Today we just want to launch our next inpirational video and share some words from our Managing Director Annika Jackson. Enjoy!
Ps. We have few places left for the Spa Management Program Nov 17th!
Email your interest to: smc@rdespas.com
News from the spa world
Talking to one of the On-line Spa Management students
There are hundreds of spa managers around the world who has deepened their knowledge and business-know-how through our Spa Management Education. Years ago our Spa Management Course was a class-room course, but a couple of years ago we launched it on-line and what a success! We could immediately notice the need for this type of education, based on the many applications. Many of the spa managers who join our course are located in remote places and have difficulties finding time and possibilities to leave work for courses in other parts of the world, so distance-studies are a great solution. One, who has recently participated in the on-line course is Candra Pertiwi, Assistant Spa Manager at the Six Senses Spa in Oman. Candra and I met many years ago in the Maldives, both of us working at Soneva Fushi at that time. Candra was one of the top therapists, always with a big smile and a lot of energy. It has been great to see her taking the next steps in her carrier. Recently I took the chance to have a chat with her about how she found the On-line Spa Management Course. If you are curious about a student’s thoughts about the course, continue to read the interview with her.
What was the most important thing you learnt in the course? I found all the subjects very important and all of them were connected and related to each other. For me the knowledge of marketing was essential and I apply it in to our daily routine in the spa operation. Among all the things I have learnt in the course I would say the most important thing is the actual business plan, as it summarizes the whole course and is a clear road map for a spa.
In what way have you applied the course into your daily business in the spa? I started with writing down all the things that I can improve in my role. For example after studying the part; Human Capital Management I now have a better understanding how to communicate with different people. To have successful communication it is necessary to approach different people in different ways, so today I really try to approach my colleagues and staff in different ways and by this we work more smoothly and in a more efficient way. Things get done!
Any advice you can give to our new students, when it comes to the on-line course? Ensure you study one subject at a time, and complete the task for each theme before moving on to the next subject, follow the study plan and stay focused.
Why would you recommend the course, what is the main advantage, as you see it? I found the online training very useful and it is very informative. It was easy to understand, both the written material and the lectures. It was also great that I could watch the videos and lectures again and again. The management team of the course is also very supportive I could ask many questions throughout the course. I recommend the course to anyone who wants to become a great leader and a great spa manager. It is definitely worth it!
Did you work as a spa manager while participating in the course? Was it difficult for you to find time for the studies? I’m working as an Assistant Spa Manager and the course is important for my future so I can take the next step and become a spa manager. Of course it was sometimes a bit challenging to find enough time for studies, as I am a mother with a full time job, but I like to work early in the mornings, when my head and my thoughts still are clear and the surroundings are silent and peaceful. It’s possible; you just have to plan it!
Thank you so much Candra and good luck with your future career!
Are you already a Spa Manager? We are curious to get to know you and your thoughts about training! What do you find essential and most important for a spa manager education? Or do you have any questions regarding our on-line course, please send us a comment below or send us an email directly. smc@raisondetrespas.com
We look forward hearing from you!
For more information regarding applications and course dates:
http://www.raisondetrespas.com/spa-management-online-course/
The”Non-Selection” Trend
Today the market has a wide selection of services and products since and many companies sales strategy is: pick yourself. Your daily routines includes a never ending amount of choices, everything from choosing what kind of coffee to buy; to what kind of milk to what kind of cup.
Even if almost all people find the wide selection as something positive this is becoming a stress factor in the modern society. Instead of freedom of choice it becomes a loss of time. Even if you save 20 Euros when selecting mobile operator you feel the loss of the several hours you spent on making your decision. And when your choice is made, you still compare with your neighbor to find out if you made the right one and often you get disappointed anyway.
Many people find it time-consuming and tiresome to collect all info needed to make a wise decision. What happens is that we just pick something and not really base our choice on anything particular other than our guts. Daniel Kahneman describes this in “Thinking, fast and slow” as your automatic thinking (System 1) that makes you act fast but sometimes foolish. He describes our intelligence as not suited for the modern life full of selection and this unfortunately leads to many mistakes and unwise decisions based on intuition.
But something is happening! The “non-selection” is starting to becom e a trend and since a couple of years ago services have shown up that helps you with your decision. Personal shoppers (not only for fashion, now also for food), all-inclusive hotels, sites such as Price runner is a respond to this phenomena. People want someone else to make their choices. But if the services offering “non-selection” just increases then the questions remains: who do we pick to choose for us? When do we still value the freedom of choice?
/Josefin
Skin supplies for the spring season
Even though there are some (but not many) advantages of cold weather; for your skin it is torture. Harsh winter winds and dry, hot indoor climate often leaves your skin dehydrated, fed-up, pale and stressed out.
