Becoming Self-Employed: What You Need to Know

The three most important things about starting your massage practice: set clear goals, understand your budget and create a professional image.

Your Goals:  Write down specific concrete goals you would like to accomplish and the specific time period in which you would like them to be completed.  Some goals would be:  What amount of income you’d like to make by the end of your first year, any additional certificates you wish to earn, and other business related goals.  Also, write down what is standing in the way of you achieving these goals, and what steps you need to take to overcome these obstacles.  Seek advice from a mentor or successful colleague and try to connect with them regularly.

Your Budget:  Create a realistic budget before opening your business.  Make sure you consider your living expenses while you grow your cliental.  Being self-employed doesn’t always mean you will bring home a paycheck.  Figuring out your break-even point is crucial; what are the costs and overhead you need to stay afloat.  Depending on your location, keep in mind rent, utilities, internet and phone, furnishings, equipment, licensing, insurance, taxes, supplies, advertising, etc.  It’s always good to keep a plan B in mind.  If you need to book 18 services a week to break-even but are only booking 13, then you are losing money.  Most people can’t continue on without hitting or exceeding their break-even point.  Remember, you still haven’t even paid yourself at this point.  For example, if your expenses total to $1200 for the month and you charge $65 per service, you would need to perform at least 19 services that month just to break-even.  You also need to keep in mind your personal living expenses, rent/mortgage, car payment, insurance, credit card payments, utilities, phone and cable, child care, groceries, etc.  If your personal expenses, for example, total $2800, added to your business expenses would equal $4000.  This would mean, just to break-even you would need to provide at least 62 services at $65.  This means you would need to do about 15-16 services a week.  Again, this wouldn’t result in any salary of your own, nor would it account for any vacation time or adding unexpected expenses.  Make sure you’re realistic about the ability to sustain your business before you begin your transition to self-employment.

Your Image:  Create your image from day one and keep that in mind with all aspects of your business.  This image you present will be represented in many ways, not just the look and feel of your location but also in the way you and your staff dress, your logo and the way in which you market your business.  For example, most people don’t know what LMT means, consider spelling it out (Sarah Johnson, Licensed Massage Therapist) to ensure clarity.   You can also bring out the style you like to convey but still show the public who you are with your business name.  For example, Sarah Johnson Massage Center, Sarah’s Day Spa, Johnson Medical Massage Therapy or Sarah’s Mind & Body Healing; all of these have a clear message but convey very different atmospheres.  Remember not to use a vague name, like Sarah’s Center, people need to know what services you are providing.

You should, also, consider your image when it comes to your marketing.  This day and age people automatically assume all businesses have a website, this is crucial for your business and now websites are typically pretty cheap to make and maintain with many easily accessible templates available.  Offering your full menu, appointment booking, gift cards, and social media links, like Facebook, on your website can be a great way to maintain current cliental and intrigue new clients.  Again, don’t forget about your image when it comes to your online presents.  If you have a modern urban spa feel at your location, don’t put pictures of beaches throughout your website.  Business cards are also very important.  A great way to expand your business is to go to local establishments like banks, boutiques, cafes and hair salons asking if they would display your card, this is great free advertising.  Also, carry your business cards around with you at all times to hand to potential new clients.  Another great way to advertise in an inexpensive way, is to make reusable bags or t-shirts and wear/use them around town as you do your usual errands.  Consider your logo in this regard, keep your image in mind.  A logo of business card that includes a board certified image gives an entirely different feel than one with a yin yang symbol.

Lastly, think about what you and your employees should wear regularly to continue the image you are looking for.  Are you more medical?; then go with scrubs.  Or maybe you like a spa feel; consider a semi-casual all black look, this helps the focus stay on the client without being overly formal.  Whatever you choose, remember, cohesion is key.

In conclusion, set concrete but achievable goals, budget carefully and realistically, and create the image you want to make your business successful.  There are many visions of success, make sure this one is defined by you.

10 Ways to Build Your Business Using Energy

1. Know you Intention: Say it out loud and keep it as your focus.  You have to image your success, talk about it often and stay focused on your goal.
2. Source Experts: Find a mentor, hire an expert or create a partnership to cover areas you feel weakest.  Use your energy to focus on your strengths and instill help to alleviate stress of weaknesses.
3. Identify Energy Suckers:  Be aware of what drains your energy.  Maybe it’s a bad habit, relationship or even social media.  Keep track of the time you spend, if you notice you are doing this often make a change.
4. Highlight the Good:  Show appreciation to yourself and your team and you will continue to find that it will increase.  Positive energy will spread and grow.
5. Avoid Gossip:  The negativity of gossip can destroy all the good you are doing.  Removing gossip from daily discussions can protect this good energy.
6. Clear your Space:  Remove all clutter.  Use intense or a diffuser, have fresh water on hand and dust and sanitize regularly.
7. Be Proud:  A great boost of energy is reminding yourself of your accomplishments.
8. Stay Strong:  Discipline is needed to remain positive and focused.  Remember to review your intentions every day.
9. Listen Well:  Listen to your partners, team and customers; you can learn important information from them.  Use this to improve training, appearance and vision.
10. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences:  This will make you more successful, more motivated and happier.  Having like-minded people in your inner-circle is a must.

