(1) Tell us how you started in esthetics (where you started building clientele - salon, spa, etc.).

(2) Tell us what your market is.......i.e. working women, suburban, city, income level, etc.

(3) Tell us what your budget was on marketing - did you stay within it or exceed it? Did someone do it for you (i.e. business you rented from or were employed by?).

(4) Tell us your positioning - storefront, office building, rent a room in a salon/spa.

The reason I ask is because nearly every client that has come to me, I have retained on a regular basis. So keeping them is easy for me. Sales have not been a problem. I was solo in a 600 sq ft office, but have since closed.

My volume is incredibly low after 2 years (2 per week). I spent far too much money and time on marketing - i.e. bridal shows, writing articles for newspapers, being highlighted in the local paper, etc to get the word out and am not willing to do that any longer.

I have my prediction as to what leads to the success in volume and want to know if I am right, and it has to do with consumer mentality...... I could be very, very wrong........ but would love to know.

Thanks,

Karen

Michelle:

Thanks for writing back ....my topic had a lot of views but only one response, of which I value.

You answers were very helpful. My responses are little different which is helping me to make sense of *why* skin care does not take off here in my hometown, a problem I have been trying to solve.

My focus: skin care education and product knowledge for the client (my brochure even has a list of ingredients with explanations). My market equates "facials" to a GIFT......not something they should do for themselves, such as manicures and pedicures (which are very popular here in the $20.00 shops).

(1) I 'marketed' my solo practice for more than a year prior to opening. I compiled a list of almost 50 people who "couldn't wait!" for me to open.....it encouraged me to find a space and (supposedly) do it right. They would even call or write before hand to find out if I was open yet. Once I opened, I sent out a mailer to everyone one of them, many I personally called. ~ONE~ made an appointment. She did not return but was honest about it. Her facelift cost her $8,000 and she had to make payments on it, so investing in her skin care was out of the question.......very unfortunate.

(2) My market changed in 3 years......(while I attended school and opened my business). Although nicer homes were being built, 'interest only' loans allowed lower income to move in. Median income is about $40,000. Females are age 23-30, most working and most with children paying daycare. The other market is 45+ but travels into town to work, sometimes using 4 hours a day in the car, so they get their personal services in town during work, so it doesn't involve in their personal time.

(3) I selected a medical office building to house my business and designed it to accomodate another esthetician and/or massage therapist. Floor plan and environment - excellent. 600 sq feet, hardwood flooring. Put my website up before I opened. Started a "4 for 5" facial program which existing clients love. Business cards and brochures of services done through VistaPrint. I budgeted $150.00/month in my business plan for marketing. I wrote articles, was focused on in the local paper, and did several bridal shows. I gave out 4 complimentary gift certificates in the last year - not one has called to make an appointment.

(4) "How clients feel" - I absolutely agree and have never had a problem with clients being uncomfortable, if anything it is dramatically opposite. I allow 2 1/2 hrs between clients. I always see them on time. All facials were themed, to eliminate boredom. The plastic surgeon and his manager of 20 years used to constantly tell me about the compliments they received. My own instructor from school states she's never seen anything like it - great talent, beautiful place, everything just right - NO VOLUME. I would see her students twice a year at my salon for training and employment opportunities - how to sell themselves and provide 'customer service.' They loved it!

It has been an incredible learning experience (albeit an expensive one). The market of potentials is so low here that it could never develop into something even part-time in the 2 years I was open......it will take me 5+ years to build volume. *Every client* who brought me their products on their first visit brought me Olay or Neutrogena..........no Lauder, no Lancome, no Clinique. They are still stuck in drug store mode.

I now see clients in my home and THEY LOVE IT........and so do I. They were hand selected by me to follow to my new location and have been told I do not accept new clients unless they come specifically referred by them. I sell no more gift certificates. I also no longer sell retail. (However I will place an order for a client if there is a particular product that works well for them, I do that through the school I attended.) My setup is working great and I couldn't be happier. I hope to build a studio on the back of my home someday, no more public places. I'm also working on learning camouflage makeup and may travel from derm office to derm office (I know a lot of derms!) and may 'take my show on the road....' and see problematic patients (clients) in their setting. Those offices are in DC - where women are professionals and invest in appearance - a very, very different market.

I just wish I would have done this from the beginning and been more acutely aware of the vast and rapid community change. I was so absorbed in working and going to school that I just didn't see it happen until it was too late (along with a few unfortunate life events which had me distracted). I could have saved a lot of money and stress.

