Offering to talk about your spa business or a specific area of business specialty, free of charge at a local event is an excellent way to network and grow your beauty business. Speaking engagements present an ideal opportunity to let everyone know how skilled and knowledgeable you are about your niche area of the beauty industry. As a result, you can be sure when attendees are looking for a business to patronize, they will think of you first. It is also very common to leave an event with the names of several new clients, or maybe even orders.

There are so many different groups you can approach to offer educational guest speaking services free of charge. Since you are in the beauty industry, start with women’s organizations and networking groups that meet on a regular basis. You can also contact “mom” meetings that are focused on offering a night out for busy stay-at-home mothers. Colleges and universities are also constantly on the lookout for quality speakers. Perhaps you could focus your lecture on getting ready for the work world, from a spa industry perspective. For executive and business organizations, with members who are already stressed for time, you may want to approach it from a different perspective in terms of quick beauty options that have maximum impact.

From a public speaking perspective, make sure you know how much time you have and then practice your speech or presentation many times so you know you are going to be able to fill the time. Always save a little time at the end for a Q&A period, so that you can not only answer any audience questions, but also give you a further opportunity to promote yourself and your spa or beauty business.

It is often a good idea to have “goodie bags” to give away to participants, that ideally should include product samples, perhaps a few sheets of educational literature that tie in with your presentation and of course, your brochure and business card. Don’t feel shy about tooting your own horn a little and conducting a little discreet business promotion. The group organizer is quite aware that you are offering your services free of charge for a very specific reason – to promote your beauty business. The key (and sometimes this takes a little practice) is striking the right balance – giving an educational or informative presentation while still gaining some critical and targeted business exposure from the event.

Lack of activities can prevent you from living healthy. When you do not enjoy activities, you may feel fatigue or find it difficult to sleep at night. When you awake in the morning, you may feel tired until you finally fall asleep. As we, age our body change and we have to make changes to accommodate our lives.

Having a good night sleep makes the mind think more clearly. A good night sleep also boosts your energy while controlling your weight. You can also make decisions with less stress. Sleeping well at night makes our immune system stronger to keep us healthier.  Researchers have proved that a good nights sleep is necessary for our health.  Researchers have found that lack of sleep reduces the growth hormones in our bodies, since it changes muscles to fat. Sleep overall is most important, yet it stands behind activities. To improve your health, try walking each day.

Walking will help to loosen our muscles, reduces stress and depression along with anxiety. By reliving these things, it will help us to sleep for a longer and deeper period.  So, when we wake up in the morning we feel happier and more rested.

When you exercise, you get a good night sleep, which promotes metabolism. Without the right amount of sleep, our bodies crave energy. Our body will release insulin or glucose into the bloodstream, which slows down metabolism. This action causes the body to gain weight, rather than control weight.

When a person feels exhausted, they will feel weak and repressed from enjoying activities. This leads to additional problems. Sleeping right balances out our bodies giving us, more energy leading to more activities that will satisfy our sleep needs.

What to avoid:
To rest proper and feel active you must reduce your intake of caffeine, nicotine, harmful chemicals, such as over-the-counter meds that keep you awake, alcohol and so on. The chemicals and substances will keep you awake. Try to avoid drinking anything after 8 p.m. in the evening. Nicotine should be avoid if possible, yet if you must smoke try to avoid smoking after 8 p.m.

Start a walking program in the morning to help wake you up, while boosting your energy. You will feel better since the joints will feel flexible enough to move freely. In addition, walking will help you burn fat and calories. You’ll notice a big change in how you feel the rest of the day.  Start out walking at a slow steady pace for as far as your comfortable.  Each day pick up the pace a bit and walk further. Just remember when walking that you want to work up to a steady brisk walk to make you sweat but not out of breath. Take a short walk before and after meals to calm your nerves, and burn calories too, it will give you energy, relieve that stress from the long day and help you sleep.

If you start a walking program for yourself, it is a lot more fun if you have someone to go with you. Talk to that neighbor you don’t know and maybe they’ll walk with you. Just think about it; you’ll be acquainted with someone new, talk about new things will relieve stress and get in you exercise as well. This might help that neighbor too who maybe hasn’t seen or talked to anyone in a couple of days and than they can sleep better at night.

