How are you doing this week, spa owners? If you’re still feeling whacked-out over COVID-19, you’re not alone: in fact, the surprising and upcoming changes that spa owners have decided upon because of COVID-19 have changed our perspectives on our spa businesses in ways that, a year ago today, none of us would have even imagined!

COVID-19 has hit us all hard, I know; we have discussions about its impacts in my spa owners-only Facebook group, Spa Business Mastery frequently. Even as someone whose husband works in Emergency Management and, as such, was used to hearing about the likelihood of pandemics long before COVID-19 occurred, I couldn’t help but be thrown off by the changes it caused. As a former spa business owner myself, I have heaps of empathy for all of you who couldn’t work (and maybe still can’t), are hustling via ecommerce, are reopening your doors now, or have just taken this time to sit and really think about your spa business.

And that’s what I wanted to talk about today: the period of deep thinking that COVID-19 has forced upon us. After all, how many of us had time to stop and think before all this? Managing your teams, working as a solopreneur, adding new services, running your online store and/or physical location— it was a lot. Which leads me to...

The Unexpected Gift of COVID-19 (Yes, Really!)

Many of my coaching clients come to me because they don’t have the time to “feel the feels” of their spa business and are run off their feet: before COVID-19, there was no spare time for personal inquiry. There was no time for, “Have my personal goals changed since I started my spa business? Has my vision for my spa business changed? Has the business itself changed or morphed? Do I like the direction it’s going in?” Instead, spa owners were going at breakneck speeds sometimes, frankly, in completely the wrong direction!

The forced pause that COVID-19 inflicted on the majority of business owners can, and, I personally think, should, be looked at as an opportunity to have a hard look at what spa owners want from both their lives and their businesses. Whether it be with my coaching, strategy, or social media management clients, I’m seeing spa owners now:

• Reflecting on how they want to serve clients (whether that be removing services, adding services, or even taking up a space online permanently and saying goodbye to their physical location)

• Considering the impact they both originally wanted to make on their community and the impact they want to make now

• Asking themselves about the amount of time they used to spend on their business and how much of that time was actually necessary, as well as if that time had transitioned into being all-consuming (taking away time from family, sapping energy, eroding personal boundaries)

• Questioning the effectiveness of their team models, structures, and systems; some team leaders are finally getting those aspects organized, while others are saying that they’re “done” with leading for a while, understandably! 

• Questioning, if solo, if the solopreneur model still works for them and, if not, what’s missing from it

• Considering which virtual services, such as ecommerce, they’re looking to start leveraging (or which virtual services have been surprisingly helpful during COVID-19)

• Investigating if the the classic brick-and-mortar spa model still works for them and, if so, what strategy and financial training or support they need in order to adjust to the COVID-19 reopening requirements

• ...And querying if they’re going to switch to a less expensive model, whether that be being home-based, office-based, mobile, or completely virtual (it’s doable, and is being done well! The virtual space is ripe for possibility for spas)

• Debating if they are ready for a different direction and, perhaps, stepping out of the spa industry altogether; whether it be immediately or in the next ten years, start drafting your exit strategy now to make the transition smooth for both you and your spa business clients

The Benefits of Self-Reflection as a Spa Business Owner

Now, while these self-reflections are fantastic they in no way have to lead to concrete decisions. 

For example, one coaching client of mine recently came to the conclusion, through COVID-19 pausing her spa business, that she sorely missed the time she would spend at home with her children; she came to the decision that she, in fact, didn’t feel the need to continue growing her business and would prefer to let it plateau instead so that she could balance both work and her home life as a mother.

Is she allowed to change her mind? Absolutely! Self-reflection isn’t a waste even if you end up changing your tune on your decision later down the line. Spa owners, and women in particular, bear the brunt of burnout, so taking the time to reevaluate what wasn’t working will benefit you both personally and professionally moving forward.

What are common hang-ups about this? Well, some spa owners experience anxiety surrounding the potentiality of being judged: however, making decisions that positively impact you is what will positively impact your business long-term. If you don’t have the “fire” anymore, if you feel burnt out, or if you feel that you don’t have a clear direction, pump the breaks and focus on thinking things through so that you can experience a “breakthrough” rather than a “breakdown”! 

So many spa owners put clients first, but if your choices are depleting you then you’re doing yourself, your loved ones, your clients, and your business a disservice. No good comes from just “going through the motions”.

How Spa Owners Should Be Treating COVID-19

First of all, if you need to take this time to focus on your mental health then I completely understand and support you; you are a superhero for just existing through this turbulent time. 

Change is scary; however, it can also be exciting with the right mindset. Feeling confident about exactly what you both need and want from your business is critical, especially when transitioning out of the COVID-19 pause. 

The bottom line? If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it: this is me giving you the permission you’ve been waiting for or wanting to hear to proceed with whatever changes you need to make to your business so that it serves you first. 

Reach out today if you want help getting your spa business vision straightened out during COVID-19, and be sure to let me know: what epiphany has COVID-19 triggered for you these past few months?