I wish there was some way to measure consumer mentality accurately....but I believe there really isn't. A new esthetic business must have a solid referral source.....an 'in your face' approach - i.e. a salon setting, because clients expect facials to be there; massage studio, etc. My referral source was my business network, family, friends, and a local plastic surgeon, but it wasn't enough.

A past student of the school I attended works at the local large spa here (we have 2) - and she says ~EVERY FACIAL~ is a gift certificate .........so, I know it's not my imagination. They just aren't 'there' yet.....maybe one day Business is absolutely, without a doubt - word of mouth, but it is going to be very, very slow. But, I will be patient....

Thanks for writing back. It helps me close the chapter of the loss of my salon and move forward with better plans!

Karen

I started in a day spa about 45 min. away so didn't bring any clients with me but gradually bought equipment and did my research and started networking before opening on my own.

I have a 400 sq ft storefront (2 1/2 years now) on a busy street with no receptionist so I lock the door when I'm in service with a notice that I work by appointment. I've had some good success with print advertising in a weekly entertainment paper by making my ads look different than everyone else's. I've done radio...didn't work. I've done business fairs..also nothing. I ask every client how they heard of me it's referral, google, and the Good Times (local paper). I've recently made a good connection with a solo hairstylist which is great.

I live on the Central Coast but I couldn't find a median income. My target client is 50+ but I get a lot of 20's with acne.

According to Douglas P. the average time it takes to build a full clientele is 4 years now so I figure I'm right in line with that. Some months are up, some are down.

Something you said reminded me of myself: "focus - education and product knowledge".
When I worked at the Day Spa I would talk a lot about ingredients and why's and so on and my sales and repeats weren't growing. However, another girl I worked with would just say "here's what I recommend to meet your goals and come back in a month". Her sales were always high and she had a large repeat clientele. So I've adopted that approach unless an individual shows an interest or ask specific questions I share information, otherwise I find that it's just not that important to the majority. As long as I recommend it and my skin looks good they're all for it.

I do believe different areas have different ideas about things. If you look at other areas of life (generally speaking)... food is different, politics, clothing styles, it changes across the country so I don't see why skin care would be any different.

That's great that you'll still be able to continue with skincare even if in a small way.

Laura

Excellent point! Something I did not think about......what's important to us as professionals could be intimidating or information overload to the client..........

GREAT COMMENTS - thank you very much!

Karen

In regards to consumer mentality, it is a fickle thing and for the most part they need to be lead. Of course you listen to their needs, but you also strongly suggest what their needs are. Think of a simple example: your sitting at home and you see a commercial for a kit kat, you decide you now need one, and have the craving for it, so you find a way to get it, when before you weren't even thinking about a kit kat. Trivial I know, but I'm guilty of this type of suggestion. People follow the crowd, they are pursauded, they trust people who are referred by friends, and they buy what people in the public eye do. (celebrities) even if it's only a perception. The masses anyway....not all of us.

As for gaging the mentality, it's difficult, but you can engage professional services to do a demographic evaluation to show if it will sustain your needs, or find out the city's plans and local business development predictions by looking into the economic development departments locally.

It sounds like you were putting a lot of energy out there without the return. Usually when you are not seeing a return in a repeat activity or response then immediately re evaluate and re focus. I recommend for you now and to use to measure past events, is reading the TIPPING POINT, if you haven't already. It talks about how one small thing (a perception) can completely shift an action or focus.

Your list of ingredients you mentioned on your advertising, are not necessarily needed, as is frequently repeated, the experience and feel are what the majority want, you will have the chance to educate them after their treatment. Don't waste valuable copy/text space on ingredients, it's too much for most.

Facials are not a gift, they are a necessity, sometimes people need a little educating to what a facial really is. The gift mentality as you mentioned will equate a gift as something extra, something forbidden even, and something they can't pay for. With your new focus of personal care and traveling to specific, potentially lucrative locations, you have the opportunity to change that mind set and educate. Maybe look into a referral basis with local concierge's, create relationships (as you are) and get written contracts for on site treatments with different companies.....

The location and surrounding area/demographic doesn't sound ideal with the picture you paint, but I've known practices that have worked with solos in a one women office, and in more remote areas. So placing your own mind set into that success can change alot also.

It sounds like you are happier now, which will allow you more focus, and I wish you the best. I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have other questions.

Thanks!