Social media has become highly prevalent with this generation. To implement and make a difference to your business’ revenue, expansion in reach and the impact of brand is dependent on how social media is used as part of the marketing mix. Read More

What do you think of when you hear the word Groupon? Do you cringe or ask questions? One of my colleagues had a horrified look on her face as I began to explain Internet marketing to her. She exploded, "Groupon? Working for nothing for months?" "There are benefits," I said sheepishly. She groaned and the conversation hit an uncomfortable stop. Read More

How do you market your business in your community? Having your own business/being an entrepreneur can be a very challenging job. You are required to sell yourself and your products, yet nobody really wants to be sold. So, how can you thrive with your business in your community? Here are some simple steps to help you reach your goals. Read More

Spa and salon experts agree: Retailing is critical to success and expertise in this area is often the missing X-factor. Developing retailing skills consists of several parts, the most essential of these being the brands which are represented in your skin care center, salon, or spa. Does the skin care brand you are carrying truly represent your company’s vision at its most inspiring? Hopefully the answer is yes! Read More

Marketing and advertising is a necessary evil to bring prospective clients to your facility, with an approximate cost of $400 to bring a new aesthetic client through your doors. With all the money you are spending on your website, newspaper, television and radio advertising, sponsored social media posts, and more, it is important to realize building, not to mention keeping, that relationship is even more important.Have you ever heard of a conversion cascade? Simply put, it is the term used to detail the steps a client takes from the time they first learn about your business. Knowing about the conversion cascade is one thing; knowing how to use it effectively is another. Read More

The spa industry is an ever-changing entity. The International Spa Association reports estimates that there were 160 million spa visits in 2012 and reports year-end revenue of $14 billion. A large percentage of that revenue is due to increasing interest in rejuvenating treatments. There are various rejuvenating treatment modalities available for use by aestheticians. In fact, there are so many options that aestheticians may have difficulty discerning which modalities are right for their spa. For example, aestheticians working in the office of a plastic surgeon or dermatologist are primarily concerned with healing tissue. Other aestheticians may focus on anti-aging. No matter the focus, it is critical that aestheticians and spa owners decide which modalities will be a good fit before investing in expensive equipment. Read More

Who is your target market? Moms and daughters? Business workers on a lunch break? Athletic club members? Everyone in your community? Think broadly about your market. How can you expand it and keep current clients coming back? Education. Regardless of whether you are treating men, women, teenagers or seniors, when you educate, you earn your customer’s loyalty and bottom lines are boosted. A loyal clientele offsets the high costs of constantly acquiring new clients. This will help you salon or spa to be profitable, to make real differences, and to avoid being a one-time experience. Read More

Successfully running and operating a small business in today’s dynamic world of beauty brands and outlets is no simple feat. Salon owners are tasked with doing it all. Running the day-to-day operations, dealing with staffing issues like turnover, marketing the business, and staying ahead of the latest technologies/techniques to keep your customers looking and feeling their best can be hectic. As a successful salon owner and product manufacturer who has experienced my fair share of ups and downs through consistent fast paced growth, I have learned a lot along the way that might help others navigate the choppy waters ahead on the road to success. My hope is that these tips will help fuel and energize growth for some small business owners, while helping others sustain the success they have already achieved. Read More

Marketing is a term that is thrown around all the time in seminars, lectures, trade magazines, and online advertisements. We all know we need it; we all know it works, but what does it really consist of and how does it differ from advertising? I like to think of “marketing” as a verb or action and “advertising” as a noun with no action. When you place an advertisement, you send off your beautiful image and then sit and wait for a response from clients, hoping they will be banging down the door. In marketing, you go out, engage with your clients, create a relationship, and make them want to come in and buy your product or service. To put it simply, marketing is a lot of work and action, but the results can be astounding and you will reap the rewards long after an advertisement is thrown into the garbage or used as birdcage lining! Read More

When it comes to buying products, think strategically. I bring a new product onboard when I find a hole in my arsenal or when I need particular ingredients to deliver the results for which my clients are looking. My choices are often driven by client or technician request. It is important to maintain a product inventory that works synergistically. Start with an organized strategy, so that when bringing on new products a surplus of unnecessary items is not created. I often find that aestheticians purchase on impulse, or based on their own tastes, rather than on a coherent buying strategy for their spa. I once made the mistake of buying a line of bath and body care items because it had a beautiful look and feel. Read More