19 Tips to Create a Great Spa Menu

1. How to Feature:  When listing a feature of the product/service always include its benefits.  This shows the client what’s in it for them, which is what will persuade them to purchase the service or product.
2. Control your Content:  Instead of just describing the product or service, like listing its key ingredients, explain the benefits and focus on selling the results.  This will be much more incising to clients.
3. Market your Strengths:  Write for your demographic.  If you are experienced in anti-aging, you should target those over 30, if you don’t like waxing then take it off the menu.  Whatever you’re passionate about and want to focus on, let that be the spotlight of your menu, and let that do the selling for you.  This is your space to showcase exactly what you want.
4. Match your Style:  Does your spa have a theme?  Like tropical, urban oasis, clinical or Zen; play into the sensory of it.  Make sure your menu reflects your spa’s look and feel.  Play off the branding of your location and business to make things all tie together seamlessly.
5. Show Them the Way:  Your menu should show clients what you offer and guide them to what you’d like to sell.  For instants, if you have a high-profiting service you’d like to highlight guide your client’s eye’s there.  Do this by using a different color, boxing the service or placing it in the front or center of the menu.
6. Golden Triangle:  Marketers refer to the middle area, to top left and right as the “golden triangle”.  Our eyes first go to the middle section and then read left to right.  Take advantage of this area!
7. Categorize Correctly:  Categorize treatments to make it easy on the eyes.  Use basic names, like Packages, Facial Treatments, Body Treatments, Waxing and Add-Ons.  Add-Ons or Upgrades should be the last item on your menu.  You can also use a more unique and adventurous category approach, like Wrinkles Be Gone or Bye Bye Blemishes, just make sure not to overwhelm your clients with too many choices.
8. Straight Froward Pricing:  It is a respectful practice to display costs for services in your menu, preferably next to or right below service name and/or description.  Avoid pricing you would find at your local grocery store, like $99.99, round to a simple even number, like $100, to insure pricing doesn’t imply bargaining.
9. Team Spirit:  Remove words like “my” and replace them with “our” throughout your menu.  It’s all about the client; they want to envision themselves in the treatments.  Using “you’ll, your, and you” will help keep the focus on their individual experience.
10. Picture This: Using images is a good way to highlight treatments and help clients picture themselves in your treatment rooms.  Some skin care manufactures have photos you can use, or you can also download free images from pixabay.com.  Make sure to use photos that complement your menu and not overpower it.
11. Protect your Policies:  The back portion of your menu should outline your cancelation policy and scheduling requirements, this is a great way to show clients your business structure.  Remember to be firm but welcoming.
12. Make it Pretty:  Many printing companies have templates you can use as your base.  Making your menu esthetically pleasing in the hands of your client is key.
13. Be Bold:  Your font needs to be easily readable, using a standard font like Arial of Times New Roman (avoid script fonts) are usually safe.  Do not shrink font size to include more information, instead reduce the amount of text, eliminate low-profiting or unpopular services or services you don’t enjoy providing.  If you don’t like going it, most likely the client won’t like receiving it.
14. Less is More:  Don’t overwhelm clients with too much information.  Leaving white space between services looks more professional.  If there is empty space, don’t think you have to use it.
15. Keep it Quality:  Don’t skimp on paper selection, ink and size.  The quality of the brochure reflects the quality of services to be performed.  If your ink is a little too pricy, try to up the quality of the paper.  If you can afford it, and find yourself a bit lacking in the technical department try hiring a professional to help you design your perfect menu.
16. Proof before Printing:  Don’t forget to double, triple, and quadruple check your menu for typos and grammatical errors.  There is nothing worse than ordering 500 of your new amazing menu to find a big typo that gives clients a sewed perception of your quality.  The more eyes to review it before sending it off to the printer, the better!
17. All your Info:  One of the most important things to include in your menu is your business’s full contact information.  Make sure to include your name, logo, address, phone number, website, and email address.  If clients can book appointments online, make sure you let them know.
18. Search Around: Look at successful spa menus; see what they are doing right.  What stands out most?  Where does it lead your eyes?  Think of the pros and cons while creating your own menu.
19. Reap the Benefits:  A well-made menu should help the success of your business.  It can entice new potential clients, boost your bookings and do the selling for you.

