Julie Mahoney of Oasis Day Spa in Weymouth, MA shares business tips that have been most successful at her top rated Day Spa. Julie was this past year’s Spa de Beaute Award Winner 2010 and also received Top Honors as Employer of the Year 2010 by Day Spa Magazine. She shares how becoming a Repechage Concept Spa has helped her take her business to the next level and places her winning staff as the key factor in her success. She recommends top buisness books that have worked for her business. Watch the video below of highlights from her presentation at The Repechage Power Lunch 2010.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br9ifU3OKvg
Video Transcription
Lydia I was thinking this is perfect timing for an event like this. This is beautiful. Especially kinda getting into the busiest time for us, with the holidays and gift certificate sales and thinking forward for the coming year and maybe sharing and learning a few different strategies.
Lydia challenged my knowledge like no other in the industry.
It is inspiring to work with a product line that is formulated by an esthetician and based on esthetic education and procedure.
I took a leap of faith and it was a risk, but I figured I had nothing to lose.
The best investment we made was hiring a graphic designer to create our corporate identity. Our graphic designer is also an artist.
In the words of my graphic designer “corporate identity is not only the logo, that creates the identity, it’s just as, if not more important, how it is used consistently. You cultivate your identity by sticking confidently to a well planned and executed branding. You ensure that the people involved in your company, build a reputation that up hold the brand. Without your skill and by extension the professionals that you have partnered with, the logo would be useless.”
Based on the research findings that it takes a potential consumer 20 viewings to establish brand recognition, we ran smaller ads more frequently, rather than a larger more impressive ad sporadically. I believe that it worked. That this created a mental imprint of our identity in the minds of our clientele. We still advertise in the newspaper today primarily to enforce brand recognition and to portray the success of our business. I believe media exposure delivers a message that we are still here, that we are thriving with constant reminders to the consumers through advertising.
There are 2 important factors that contribute to our success. The first would be my staff. There is actually 35 of us all together but I can never get them all together at once. This is some of them here. Being the mastermind behind staffing, I liken it to a piece of beautifully composed music. I felt great care must go into to orchestrating the composition of the team. This means the Oasis employee must possess the total package: Passion for their practice; A commitment to service; Knowledge of their product; and respect and support of myself and each other.
One of my favorite books is called “Clearing Your Clutter With Feng-Shui” and if you don’t know about it, it is based on the philosophy that when you clear your clutter, you open the door for greater opportunity. And it is a principal that I try to live by in my personal life, that I can also relate to in my professional life. When I cleared the staff clutter, I opened the door to positive change.
This brings me to making the decision to take Oasis Day Spa to the next level. Becoming a Spa De Beaute. The second important factor to our success.
We have one of the most successful spas on the South Shore of Boston. Staff is at full capacity and turnover is very low. I am no longer bogged down by employees that constantly drain my energy. My staff and I are all on the same page moving forward together. And I aim to keep it that way.
Since becoming a Spa De Beaute in 2008, we’ve truly taken Oasis Day Spa to the next level. One of the most successful ideas we had was launching the express or mini-services. Drawing from the Repêchage Facial bar Concept, we opt for shorter versions of most all of our services. And we have them posted on a large sign, right at the front desk to target walk-ins. They have really taken off. Clients who are affected by the economy have been able to maintain frequency of their visits, while scaling down their costs.
Gift certificates are the driving force of our business. The way in which we market gift certificates is a top priority.
Repêchage offers amazing support too so I am never left feeling like I am trying to figure it all on my own. Repêchage is truly like no other skin care company. The comradery that we have with Lydia and Shiri and the whole team is huge. It goes beyond “business as usual.” It’s personal. Like family.
The highlight is the annual Congress for Salon and Spa Professionals, and to me it it’s like a big, huge family reunion. I love it. It’s a great venue to connect with other Repêchage salons and spas. I value sharing ideas with other salon owners and I am always inspired of all the fabulous speakers.
I know of no other skin care company that offers these excellent opportunities for professional development.
Becoming a Spa De Beaute came at a perfect time for us. I am very appreciated for all the support and inspiration I have received from Lydia, Shiri and the Repêchage team. Being a Spa De Beaute has added to the integrity of my business and I am looking forward to our continued success.
