by Mara Shorr, B.S., CAC II-XII and Jay A. Shorr, B.A., MBM-C, CAC I-XII   First and foremost, with this article, we want to make one thing clear: this article is not about bashing the abilities or capabilities of one gender over the other when it comes to the cosmetic and aesthetic industry. We know that both genders provide stellar services to clients and are proud of that fact. However, for the focus of this article, we want to assist spas, medical spas, and aesthetic and cosmetic practices on overcoming any discomfort that female clients may have with a male professional. Read More

Almost everyone has experienced bad service: when they walk into a business, there appears to be no purpose to the chaos. It takes 10 minutes before anyone pays attention or acknowledges them and once the staff does acknowledge them, they are busy apologizing and explaining what should have happened when the guest arrived. This explanation, however, does not accomplish anything – the guest has already decided they will never be back again. This experience is one the guest can never get back. They tell themselves they will spend their money somewhere else. They cannot wait to tell someone about their bad experience. Sound familiar? Read More

Running a successful spa can be incredibly rewarding and profitable, but skin care professionals will need to be prepared to work hard. Professionals will also need to have basic business skills, be quick on their feet, and able to solve curve balls that are thrown at them. Most importantly, keep things as simple as possible and specific to areas of knowledge: there is no need to overcomplicate things. Try to keep tabs on industry trends and technology and be on the lookout for new opportunities to increase retail sales. To be successful, it is important to be passionate! Read More

Most spa owners or managers wish for more time in their day; from checking-in clients and inventory checks to client follow-ups and marketing efforts, there is more than enough work to keep them busy from morning until night. Fortunately, technology for the aesthetics industry continues to evolve and, today, there are a host of smart technologies designed specifically for the spa. Spa owners should take advantage of the numerous ways technology can help them automate many of the mundane, yet necessary, tasks that consume their time and add much-needed hours back into their day. Read More

The client intake form is one of the most important documents clients will fill out while at the spa. Creating the ideal intake form that is tailored to the spa's unique treatments and products takes some thought. The key is not only in the client contact information, which is incredibly important, but also in customizing the form to gather the critical information that relates to what services the spa offers. For example, a massage intake form may look a little different than a facial intake form and an intake form for a cosmetic injection may look different from a cosmetic laser intake form. For businesses like a medical spa, all of the treatments above would have specific questions related to each specific treatment on one intake form. Read More

Great customer service is the cornerstone of any business – keeping clients happy with their services and overall brand will keep them coming back. Customer service now goes well beyond talking to the front desk staff, calling the customer care line, or even sending an e-mail. Customer service lives on social media, which makes it a very visible part of the business' brand. Read More