Thursday, December 20, 2012

Happy Holidays from The Scandle LLC Team!

Happy Holidays

Enjoy the Season

With the holiday season upon us, we'd like to take a moment and thank you for your dedication and support of Scandle Massage Candles & Eco-friendly Spa Accessories this year. Whether you are a customer, retailer, or partner of Scandle LLC, our relationship with you is the best gift of all. From all of us here at Scandle LLC, we wish you and yours a safe, healthy holiday season with many more to come!Scandle LLC offices will be closed December 25th through January 2nd. All orders and messages will be processed upon our return.

Warm wishes,

From All of Us At Scandle LLC

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Waiting Game

Lines. You see them everywhere, especially this time of year. You wait in line at the mall. You wait in line at the grocery store. You wait in line to see Santa Claus.

As a retailer, you don’t like to keep anyone waiting. But if you are successful, then waiting will be inevitable. The best thing you can do is keep customers from feeling like they are just waiting.

One of the key rules of the waiting game is to keep people occupied. Filled time passes more quickly than unoccupied time...they say! And probably one of the most frustrating line is the "invisible line" that the customer can't see. This typically happens on customer service phone calls.

An effective way to manage callers’ expectations and wait times is with effective on-hold messaging. An on-hold message allows your spa or wellness practice to project its brand in a positive way while also encouraging callers to remain on the line until a customer service representative can take their call. Studies show how callers with messages on hold will stay on the line up to 3 minutes longer than with silence on hold.

But an on-hold message does more than occupy a caller’s time. Effective hold messages add value to customers: informing the about your spas/massage clinic's products and services, special promotions and other company news. Other uses include promoting a company’s website and social media channels and answering some frequently asked questions.

So be a winner at "The Waiting Game" today and provide an effective means for managing invisible lines during the holiday rush and beyond!:)

Source: B2C - Managing Visible and Invisible Lines of Customers

Monday, December 17, 2012

Grabbing Last Minute Holiday Sales with Gift Certificates

According to statistics, 37% of gift certificates sold at spas in 2011 were purchased in December. Over 49% of those gift certificates were sold in the week leading up to Christmas. That's right people, we're only a week away from Christmas and it's your last opportunity to grab those last minute sales! Here are 4 tips:

1.) Integrate Online Gift Certificates with Your Website - Give your customers 24/7 convenience & save your staff time!

2.) Reflect Holiday Spirit with Effective Gift Certificate Designs - It’s never too late to brand your gift certificates with your logo and customize them with holiday designs. Holiday themed designs are more enticing to purchase.

3.) Embrace the Power of Social Media to Sell More Gift Certificates - This can be done on Facebook , Twitter, etc.

4.) Entice Customers to Purchase with Holiday Promotions - Many spas use a gift with purchase incentives. For instance, "Purchase a gift certificate in X amount and receive a free Scandle Massage Lotion Candle!"

What other tips do you have to encourage last minute holiday sales? Share them here!

Source: SpaTrade - Top 5 Tips to Increase Holiday Sales

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Year-end Tips for Reducing Your Tax Bill

With only a few more weeks left in 2012, there is limited time to implement ideas that will result in tax savings for the year. But until the New Year's bell tolls, here are a few last minute things you can do to make your 2012 tax bill a little easier to cope with...

1.) Section 179 Expensing: Furniture, equipment, software, vehicles and capital assets are normally subject to a write off over their useful life.

2.) Startup Expenses: Did you know that you may write off the expenses you incur in the investigatory or startup phase of your business? This deduction works once the business is operational, so if you are still in startup mode on Dec. 31, you must defer the deduction to 2013. The IRS defines an operating business as one that has opened its doors or is accepting transactions.

3.) Set up or Fund your Retirement Plan: Contributions made to retirement plans reduce your taxable income.

4.) Holiday Parties provided for your employees are 100% deductible. Parties for clients and associates are 50% deductible. But there are rules. You must have a business purpose and that consists of more than just promoting goodwill or networking and the expense cannot be lavish or extravagant.

5.) Expense Account Reimbursements: Gather together all those receipts for business expenditures you paid out of personal funds and have your business reimburse you before year end.

6.) Charitable Contributions : Check with your tax pro to find out if you should be giving personally or if it’s better for gifts to be made from business funds. And don’t forget to get those acknowledgment letters. The IRS has been auditing and disallowing contributions without that backup document. A cancelled check is not enough substantiation.

What other last minute tax saving tips do you have? Share them!

Source: Fox News - Year End Tax Tips for Small Business Owners

Monday, December 10, 2012

Treat for Tired Holiday Shopping Feet

Holiday shopping can take a toll on the mind, body, and sole! Want a simple, frugal way to help clients treat their feet at the spa or at home? Offer them a foot soak.

From ancient times, when weary travelers were greeted at their destination with a warm foot bath, to modern spas that commence full body treatments with a relaxing foot soak, this humble ritual has survived the ages. Both nurturing and practical, the footbath was a way to prevent soil from entering the home, while honoring and acknowledging your guest's journey. In some cultures, a foot wash was also given to clear all negative energy, stress, and anxiety before crossing the threshold.

Though we rely less on our feet for long distance transport and while shoes have evolved significantly (for better and for worse) since Biblical times, the footbath is still a vital ritual. A self-prepared foot soak is a quick and easy way to unwind, relax, and nurture yourself after a long day, a vigorous workout, or too much time in unsupportive shoes. All it takes is 15 minutes to sit, soak, and let the day go! Here's some ideas on how to make a therapeutic foot soak at the spa or at home:

Add Scandle's Dead Sea Salt Scrub & Soak to boost detoxification and soothe aching muscles and joints to warm water. Then add peppermint essential oil to boost circulation, energize the spirit, and neutralize odor. Enhance the experience by incorporating Scandle Spa Massage Oil Candles, soothing music, or breathing exercises.

Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with warm water. Add one teaspoon almond oil, two tablespoons nonfat dry milk, and a splash of lavender or rosemary essential oil. Relax and soak for five to fifteen minutes. We also recommens concluding any sole-soaking ritual with an application of oil or lotion like our Scandle Lotion Candle and a pair of warm socks to allow the moisturizer to penetrate and hydrate the skin.

Hopefully with these tips, your clients will be able to put their best foot forward for the holiday season! :)