Despite December’s snowy weather, I recently had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of professional skin care supplier, Repêchage, in Secaucus, New Jersey, for its annual Network Power Lunch—Champagne Brunch. Although gray and wintry on the outside, once I set foot inside the marine-inspired interior, I was greeted by the smiling faces of the Repêchage team, as well as an excited group of spa owners eager to learn from the amazing speakers in the lineup for the day. I had the opportunity to sit next to Lisa Dominguez, co-owner of Oasys Day Spa in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, who attends the event every year and makes it a point to invest in her continuing education. I also lunched with Christine Sensenig, an attorney and one of the day’s speakers, who discussed the importance of staying compliant with employment law in order to avoid having your business shut down and fined. With her buoyant personality and sense of humor, Sensenig explained the importance of having all employees fill out the new I-9 form that was released in May of 2012, among other points.
Another featured speaker at the event, Lois Christie, CEO of New York’s Christie & Co. Salon & Spa, kicked off the day with a talk about the importance of spas “taking back” services they’ve given away, including waxing, nails and retail. She emphasized that, in order to persevere in this highly competitive industry, spas need to consider bringing certain money-making services they “gave away” in the past back under their roofs. In order for spas to succeed, she believes they need to consider the following.
- Convenience for clients
- Online booking
- Express services
- Luxury atmosphere
- Wi-Fi-friendly location
- Social networking
- Community involvement
- Partnering with manufacturers
How many of these details do you incorporate? Although some may not fit in with your brand, most of these are so important to cater to today’s clients and keep your business thriving. Consider this list carefully and also think about any services that you may be able to “take back” in order to increase your profits. Although it’s important to remember that you can’t be all things to all people, it may be time to consider widening your scope a bit in order to let in more revenue and increase your opportunities to package complimentary treatments.
Being open and flexible are the keys to current and future success! The day of education came to a close with a presentation by the company’s CEO, Lydia Sarfati, about the importance of upgrading. As the bubbles from the champagne at the lunch diminished, the effervescence and enthusiasm of the attendees from investing in a day of education were brought with them as the returned to their teams and their businesses.
Until next month,
Cathy Christensen
Editor
