With the holidays just about, if not already a distant memory, there should be more time to put plans in place to take your spa or massage practice to the next level. Maybe your goal is financial, or it may be that you want to expand into new areas for your own professional growth and satisfaction. Whatever it is, you don’t want to find yourself at the next holiday season and regret that this wasn’t the year to get ahead.
Solidify your vision
Where do you want to take your business should be the first question to ask yourself. It would be best if you also asked why you want to go in this direction. If your business has plateaued and the stream of new clients coming through the door is slowing down, it may be time to offer some new massage therapy services or skin treatments to attract a new type of clientele. It could also be that there is more competition in the area, so you need to do something to differentiate your offering. Or it may be that after several years of offering the same service, you need to learn something new to regain the enthusiasm you had when you started. Maybe you would like to learn about Integrated Table Thai or add waterless spa treatments to your massage. You may want to try your hand at sports massage, and so additional training will be in order.
Put a plan in place
Develop a plan with specific action items. Include deadlines, resources, and any organizational changes. As part of your plan, you’ll want to:
Establish priorities: You can’t do everything at once. After all, if you want to start offering a new service, you may need to enroll in a class, which can take some time.
Develop contingency plans: Things will not always go according to plan. Have contingencies built into your action items, so you can change course if you need to.
Get input from others: Check with colleagues, business associates, friends, and family who know you and whose opinions you respect to find out if you are covering all the bases in your planning. Also, if your planning affects others, you’ll want their input.
Measure and monitor: While you are putting your plan in motion, stop to measure results and effectiveness. You may need to put those contingency plans in motion because your priorities have changed or outside influences make it hard to achieve desired results.
Be your number one advocate
Along the way of putting your plan in motion, become your number one fan. Don’t let go of your vision regardless of obstacles or objections from others if you know where you are heading is what you want. You also want to communicate your vision, so networking with others can help you gain the acceptance and support you need when ready to launch your new initiative.
Putting visions into reality takes time and effort but fulfilling your dreams is worth it.