After walking that brisk walk your doing be sure to cool down. When walking at a vigorous pace your heart rate will go up and it needs to be back to normal. Just walk a bit slow and relaxing until you’ve cooled down.

If you can’t go to sleep at night instead of getting up and turning on the TV try pacing around the house. Do some stretching and shake your arms and legs. Even walking around the house can relax you especially when everyone else is in bed and you can relax more.

Intense pulsed light

How The Process of IPL Works

Focused  broad spectrum light  in IPL treatment is applied to the skin surface by use of either a hand-held wand or an articulated arm. The intense light  waves travel through the skin tissue  until it strikes hair shafts or the bulb of the hair, the hair root itself.  The hair root is where the highest concentration of melanin is. When light strikes the melanin, which is dark in color, the light is then converted to heat energy, which vaporizes the hair shaft. Intense head radiated by the hair will then destroy the entire hair follicle.

Intense Pulsed Light Is Of Short Duration

Light pulses produced by the IPL devices are of short duration which keeps discomfort to a minimum. Clients may experience a slight irritation which is much like a minor sunburn. At worst a small amount o blisters can occur.  Men tend to have more discomfort since men’s hair is thicken than women’s.  Also treatment of sensitive body areas such as the face and the chest can result in minor pain, much like that which comes from waxing. The pain, however, does go away quickly.  UV skin damage is avoided through filtering of the IPL wand.

Popularity of Intense Pulsed Light Is On The Increase

The popularity of IPL is increasing.  The cost is low and the procedure doesn’t take a lot of time.  It also compares in a favorable manner to laser hair removal which is a much more expensive process which takes more time.  Most people consider the results to be roughly equivalent.  Most clients who undergo intense pulsed light treatment report good results, and in the hands of a skilled aesthetician the procedure is safe for most skin types. The popularity is bound to continue to grow.

You have to eat right in order to stay healthy. If you do not eat right, your body does not receive the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. You have to eat so it fuels your body. Similar to a motor vehicle, which you add gas to travel; the body requires food that promotes energy, making it go. Too much food is not good for you and not enough of the right food can be harmful to your health.

Choosing good foods to eat:
Not all foods is good for you, yet liver is loaded with iron which is good for your blood, but to much isn’t good for you either. Fruits and vegetables are good for you but again not too much because the fruit will turn into sugar and that’s not good for you. Too much may give you the gibes, especially if you have to watch your weight. You can get high cholesterol as well from food if your not careful. High cholesterol can lead to harden arteries, which follows by strokes or heart attacks. So you need to eat but watch what you are eating and how much of it in a days time.

How will I know if am not eating right?

When you go to your doctor, he will tell you if you need to go on a diet. Your doctor will be able to tell by your weight. Then he may put you on a diet to lose weight or a diet to help you gain weight. He will tell you want to eat and how much as well as what not to eat. Then he may tell you to excise everyday. You have to be able to burn up what you take in so it will not turn into sugar or fat.

Remember that you should try to feast from the four food groups. Try to make sure that you only eat the amount your suppose to, and get your excise that you need to make you healthy. You can always call your family doctor to ask him how to do something if you don’t know how they will also help you to learn how to count your calories as well it is a big job when it comes to dieting you have to know how to count your calories and weigh your food. If you don’t you are not going to do want your suppose to do.

Seek our help and support

The world is filled with support groups that will help you if need support. More then likely you can go to your local hospital and they will know how to get you in touch with a group. These groups are great. The groups will give you support during the time that you need help. At group meetings, you will meet people with the same problems you have and you can give each other the support. Just remember to set a goal but don’t make it so high that you can’t do it and give up. Start out a little at a time and then as you get better you can get a increase your plans. In addition, what ever you do try to stick to it, it takes will power and control.

Willpower is the Masterful Key

Willpower is a powerful mechanism inside you. If you want to find this willpower take a seat, sit down and talk with you to see what you can find. As you learn more about you, you gain willpower that takes you beyond your abilities, which means you will have a healthy aging in the future.

If your clients are living with unhealthy stress, you can see it when they visit you for a beauty treatment. You can help your client overcome some of that day-to-day stress by educating your client. Here is some info you can pass along to them…

Where does stress come from?
Stress develops from many different things. For instance, bills can cause you stress. Not paying your bills on time due to lack of funds can cause stress. Not having a job or kids can stress you out to the max. In addition, bad relationships can wear on your nerves.

