I know it’s been a while since I’ve last posted on my blog platform but it’s been for good reasons! A great deal has happened these past few months and I must bring you up to speed on things! As many of you know, I’ve been undergoing this funding process for a while…since April 2023 to be exact! I didn’t speak too much on it because for one, it’s a long and confidential process. But for two, I just didn’t feel comfortable with going into too much detail until things became more official!
Well, I’m happy to let you know (in case you haven’t already heard) my funding has been approved and I officially closed on my SBA loan this past Tuesday (10/17/2023). I couldn’t be more grateful!!! To be honest, I still feel like I’m processing it all as this has been a long time coming. I’ve shared before that many times I wanted to give up but I’m so glad I didn’t! Receiving the proper funding to make this dream happen was one of my biggest hurdles I’ve had to overcome. This just proves that Anything Is Possible no matter how hard it is, how long it takes, or the setbacks. I feel like I have to say it again…all things are possible and don’t allow anyone or anything to tell you otherwise!
If you have a dream in your heart or a particular aspiration and you find yourself in a season that seems difficult DON’T GIVE UP! Yes, you may think about it but understand that those crushing seasons are all a part of the process! There are so many great things in store for you but you have to remain persistent! You must stay focused, and believe in you no matter how hard your journey may get! That’s what I had to do to get through my tough season and if God can do it for me He can do it for you too!
This journey started 14 years ago and in so many ways this is still just the beginning! There are so many great things in store for Intentional Moments Spa & Wellness Lounge and I can’t wait to continue this journey with you and see it all come to life! Of course, I plan to share things with you all as the spa evolves so be sure to stay connected via Instagram and Facebook!
The best is still yet to come for me and for you too! All things are possible if only you believe and don’t give up! Faith, Focus, Finish…
Me at the closing table! All things are possible…
~And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.~ Gal. 6:9
Hello to you and welcome back, as always! I hope you had a great, relaxing holiday weekend. I, myself, had a great one with my family! We did some fun things together and of course we snuck in some good ole’ rest too! So needed!! Today, we’re all back to our regularly scheduled program & I’m sure you are too! 🙂
My title “Are Business Plans Necessary” is one question I had very early on in my journey. Although I was a business major in college and understood the importance of planning I still wondered…do I really need a whole business plan for my business? So, today I want to talk about it and my personal experience with building a business.
Okay, so the short answer is YES!!! You most definitely need a business plan. Now, how much you write or what you want to cover specifically is up to you but you must write a plan! I’m sure you heard the saying “if you fail to plan you plan to fail!” Well, there couldn’t be a more true statement. I mentioned in one of my earlier blog posts that I actually started officially writing my business plan Fall of 2020, after I received clear direction from God to open my own spa from the ground up. {just in case you forgot here’s a reminder…my plan was to go the franchise route} By that time, I knew, immediately, that writing a business plan was the first step I should take. There’s one thing to have a vision in your head, and another thing to have to write that same vision down on paper. Completely different and so necessary! As I began to draft my business plan I realized things involving my business started to become more clear. And, with that same token, it forced me to think about things I never thought of before that moment.
At a minimum, I would recommend any aspiring entrepreneur to have the following included in their plan: Executive Summary (overview of your main points), Financial Plan (at least 3 year projections), and Marketing Plan (how you plan to gain exposure/business from your target audience). As I continue to move forward with building my very own spa business I cannot tell you how often I must refer to my business plan. It serves as a roadmap as I continue to move forward with planning and making decisions. Let’s not mention the fact that it is an absolute must if you’re seeking capital to start. I’ve updated my business plan consistently since conception and when I look back I honestly think to myself…there’s no way I could build a business without one.
So, are business plans necessary? Yes, yes, and yes! Even if you have to hire someone to help with certain sections, do it! It’s the best money you will invest. How you start says a lot about how serious you are in making your dreams become a reality! You may or may not remember me mentioning this a while back but, I hired a financial consultant in 2021 to assist with creating my 3 year projections. He’s now a part of my tribe and he’s been rocking with me since. Yes, it can be a little costly but we must seek help in our weaker areas to produce the resources needed!
I hope you found this post to be helpful in some way! I want to leave you with this key takeaway…no matter who you are or where you’re going WRITE THE VISION AND MAKE IT PLAIN!!! There’s no way around it!
Let’s get to planning! Take care & I’ll see you next week!! 😉
Hello everyone and welcome back! I would just like to say how grateful I am of you for taking time out of your day to read my blog posts about this crazy journey I’m on! It truly has been quite an adventure and sharing it with you in hopes of encouraging you in some way is what brings me joy! It keeps me going and it means a lot! Let this be a reminder to you that no matter what journey you’re on, personally, know that you are not alone. We are in this together and I truly do believe that we can accomplish anything we put our minds to and if we stay willing to do the work!!
This week’s topic, as you may have noticed, is not as specific as my last couple of posts. However, it carries a lot of weight and it is the truth! Yesterday, I found out some information about the thing I’ve been waiting on for 9 weeks now…yes 9 weeks! It was great news and proved to me that things are working even if you don’t see it. I promise I’ll be able to share all of the details with you soon but I’ve found one thing to be true on the entrepreneurial journey…you must be able to discern when it is the right time to share specific things with your audience. Not because you don’t want anyone to know but you have to protect some things and discern when it is the right time to share.