Now when spring has finally arrived to Stockholm and the humid springtime air calls for a change in your beauty regimen! It is time to boost, freshen up and prepare your skin for the summer season. What do we then need to think about? At winter time we normally use heavier moisturizers to compensate for the lack of humidity in the air but as spring arrives many of us can switch to a lighter cream, preferably one with sunscreen already included. The SPF protection should be high if you use a thin layer of your cream (as many of us do) since the thinner you put on the lower the SPF. Start to rejuvenate your flaky skin with a gentle exfoliator to get rid of the dead skin and give your dull face new life. A good eye cream that cools down and reduces puffiness around eyes is also a good investment in allergy-seasons like spring.
I would recommend you to book a facial to get help to remove the toxins that are embedded in the pores and allow fresh oxygen to circulate in the skin. If you seldom treat yourself with facial treatments, this is the perfect time of year to book one. An eyebrow and eyelash tint is also o great investment this season to cut down some makeup and enhance your natural beauty.
Make sure to get rid of old products that have past the expiration date, looks/ smells odd or products that appear dry and crusty. Clean all makeup tools thoroughly.
I thought I would share my highlights on products tested last month that have helped me this spring:
1. Patyka – Repair Face Cream
This light, fresh and fast absorbing face cream repairs skin and gives a fresh and soft result lasting the whole day. Love it.
2. Dr Burgener – Green Caviar Crème
This is just a fabulous, fabulous, perfect cream to use both day and night. Feels light once applying but is rich in its formula and gives me that perfect surface. Works all by itself and that is rare for a serum/boost/oil lover like me…
3. Subtle Energies – Facial blend
Charming scent, exclusive texture and glowing result is what you get from this tiny oil bottle!
4. Organic Pharmacy – Self Tan
I have mentioned this one before, but it is just the best self tan exsisting. And it is pure and organic.
5. Jurlique – Herbal Recovery Gel
This product is my true skin savior in all times. It is a pure moist gel that repairs, moisturizes and restores my skin, whatever products or climate that might have made damaged to the skin. Perfect for spring and for skin like mine who sometimes gets sensitive.
Happy spring!
/Josefin
Spa Management Education
We are happy to announce that our next Spa Mangement Online Course starts already June 3rd, because of high interest this year and many that cannot wait until next one in September! Anna recently shared her spa management knowledge and thoughts about online education on spastaff.com, you can read her blog post below:
“A fundamental challenge facing Spa business is the lack of people with the right skills to fill management level positions.” Anna Bjurstam writes:
The driving force behind any spa’s success is the Spa Manager/Director; the captain of the ship – his or her way of leading the business will make or break the spa. An expert knowledge of spa and wellness and strong people skills is not enough for a leading spa manager, who also needs to be on top of operations fundamentals, customer service and be an excellent manager, administrator, able to act on performance statistics, (KPIs), and ultimately, possess the wisdom and confidence to lead the team through the inevitable ups and downs. The key shortcomings of most aspiring Spa Managers – according to a recent survey – are hard business skills such as strategic planning, spa finance, revenue management and marketing. So in order to stand out in today’s tough, competitive job market, education is paramount…
Three typical sources of spa managers:
1. Hiring someone from outside the spa business
Since most spas believe that on-the-job learning and mentoring are still the most important ways for spa managers/directors to gain their skills, this is the challenge with hiring someone with the right education but yet outside the spa business.
2. Recruiting a spa management graduate from university or college
There are approximately 64 spa management-related degree programs available in universities, colleges, and schools around the world. Most of these programs are still new and have very little recognition among the spa industry and are as not as well-connected as they need to be. These courses are usually taken prior to entering the workforce.
Managers/directors who come into their jobs directly out of a university/college degree program or out of a non-spa job do not come equipped with a deep, first hand understanding of the spa world and its intricacies. So while these managers/directors may be strong on hard skills like management, finance and marketing, they are often weak on the soft skills (such as understanding of the detail of spa operations) and people skills needed to manage the therapists and clients in the spa.
3. Promoting existing spa employees into management positions
Providers of continuing education services are also new, fragmented, and constantly evolving, and there is no one “proven” model for effectively delivering training to employees already in the workforce to equip them for senior positions.
Promoting existing spa employees into management roles also has its pros and cons. There are at least 41 providers of spa management continuing education globally. Most are private companies (offering short courses, workshops), but some are schools/universities offering longer professional certificate programs. The challenge with these is that there is still not any well-defined educational or career pathway for entering spa management or worldwide spa management accreditation. Many spa industry executives believe promoting from within is a very successful and desirable model for sourcing managers because people who have already worked in the spa have a deep, first hand understanding of that spa’s culture and operational structure. They can bring that knowledge to their management role, and for this purpose shorter spa management courses are ideal. On the other hand, for a person without spa experience seeking a management position, a shorter course is unlikely to be adequate.
