Salina Handa, founder and managing director of SensAsia Urban Spa — which now has five spas in Dubai — offered entrepreneurial spa managers her tips for developing a successful spa concept during a packed-out workshop at Hotelier Middle East's Spa and Wellness Summit.
Handa told aspiring owners they needed to develop plans that covered the financials, business strategy and marketing, management, staffing and training, and spa design, and to ensure all start-up costs were taken into account.
At the outset, she advised an essential SWOT analysis as well as addressing the following points:
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1. Objectives: Define your market, what is the current market like? What is the reason for opening the spa?
2. Assets and resources: Where is the funding going to come from? What is the payback period?
3. Competitive analysis and market positioning: What are the current offerings in the same location? What sets your spa apart?
4. Target market: What is your target market? The target market is closely related to the objective. However, the target market may have to change to adapt as the market grows and changes.
5. Refine and apply your concept: Own your USP – it’s the one thing your competition should not be able to copy.
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Feb 7, 2015 , United Arab Emirates
I am in awe of what you have achieved You have done so well!!! I have to admit, I have fallen at the first hurdle, the dreaded licensing laws in the UAE Perhaps you could point to in the right direction, re Spa Massage (non medical) I would be grateful for any comments Yours, hopefully April