Scandle Friday Treatment Feature - Water Shiatsu

Coccydynia is pain of the coccyx or tailbone – the  lowest bone in the spine.  While it can be damaged in an accident, the  pain can also be caused by childbirth. Symptoms can include an ache when sitting down and rising from a seat.  Talk about a pain in the rear!;) 

The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, near  Zurich in Switzerland has recently introduced Water Shiatsu to help ease the pain of Coccydynia sufferers.  Water Shiatsu is a stretching and massage treatment  that takes place in a pool. The water  allows the vertebrae to be supported,  with the spine fully relaxed as it’s carrying no weight.

The treatment starts by strapping buoyancy aids to the legs.  The client then gets into the pool with the therapist who instructs them to shut their eyes and lean back. They are then led round the pool, while floating, with their head resting on the therapist's shoulder.  Music is usually played in the background and they are moved in a figure-of-eight shapes to rotate the spine.

After this service, clients report that their back and spine feel lighter and less stiff.   Sounds heavenly doesn't it?:)

Social Media Tips for Growing Your Business

So you've taken the plunge and decided to go social with your spa, massage clinic, or wellness business.   You've got a Facebook account, Twitter account, Linked In Account, Google+, and even a Pinterest account.  So the big question you may be asking yourself is NOW WHAT?

If you're new to social media, here's 5 simple tips on how to get social:

1.)  Develop a strategy - Figure out who your target is and what is the best social outlets to reach them.  For instance, if you have a pretty substantial retail area, Pinterest may be ideal to post pictures of products to share with customers.  However if you don't have a lot of interesting pictures to share things like Pinterest and Instagram may not be for you.  Focus on content that will interest your customers to generate the best and most profitable relationships.

2.) Respond - If you don't have time to respond (typically within a 24 hour time period) then perhaps social media is not for you? Customers want to know someone is listening. The simple task of responding speaks volumes to your customer service.

3.)  Create Meaningful Content -  If you want to build a following, create content that makes you a leader in your industry.  If you don't have time to create your own, share some of the fabulous content already out there! Your followers will thank you for finding it for them.

4.)  Don't Duplicate - Posting the same thing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like is redundant and will cause you to lose followers. Tailor the content for each network and audience.

5.)  Self Promotion is Not How You Make Friends - Just like the real world...if you spend 100% of the time talking about yourself, people will get bored and unfriend you!  In social media, as well, you should foster conversation. It’s okay to tell your online community about a new product or promotion, as long as that’s not all you’re doing.

Need a social boost?  Post a picture of your Scandle Body Candle Service or Scandle Lotion Candle Retail display on our Facebook wall and we'll be happy to introduce you to our friends!:)

6 Unique Spa Services to Try This Fall Including Scandle in Examiner.com

Check out a recent article in Examiner.com - 6 Unique Spa Services to Try This Fall!  Article includes Scandle and retailer/service provider Silk Day Spa in New York.

Scandle Friday Feature - Bamboo Massage for Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Pain in the sacroiliac joint – where the  pelvis meets the spine – is common, especially in mothers who carry a child on  one hip.   The muscles go into spasm to try to stabilise  the area. The resulting inflammation may cause months of hip pain. In order to alleviate the pain, some massage therapists use Bamboo Massage.

The Bamboo Massage uses bamboo canes and oil to  provide a deep-tissue massage. Bamboo is covered with silica, which feels smooth  and silky on the skin. The firm pressure created by the canes being rolled up  and down the body releases muscle tension.

With this technique, therapists focus on the painful area in hip and buttocks by rolling a thick hollow bamboo cane up and  down the feet and legs. The same intense pressure is then applied to the hip  and buttock.  At the end of the session, the therapist will typically pound the hollow end of a bamboo cane hard down on the buttocks.

Have you tried Bamboo Massage or offer it at your establishment?  What are your thoughts and experiences with this technique?

 

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (Part 3)...

Yup...it's true!  Less than 100 days till Christmas!  If you haven't noticed it already, the leaves are starting to change color and (here in Texas) there is a nip of Fall in the air.  At Scandle, in fact, we've already started our Fall/Holiday selling season (if you haven't seen our new Limited Edition Fragrances and Savings announcement...read about it here)!  For the last few weeks we've been covering ways to start ramping up for the most important selling season of the year...the Holidays!  Part 1 discusses How to Host an October Pre-Holiday Sale and Part 2 talks about Creating Holiday Wish Lists and Shopping Nights.

Now, let's talk about one last thing that you absolutely, positively can not forget...Gift Certificates!  Gift certificate sales in November and December can carry you through the slower months of January and February, as they are being redeemed.  Oddly enough, however, most spas do not put a lot of thought in how to sell more of these for added holiday profits?

First set a goal on how many you want to sell based on previous years and then set up a promotion for gift certificates in your event fliers, etc to motivate clients to purchase the maximum amount.  Here are some promo ideas:

• Offer a free service with purchase.  Try using a service you want to build more business for.


• Offer a free gift with purchase.  Many of our customers use Scandle Travel Sized Body Candles  (which make great stocking stuffers!) or Scandles in our Refillable Ceramic Canisters (the refillable canister will encourage repeat business in the future too!) as an incentive.  When promoting this, make sure to list the regular retail value of the gift in your promotional materials so they know the value of what they're getting for free!:)

Well that's all folks!  Get creative, think out of the box, and have a hap-hap-happy Holiday Season!  Have any other successful holiday promotions at your spa or clinic?  Feel free to share them here!

Surveying Customers and Potential Clients to Improve Your Practice

Are you interested in finding out if clients are satisfied with your products or services, or if they enjoyed their visit to your spa or salon ...try running an e-mail survey to conduct some market research.  By conducting period surveys, you can find out information that will help you improve and grow your spa, massage, and wellness business. Generally speaking, there are 3 basic types of surveys:

1.)  Client Satisfaction Surveys - Ask what they liked or didn't like about products or services you offered, what can be improved or added, etc.

2.)  Business Satisfaction Surveys - Questions for business satisfaction relate to did they get the results they were expecting from a treatment, how friendly was the staff, was the location easy to find...etc.

3.)  Demographic Surveys - Ask questions relating to demographics that can be very useful for later marketing campaigns like what is your mailing address, email address, telephone number, cell number, etc.

You're probably thinking why would anyone want to take time to help me?  Well...give them a reason to!  To encourage them to fill out the survey offer them a freebie if they fill it out (i.e. sample products, free mini services, etc.).   You could also hold a free online contest or sweepstakes on your website and ask visitors to fill out a survey before they enter. You could also post your survey to appropriate newsgroups, forums and e-mail discussion lists, or hand them out at the reception desk.

Need some inspiration?  Take a look at our recent survey for a 10% discount on your Scandle Candle wholesale order!:)

 

Scandle Fall News & Specials

Check out the latest specials and limited edition fragrances in our current newsletter!

 

[caption id="attachment_4055" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Click here to read our September 2012 Newsletter![/caption]