What about online education?
Online education is increasing fast and is clearly the future in education. While you lose personal contact and the discipline of someone else telling you exactly what to do, what you gain is time, flexibility, support whenever you need it and the chance to study the way that suits you.
Raison d’Etre has worked with more than 100 spas in 60 different countries, created eight of the world’s best known spa brands and educated over 150 spa managers in the past 8 years. Our bespoke spa training has strongly contributed to making each of our spas profitable and sustainable. One of the company’s core values is to “Grow People” and our commitment to this and to meeting the needs of the spa industry has led to the creation of an online and easily accessible spa management education programme. Our mission is to share our spa management knowledge and contribute skills that will make the spa management market stronger by helping to solve the problem of under-educated spa managers.
The center of the Raison d’Etre Spa Management Online Course is reality based training, built on the solid operational experience of the senior industry experts who have created this course. Market orientation is crucial and so the course is updated every year following global spa management research. We teach all the key steps to success in spa management and provide the best tools, ideas and strategies for the student’s future spa while developing their own confidence and leadership skills. The students leave with a customized and successful business plan for their own spa.
This is only one of the courses on the market and there will be many more in the future as the spa and wellness industry grows. Along the way, the Global Spa & Wellness Spa Management committee will continue their work in improving the spa management workforce system.
Anna Bjurstam
Board member, Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Committee member, Spa Management Education committee
Vice President, Six Senses Spas
Owner, Raison d’Etre
Resources:
2012 Research Report: “Spa Management Workforce and education: Addressing Market Gaps
ITB Wellness forum 2013
A few words from Annika Jackon about ITB Wellness forum
A big thank you to Michael Altewischer with Wellness Hotels & Resorts who with his team did am amazing job setting up this venue as a great extension to the very big ITB Berlin Convention, where the who is who in travel all were this past week.
What great fun and how inspiring it was to spend a few days with esteemed colleagues and having the opportunity to network, while hopefully contributing our own unique experience from Raison d’Etre.
While I personally presented on the subject of; General Criteria for Spa and Wellness Hotels – Essentials and operating requirements for planning spa areas and the differences between Europe, Asia & the USA.
It was also fantastic to have the opportunity to listen to the other speakers such as Dagmar Rizzato with Rizzato Spa Consulting, presenting very useful benchmarks for the spa industry together with Kohl & Partner.
I also found Dr. Franz Linser’s presentation very fun and inspiring and gave us all something to think about when it comes to multitasking and stress, what great energy!
Susie Ellis, President, Spa Finder Wellness Inc., CEO, Global Spa and Wellness Summit, was there to present the overview of the latest findings from SRI International and a glimpse into some of the most important future spa and wellness trends. (Picture: Susie Ellis presentening spa trends)
The day concluded with Antonino Minneci, Marketing Consultant with Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung, GfK presentation of Findings, information and insights into the latest developments and guests’ expectations in 2013.
Wellness as a lifestyle and marketplace is expanding with no sign of slowing down.
We all gained valuable insights into the differences by region, conceptually, facility wise and operationally.
A few excerpts in regards to the Market places of Europe, Asia and the US:
Some examples of spas, that was discussed, having shown to be examples of great sustainable concepts and that have gained great reputations. However, that is not necessarily the same as turning a profit for its owners or investors. More often than one would think, spa’s that are well known and/ or receive great press and accolades are not necessarily profitable. Especially challenging is the Destination Spa Concept.
Operating a spa has different advantages in different regions when it comes to for example staffing. A challenge in some regions may be the significant labor laws and high staffing costs, long vacations etc. While in other areas it is difficult to operate with local staff and maintain a high service level and quality of treatments.
In order for a spa to be successful in any of the three regions, the spa has to prove why the guest should come to the spa. Or why a guest should pay more to go to your spa compared to the spa or resort down the road. Typically across the board we can see that menus not tailored to the target guests, too long menus and to sterile design are three great ways to fail.
No matter how much we all would like to think we are all in this to bring health, wellbeing and balance to the people in the world, (which we certainly are) it all does in the end come down to one thing: Is the Spa and Wellness center sustainable? I.E what is the bottom line for the owner’s and investors? Can it continue to prosper year after year?
This is where we come in: Overhead is important to consider. Have a smart layout before the facility has been built, design for optimal flow with the minimum for overhead, such as guest service staff.
In conclusions: You cannot cook European, Asian or American food with the same ingredients, for spas the facilities you build, will have similar features, however, they will differ in myriads of ways. Tailor your spa and wellness center to the people you serve.
The most important factor to take into consideration is not WHERE your spa is located but WHO will come.