The Benefits of Honey

Honey has been used in ayurvedic, or whole-body, medicines dating back over 3,000 years.  It has been a favorite of nutritionists, dietitians and naturopaths due to its extraordinary health benefits. It is also widely used for its therapeutic effects.  Honey contains nearly 200 substances; it is rich in natural sugars like fructose and glucose along with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, fructo-oligosaccharides, and amino acids.  It also contains flavonoids, phenolic, acids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, catalase, superoxide, dismutase, reduces glutathione, and peptides.  Honey is anti-viral, wound healing; it is used to treat chronic skin ulcers.  It increases cell growth and provides antimicrobial activity.  Honey promotes cell proliferation and anti-aging of the skin.

The Bellanina Honeylift Invigorating Massage Lotion improves hydration and exfoliates the skin while bringing cellular rejuvenation to dull, lackluster skin.  Through tappotment massage strokes, blood and oxygen is circulated, tissue is cleansed and a rosy glow is imparted to the face.  Tapping on major acupressure points gives a deeper level of relaxation while clearing energy meridians of stagnant chi and providing healing benefits to other organs of the body.  Honey is an antibacterial and has been found to provide immune system support.

A key component of the Bellanina Facelift Massage treatment, Bellanina Honeylift Invigorating Massage Lotion is made from pure, organic honey and orange blossom essential oil.  This sophisticated massage lotions softens and revitalizes the skin while providing antibacterial benefits and immune system support.  Honey stimulates the regrowth of tissue, strengthens capillaries and the fibroblasts needed for healing.  It also encourages the dermis to develop new connective tissue and speeds up the growth of epithelial cells.  Honeylift is designed to delight your senses and provide wonderful, natural face-lifting benefits.

This natural and delicious ingredient could only be referred to as liquid gold.

Glossy Glistening Hair DIY

This hydrating mask is great for any season and a variety of hair concerns.  It can help rid summer sun, chlorine, chemical hair dyes and styling products that can make hair damaged dry and straw-like.

What you’ll need:

-One egg yolk

-One tablespoon of melted coconut oil

-One tablespoon of olive oil

Warm the oils (15-30 seconds in the microwave should do it), then add the yolk and whisk together.  Coat your hair and massage it into your scalp.  The mixture will become stiff as the coconut oil cools down.  Cover your hair with a towel and let the mask work its magic for 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes is up, shampoo and rinse hair well.  Your result: shinning, hydrated, bouncing, rejuvenated locks!  Now go rock it!!

The Benefits of Rosewater

        

Rosewater is created through steam distillation of rose petals and is often used in toners and facial spritzes, like our Bellanina Rosewater Mineral Toner.  Rosewater has a high concentration of Vitamin A and C and antioxidants that help to hydrate the skin.  It is often recommended for clients with sensitive skin or conditions like rosacea because of its anti-inflammatory properties that help to calm and soothe skin irritations and flare-ups.  Rosewater, also, has antibacterial properties that make it beneficial for clients with acne.  Additionally, it can help to uplift the mood and increase spirits!

Our Bellanina Rosewater Mineral Toner is unique in containing hydrating and astringent components such as witch hazel, Dead Sea salts and aromatic rosewater.  The witch hazel reduces inflammation, soothes, and heals and the Dead Sea salts purify and re-mineralize.  The rosewater softens, reduces inflammation, refreshes, moisturizes and soothes the skin; tones, cleanses, and has a regenerating effect.  Clients love the natural rose fragrance and often mist it over their entire bodies after bathing before applying moisturizer for even more hydration.  Stay Rosy!

 

Skin is an Ecosystem

A single square centimeter of skin host approximately one billion microbes.

Every facet of our mind body health is interconnected.  Stress effects skin appearance.

Our skin naturally has a pH of 4 to 5.5, acidic, this creates comfort for beneficial bacteria but also an uncomfortable one for inhospitable or harmful ones.

Alkaline, toxic chemicals and products that remove 99.9% of germs disrupt the natural acid pH balance of the skin and disrupt the skin micro-biome.

Maintain healthy skin micro-biome: Use tepid water, too hot of water removes lipids and oils that keep your skin from drying out and also removes good bacteria.  Consider showering with a filter to remove chlorine, heavy metals and other contaminants.  Look at your skin care and body products, make sure they don’t contain harsh, synthetic chemicals that may disrupt your skin’s natural acid mantle.

Consider your cosmetics, if you wear makeup daily, the ingredients in your cosmetics are being absorbed all day long into your body.  Also buy makeup for the short term, and make sure you are throwing away old makeup.

Think about your clothing, look for natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, linen, silk, wool, cashmere, etc.  Also, look at your laundry detergent and dryer sheet ingredients.

