Failing Isn't Always Your Fault
The sad reality is many businesses fail in their first year of operation. In the spa industry it is fair to say it is more probable than in other industries. Why is this true? First of all, the market is flooded with anything beauty. Secondly, spa services are an indulgence not a necessity. Then you couple those troubling realities with the fact many of these spas pop up as an extension of an existing business (doctor's offices, chiropractors,dentists etc.) and the owners have no industry experience.
I have done a lot of interviews with doctors in particular who have no industry experience; meaning they don't deal with the face at all. They might not even deal with the skin. I am talking about family physicians, podiatrists, ob/gyn's , dentists, psychiatrists, and chiropractors. I have even worked for a couple of these docs. When I first started thinking about becoming an aesthetician years ago, the industry wasn't flooded with EVERY TYPE OF DOCTOR MED-SPA, it was strictly for Dermatologists and Cosmetics Surgeons. Back then it would have appeared to be tacky and unprofessional for the above mentioned doctors to employ aestheticians.
Today it is commonplace for every type of doctor to offer spa services of some sort. Look around, you will see plenty of these spas popping up. On one hand that is good for your employment prospects, the more spas that pop up the more opportunities for jobs for you. Not all of these doctors fail, in fact, some do quite well, but a lot of them fail.
Why do I think they fail?
It has been my experience thus far that many of these non-facial doctors are in this game for the money only! They see the beauty industry as a booming business and a great piece of pie to acquire more wealth. Why do they fail? I believe they aren't passionate about aesthetics like facial cosmetic surgeons or dermatologists are. They go extend their practices to include spa services just for money. We know we all need money, and money is good but it is all the root of a lot of greed and people who don't care about what they do or create as long as it makes them a dime. Don't get me wrong, I understand no one can eat or pay their bills without making money, and there is nothing wrong with making money, but I believe when you open a spa just for greed and the hope of a cash cow that your lack of passion and concern for the business will ultimately be the destructive force that causes the spa to go belly up.
I have seen two places I've worked for already go under for exactly the above mentioned reasons (fortunately I wasn't working at either place at the time) and I have done interviews at places similar to these that I could see the writing on the wall already. I knew I couldn't take the job because it was only time before it failed. One of the number one red flags is when doctors or office managers blame the lack of business on a lazy aesthetician. I have heard this one several times, or "We would be more successful if she would market more, if she would actually try to sell retail."
Sure some aestheticians don't do market or retail, but in many cases it trickles down from management and it is a red flag when they blame their former aesthetician. It should be a combined effort between aesthetician and management to market and retail products.
The second red flag is when they have to resort to using those group coupons and other coupons on reoccurring basis...it means they don't have enough business to sustain. If they constantly have to send out coupons it is a problem. Customers get used to dirt cheap prices and won't pay full price once they get accustomed to cheap!
Don't beat yourself up if you end up in a job like this; it is not necessarily your fault if the doors close and business dries up. Don't take it personally. Just move on and find the right position for you.
Grace Riley Esthetics
Author of Jump Start Your Career: A Guide for Newly Licensed Estheticians
& Spa: Divas a Place to Hang My License & Spa Party Business
all available on www.amazon.com
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