Understanding your target market, communicating to them through a clear concept, will ultimately decide your design.
More information:
// Annika Jackson
How do we choose the right Spa Software? Part 2
To have the right software system in your spa that meet your requirements is one of the most important features, for a smooth running spa operation. Part 1 of this post did tell you what to think about when choosing system and some important tips. Part 2 will let you know what is out on the market today. So, what can we expect from a spa software system today? A lot!
Appointment books/reservations – “Access from anywhere, anytime”
Reach your system from anywhere on computers/smartphones, and make even your staff able to book treatments wherever they are (and to get updated on their schedule.) Access your waiting list and it will let you know when appointments get available, register your turn aways easy, make group bookings in a click and connect the recommendations of the reservation to the guest history. You should expect the system to be able to send out a booking confirmation, an appointment reminder and “thank you for your visit” message in preferred contact way (email or text message) in preferred language (setups can be made.) The system should also be able to handle pricing and yield management.
Online booking – “Book me now or loose me forever”
Online booking has become crucial for spas, just as all other businesses. Make sure to have an easy, functional booking procedure where the customer (if preferred) can log in and see their previous history and therapists. Also make sure you can control the web booking with choosing what times are available to book, what preferences the guest can make etc. If there are no available times when the guest search for a day and timeframe, they should get an alternative of treatment for that given time so you do not lose the customer. Upsell with add ons, extra product alternatives or additional treatment match afterwards is also possible to work with online.
You should be able to setup an online shop with retail and gift certificates if wanted. Today even Facebook booking is available from some vendors!
Packages “ At a click of a button”
Packages are fantastic – if they work. Expect them to be easy to setup, book, split, change and… PAY!
Scheduling
Need a tool to help you schedule the right amount of therapist the right time, the right day? A dashboard can help you and will let you setup if you want to compare to previous month, last summer months or the last three years in total. You can also include previous statistics on turn aways, if wanted.
Daily goals – “Easy for staff, every day”
You should be able to find a way in the system to easy work with goals, preferably on the schedule book for each day/month etc. Maybe therapist occupancy % or number of treatments booked/day, either way you would like your staff to see this information clearly attached by the appointments or schedule. You should also be able to use staff profiles with annual goals, follow up plans and commission reports!
Guest profiles and history – “Always be one step ahead.”
Make sure that you know your guest; for every time she visit you know something more about her that you can use to enhance her next visit. Expect your system to save all purchase history for activities (with resources), retail, correspondence and marketing offers sent. There should be a system for notes written in the right place that pops up at the right time. Preferably there is a separate tool for health forms which the guest can fill in electronically and be saved in guest history.
Memberships “Customized for every member”
You can expect a system to manage following for you: Member registration, statistics, billing periods, member discounts automatically setup, payment account setup (with electronically signing on invoices), print contracts, lockers/belongings attached, included treatments/activities, freeze periods/bonus periods that updates expiry, member applications for smartphones.
Point of Sale
POS should be easy to use, easy to make changes and should be integrated with your inventory/retail and guest history. Two smaller but very important tips: make sure you are able to move paid bookings and split tip between therapists!
Reports – “Customized”
If you are not satisfied with the standard reports, the system should be able to customize and deliver the report you need to simplify and save time. From some systems it is even possible to get statistics from the interface with the hotel system into the same report as the spa statistics, to show capture ratio for example.
Remember that it always should be possible to convert all reports to Microsoft Office or similar
Marketing tools – “Let the system sell your business”
If your system includes a detailed guest profile and history sector (it should) then you have lots of information that could easily become tools for marketing and contacting the right guests. Let’s say you wish to boost sales for facial products during summer and want to make a special offer for previous guests. You can then easy pick from the marketing tool: External guests that visited us last summer, bought a facial and purchased at least one facial product. Just by a click you can create your offer/email with a “book now” button (or insert the marketing material) and send by email or textmessage. Simple? Yes! Does not stop there, you will also be able to see who opened the offer and who booked it. This tool could be great to use for segment the members club when you want to reach the right members, or just for your monthly newsletter etc. This tool should also help you communicate on social media, apps and so on.
Gift certificates – “Boost your sales”
Sell tailor-made gift certificates with different templates directly from your system (setup for instance birthday-template, wedding-temple, thank you-template) AND directly from your website that they print themselves. You can just imagine how sales will increase once the certificates are just a click away…
Interfaces – “Integrated, not isolated”
Get your spa software system interfaced with not only your hotel system, but your finical/accounting system, payment devices, online reservations, Ipads for health assessments or spa menus, member apps for smartphones, check-in kiosks, hotel TV’s for marketing… Do not forget that there are also options for multi properties with centralized management and guest profiles.
Updates
Ongoing updates, free of charge is something you should expect.
