What it takes to make a good decision for your spa or massage practice?

Many years ago, someone told me when in doubt don’t act. But often that’s easier said than

done. The fact is that decision making is one of the key areas of responsibility when running any

business, including a spa or massage practice. Some decisions are easy to make or of little

consequence so that whatever you decide will be just fine. But at other times, there are

decisions to make that can significantly affect the growth and direction of the business. It’s

especially difficult to decide when your heart is leaning one way and your head the other.

 

When you are on the fence about which way to do, there are some steps you can take to make

a decision that has the best outcomes for your spa or massage practice. First make sure that

you have clearly identified the problem. For example, you may think the problem is a lack of

sufficient staff. However, the problem may really be that staff needs training to take on more

responsibility.

 

Another step to take, according to Maria Baratta, Ph.D, L.C.S.W., in “4 Steps to Making Better

Decisions,” is to carve out a time and find a quiet place to think where you can be alone and not

distracted by others or activity around you. For some, taking a walk or just being alone in your

kitchen can be a good way to be by yourself and let your mind freely explore your thoughts.

 

Dr. Baratta also suggests that you make sure the time is right to make whatever decision is

confronting you. If you are dealing with other issues in your life, you may not be in the best

frame of mind to make important decisions about next steps for your spa or massage practice.

Sometimes you don’t have an option. For example, if your rent has gone up considerably and

you need to decide if you should seek an alternative location, you may not have a lot of time to

decide what to do. With others, such as should you hire additional professionals to expand into

new massage services or skin care treatments, you can spend more time considering the pros

and cons.

 

In addition to finding the right time and place to make a decision, here are some other things to

help the process:

Research: Gather as much information as you can about the problem and your options. Make a

list of every possible alternative and then do research online or ask other professionals or

experts for their opinion. Don’t be held back by ideas that you think are silly. Some of the most

creative solutions are sparked by an idea that seems farfetched.

 

Consider the outcomes: Sometimes the best way to make a decision is to consider the

consequences of the action. For example, you may decide that you need to completely redesign

your spa or massage practice. However, the cost may cut into your profits and not necessarily

attract more clients. Maybe all you need to do is refresh your space with some paint and a few

new decorative items or fresh flowers.

 

Evaluate your final decision: When you come to a decision, spend time evaluating it and ensure

that you put into the place the right steps to make it happen. Doing so may help eliminate

hurdles along the way in seeing your decision through to implementation.

 

Making decisions can be easy. But making the “right decisions” takes time. Invest that time

since your spa or massage practice success depends on it.

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