How to Set Up a Spa & Health Center
According to the International SPA Association, in 2008 spas generated more than $12.8 billion in revenue in the United States, with 160 million spa visits in more than 21,000 locations. To set up a spa and health center, you will need to know how to write a business plan, conduct initial market research, train your staff to perform essential services, obtain spa licenses, choose a location and obtain financing.
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Instructions
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Document the possible types of services you will offer in your spa and health center. A spa center will offer spa treatments in addition to massage. There are different types of spas, including hotel/resort spas, destination spas, cruise ship spas, club spas, medical spas, day spas or a combination of a spa and salon. Determine the types of massage you will offer, such as Swedish massage, deep-tissue massage, sports massage, prenatal massage or neuromuscular massage.
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Obtain the necessary funding from all available sources, including local banks, federal and local government grants or credit unions. Based on the type and scope of services that you will offer in your center, funding capital will vary. Make a comparison of your competitors to understand capital requirements.
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Write a business plan that includes your goals, preferences, customer service strategy, competitors, core competencies and marketing ideas. Detail your pricing strategy, create financial statements and projections and explain funding sources. List necessary equipment, facilities and legal documents.
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Register your business and its name with your state's secretary of state. Contact the local departments of health, tourism and trade and industry based on your services. Also register for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the Internal Revenue Service by visiting its online portal at IRS.gov.
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Register the legal structure of your business. Obtain the business license to open a spa from your local county courthouse. Consult with an attorney to determine the best legal structure for your spa.
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Identify an appropriate location that gets a lot of foot and vehicle traffic. Identify a suitable building that suits your requirements and has sufficient space for storage of spa items, fitting an office, work areas, lounge areas and bathrooms.
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Hire staff that have completed a course in the specific area they will provide to clients, such as a specific type of massage. Check their backgrounds and hire based on experience and professional demeanor. Price your services to cover the salaries of specialized masseuses.
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Obtain liability insurance with sufficient coverage and worker's compensation insurance. Make sure that you insure all the necessary equipment.
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Place ads online as well as in local newspapers, on radio and TV, and in phone directories, and distribute fliers around the location where you will open the spa. Create a simple website describing your services, location, phone number, hours of operation and pricing plans.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit spa image by horacio villamonte from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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spaladybrie
Oct 18, 2010
The process of opening a salon/spa is so much more involved than this. What about determining salary vs. commission pay? Product selection and training on products? Equipment selection? This is basically a very simple guide for opening ANY type of business and not specific to the spa industry. This is why paying people to write articles in areas that they have zero experience is problematic.
