Stress, busy workdays, and even a challenging life can leave most people wanting some time for pampering and relaxation. This may be the reason behind the ever-growing industry of beauty and wellness, and perhaps, your dream of opening your very own beauty and wellness business as well.
You’ve selected a good location, designed the place to your liking, and come up with a name that reflects your goals and values as a company. So, what’s next?
While you’re close to bringing your dream to life, there remain several things you need before you can schedule your grand opening day. In this article, you will discover four essential things you require when launching a beauty and wellness business.
1. An Effective Marketing Strategy
Besides a memorable and impactful brand design, you also need to develop an effective marketing strategy.
Planning how you will market your company should be done way before you start business operations. When doing so, you must create a sense of excitement around your brand to draw potential clients in.
In this department, you can try different channels for spreading the word about your beauty and wellness business. Below are some examples:
- Social media promotion, particularly in image-focused platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook
- Printed flyer distribution announcing the grand opening of the business
- Network extension during local charity events, women’s group gatherings, and other women-centric and beauty-focused organizations
- Promotion in a local television network, advertising your grand opening
- Digital marketing, complete with websites that showcase available services and products (if any)
- Grand opening discount coupons and special packages
2. Complete Equipment and Supplies
Depending on the type of beauty and wellness establishment you’re about to launch, you also need to have a complete set of beauty aesthetic equipment before you commence business operations.
Administrative equipment
Administrative equipment is used to manage day-to-day operations of a spa, salon, or any other beauty and wellness business. The most basic items you would need under this category include:
- POS system – A point-of-sale system must be set up to optimize sales monitoring and client appointment scheduling.
- Phones, computers, and scheduling software – These are crucial for the productivity of a salon or spa receptionist.
Hair Care Equipment
If you’re planning to open a salon, you may need specific equipment according to the services you offer. This includes:
- Shampoo bowls – Remember to set a budget for each of your stylists for a given shift (the ideal is three). Search for bowls with adaptable chairs that can be adjusted based on different customer body types. Go for those with rubber lips to reduce neck strain and ensure client comfort.
- Dryers – Besides handheld dryers, you should also consider having hood dryers to optimize your salon service. These are also ideal for heat-set hairstyles and coloring jobs for more reliable and consistent results.
- Salon station – No beauty establishment is complete without mirrors and salon chairs. Consider buying chairs with footrests built into them for better comfort for clients. The height must be adjustable as well to support the versatility of your stylists. When in doubt, ask your stylists for input on what they prefer to use at work.
- Supply carts – These rolling carts do wonders for mobility and organization in the salon. Supply each of your stylists their own cart to ensure that they have everything they need when they need it. Consider those with heavy-duty caster wheels that can withstand frequent use, as well as carts made with pull-out drawers for ease of access.
- Professional styling supplies – There is a long list of important salon supplies you would need, so ask the stylists for help if you’re not sure. Some of the most basic ones include razors, scissors, electric styling tools, haircutting capes, towels, spray bottles, combs, brushes, hair coloring instruments, and hand mirrors.
Spa Equipment and Supplies
If you’re going for both beauty and wellness, you also need to have spa equipment ready. Most salons and spas offer nail care services. For these, you would need:
- Pedicure chairs
- Manicure stations
- Sanitation stations
- Nail drying lamps
- Manicure and pedicure supplies
For massages, facials, and other spa services, you should have the following:
- Facial steamer
- Facial vacuum or spray machine
- Magnifying lamp
- Facial chair
- Massage table
- Rotary brush machine
Depending on your business plan, you may also need to buy equipment and supplies for specialized services like Ultherapy, electrolysis, hair removal, aromatherapy, exfoliation, seaweed baths, and dry and moist heat massages.
3. Certified Personnel
Besides equipment and marketing, a beauty and wellness business thrives because of great customer service.
While you can supplement profit by selling beauty products on the side, your focus should be on how well your personnel can perform their duties and please your clients. This means they should be well-trained, highly motivated, and certified in the field to be able to deliver the quality of service you intend to provide.
With that said, you must complete the following before officially welcoming customers to your establishment:
- Employee certificates and licenses, especially for stylists and masseurs
- Signed and legally filed employee contracts
- Employee training on exceptional hygiene, customer service, and work safety
- Workshops to supplement employee knowledge on products and services you offer
- Company policies and guidelines carefully read and signed off by the staff
- Employee schedule posted in the staff area and accessible to all employees
- A reliable employee management system to keep employee records
4. A Well-Thought-Out Business Plan
As with any business, you need to have a well-thought-out business plan in place prior to the beginning of your business operations. This can help turn your business venture into a profitable investment.
Using an analysis of the customer demographic, you can write a business plan that charts your intended course in the industry. This can also be a useful tool when applying for business loans and convincing investors to trust your business.
Among the information you should include in your business plan are:
- A concise business description
- A briefer on the services you plan to offer
- Market strategies based on a demographic analysis of the market
- Competitor analysis and your intended brand positioning
- Operations and management plan
- Financial information covering assets, startup capital needs, income and expense and projections, and repayment plan
- A personnel management plan
Succeed in the Beauty and Wellness Business
In this highly digital age, people have become more conscious about how they look and feel. This explains why the beauty and wellness industry continues to thrive and is expected to do so in the years to come. Make your mark in this sector by completing the essentials on this list.
AUTHOR BIO
Elias Chabtini is the Founder and CEO of Medica Group, a leader in providing complete beauty solutions for medical aesthetic clinics, dentists and beauty aesthetic centers, setting high standards and providing high-quality products. Chabtini is renowned for his international leadership and expertise in non-invasive cosmetic surgery, and his 20 years of experience and consumer-centered practices have placed him as one of the 100 Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East by ArabianBusiness.com.