DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.
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BUILDING BLOCKS Lydia Sarfati knows a thing or two about building a business. Today she is widely recognized as the founder and president of Sarkli-Repêchage, Ltd., but her role wasn't always so grand. From humble beginnings in Poland to landing her first job as a makeup artist on New York's Madison Avenue to working 15-hour days while raising a family, Sarfati has rightly earned her position. Luckily for spa owners, the creator of the famous Four-Layer Facial has channeled her business experience into the recently updated second edition of Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business (L.S. Publications, Inc). The 180-page book touches on numerous business topics—from the basics to the nitty-gritty—with useful advice on: • Writing a successful business plan • Asking the right interview questions • How to build a winning team • Creating a service menu • Product purchasing and merchandising strategies • The importance of PR, marketing and websites • Achieving a work-life balance The book is insightful and inspirational, with some wit and wisdom thrown in for good measure— check out the fun "According to Lydia" tips interspersed throughout! 34 DAYSPA | JANUARY 2014 MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS Valentine's Day is upon us, but it isn't just personal partnerships that need nurturing at this time of year. Salon and spa owners searching for ways to improve their relationships with their staff and customers could use a leg up too. Enter ManageMySpa. The cloud-based software, which is compatible with computers and tablets, and is also available as a mobile app, aims to help you: • Motive and retain employees by reducing administrative work; utilizing quick and automatic payrolling; and increasing productivity by monitoring best (and worst) performers. • Keep clients for life using a comprehensive Loyalty Manager facility, which responds immediately to negative feedback, automatically awards loyalty points and anticipates requests based on customer history. Further features include marketing capabilities such as text and email campaigns, free upgrades and cross-selling facilities. For more information and to request a demo, visit managemyspa.com. Retail Superstar The star: SpaRitual Handprint Hand Salve & Hand Serum duo The spa: Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa, Corona, California Why it flies off the shelves: "This smart pair of products is an easy sell because guests can see the immediate effects on their hands, and then we capitalize on that in the retail area," says Danny Silva, executive spa director. "Our nail technicians use the same best practices as our estheticians to educate their guests on homecare use. At the end of the service, the nail technician provides product recommendations and works with the spa DANNY SILVA coordinator to close the sale. Making sure your spa coordinators are savvy on retailing is just as important as training your nail technicians and estheticians. The teamwork between the two departments really shines when closing a sale." How it's promoted: "We naturally promote the product during the service by explaining its benefits to the guests," says Silva. "In addition, SpaRitual makes amazing floor displays and countertop POS displays to showcase their items. Plus, vendor support from SpaRitual has made our relationship even more successful. This includes a quarterly newsletter, ongoing education, sales incentives for staff and much more. I've always received this type of support when working with reputable skincare brands, but hadn't experienced it with a nailcare vendor until now. Since we partnered with SpaRitual, our nail technicians' service-to-retail percentage has risen more than 20% in just three months!" ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM Words from the Wise