What can you do to get some relief from stress?
Some of the things that may help you to find relief from stress include reading a good book. Wrap yourself up in a warm blanket or cool area depending on the weather and enjoy a good book. Writing is one of the top keys that help you to reduce stress. When you are overloaded with stress, write down your feelings, emotions, thoughts and so on. Writing is a great exercise, put it to good use. Avoid overdoing it, so that you learn to enjoy writing rather than feeling frustrated at the thought of writing.

You could also enjoy a nice hot, bubble bath. Add some candles around the tub, soak and enjoy. There are many ways that people can find relief from stress; you have to decide on the best way for you to find that relief. Go with whatever works best for you.

If you cant find a way to do it on your own perhaps you can visit your family doctor, a counselor, friend or family member that will guide you to reducing your stress. Support is a great tool. Build up a support group that helps you live healthier, rather than wearing you down.

What does stress do to my body?
Stress will do a lot to your body if you let it. It will control your emotions, thoughts, actions, behaviors, bodily functions and so on. If you allow stress to control you, it will bring you down to nothing, making you feel worthless. Stress can do a lot of damage to your body as well as your mind.

What can I do so I am not so stressed?
Stress can be reduced by minimizing bad habits. Try paying your bills on time if possible. If you cannot pay your bills on time due to insufficient funds, pay enough to avoid shut-off notices. You may want to setup a budget so that you spend wisely. Help is only a phone call away as well. Pick up your phone book, talk to people in your area, etc, since you just may find money available to help those with low-income pay bills.

Another good way to avoid stress is to stay away from those who drag you down. If you have friends or family members feeding you negativity, let them go and find positive friends instead. Sometimes tough love is our way of saying, “I’ve had enough.”

In addition, you can learn to eat healthy, exercise and put away those things that wear on your health. For instance, if you smoke, drink excessively, use drugs, etc, you are wearing heavily on your nerves. Put these things behind you if possible; otherwise seek help to put these things behind you. You have many options; check your resources to learn what is available to you.

Telling a Friend about a Spa is a Powerful Thing... whether the information pass along is good or bad!

Unhappy clients can cause problems for any business, but they are especially hazardous to the spa business.  Aestheticians provide personal professional services and exist on the quality of their reputations.  The goal of all aestheticians to provide the finest in customer service has a positive side effect when done well, in that happy clients tell others who become referrals and then in turn also become happy clients,   The problem with unhappy clients is that the formula just mentioned works in reverse as well, and probably to a larger degree.

Consider your own life…

If you visit a restaurant and have good food and good service you may bring it up in conversation the next day and tell a friend.  That referral will probably stick in the mind of your friend and eventually result in a new customer for the restaurant. However, studies show that if you had a negative experience you are more then likely going to tell three friends rather than one, and people tend to remember these negative comments.  You would probably end up costing the restaurants three potential customers through your one negative experience.  That rule is just as true in the spa and aesthetics business as well.  Your business is built on personal service and a dissatisfied, unhappy client who spreads negative publicity about your service can be the kiss of death, with a downward spiraling effect that can hurt you, your business and your income.

We all have unhappy and disgruntled clients from time to time.  The nature of any service business is that in dealing with people not everyone will be a happy camper.  The difference between a successful spa and a bankrupt spa can be how you handle that disgruntled person, and whether or not you are able to turn them around.  This is a case where the old adage “any publicity is good publicity” is not necessarily true.

When you have an unhappy client the first thing to do is remember to keep calm, not take the criticism personally and open a dialogue with the client.  Communicate with them, apologize to them for the negative experience and assure them that you are going to do whatever is necessary to rectify and correct the situation.  It is possible that the client has had a bad day, or may be taking out on you personal problems at home, or professional problems she may be having at her own job.  Lend a sympathetic ear and find out what the problem is.  Their expectations may have been unreasonable, or they may have misinterpreted something that you or another aesthetician said.  If you or one of your employees were wrong, don’t be afraid to admit it.  Make the client feel as though you care about her feelings, and make sure that it is sincere.  Don’t be afraid to offer a free visit the next time the person comes in.  You may give up an hour of aesthetician service time, but you may just make the client happy and gain business for years, and good referrals from her friends.

