Online education

Talking to one of the On-line Spa Management students

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Candra 2There 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!

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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/

 

 

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Spa Managers – time to slow down?

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We live in a world that never stops talking, with information that never stops flowing and new projects for future development and improvements that never seem to end. We usually find new challenges at the floor as well as at our desk every morning; not to mention in our inbox – it is easy to get stuck. Are you having a hard time to be one step ahead, proactively plan for your operations to move smoothly as well as for your people to develop? What about living your values and inspiring other with your passion?

We often already know what we want or need to do as managers, but we seem to never have enough time to act before we really have to, which often is too late and we have already doubled our workload. Like the Pareto principle say, 80% of your outcome come from 20% of your input which means that there are certain activities you do (your 20%) that account for the majority (your 80%) of your happiness and success. Remember, you are accountable for the success (within your business) but also for your happiness (your own health and balance.) If you not find time for what really will make a difference, you will not succeed.

You are not alone. But we are glad to tell you that there is also a solution or actually there are several. You can go from over-time to time over and be successful at the same time. You can slow down, and instead make a difference. It is called Strategy. Self- and Energy Management. Strategic Planning. Conscious Leadership. Balance. Sustainable Lifestyle. Vision.

With our Spa Management Online Program we would like to help you and all spa industry professionals the best we can to put the right priorities in place and strategically plan the next coming 12 months together. If you let us, we will lift you up to the next level through the online studies; flexible enough to fit an already busy schedule.

You have your chance to start June 2nd and October 6th this year and you will reach us directly at: smc@raisondetrespas.com

Warmly Welcome!
And have a peek:

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Spa Management Education

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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:

Photo Mark Earthy COPYRIGHT © Photographer Mark Earthy.WWW.PHOTOGRAPHER.SE“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