Just to give you some context, this process I’m enduring now was estimated to take about 6 weeks. So when the six week mark hit, every week that passed after that mark seemed like an eternity. Especially when you find yourself being asked constantly by certain stakeholders, do you have an update? What’s the latest? Your mind begins to wonder, which leads to overthinking, which then leads to anxiety, negative thoughts…yep, all of the things. I get it, we’re human but it’s during these times that we must remember to lean into our faith more and remember the promise. I don’t know about you but God gave me a promise years ago and confirmed His promise early this year so I lean into that during those days when my wondering / worrying mind gets the best of me!
I wanted to encourage you today & remind you that ALL THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD! Don’t give up hope. Don’t lose your faith. Don’t stress your mind when things seem to take longer than expected. If it’s God’s will it WILL HAPPEN. I know it’s easier said than done but we have no other choice but to believe that it can, and it will happen! It’s true, we’re all on our separate journey’s but we all need some encouragement along the way! God is never late. He is working even when we’re sleeping. Trust the plan and live everyday with expectancy!
What is for you will not miss you! I’ve found myself saying this a lot this week!! I’ve been saying it with meaning, conviction, and making sure that I actually “believe” the words that are coming out of my mouth. I’m STILL waiting on an approval needed to move my business forward! Sometimes when we’re waiting on something and it feels as though it’s taking forever our faith can get a little shaky. Yes, I’ve talked about this before and it’s still true today! I’ve found in these moments we have to remind ourselves what God said, what we’re capable of, and do what we need to do to encourage ourselves! One of the number one ways I stay encouraged is listening to praise and worship music. If you’ve never had a praise session you don’t know you’re missing! It will change the atmosphere and before you know it you’ll be feeling stronger and empowered to keep going!!!
Whew! I had to get that off of my chest because I REFUSE to get wearing in the waiting!!! Stay encouraged!!!
Choosing spa software! I love to talk about this because it’s so vital to your overall success! There are so many different spa software programs to choose from but how do we know which to choose? That’s what I’m going to briefly talk about today!
When going about choosing the right spa software you must, first, think about how you would like your spa to operate. What are some of the must haves? For example, would you like to track inventory, process payroll, generate reports, provide sms communication, send promotional emails, etc. Spa software systems are designed to help you work more efficiently and effectively so knowing more about your daily operations and how you want your business to work will help you determine the best system for you!
Pricing as well as system capability are important factors to take into consideration as well. Both areas will vary so it is imperative that you conduct some research to help you make the best decision to fit your spa’s operational needs. In addition, keep in mind whether or not you prefer a cloud-based system allowing you to access your spa’s system from anywhere versus on your locally installed software only. Personally, I have found this to be super important and a non-negotiable. I’ve worked in spaces where both situations were present and all I can say is that cloud-based software is the way to go, especially in today’s world. Just keep in mind that whatever system you choose you must ensure the proper security measures are in place to protect guests’ personal information such as name, phone number, address, credit card info, etc. Super important!
Here are some of the industry’s top leading spa software options:
Mindbody
Meevo
Boulevard
Booker Software
Zenoti
Vagaro
DaySmart Software
Wellyz
Of course the list goes on but I wanted to name a few to assist you if you need help determining where to start. I can’t stress the importance of doing your homework! Take your time to research the different options and compare them based on your needs and their capabilities. Also, be very clear on what it is you want in a system and how you would like your business to operate! Take time to set your spa up for success and if you have questions or would like tutorials they’ll most likely be able to provide that as well so take advantage! Happy spa-software shopping! 😉
I hope you found this helpful in some way and, as always, if you’re reading this and you’re not seeking to become a spa owner or operator, share it with someone you know who would find this post beneficial in some way!
Hello everyone! I hope you’re having a great week thus far and that you are killing your goals!
This week I would like to talk a little about choosing the right niche for your spa. Choosing a niche helps spas to be different and stand out from the rest. Some different niche ideas a potential spa owner can choose are as follows:
Med Spa Services
Holistic Spa Services
Wellness Technology
Traditional Chinese Medicine
IV Fusion Services
Energy Medicine
…and the list goes on!
Personally, I always knew what I wanted my niche to be for my spa. I wanted to focus on holistic services and therapies. I wanted to offer treatments and therapies that focused on healing the whole body (physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing). In addition, I’ve always dreamed of offering wellness products that were inspired by nature, products that are organic and natural because I believe they truly do help to promote healing given their proven therapeutic benefits. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that med spas and other spas who choose to offer pharmaceutical grade products are great as well but they, too, have their own niche allowing spa goers to have options and meet different needs.
Having a niche allows you the opportunity to successfully plan your overall spa concept (i.e. vision, mission, menu offerings, marketing, etc.) around a main focus which ultimately provides cohesiveness for your business. This is also important from a branding standpoint too! All of which should be in alignment. For example, if your niche is considered “holistic” then your treatments, website, imagery, types of products used, descriptions on your spa menu, spa decor, and even the spa refreshments should all support a more holistic approach to wellbeing and evoke a sense of healing, naturally.
Choosing a niche is important and will help to ensure your spa’s overall success. Always remember, there is room for everyone! No matter what niche you choose, make sure it’s true to you and your overall vision for your spa. Stay away from choosing niche’s because of popularity. Trends fade away, that’s why you must ensure that your niche truly comes from your heart and that it’s something you’re truly passionate about!
If, by chance, you’re reading this and can admit that something is holding you back from taking that first step towards your dream, I am reminding you today that you can do ANYTHING but you can’t move forward if you don’t take ACTION! Get out there, be different and be GREAT!