With sandal season in mind, Sandra D’ Alesio hurried out to beautify her feet between nursings of her six-month-old son, Anthony. But the moment she stepped into a scalding foot bath in a makeshift Hamilton salon, her experience – and her feet – turned ugly.

“I knew right away I was in the wrong place,” she recalls. “I should have just turned away… But when you have a baby… you just want to get it done.”

A teen girl whisked D’Alesio into a small kitchen that doubled as a nail salon. The girl sat her down at the lone pedicure station, then removed a tool that looked like a sander from a used nail kit.

What followed more closely resembled a torture scenario than a pampering session. The girl buffed D’Alesio’s nails until she squirmed in the chair. Next, the girl used a razor-sharp device to scrape dead skin from the soles of her feet.

“It was literally the size of my two hands put together. It looked like a cheese grater and she grabbed my foot and she started grating it and grating it to the point where it was raw.”

“I kept thinking that now that my feet are raw, and now that the sander has been used, I’m sure that they have opened up some skin. I wasn’t outright bleeding at first, but it was gross.”

Her skin peeled for weeks after; she had no cuticles left.

But it cost her only $20.

A plethora of cheap, chop-and-go nail shops have opened in strip malls and on main streets in cities across Canada since the trend took off in the 1990s.

The fast food restaurants of the spa industry – no appointments necessary – these salons skimp on luxury for the sake of cost and efficiency.

But industry experts, from foot doctors to cosmetologists, caution that some salons might skimp on a lot more than luxury, which can lead to health hazards.

They’re called “ice cream pedicures,” says Linda Bond, executive director of the International Pedicure Association. “You know, buff-and-fluff, (in which they) use that little old blade there and throw on some cream and slap on a new colour.”

Service standards and advanced education are reflected in the cost and people should expect to pay more for higher hygiene standards, Bond says. “Their profit is in the numbers… look how many they do in a day, they use their files over and over again.”

“If they’re whipping you through and they’re not taking 10 minutes between each whirlpool jet bath (to sanitize) then you can bet your booty that’s what they’re saving on.”

Those soothing foot spas can contain more than just bubbles; they might be breeding grounds for bacteria and fungus, which can spread infections that could lead to more serious conditions like a staph infection, blood poisoning, hepatitis or tuberculosis.

The pitfalls of bad pedicures have made headlines in recent years, including Paula Abdul’s 2004 hospitalization after a fungal fingernail infection, the 2006 death of a Texas pedicure patron after her foot was cut with a pumice stone, and over 100 Californians who contracted infections from contaminated foot baths at a salon in 2002 and 2003.

In most Canadian provinces, nail salons are not regulated, meaning lax training and hygiene standards often go unnoticed unless someone develops an infection, which may not be discovered until long after pedicure polish has chipped away.

A 2001 study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health surveyed 120 salons in Toronto and concluded that infection control protocols need to be established for nail salons because of the potential for the transmission of infectious diseases.

The study found that technicians re-used almost all instruments, even when this was not the intent of the manufacturer. Isopropyl alcohol – not the more thorough autoclave device – was the most commonly used disinfectant. Many technicians did not wear gloves while performing procedures and most did not follow universal precautions when asked how they would react to cuts on either the client or themselves.

Jennifer Ponzi teaches a 16-week, 120-hour course, at the Toronto Academy of Nail Design. Six hours are dedicated to hygiene practice. At the end of the course, students receive a diploma.

Many community colleges, like Fleming College in Cobourg, Ont., offer nail technician training courses that include bacteriology and decontamination. But in most provinces, a course is not required, which means just about anyone can open a salon and deem herself a nail professional.

Lax regulations lead to lax hygiene, Ponzi says. But not only at low end salons, which she calls non-standard salons. “I’ve seen some pretty horrifying things at some high-end salons.”

“You can’t just point your finger at the non-standard salons and say they’re not following the rules. Some high-and medium-end salons don’t follow the rules either.”

She says too often customers assume that because a salon looks clean, it is. But salons need to show customers that they are hygienic.

She’s never heard a customer ask to see them sterilize or disinfect the tools or equipment.