10 Dermatologist tips for Great Skin

From the American Academy of Dermatology

1. Use sunscreen everyday (even in the winter!)
2. Don’t Smoke
3. Check skin for skin cancer
4. Don’t use tanning beds
5. Use skin care for your skin type
6. Don’t over-exfoliate
7. Wash your face morning and night
8. Wash gently
9. Reduce stress
10. See a professional for advice

How to Feng Shui Your Space

Literally translated, the term feng shui means wind-water.  In traditional Chinese Medicine, symbolically, feng has the meaning of wind/air and represents yang or masculine energy and shui has the meaning water and represents yin of feminine energy.  Yang should be thought of as outgoing, like a centrifugal force, while yin should be thought of as receiving, like gravity.  They are two parts of the same whole that create a duo energy that fuels all living things.

Using the feng shui bagua, color and the five element chart, you can see how energy flows through your spa space.  The goal is to create a safe and sacred space for clients to feel nourished that represents you and your essence.

The bagua, meaning eight areas, is a feng shui template that is used as an overlay to observe the natural flow of energy in your entire spa and individual rooms.  This is represented in a table:

Hold the bagua table in your hand as you stand at the main entrance.  Your entrance will be through one of the following areas: knowledge/ self-cultivation, life path/ career, or helpful people/ travel.  Overlay your chart onto your room based on the entrance.  The far right corner will always be your relationships/ service area, and the far left corner will always be the wealth/ empowerment area.

Color:

Each color has its own vibratory rate that helps to energize, stimulate and even lift the spirits.  Warm colors, including red, orange and yellow, are most stimulating and energizing.  Blues and purples are cool and considered to be the most calming and enlightening.  As a shade gets closer to red, it becomes more stimulating; as it moves closer to blue, it becomes more calming.  Yellow is energizing, helping to lift the spirits; while green symbolizes new growth, balance and healing.  Each color has an intensity range, meaning how bright or soft it appears.  The brighter the color the more energy it will generate.  Your space will benefit most from soft, calming colors of the walls with corresponding color accents to match the various bagua areas you choose to enhance.

Five Elements:

They are a core part of traditional Chinese Medicine, as they represent the cyclical energy flow of nature.  Each is explained in the chart below:

Pulling it All Together:

You don’t need to use every part of the bagua table.  Pick one or two areas to focus on rather than trying to make adjustments in all nine areas at once.

Starting in the relationships/ service area is ideal; it will enhance your client relationships.  Use the color pink, the color of love, predominately.  Also, display things in sets of two, like rose quartz hearts or crystals.  The knowledge/ self-cultivation area, across from the relationships/ service corner is also a good place to focus because it represents your level of skill and gives you credibility.  Use symbols of wisdom, like your license, in this area.  Exuding wisdom attracts a better quality of client.  Keeping a clutter free area will help to enhance wealth, along with using symbols like red silk mystic knot with coins, a fountain, a bamboo plant or citrine crystals.  Also, remember to keep trash and laundry out of sight.

There is no need to force these, just appreciate the laws of nature and honor them.  Allow the energy to flow through, not just your work but throughout your whole life.

Food for Thought

We often think hard about what we put on our face and how it will effect or skin, but what about the food we put in our bodies?  Everyone has a specific beauty goal in mind, and there are certain foods help with these; from Eczema relief to strong nails.  Here are a list of beauty goals and foods to help get you there!

• Blemish Control: Fermented Food, Greens, Lemons, Oysters, Pumpkin Seeds, & Turmeric.
• Calm Complexion: Coconut Milk, Ginger, Mushrooms, Raw Cacao, Raw Sauerkraut, &   Turmeric.
• Diminish Dark Circles: Asparagus, Beets, Celery, Grapes, Greens, Escarole, & Watermelon.
• Eczema Relief: Buckwheat, Ginger, Hemp Seeds, Onions, Raw Honey, Turmeric, & Wild Salmon.
• Full Body Anti-Aging: Asparagus, Blueberries, Cinnamon, Green Tea, Pomegranate, Raw Cacao, Turmeric, & Wild Salmon.
• Glowing Skin: Acorn Squash, Greens, Lemon, Pomegranate, Pumpkin, & Sweet Potato.
• Healthier Hair: Bananas, Greens, Oats, Pastured Eggs, Radishes, & Sardines.
• Hydration: Avocado, Cucumber, Flaxseed, Hemp Seeds, Mushrooms, Walnuts, & Wild Salmon.
• Reduce Inflammation: Almond Butter, Borage Oil, Dark Berries, Dark Leafy Greens, Wild Mackerel, & Wild Salmon.
• Strengthen Nails: Almonds, Hemp Seeds, Raspberries, Red Cabbage, Swiss Chard, & Winter Squash.