Pricing is one of the most important aspects of your business

I have been wanting to blog about this subject for the last two weeks as I am reviewing my pricing for Spa Boutique and have had to revise my pricing THIS WEEK due to a few reasons. Pricing is one of the five P's of traditional marketing. It will drive whether you stay in business or not.

I want to share what has worked for me in the last few months. We are going through a trying time but those who "pull up their socks" and pay attention, will win big.

Pricing will determine your profitability. If you are not charging enough for your services, then you will go broke. It's that simple. You need to understand your costs and not overspend. If you charge too much, then your customers will notice as well. In retail, we deal with SRP (Suggested Retail Price) which is given to us by distributors and manufacturers, and we are told not to go below this price. If you choose to go above, then that is your perogative. Remember your customers will notice if you go too high.

Costs for any business will go up annually so it's important to keep up with price increases or understand which part of your business can maintain no increase. You need to analyze sales over the last year, how much it cost you to be in business (COGS) and understand what can the market sustain. I decided to increase my prices on December 1st, 2008 due to my gift certificate sales during the holiday season. I did not want to sell gift certificates at the old prices even with an economy that is slowing down.

This January, I was able to renegotiate with two of my skin care distributors for Spa Boutique to gain volume discounts. I decided to pass this savings on to my customers and be very competitive with American Crew and Joico hair care products as well as Gehwol, Intaglio, Skeyndor and Footlogiz products. I am interested in growing my customers and being able to offer more variety to my customers. Other small business owners may have made a different choice. My NEW PRICE does make sure that I can support the cost of the new product and shipping it as well especially if it is heavy.

I hope these sharings help you.

Cheers!

Nancy
Owner of Le Petit Spa, www.lepetitspa.ca
Owner of Spa Boutique, www.spaboutique.ca

Nancy's First Blog

I have been thinking of blogging for the last year and then it took me about 6 months to figure out what to say and how to do it. Little did I know that it would be so simple! Technology can seem intimidating yet today it is developed intuitively and usually straightforward to use. I have been guilty of thinking that perhaps my age (now 40) was perhaps why I have been having so many delays.

Blogging for me is going to be a way to have a voice in the spa industry and as an entrepreneur. Le Petit Spa is celebrating five years in September! It has been a wild ride. There has been so much learning as it is my first business and I was fresh and naive about spa business. Today I feel a lot of gratitude and pride in who we are as a spa team and how we built a solid spa business. It has been a lot of hard work but could I have expected anything less?

Thank you to my family and friends, to my spa team and to my customers for supporting me in becoming an entrepreneur and growing our business over the last five years.

Live your dream,

Nancy

DHA and You! Match Made in Heaven for a Golden Glow Goddess Look - Literally!

Self Tanning Creams have come a long way since their introduction into the cosmetic market.

When they first appeared, self tanning creams would use actual chemicals that would dye your skin! Yuck! And not to mention, they didn’t smell very nice at all! We all can think of what self tanning creams smell like, it’s not pleasant!

Today’s formulations don’t rely on gross, stinky chemicals to give you the “Barbie doll, plastic orange looking tan”. What they rely on is a natural compound, DHA, which is derived from sugar.

The History Behind DHA

DHA was first discovered in a children’s hospital where they were treating children with diabetes (diabetics can tolerate this type of sugar). However; when some of the patients spit up or got sick, brown spots would develop on their skin where the medicine touched it.

Doctors started to experiment with this sugar and noticed its “self tanning” abilities. DHA is a food grade product that is approved for ingestion by the FDA. It also has been linked to burning fat and now can be found in weight loss products.

When used in cosmetic self tanning products, it is completely safe; there are no detrimental effects on the inner body or skin when applied topically.

DHA and Me? How Does DHA Work?

DHA works with the natural amino acids in your body; a chemical reaction then takes place and the amino acids cause the DHA to oxidize and “tan” your skin. This also means that there is no chemical “self tanning” smell when using self tanning products that contain DHA. This truly is a safe, natural tan.

“Fake and Bake” tanning salons are in the spot light more than ever these days, and it’s because of the rise in skin cancer rates.

Self tanning products are a safe, healthy alternative to tanning salons as they do not damage your skin, contain no chemicals and have no cancer causing factors in them.