In her 15 years in the business, Ponzi says she’s never seen a health official stop by for an inspection, either.

Robert Chelin, president of the Federation of International Podiatrists, says he’s treated many patients with infections resulting from botched pedicures.

“It could be fatal, there’s always the chance,” says Chelin, who practises in the Toronto area. “A fungus infection, certainly you’re not going to die of in your nail, but a bacterial infection – yeah, you could get blood poisoning… it can travel in your system, it can take you down fast.”

Chelin had just conducted a minor surgical procedure on a patient after a pedicure, during which an improper cutting technique on an ingrown nail led to an infection. “They just kind of clipped and tried to rip it out and he said he was bleeding, he started to hemorrhage.”

In the absence of governmental standards, the IPA bestows a certified master pedicurist designation on nail technicians who learn infection control and are trained to recognize potential harmful conditions.

Experts like Chelin are looking to government regulation to enforce three standards in the industry that are required in other health professions – training, sterilization and proper instrumentation.

“What’s the difference between a dental cleaning and a service that might involve breaking of the skin or drawing of blood?”

Chelin says more questions need to be asked by both the patron and the pedicurist. But most salons don’t screen clients about underlying medical conditions, he says.

“I’m not saying don’t go to those (inexpensive) places… But it’s important that the clients ask the right questions.”

Patrons should ask the employees to sterilize the nail kit, or put together their own kit and bring their own polish. At the very least, he says, people should bring their own base coat. And it’s important not to shave for a few days before a pedicure because it opens your hair follicles to infection.

“I know people are conscious of money,” Chelin says. “And the $25 pedicure job is very appealing, but sometimes in life you get what you pay for.”

Pre-pedicure hygiene checklist:

-The pedicure area, whirlpools, and salon/spa look clean

-The nail technicians/pedicurists have their licences displayed

-Your feet are examined and health questions asked before the pedicure

-Instruments look clean and are disinfected

-Items that cannot be disinfected are disposed after the pedicure

-Proper tools are used

-Drill bits (if used) are disinfected (cleaned)

-Salon/spa has adequate ventilation

-A laundered towel or new disposable towel is used on each client

SO… how does your own spa business stack up against this checklist?

SOURCE:The International Pedicure AssociationCopyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

By Sunny Freeman (CP) – Jul 6, 2009

NEW YORK, July 9 /PRNewswire/ — The Spa & Resort/Medical Aesthetics Expo (www.spaandresortexpo.com) has been redesigned this year to give attendees an enhanced experience that focuses on new resources, tools, treatments, and professional education that will help their business grow and succeed. This empowering event will be held September 28-29, 2010, in conjunction with the HBA Global Event annual Beauty Week™, at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

New show floor features include the Industry Education Theater, which will platform leading manufacturers demonstrations on new products and advance treatments.  During both days of the event, attendees will be able to participate in interactive “how to’s” and learn about the latest skincare or body care products that they can offer their customers and businesses.

The Retreat will include daily yoga demonstrations, wellness training, and provide a holistic educational approach to well-being.   This tranquil haven will show attendees how to incorporate total wellness into their offerings and appeal to the consumers who are seeking alternative, natural, and mind/body treatments.

Also new for 2010, will be Spa visitors access to the Trend Spot (part of the adjacent HBA Global Expo), highlighting cutting-edge trends in makeup, color, packaging, ingredients, and consumer buying and featuring presentations by professional make-up artists like Eve Pearl, top organizations, such as Euromonitor and Mintel, and books signings by prominent industry authors.

Spa & Resort will also offer show specials and robust discounts, up to 50%, on products and services and unparalleled networking opportunities for skin care, spa and medical aesthetics professionals.

Back by popular demand, will be the private Beauty Bar Lounge, where invited VIP guests can take some time out from the show to relax and select exclusive samples from the Beauty Bar showcase of exhibitor products.

In addition, Spa & Resort attendees can register for the HBA Educational Conference, which includes marketing sessions on “The Four Rs of Spa Success;” “Marketing through Salons, Day Spas and Medical Spas;”  ”The Future of Skin Care;” and other business-building topics and programs including a Trends and Green Conference.

