Programs & Courses at Institute of Spa Management

Thank you for your interest in studying with ISM!

study books Brief course outlines are included on this page for you to gain a better understanding of the study opportunities available at ISM. This is your chance to learn how YOU can become part of the exciting and booming spa industry. Whether you are already employed in the spa industry and looking for an educational foundation to further your career, you are thinking of opening your own spa or you are a spa or hotel looking for training for your employees, we have courses that meet your needs.

If you would like to receive a comprehensive overview of an ISM program or course
Click here to INSTANTLY DOWNLOAD COURSE OUTLINE & TUITION GUIDE.

ISM FULL PROGRAMS:

Spa Management: An all-inclusive adult educational training program, equivalent to college level courses in depth and coverage. Covers all aspects of spa management including but not limited to facility management, spa services and pricing management, client services, human resources, retail sales, marketing and promotions, public relations, revenue benchmarking, financial management, front office management and extensive business operations. This program is suitable for anyone wanting to become a spa manager or director; or for those already in a supervisory or management position but would like to solidify their career with cutting edge education in the industry. If you would like to judge the quality of our learning materials, a few brief excerpts from modules can be found in the ISM blog

Spa Ownership – Starting a Day Spa: This program is an optional continuation of the Spa Management Program (above). Once a student completes the SMP, they may elect to continue on to complete the Spa Ownership Program which consists of 2 extensive modules, highly targeted to business ownership. Add on Module 1: Operations for Spa Owners - advanced finances, business incorporation, taxation, small business funding and loans, business plan development, and financial growth management. Add on Module 2: Facility Management for Spa Owners - in-depth facility design, spa equipment and inventory, retail and private label set up, legal issues and compliance. We current offer TWO versions of the Spa Ownership Add-On Program - one for United States based spa owners and one for Canadian based spa owners. In future, our plans are to offer this complementary program for other countries around the globe.

NEW FULL PROGRAMS COMING IN 2009 (currently in development):

Front Desk Spa Management: Reservations, Retail and Front Desk Supervision (Winter 2009)
Spa Ownership - Starting a Day Spa UNITED KINGDOM: Our popular day spa ownership program tailored to UK laws and regulations (Summer 2009)
More new programs to be announced...

ISM INDIVIDUAL COURSES:

Customer Service Training for Spa Managers: An intensive training course designed to provide spa managers with skills and tools necessary to manage a spa through excellent customer service. Upon completion of this course, you will have an in depth understanding of how client/spa relationships work, what it takes to keep customers happy and loyal and how to train your spa staff to excel in all aspects of client management and customer service. This course is appropriate for spa managers, supervisors and private spa owners.

Conflict Management for Spa Personnel: Effective training to deal with spa clients and staff that increases revenues and improves client loyalty. One of the toughest parts of any spa employee’s job is dealing with daily conflicts between clients and employees and internally between staff members. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to practice and implement proven and effective ways to turn negative situations into positive experiences through progressive conflict management. This course is appropriate for spa managers, spa owners, and any spa employee anyone working with clients on a continual basis in a day or destination spa.

Exceptional Front Desk Operations in a Spa Setting: First impressions are critical and front desk management is essential to a successful spa. Upon completion of this course, you will be trained to operate a front desk operation with expertise including staffing, scheduling, technology and reservations software, reception skills, client satisfaction departure interview techniques, and product selling at checkout. This course is appropriate for spa managers, spa owners, and anyone working at the front line of a day or destination spa.(Course is being phased out in 2008 and will become part of the full Front Desk Spa Management Program coming in 2009)

Human Resources for the Spa Industry: Finding, compensating and holding onto best of breed staff in the spa industry. Learn the best practices of the trade. This course covers staffing issues for day and destination spa situations including hiring, behavioral interview techniques, various compensation options, employee contracts, legal issues surrounding HR in a spa setting, creating a learning organization, training and mentoring and more. This course is appropriate for spa managers and spa owners who are responsible for hiring, payroll and supervision of spa staff.

3 Pillars of Spa Management: All programs and courses offered by the Institute of Spa Management are based on our trademark pillars of spa management: SPA: Specialization, Personalization and Adaptation. Exclusive to ISM, learn about the critical pillars to spa success. This is an essential course that every spa manager should take part in, to best serve clients, confidently lead staff and to ensure business success in the highly competitive spa industry. This course is appropriate for spa managers, spa owners, and any spa employee who wants to learn the fundamentals of successful spa operations. (Course is being phased out in 2008)

Spa Industry 101: If you have seriously considering a career in the spa industry, Spa Industry 101 is a great place to start your research. Study includes: History of the Spa Industry, Trends and Industry Changes: Past, Present and Future, and The Role of the Spa Manager in Today’s Spa, to name a few. This course is appropriate for anyone wanting to break into a career within the spa industry. The background information learned will become invaluable. (Course is being phased out in 2008)

We are always adding new individual courses to our study roster. Check back again soon or contact us with suggestions. We may be able to help!

If you want to receive a comprehensive overview of an ISM program or course, click here to INSTANTLY DOWNLOAD A COURSE OUTLINE & TUITION GUIDE (payment plans included)