Most Vancouver day spas will offer a self tanning service, or “body bronzing service” in their spa menus to offer their clients a safe alternative to tanning, let’s face it, tanned skin is absolutely gorgeous! (aside from the cancer risk and wrinkling!)

Le Petit Spa uses Guinot self tanning products in their Body Bronzing Service, and of course, DHA is utilized to give clients a healthy, safe, natural tan. Other ingredients in this line of products include Aloe, to soften and moisturize skin to keep your tan longer, Shea Butter to soothe skin and deeply moisturize and Vitamin E, a powerful anti oxidant to protect your skin against free radicals which cause premature aging…read more about the benefits of the Guinot Body Bronzing Service at Le Petit Spa.

Sign up for our newsletter for further exclusive in-spa promotions, special events, and monthly or daily service promotions. Have beauty questions? Unsure of what a Body Wrap is? Email me with your questions and look for your answer in a future blog!

*information found for this blog at http://www.bodyinvest.com/dhastory.html

Gift Certificates - the most popular choice at Le Petit Spa

Did you know? The number two most popular gift this holiday season is the Gift Card? In today’s market, people are choosing convenience when doing their holiday shopping instead of unique gifts.

Below are some interesting reasons as to why Gift Cards have become one of the top selling gifts!

1. Convenience – Instead of buying the wrong size of clothing, the wrong CD or something they don’t want, gift certificates are always welcome – its just like cash! And who doesn’t want more of the green stuff!

2. Luxury Items – Walking into a huge department store and trying to decide if he want’s a “fifty inch” or a “fifty-five” inch plasma T.V is a lot harder than picking a monetary denomination and allowing him to pick it out himself!

3. You decide when it’s time – The recipient decides when they use it!

4. Easy to give – Some stores have “print now” options on their website so you can purchase the gift card / certificate on line and have it emailed directly to the recipient, or you can print it off of the website and give directly to the recipient yourself!

5. Clueless? – Have you ever noticed how hard it is to buy for your best friend who has everything? I have! Does her favourite spa have Gift Cards available? Perfect! Problem solved.

Convinced that Gift Cards will make your holiday shopping a breeze? Read on to see how Le Petit Spa makes holiday shopping for your favourite spa diva easy as 1, 2, 3!

Gift cards and gift certificates are available by services or in denominations of $25, $50, $75,$100,$125, $150, $175, $200, $250 and $300.

1. First, select a gift card/certificate below.

2. Tell us how you’d like to receive the gift. Would you like to…

• Have it mailed to you or direct to the recipient? (If you choose this options, be sure to indicate during checkout whether you would prefer regular or express shipping)
• Print off a gift certificate and give it to the recipient yourself? This saves both time and shipping costs.
• Have it sent to the recipient by email?

3. Provide the recipient’s name and any special delivery instructions or message for the recipient.

For more information on Le Petit Spa Gift Cards or Gift Certificates, click here.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to be the first to know about in-spa promotions, daily and monthly service promotions, special event and product launches, or email me with your beauty questions and look for your answer in a future blog!

Le Petit Spa - Holiday Spa Parties!

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for Le Petit Spa parties. Family members, friends and coworkers are invited to come in to Le Petit Spa with their choices of wine and appetizers to celebrate the season!

Le Petit Spa can accommodate up to 10 spa party guests at one time. Pick from many different spa services for your holiday spa party!


• Signature Pedicures
• Classic Pedicures
• 60 minute massages
• Le Petit Spa Signature Facials
• Le Petit Spa Intensive Facials

Reasons to have a Le Petit Spa party:

• To celebrate the end of the year with your closest friends or family members.
• To get ready for a corporate holiday party or family event!
• For a girls night out!

To find out more about Le Petit Spa parties, click here.

Find out more about Le Petit Spa pedicures, facials and massage services. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to be the first to know about in-spa promotions, special events, product launches, monthly and weekly service promotions and in-spa promotions or email me with your beauty questions and look for your answer in a future blog!

Le Petit Spa Price Comparison Drug Store Products vs Spa Products

It often baffles me when a client comes into the spa for a facial and spends a fair chunk of change on the service, but does not want to invest in the return: Home Care Products!

Spa products are exclusive to spas so that they can maintain their high quality ingredients and are not mass produced. They contain, on average, about 50 to 70 % more active ingredients than drug store brands do and guess what? They are not always more expensive!