Support – “We assist you 24/7”
You should be able to reach the support team 24/7 and the support should be easy to understand. Preferably you should be able to watch online videos with instructions for common questions/issues.
Cannot say this to many times: learn to love your spa software, know it in and out and you will save bunch of time and use a major resource you have invested in. No exceptions! Stay tuned for part 3, which will give you more input in how to compare the different companies you are choosing from!
/Josefin
Spa Management Online Course started today!
Today is the start date for our Spa Management Online Course and we are as always very excited to start and learn more about our participants and what we can do to make them even more successful within Spa Management than they are today.
After the introduction and trends section they begin with the first part of the course which is Marketing & PR lead by course leader Maria Nystedt. She will lead our participants into a strategic way of working with sales, marketing and PR and share the most important things when it comes to marketing specifically for the spa and wellness industry. After video lectures and manuals read, she will guide them through creating their own Spa Marketing Plan.
Good luck to all new participants!
Ps. There is still a chance to join in last minute.
/Josefin
Preview of Spa Finder’s top spa and wellness trends for 2013
SpaFinder® Wellness has recently revealed a preview of its 10th annual Trends Report, which forecasts top trends that will impact the spa and wellness industry and shape consumer experiences around the globe. We find this trend report very spot on and it’s a valuable analysis and reflection on the global spa industry, therefore we of course want to share Susie Ellis’ report.
Susie Ellis, president of SpaFinder Wellness and industry expert, noted that when the company’s first trend report was issued a decade ago, the industry was in a different era. “A lot has happened in the world of spa and wellness these past 10 years,” said Ellis. “We think this forecast will make it startlingly obvious just how far the industry – and consumer expectations – have evolved from pampered indulgence to personalized, functional health and wellness.”
Each year the SpaFinder Wellness Trend Report is developed by company research analysts, led by Ellis who is also the Chairman and CEO of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit. The forecast is based on ongoing surveys with spa and wellness businesses and stakeholders around the globe, thousands of travel agents and hundreds of thousands of consumers.
Healthy Hotels
In 2013 and beyond, what constitutes a true “vacation” will be redefined and “hospitality” will be rewritten. We’ll see an explosion of new “wellness everywhere” hotel chains and environments becoming more mainstream. In the past, gyms and spas have been positioned as mere amenities, but now these walls are being conceptually (and literally) broken down. Established hotel chains are re-branding around wellness and it’s not just about fitness. Customized food and beverage offerings (gluten-free and vegan menus) are becoming standard fare, and hotels are jumping into the juice-themed vacation frenzy.
The Mindfulness Massage
A creative blend of two effective approaches, mindfulness and bodywork, the “Mindfulness Massage” is a more profound experience that can help people relax more deeply and quickly. Rather than lying on the massage table with a mind full of chatter from the stresses of the day, the Mindfulness Massage uses breath work and techniques such as “body scans,” where attention is brought to every part of the body and the action of the therapists’ hands. This two-way symphony directed by a therapist who understands mindfulness offers guidance on how to take the massage to a new “mindful” level.
Earthing
As modern-day humans become more cut off from nature, “earthing” specifically refers to the movement[1] promoting direct contact with the earth’s electron-rich surface (walking barefoot, etc.). The premise is that “grounding” the body to the earth’s surface stabilizes natural electrical rhythms and reduces disease-causing inflammation. While we expect to see more of this formal “earthing” at spas, we expect to see far more “nature grounding” in a wider sense. Think less background music with nature sounds and more real nature to help combat “Nature Deficit Disorder.”[2]
Spa-Genomics…Telomeres and Beyond
Humans have 30,000 genes and a three billion-letter DNA code. The future of medicine is mining this information to identify breakthrough approaches to support a new age of predictive, personalized medicine grounded in each person’s unique genetic profile. The power of direct-to-consumer genomic testing lies in the potential to pinpoint which diseases/issues could be forestalled by specific lifestyle changes. It’s easy to see how the spa industry is a natural benefactor of this development, but perhaps no genomic breakthrough holds such profound implications for the spa industry than telomeres: the only malleable part of DNA, which some studies are showing can be repaired by stress-reduction, exercise, sleep, healthier food and meditation.
Authentic Ayurveda and Other Ancient Revivals
Expect more aggressively-authentic and comprehensively-executed global wellness experiences at spas with a distinctly ancient look, feel and language – and a far more expansive, exotic menu of wellness traditions. Best known is the 3,500-year-old, Indian-born Ayurveda, a complex medical system identifying imbalances in a person’s “doshas,” and prescribing a personalized, detoxifying regime of diet change, exercise, meditation, massage and herbal medicine. But, we’ll also see more accent on the traditional Turkish and Roman baths, more traditional Russian banyas (with their birch-twig-thwacking venik experiences) and novel healing traditions – some in spaces with unique “ancient-hip” designs, others built on ancient spa sites or within reclaimed historic buildings.
