Health and full-body wellness is no longer just a fad. These days, it’s a billion-dollar industry, with new spas popping up everywhere. What’s more is that even with so many new businesses opening, there’s never a wrong time to open shop. If you’ve always wanted to work in the luxury spa sector, now’s the time to make your dream a reality.
Have the Right Education
Wanting to own a spa isn’t the same as actually owning one. There’s a lot of behind the scenes you need to take care of every day. From working with vendors to HR, you need the right education. There are quite a few degrees you can get that’ll help you open your spa. Here’s a brief list of degrees you can get:
- Business Administration and Management
- Nutrition
- Marketing
- Health Sciences
Rather than take out a student loan, you can acquire the education you need for free by applying for a scholarship. A quick online search will bring up a variety of scholarships you can apply for.
Create a Business Plan
You also need to think about how you’re going to run your business. Even if you already know how to enjoy at-home spa days, you need to write a comprehensive business plan that includes the type of spa you want to open, your financial projections, and where you see yourself in the future. This will be important to show possible lenders if you apply for a small business loan. You also need to think about the type of clientele you want to work with. Are you looking to work with high earners only, or will you make your services affordable for everyone?
Choose a Niche
Similar to deciding on the type of clients you want; you need to think about your offerings. There are so many different types of spas you can open. You can choose to run a full-service spa offers a variety of different treatments, or you can choose to specialize in only one or two treatments that are usually performed together. It’s important to think about the area where you live as well as the lifestyle of the people you’re going to market to.
Equipment and Staffing
Every spa needs some type of equipment, as well as certified staff to operate it. That said, consider which types of equipment you’re going to need, the initial purchase price and how much it’s going to cost to maintain it. In terms of staffing, where will you find your employees? Will they require licensed to work in your spa? If so, how will you compensate them for maintaining their licensing? Although you’re not obligated to do so, most qualified spa techs want to know their ongoing education is appreciated. Once you start making a profit, you can offer tuition reimbursement.
Hours of Operation
One of the most important things to consider is when you will be open. Some spas are only open on the weekend, while others remain open seven days a week. If you plan on opening in a location with a lot of foot traffic, then being open most days is probably the right choice. If your physical location is a little off the beaten path, you might want to start with weekend-only appointments until you build your roster.