In fact, professional products are usually cheaper than mass produced product lines – all of the money from sales goes back into the product line and is used for further scientific studies, rather than flashy media campaigns. Drug store brands will usually tack on a little more dollar signs on to their products to help out with the cost of marketing campaigns.

See Le Petit Spa's private price comparison in a past issue of our monthly newsletter "spa talk" click here to view comparison.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to be the first to know about in-spa promotions, gift with purchases, product and service launches or weekly and monthly serivce promotions. Or email me with your beauty questions or concerns and look for your answer in a future blog!

Pedicure Information, Tools and at Home Tips

Did you know that people take on average 10,000 steps in a day, adding up to 115,000 miles in a lifetime, enough to circle the planet four times? How are your feet feeling? With the average woman walking 10 miles per day and average man treading 7, a pedicure is the perfect thank you to your feet their continuous support.

A pedicure is a way to improve the appearance of the feet, and their nails. It basically is a manicure for the feet. The word pedicure comes form the Latin words pes, which means foot, and cura, which means care. It also means the care of the feet and toenails. A pedicure can be helpful because it can prevent nail diseases and nail disorders.

Whether you opt for a spa pedicure or would like to try one at home, a pedicure will leave your feet looking beautiful and feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

Materials and Tips for a home pedicure:

Pumice stone or foot file , Toe separators or cotton balls/roll, Emery board, Cuticle remover, Cuticle oil, Orangewood stick, Color nail polish, Base coat, Top coat, Nail polish remover, Quick dry spray, Nail clippers, Dish pan, Cotton balls, Towels, Cuticle nippers, Lotion , Nail buffer, Thongs, if desired.

1. Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and use it to remove any old polish you may have on your toenails from you last pedicure.
   
2. Fill the dishpan with enough warm soapy water to cover your feet. Soak for at least five minutes.
   i. Note: Whenever you are working on one foot, the other foot should be soaking in the warm water.
   
3. Dry your foot and apply the cuticle remover at the base of each nail. Wait one minute for the remover to soften the cuticle. Use the wedged end of the orangewood stick to push the cuticle back. If desired, carefully snip off the excess cuticle. Repeat this procedure on the other foot.
   
4. Using the nail clippers, cut off any nails that are too long. Length is a personal preference, but make sure the nail is shorter than the toe. Be careful not to cut the nails too short as this can cause ingrown toenails and can be quite painful. With the emery board, file the nail into a square shape.
   
5. Use the nail buffer to smooth any roughness or ridges on the surface of the nails.
   
6. Wet the pumice stone or foot file in the dishpan. Rub any areas of dry or flaking skin gently. Rinse the foot and dry.
   i. Note: Do not ever use a filing tool with a blade that cuts your skin or allow one to be used on your feet. Not only is it unsanitary, but you may cut too deeply, causing pain or even drawing blood. It is important to have a bit of callus on the bottom of the foot as well, to prevent splitting.
   
7. Apply a generous amount of lotion to the foot, massaging it in and taking care to cover all the foot, especially the dry and flaky parts. Massage the lotion up your legs to your knees. Close your eyes and relax for 10 minutes, allowing your skin to soak in the soothing lotion. You could also wrap your feet with saran wrap after slathering on your lotion, and put on a pair of warm socks out of the dryer for intensive moisturization.
   
8. Rinse feet in warm water and dry off with towel.
   
9. Saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and go back over your toenails, making sure that all lotion residues are removed. This is important, since the polish will not stick to any surface that still has lotion residue on it.
   
10. Press the toe separators or cotton between the toes, so that each toe is not rubbing on the next.
    i. Note: If doing a group pedicure, make sure that each person has their own pair of toe separators, for the sake of hygiene. If toe separators are not available, use cotton balls or a roll of cotton. Be very careful to keep the cotton away from the nails themselves, as cotton fibers will ruin the look of the polish.
    
11. Brush 1 coat of the base coat over each nail. Allow it to dry for one minute.
    
12. Apply 2 coats of the nail color. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.
    
13. Apply the top coat. Allow it to dry for 1 minute, and then spray your nails with the quick dry spray.
    

Your pedicure should be completely dry after 30-45 minutes. Be sure and wear open toed shoes to allow for additional drying time. Your pedicure should last about two weeks.

If you would like to obtain additional information on any beauty techniques or spa services, visit www.lepetitspa.caor www.spaboutique.ca.

You can also e-mail me with your questions and watch for my reply in a future blog.