Color Self-Expression
In 2013 “self-expression” will be most intensely played out around COLOR. Because color is easily applied and relatively inexpensive, self-transformation will be painted on. Expect more in-your-face shades on hair and face from reverse ombre to neon lashes; more body art hitting bodies of every gender and age, performed at new, haute “tattoo spas”; and nail art will continue to ascend with less bling and more nuanced textures and designs from 3D art to freehand mini-paintings.
Inclusive Wellness
The future bodies welcomed at spas will look more like bodies in the real world. With more than one billion people who are formally “disabled”[3] and a massively graying global population, the industry will shift focus from luxe-pampering to delivering wellness to persons of all age and ability levels. More people will look to spas to heal and keep bodies functional, whether through pain-relieving and mobility enhancing therapies, nutrition advice, or the right forms of “functional fitness” for those with physical limitations or special needs.
Label Conscious Fitness
The “name-brand” fitness wave has been around for decades. But today, as the fitness market expands as quickly as the world’s waistlines, an explosion of “fitness labels” distinguishes products and programs – and serves as a shortcut for instant recognition in an oversaturated market full of similar choices. From Yogalates and Piloxing to CrossFit and The Skinny Jeans Workout™, health and wellness have become the new luxury. Millions chase the “insider elite,” giving the fitness world a distinct fashion world vibe where consumers shop for the latest fitness craze just as they search for the newest designer purse.
Men: From Barbers to “Brotox”
Dramatically more men – from Beverly Hills, to Berlin, to Beijing – are having more serious “work” done at medspas and plastic surgery offices, as injectables, love handle remedies and advanced new surgery technologies make for little downtime and telltale scars. Men have different needs than women when it comes to face/body enhancements, desiring subtle, not overdone results. So look for far more spas to build out comprehensive, for-men “beauty” menus – male waxing and threading services and man-geared cosmetic procedures.
Where the Jobs Are
“High-tech” is a much-discussed job creation savior, but there has been little talk about the growing talent-needy, job-rich spa and wellness industry. With the $2 trillion-plus pan-wellness market (spanning fitness, alternative medicine, spa, etc.) continuing to grow, spas simply cannot find enough people (with the right skills) to fill spa management/director or therapist jobs. This need promises to expand in years ahead as the world continues its shift from a manufacturing to a service economy – and people, health care institutions and governments recognize the effectiveness of spa/wellness programs and experiences.
The full 60+-page report, including an analysis of factors influencing each trend and examples of early trend adopters, will be released on January 15, 2013. For more information: www.SpaFinder.com.
Preview on Raison d’Etres Spa Management Online Course
Online educations have become very popular and offers you a different way of studying. Many people wonder if it will suit them to study online and are not yet comfortable with to interact with a computer instead of teachers in a classroom…
So, why study online?
You can study whenever you want, wherever you want and you can watch the online lectures how many times you wish. This actually creates a more tailor-made course after your needs since you choose where to put your own time and focus. The course can be taken even if you are working full-time or travelling a lot and the support is not limited to a classroom, because it is simply just: online. Isn’t that just great?
In our Spa Management Online Course we work with close and personal contact with all participants during the whole course. Our purpose is easy: to help people become successful spa managers.
To get a better understanding and feeling of what it is like to take the online course, I will show you a preview of our introduction module. Enjoy!
Contact me on smc@raisondetrespas.com for more information.
/Josefin
Wellness Trends 2013 – Part 2
Last week i touched upon the fitness and health & wellness packaged food, this week the second part – enjoy!!
Beauty industry trends
According to Euromonitor consumers wants when it comes to skin care
- Understand the benefits
- Buy organic
- Buy anything labeled “Anti-aging”
The McCann Group conducted 7,249 online interviews, a conjoint study, and 40+ focus groups in 15 global markets resulted in the very interesting “The Truth About Beauty 2012”. Among the findings were
- 76% believe that the right beauty products makes us look longer
- Almost 70% of women in Brazil and Mexico consult a beauty blog for tips and advice at least once a month
- 63% of Chinese women and 55% of Brazilian women change their beauty routines once every couple of months or more.
- 70% of women globally think that being beautiful helps them get what they want out of life
- 70% believes that beauty equals happiness (and vice versa!)
The rise of the WHOLE beauty
Women are looking within for beauty. And according to McCann there are four key components that women think about when it comes to building and maintaining their beauty: Foundation Beauty (skin care), Enhancement Beauty (color cosmetic), Wellness Beauty (food sleep, fitness), and Emotional Beauty (confidence, charisma).