“All of these additions and features are designed to give attendees the tools to grow their business toward comprehensive skincare, beauty and wellness services, which is increasingly vital in today’s challenging marketplace,” said Jill Birkett, Brand Director, Beauty & Wellness, UBMi.

For the second year, Spa & Resort will co-locate with the HBA Global Expo giving participants a 360-degree experience of the entire life cycle of goods, from product conception to completion. UBM International Media (UBMi), which owns and produces the HBA Global Expo & Conference, has recently assumed the entire management of the Spa & Resort shows.  One badge provides attendees with access to visit exhibitors and attend special programs on both show floors during the two-days the shows overlap. Admission to the HBA conference program requires a different registration package.

Registration for Spa & Resort will open in mid-July. For more information on the Spa & Resort/Medical Aesthetics Expo visit www.spaandresortexpo.com. To participate or sponsor, contact Mary Palmieri at 609-759-7606 or mary.palmieri@ubm.com.

There are many website properties that fall under the social media or social networking umbrella. These sites include Facebook.com, LinkedIn.com, Twitter.com, and Squidoo.com. Another would be MySpace.com which has been consistently falling out of favor in the past year. Of course, there are many other less famous forms of social media that include web blogs, instant messaging, vlogs, podcasts, internet forums, and of course, email. As you can see, there are different categories of social media that include communication, collaboration, entertainment and multimedia.

For a small business, social media and networking can be a goldmine! These new outlets present a business owner with multiple opportunities to reach out to new markets, increase market share and attract new customers.

Creating and building customer database, and using it to reach spa and beauty clients through email, is a great form of social networking. Another prime example is a business blog – your website is not complete until you have one and is an exceptional way to educate your audience and link that education to your beauty business.

You could have a Twitter account and send out tweets to your registered followers – talk about new beauty treatments or offer special discounts to your followers. This could also include advertising a new menu, introducing a new aesthetician at your business, and sharing other interesting factoids about the comings and goings of your beauty business.

You may want to be included on the LinkedIn.com website, and build a circle of contacts, many of which may be from your college days. This is a good way to reconnect and perhaps make new customers.

Another possibility is to establish a Facebook.com website for your business, or start an interest group on Facebook and begin to amass a following. A new feature for Facebook is to import blog posts so that your Facebook account is always fresh and current.

Squidoo is also another good source for establishing your expertise in your niche area of the beauty industry. By creating a lens for each area or topic, you can build up quite a nice little knowledge base of expert information that all links back to your beauty business website.

Social media networking has levelled the playing field, allowing small and budding business owners to reach out to the masses, present information and participate in relevant exchanges of content. No longer do the large companies with endless marketing budgets have the upper hand when it comes to building client bases and increasing business revenues online. An entrepreneurial small business owner, within the beauty industry, can now be a shark instead of just a very small fish in a very large pond.

When determining pricing keep in mind all of your expenses for operating your spa business. Determine the amount of overhead you actually have per hour of every day. In other words, how much money do you have to bring in the door on average every hour just to pay the bills, not counting anything you need to take home as profit. Then determine how much you need personally as salary or wages in order to cover all of your personal bills and maintain a lifestyle that you would be comfortable with. Add the two together. Then determine the actual number of hours per day that you believe you can realistically be booked.  Come up with an approximate minimum per hour rate that way, but be sure to add a little bit to it to take into account coupons and discounts you may offer.  Then the next step is to do some comparison shopping. Check out the competition and see what they are charging. Make sure that you are in line with what the market will bear. You may be under pricing yourself. If that is the case, raise your base hourly rate a little bit, always remembering that it is easy to give a client a discount or temporary price reduction, but it is sometimes difficult to have a successful price increase.

When you determine your prices keep in mind the cost of acquiring clients. Marketing expenses can sometimes be the most expense part of operating a business. Come up with a marketing budget that includes all the advertising media you intend to use. That can be Yellow Pages, fliers, web site development and hosting, pay per click and search engine optimization, television commercials, radio spots, newspaper and magazine ads, and the cost of various events and open houses you may choose to sponsor.

Also don’t forget your taxes. When you meet with an accountant with your figures determine how much you will be paying in income taxes and FICA, and figure that in accordingly. Do your math carefully and you’ll have a very good idea of what you should be charging to keep both your clients and your self happy.