DAYSPA Magazine Business

Sustainable Investments

Looking to green your spa, but worried about the expenses?

Our upcoming Green Scene ("Mayan Marvel," August 2010) contains lots of information about cost-efficient ways to incorporate eco-friendly supplies into your spa.

HereÕs a taste to get you started:

Make investments that have a proven return.
John Vater, co-owner of Spa Adriana in Huntington, New York, says, "solar panels pay off, as long as you continue using them to save on energy costs."

Shop locally.
When Vater and his wife Adriana recently remodeled their spa, they wanted to enrich their Mayan theme by building a faade with limestone from the Yuc‡tan Peninsula in Mexico. Instead, they found a local company that manufactures precut concrete. "That way our renovation doesn't have the environmental impact that would result from shipping and trucking materials all that distance," John says. "It saves a lot of money too."

What supplies, products and materials do you employ to increase your spa's sustainability? Send your ideas to Katie O'Reilly, associate editor, at koreilly@creativeage.com.

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Retail Superstars

This section profiles how one day spa uses a boutique product to boost sales.

The star: Essie Ejuvenate Microdermabrasion Hand Refiner
The spa: Telitha The Spa in Lynchburg, Virginia

Why it flies off shelves: Clients immediately appreciate their new, smooth hands. "They stay that way for days, and guests show them off to friends, so people march in knowing exactly what they want," says owner Telitha Mahdavi. She employs the Ejuvenate system in her manicures and follows Microdermabrasion Hand Refiner with the Advanced Radiance Hand Treatment. "People feel like they're getting the works throughout this nail treatment, but the Microdermabrasion Hand Refiner makes for the most noticeable transformation," Mahdavi says.

How it's promoted this month: Telitha The Spa doesn't have a waiting room, but rather an apothecary. "We encourage guests to play with our popular products when they come in, and staff is on hand to explain how everything works," Mahdavi says. Plus, after each mani/pedi, guests take home a mini four-piece set of Essie lacquers. This month it's the 2010 Summer Collection. "Every time they use those polishes, they think of our nail treatment," she adds.

View this full article in pdf format as it appears in the print magazine.

Retail Superstars

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