The Whole Beauty Ecosystem is a virtual circle; women around the world believe that if they look more beautiful then they will feel healthier and more confident…and if they feel healthy and confident then this will shine through, making them look more physically beautiful.
Retail trends
Retail is the spa industry Achilles. We are always struggling with retail sales and motivating the staff to enhance the guest’s result with products (or why not food!).
McCann researched the In-Store experience and found that there were 3 top things to address
- Able to touch and feel the items
- Easy to find
- Beautifully displayed
PKF’s “Future of retail report 2012” shows that “Shopper to Shopper Service” is on the rise – meaning “help me to decide which one to buy!” with brand fans share their expertise and provide one-on-one advice to fellow shoppers.
Spa industry tips!
We have identified that the next trend in spa retail is “Shop Communication”. This is not dependent on the individual, but is a strategic system that can be put in place with moderate effort.Most buying decisions takes place in the actual shop. Therefore exposure and communication in the shop have significant impact on sales.
Yet, do not forget the power of one-on-one recommendation and create a forum for your guests to recommend items and treatments to other guests.
Shop communication purposes
- Communicating the retail range in an attractive manner
- Provide information on product characteristics
- Help the customer to make purchasing decisions on their own
- Controlling the sale of the goods with the highest profitability and turnover
- Inspiring add on buying
- Communicate the retail brand
HOW?
Exposure affects profitability. Products given more space and clear exposures will sell more. The products that you want to sell most of should have prominent positions at the entrance, near the checkout and the “main shopping street”.
Some tips…
Eye tracking– There have been numerous studies to show how our eye is tracking the retail item in terms of packaging design, placement, preferences and search behaviors. Studies have then shown that the eye perceives the most exclusive products to be on the top shelf, and budget/low cost products on the bottom shelf. Research has also shown that the most effective retail display is the ones that include a face and those products that are repeated in display and in an actual product sells better, as customers like to purchase products the feel familiar with.
Guest round – The way your customer “walks” the shop; studies shows that 80% of the customer walks clockwise and that they are most interested in the beginning in the “round”. Further that the customer best sees an item from knee height up to just above eye height. This gives you hints on how to strategically place retail products to encourage flow and minimize “cold” spaces.
First impression – Eye tracking has also shown the crucial importance of first impression, capturing the customer’s interest to explore the shop further. The goal is to inspire and simplify the first impression.
Final words
The future is truly bright, one of Susie Ellis and Spa Finders trends for 2013 is “The healthy hotel & Wellness focused traveller” showing that hotels are more and more focusing on ensuring that their guest keeps well with healthy food, great sleep and spas and fitness to relax and rejuvenate in.
Embrace the shift and be creative, start small, trial and error and slowly grow and success will be around the corner.
//Anna
Be inspired of what passion, dedication, hard work and getting on top of your game can get you
This week our own Jari Ketola was nominated to be elected as the best personal trainer in Sweden. The nomination reads:
“With 20 years in fitness and national team competition in both tracks and bobsleigh, competing in the Olympics, he knows what being in shape means. His great books about training has inspired thousands and Jari is undoubtedly one of the industries as well as humble PT’s, givein each custumer his total and undivided attention and focus. He is equally attentive to his students at TheAcademy.”
I asked Jari – What do you love about your job and what is your take on functional training?
“I want to actively create an interest for all people in need of good, effective and optimal training, and to participate in the creation and development of innovation in fitness, wellness and training.
You and my customers are the foundation of my business, so it is obviously very important for me to always put you in the center.
My strength is my knowledge, my passionate commitment, the good teaching ability along with my determination and desire to evolve creates progress and inspiration in you as a customer!
The training is constantly evolving with many new trends, with my broad background in sports I am passionate about individualized functional training where you as a person may develop and perform your max to thus develop yourself and your body health.”
I have worked with Jari the past couple of years and am in awe of his passion and knowledge, but what strikes me the most is his relentless focus and perfectionism, nothing slips him by – in a good way. Small small adjustments can make all the difference and as I have been training all my life, every time I train with Jari, I learn something and improve in a way I couldn’t have by myself.
No one deserves this more then Jari, life has not always been a walk in the park for him, and this is a evidence of that you can be whatever we want, as long as we have a vision and works hard.
If you are living in Sweden, you can vote on Jari, just click on the link https://sv.surveymonkey.com/s/MX5P9BM
And either way, be inspired of what passion, dedication, hard work and getting on top of your game can get you.
//Anna
First part done of the Spa Mangement On-line Course!
Participants from all over the world have joined this year’s course with just one purpose; to become successful within their spa management. It is fantastic that we have reached out to so many people and we are really glad to be able to coach and inspire for the future of spa management! We are also very thankful for the inspiration and motivation we get back from our participants.
