With news running wild amid the rapid spread of coronavirus / COVID-19, it can be difficult to parse through the noise to find the info you truly need as an esthetic practitioner.
And while we don’t aim to contribute to the noise in any sense of the word, we do want to provide a few key resources and tips to help you navigate these uncertain times and keep yourself, your clients, as well as your business healthy.
Should you have another resource you feel is vital for your fellow glow-getters to know and have access to, please feel free to share with us, and we’ll continue to do the same with you.
EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19
Being a smart consumer and a smart small business owner means doing the digging and double-checking that you have the right supplies needed to be prepared at all times.
This list of EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19 gives a thorough breakdown of products you will want to have on hand.
Swipe-able Copy and Graphics for Your Spa’s Communications
During times of crisis and uncertainty, open and honest communications is key.
While you may not be taking too many extra measures (since being an esthetic practitioner means being sanitary at all the times, with every client), now is a good time to reassure your clients of safety measures you already take and those you might be doubling down on to bring them peace of mind.
Also consider what message you may be sending by not communicating…no matter what, your clients have coronavirus on their minds, it’s appropriate and necessary for you as a local business owner and esthetician who has intimate contact with people to communicate how you’re keeping them, your team, and yourself safe.
Click here for a Google doc with copy/paste wording you can use in your client communications as well as a couple of images to go along with them (scroll to the bottom to right click & save the graphics to your files).
Tips for Sustainable Spa Sales
Many of our glow-getters have already informed us of drop offs in their appointments, cancellations and the like, and while a slight downturn is expected, there are a few things we can do to ensure that we’re keeping our sales as strong as possible during this time as well as in the future once the spread has slowed and life begins to shift back to normalcy.
- Be proactive rather than reactive - Ask clients who have been traveling to wait at least 2-4 weeks before booking any appointments to ensure that they are protecting other clients. Waiving cancellation fees during this time is also a good business move. Don’t look at it as a loss, but a risk mitigation.
- Remind your clients that CIT works on a cellular level, and thus, only healthy clients are candidates for treatment - If a client with a cold or infection/compromised immunity gets a treatment, the healing process could be delayed which could pose greater risk of secondary infection. Emphasize that this applies for any time of year!
- Look at the slow-down as an opportunity to work on your business - For example, now is a great time to focus on your ecommerce revenue stream, which you can read more about in our post, “How to Boost Results and Bottom Lines with Ecommerce.” Look for companies that offer drop-shipping to make the process even easier, for example, at Herbal Skin Solutions, we offer free drop-shipping directly to the client or whoever's address is inputted at checkout, and we never include itemized receipts (just in case it is someone that purchased at the full retail price). That means, no overhead on stocking inventory or paying for a fulfillment service, and we are happy to offer this at no additional cost!
- If you or your clients get to a point where self-quarantine occurs, now’s the time to embrace technology! - Utilize the power and accessibility of FaceTime or Skype to do consults and sell retail such as the Saian Ultrasonic Skin Scrubber, My Skin Buddy, and other products so that your clients can maintain results. Remember, 80 percent of the results are attributed to what the client is putting in and on their body at home in between professional treatments, so this is a needed service!
Again, we share all this to not create more noise, but to help you cut through it. We know opinions and feelings on the current climate of COVID-19 varies wildly, but our job is to support you in your journey to esthetic success and this is the best way we know how to deliver on that promise at the moment.
Be sure to keep up-to-date with us on any future resources we add or changes we make to our events and training schedule by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
And with that, please stay safe, prepared and positive, we’re all in this together.