For spa lovers around the country, day spas offer the luxury and relaxation of a more traditional high end spa retreat without the unrealistic price tags and big time commitments that retreats can entail. Day spas can offer a perfect balance of pampering and convenience, providing an escape from the daily stressors of life for busy professionals with tight schedules or stressed individuals with tight budgets. When creating your own unique day spa, you need to keep in mind all of these functions that a day spa can serve, and remember what a day spa is and isn’t. But, if you are looking for more specific guidance than that, you’ve come to the right place. Here are four features of successful day spas to keep in mind when creating your unique offering.
Location, Location, Location
Just like with starting any small business, the location of your day spa will have a huge impact on its success. But, since day spas cater to such a specific niche and must meet some very specific client needs, there are special location considerations to keep in mind when opening your spa. And, if you don’t invest time into getting this feature of your spa perfect, making sure everything else falls into place will be incredibly challenging.
For starters, you have to remember that day spas are all about convenience, and that most of your clientele will probably be somewhat established professionals who can afford to pamper themselves but still need an easily accessible spa experience. To balance these facts, look for a location in a commercial area that is near office buildings, fine dining areas, and other professional havens. Since your spa will be all about relaxation, be wary of locating in a business park that is too loud or in a space that can’t be customized and refurbished to create a relaxing environment.
A Skilled Staff
Even though your day spa won’t be able to charge the same rates as a full spa retreat, your customers will expect your staff to be highly qualified and skilled, and able to provide an unmatched service that’s worth paying for. This is why it’s incredibly important when opening your unique day spa to invest a lot of time into hiring the right staff to make your spa special.
Luckily, professional associations like the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) are happy to share tips on hiring the right spa staff, and you can rely on these types of high quality resources to point you in the right direction. The AMTA specifically points out that all of the marketing in the world won’t help you if your massage therapists aren’t skilled enough to retain clients, and if you find that a lot of your staff isn’t able to retain repeat customers, it’s probably time for some personnel changes.
Appropriate Insurance
Any time you run a business with a lot of customer contact, an appropriate insurance policy is a smart move; running a successful day spa is no exception. Without the right insurance policy, something as simple as a trip and fall from one of your clients could shut your doors, as liability claims and legal fees can became outrageously high. But, with the right customizable day spa insurance policy, you can get the coverage you need to protect against an accident that will ruin your business dreams. Look for a policy with options for general liability insurance, malpractice style insurance for your staff, and insurance for your property and off-site practices as well.
A Plan to Grow
Getting your day spa off the ground, you may be more concerned with keeping the doors open. But, as a business owner, the quicker you think about how you are going to grow rather than survive, the better. When conceptualizing a plan for growing your day spa business, you should start with considerations of your customer. What do your clients want? What has worked for you so far? How can you capitalize on these successes to sustain growth? From there, look to innovate with new services and strategies. Think about how you can incorporate technologies to advertise to a larger base, and invest in new equipment to diversify your day spa’s offerings. The right location, the right staff, and an appropriate insurance policy are all essential, but without a plan to continue growing, your spa won’t be able to succeed.
Marine Agency has been providing insurance to specialized clients since 1922, and that many years in the industry has taught us a thing or two about meeting the specific needs of small businesses. Currently, we offer world-class, customizable insurance for a wide variety of businesses, from day spas to tattoo parlors.
To learn more about how Marine Agency Insurance can help your day spa be successful with the perfect insurance policy for your needs, contact us now!