The very first module of the course contained finance and the participants have sent in their first draft of their own profit & lost statement. For some this was simple already driving a business and updating their current P&L, but for other this is a brand new world. Just before the course started I got the question: “Why does your course start with finance, since all other spa management educations does not?” That was a good question, and we find it beneficial to start with this module because that reflects exactly how it works in the real world. You will always have to go back to your budget when introducing a new treatment, updating your shop area or taking your staff on spa workshops..
When the course is online, you choose where to study. This is one of my favorite places for reading – The Quiet Room at Grand Hôtel Nordic Spa & Fitness
When you are aware on where you stand and where you are going – you can achieve anything. I often meet people working in the industry that are not interested in the finance parts, at all. Some people don’t believe it is possible to focus on the hard skills together with the soft skills; described as the feeling and passion for wellness, energy and people. I would say that is not true at all, you should be really lucky if you already have the soft skills (that are harder to learn) but there is nothing to stop you from learning the hard skills! Everyone can do it! And if you do you will certainly get more successful and be able to spread your passion and inspiration even further than you can imagine.
We will soon update more information about the next Raison d’Etre Spa Management On-line Course starting February 1st 2013.
Wish you all a wonderful and productive Monday!
/Josefin
Some great spa escapes in Southern Europe
This week started with a lovely trip to Monaco, we had the opportunity to look closer at the spa market in this special environment. There are 4 major spas in Monaco; Willow Stream at Fairmont, ESPA at Hotel Metropole, Therme Marine, which is the largest Thalassotherapy center in Monaco, and finally the Cinq Monde Spa at the Monte Carlo Bay. In addition to these 4 spas, there are of course many smaller institutes and beauty centres. I experienced a very good Kerstin Florian 90 minute Ultimate Facial in the Willow stream spa at the Fairmont, and the results were immediate. Why? The therapist was excellent, the treatment had a really good flow, and some luxurious caviar products made the whole difference. Add some sunshine and some interesting work to this and the days in Monaco were a success…
On my way back I bought the latest issue of Tatler (UK edition) at the airport and the November edition contained a special spa issue; The Tatler´s spa guide for 2013 (a very nice and inspiring appendix I must say).
They had listed and categorized the best spas according to them, and I found at least 3 spas in their listings, in which Raison d’Etre have been involved in the conceptual work. Below you see some of the spas;
Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, Italy
Verdura Golf & Spa resort, Sicily, Italy
/Maria
The ISPA Research and trend session
I was honored to be invited to speak at the general session at ISPA this year, and going around speaking at several events every year, I was truly impressed with their professionalism. Back stage there were make up artists (thank God!), coffee, great technicians that helped with my lost font on my presentation making it look like my 6-year old had made it.
Being a founding board member of the Global Spa & Wellness summit, myself and Mary Tabacchi (professor at Cornell) are responsible for collecting and tailoring the research each year and this was a summary with my analysis.
When it comes to fitness, I only need to say two words 
- Personal Training
- Functional fitness
And if you are not onto that yet, you need to get on the bandwagon fast.
Health and Wellness packaged food and beverage, there are two new words
- Nutroceuticals – which is food and beverage with a purpose, for example “White tea for radiant skin”
- Comseceuticals – is a suppment you take for stronger hair, brighter skin etc.
Health & Wellness package food is a USD 680 billion market, 10 times the spa industry and we have a huge opportunity to tap into this market. I found a couple of interesting companies trying to convince the spa market on the Expo, namely Forte Tea and FOHAÅFOH
When it comes to beauty, we find that women are starting to change beauty products more often depending on how well the skin care companies communicate benefits and if it also talks about anti-aging and organic, we are more likely to buy the product.
70% of women believe that beauty = happiness. Hey guys, we are not that complicated, make a woman 
feel beautiful and we are happy. Simple as that.
Now to the crown jewel. Every year the amazing Susie Ellis releases her top 10 trends for the coming years. The minute they are released they are broadcasted on television, blogs, twitter, magazines and news paper. It is an explosion of Susie’s trends world wide who everyone is talking about. I am not sure if she is spotting a trend or actually creating it, but the truth is that they are very much a reality 12 months later.
Working closely with Susie for the past 7 years on the GSWS board, I asked her if she didn’t want to give me a sneak preview of one of the trends to present – and she did! The trend that she predicts, and I wholeheartedly agree with from our own research, is that the traveler wants WELLNESS when staying at a hotel. Experience is great, but closer to their heart is sleeping really well, eating well, being able to enjoy great fitness offerings to stay fit and simply being well and there are several initiatives that are showing that hotels are catching on. One example is Even hotels www.evenhotels.com Check it out!
A little snippet from ISPA, you will probably hear more the coming weeks, a great event and fantastic people and a whole of sharing.
//Anna
Raison dEtre Spas 