SPA OF EXCELLENCE

Successful Salon and Spa Management Covers a Wide Range of Knowledge

Owning and operating a spa is a bit different than operating a straight salon. In most cases a salon deals with hair, nails, and skin, with perhaps microblading or has makeup artists on staff, hair weavers, or other specialty personnel. A spa generally lends itself to more body work overall – skin care specialists, massage therapists, reflexologists, salt rooms, body wraps, full service estheticians, hair removal ranging from lights, laser, and electrolysis, non-invasive body density work, and other services that are most often higher ticket, require specialized training, and are more pampering in nature. The type of salon or spa you desire opening or operating is up to you, but each one has a different level of managerial skills required. Since spas tend to lean into more full body and health opportunities, there are often additional health department regulations, licensing requirements, and other things that the manager needs to know about and handle.

Spa training courses tend to cover a wider range of modalities, regulatory compliance, and details with regard to the hiring of specialists in those areas. One thing to be aware of is to make certain that the training you are getting is up to date, especially regarding regulations and health department compliance. It should also be targeted for your geographic region, or direct you to appropriate resources for that information, as each state and even municipalities or counties have their own rules for things like massage and permanent makeup.
 

Taking Spa Management Courses Online Helps With Retention and Application
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If you are expanding your salon to include more spa experiences, you or your spa manager already are busy managing staff, making sure the shop is open and closed on time, paying bills, ordering materials, and making sure your marketing is up to date. You probably don’t have time to go sit in a series of classes over several days or weeks, or have the ability to shut down or have someone take over so you can go out of town to an intensive over several days. While it is great to get a break, it is often not practical, especially if you are an owner/operator. Being able to take the courses you need to expand your knowledge so you can make better and easier management decisions is a must, but taking them on a schedule convenient to you at a decent price is important. That is why online spa management training is such a big plus. You sign up for the coursework, and it is delivered on your time schedule. You can break the lessons down into easy to work through pieces that provide you an opportunity to easily assimilate the information without feeling like you are trying to drink from a fire hose like some intensive weekend classes can feel. It puts you firmly in control, you can review material, refer back for how to do it refreshers, and take advantage of being able to put your feet up in the comfort of your own home while you learn.


What You Should Expect to Learn from Spa Management Courses

Good spa management courses should cover a broad range of business topics, as well as spa specific ones. You need to know how to set up a set of ledgers or books, in an easy to keep up format that works for you and your accountant. Being able to take care of bookkeeping on a regular basis saves many long nights at tax time, as well as unwelcome tax surprises. Understanding regulations and laws governing your industry, what has to be done for clients, what cannot be done by the staff, and how the health department looks at your location and how to stay on their good side are all critical. You need to know how to advertise for, interview, and select top-notch employees, from your front end to your therapists. Being able to verify credentials is important. The kind of salon or spa you choose to operate will make a huge difference in the qualifications and expertise of the employees you choose. Know your industry, your completion, and how to make competent decisions to put your team together for success are all topics that should be covered in a good spa management training program. 
One of the most important things you need to know is how to market your business. A good spa management program will take you through various media, and talk about the importance of the ever-changing face of marketing and advertising. You should know what a website is, and why it is critical to your business. Social media and social media management need discussed, as well as how to select a marketing company for your work. Marketing has changed tremendously in the digital age, and if you want to compete and survive, you have to be ahead of your competition. 


Getting the Most From Salon and Spa Management Training

Spa management training should provide you the skills when deciding what you want your spa to look like, from services offered to staff makeup and theme with décor. You want to have an idea ahead of hiring and decorating as to the image you want to present, what the ambiance should feel like, and how to hold the entire staff accountable to achieving that feeling. It is perfectly ok to have expectations for yourself and your staff, as well as the financial goals you want to set. Your planning, a result of gaining the skills you need to know what needs to be managed and how to do it through a good salon and spa management program, lets you have a roadmap to follow and a prospectus to provide the bank should you need a business loan. 

Spa management courses are investments in your business, whether those classes are for your own benefit, or a person you hire or groom for salon management. Any good manager looks for better ways to run their operation, and a spa is no different than any business. A spa does have the need for more respect, comfort, and overall provision of a no-stress zone for clients as a rule, and management confidence in knowing how to run the spa correctly and successfully creates a winning environment for staff and one that will be comfortable for customers. ​