer to age gracefully without the use of extreme plastic surgery methods, most still use and plan to continue using less invasive anti-aging products and services. According to a recent study conducted by Focalyst, more than 48 million consumers over the age of 42 are planning on purchasing anti-aging products within the next year and will spend approximately $4 billion in the process. This is great news for your spa’s business, particularly if you are focusing on anti-aging products and services.

This trend isn’t just limited to aging women either. According to the study, 69% of aging men between the ages of 44 and 62 want to look younger and more attractive to women and are interested in purchasing anti-aging products and getting anti-aging treatments. This is particularly true for aging single males who want to look young, stay fit, and dress well in order to remain attractive to the opposite sex.

Another important anti-aging market you should consider targeting are aging Asian-American women. The study found that Asian-American women were typically twice as likely to spend money on anti-aging products and treatments as other aging women groups were.

Popularity: 29%

For over 35 years, WTS International, one of the world’s preeminent spa and leisure firms has provided feasibility studies, design consultation, pre-opening and daily management services for spas, fitness centers, and leisure complexes worldwide.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.

Popularity: 18%

In order to make the most of your spa business, you need to come up with creative and revenue producing ways to increase you spa’s bottom line. Adjusting and tweaking your overall plan as business ebbs and flows is the best way to stay profitable throughout the year.

The most important thing for your spa is to maintain a high level of rescheduled appointments. This can be done by creating a rewards program for returning clients. However, the rewards need to be something your clients actually want, such as free services or discounts on prepaid or bundled services.

Create programs that will bring clients back week after week rather than every other month. This can be done by offering special multi-week programs that focus on weight loss, body transformation, detoxification, or wedding day preparation where clients come in once a week for 4-8 weeks in order to reach a specific goal.

You also want to staff your spa with quality personnel in order to create an atmosphere focused on customer service and client satisfaction. Offer employee incentives to keep your turnover rates low and establish performance-based incentives to keep customer service high.

Popularity: 19%

When setting up your massage treatment rooms, there are a few things you should consider in order to make it both comfortable for your clients and workable for your therapists.

The entire room should be at the very minimum 9×12 feet in size, but preferably larger. Most massage tables are approximately 3 feet wide and your therapist needs at least 3 feet of open workspace around the entire massage table.

The room should be insulated to prevent noise interruptions, painted with washable paint, and have a wood, vinyl, or cushioned floor. Hard tile, marble, or granite floors are too uncomfortable for the therapist to stand on and too cold for clients to walk on.

There should be plenty of storage space that is easily accessible for the therapist. Consider massage tables with storage space underneath or install shelves or cabinetry over the sink and underneath countertops.

Doors and sinks should have lever style handles rather than round knobs to make it easy for therapists with oily hands to turn.

Plenty of electrical outlets should be installed above countertops to provide out of the way space for electrical oil diffusers, sound systems, and other equipment.

Popularity: 22%

Saving the environment doesn’t need to happen all at once. You can start out by doing little things one day at a time at home and at work, so consider incorporating some of these great ideas for starting to convert your spa into a green spa.

• Set up a recycling station for employees and clients to place their bottles or cans in and hire a recycling service to collect all of your spa’s paper products
• Use a water cooler rather than bottled water for drinking and replace plastic cups or containers with ones made of recycled materials to minimize waste
• Upgrade your spa’s technology to a paperless system by making appointments, placing orders, and running your business all on the computer
• Buy supplies in bulk at a nearby warehouse supply store to reduce emissions and gas consumption
• Use natural or biodegradable hand soaps, laundry detergents, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper
• Replace your spa’s light bulbs and appliances with energy efficient ones. Also, turn off lights and equipment when not in use
• Use towels, sheets, robes, and uniforms made of all natural fibers and without chemicals or dyes

Popularity: 20%

Great article, reprinted from The New York Times

April 6, 2006

Does the Quick-Fix Oxygen Facial Really Work?

By NATASHA SINGER

EVIE EVANGELOU, a spa publicist and consultant in New York City, has scoured the world for new and unusual beauty regimens to lure clients to Now, a spa that is scheduled to open on Madison Avenue in May. Last week Ms. Evangelou discovered a treatment courtesy of Madonna that she says could be the next big thing: the hyperbaric oxygen facial. Madonna has recommended it on her Web site and in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.

The facial involves a machine that sprays atomized moisturizers onto the skin using a stream of pressurized oxygen. The treatment is supposed to hydrate skin immediately, making the face appear smoother and plumper.

“So many celebrities are doing the treatment because it temporarily diminishes all the tiny imperfections that would otherwise be visible on high-definition TV,” said Michelle Peck, a masseuse from Los Angeles. Ms. Peck is referred to as Madonna’s personal oxygen treatment facialist on the Web site madonna.com. She came to Manhattan last week to demonstrate the facial on Ms. Evangelou and other spa managers, a trip sponsored by the maker of the oxygen compressor used in the facials.

Read the rest »

Popularity: 18%