Starting an Aesthetics Business Series: Know Your Community Intimately (and What Your Potential Clients Want)
When starting an aesthetics business, as with any type of business, it is important to know your community intimately. Knowing your clients and potential clients will help you serve their needs when they become clients, and help your marketing efforts as you reach out to them in customer gathering exercises. Of course, if you are opening your business in a town that you already know well, you have a leg up. If it is your home town where you grew up, or once you’ve lived in for several years, so much the better.
If you don’t already know the town as well as you should, it is time for investigation. That means the town in general and those things related to the business of aesthetics as well. Find out how many medical spas, day spas and related businesses the town has and get an idea of their clientele. Look at where they are advertising and check back and see how long they’ve been with various media. It is a good best that they only continue with advertising methods that have proven to work for them.
Take a look at the services offered by day spas and medical spas locally. What products and services do they emphasize? Are most of the clients there for facials? Waxing? Look at the package deals they offer, and especially any newspaper ads, flyers or coupons. Becoming a one time customer to get an idea of how they operate will be a small investment that might be worthwhile.
Next, become involved in the community. What organizations and activities do you normally participate in? Church, charities, sports, education? The more people you get to know through networking, the better for your business later. If you are going to be involved in fundraising for a charity event anyway, make sure that you have business cards with you to give to anyone you talk to when the time seems right. The same with church, the PTA, the Spanish language class or yoga class you were considering taking, and even those folks you meet in the grocery store. Many business people have a “three foot rule” which means, if they are within three free of you, you give them a business card.
Doing your research on the community you plan to do business in is always a good investment of your time. Know the area and you’ll have more success in business.
