More Americans than ever are dedicated to making health and wellness a top priority. The numbers have been trending up year after year, but perhaps motivated by the pandemic, now nearly 60 percent of adults say self-care is their area of focus. That equates to businesses within the realm of health and wellness also performing well.

Take the spa business, for example, now a $17 billion industry. Spas are designed to provide healing massages and other services that help the mind and body, and the time is right to enter the spa business. If you’re wondering just how to start a spa business, here’s a step-by-step guide to follow.

Things to Consider When Starting a Spa Franchise

As an entrepreneur, starting any business is a complex undertaking, especially when starting from scratch. It will take hard work, determination, money, and a solid overall plan.

Do Your Homework

If you will be opening a spa in your community, find out what trends would be the best fit for your prospective clients.

For example, will you be providing massages only, or will you also provide facials? Will you create an all-day pampering choice where clients will be able to enjoy lunch or a glass of wine with their visit? What’s the optimal number of massage tables and individual rooms to meet the needs of your potential customers? Who are the target customers you plan to attract to your business, and how will you market your new spa to let them know about your services? These are just a few examples of the kind of decisions you will need to make as you form a business plan.

Define Your Goals

Although you are providing a needed service to members of your community, this is a business. You will need to understand how you want to structure the business and create ambitious but realistic and measurable goals. Do you want to achieve a certain financial benchmark by end-of-year, or do you want to increase business by a certain percentage each quarter? Write down your expectations and outline a path to reach your goals.

Find the Perfect Location for Your Spa

Location, location, location! It’s a common saying because it’s among the most important factors that drive business success. For a brick-and-mortar business, real estate is critical, and it involves a great deal of searching to pinpoint the best neighborhood and the perfect space within that community. Understand this is a thoughtful process that deserves time, research and consideration if done properly. Be patient, and don’t rush to sign a lease without doing the homework.

Remember that Going it Alone is Hard Work

A well-formulated business plan will include each of the items above, and more. You can hire a team of experts and partners to guide you through this process, but many small business owners find hiring out those services to be expensive. You can also seek the help of the U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides valuable insight for business owners, from a traditional business plan to a startup document. Your business plan includes necessary information, from the name of your spa to the executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization and management, services, marketing, licenses, funding, and financial goals.

The Business Plan is Just the Beginning

But wait, your to-do list has just begun. Once you create a plan and find the location — you have to hire a staff, train them, understand and follow employment laws, market your services to drive traffic to your spa, purchase needed equipment, manage inventory, and more.

Financially, add up construction costs, equipment costs, licensing, marketing, utilities, real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, staff, and more. You will need to have a substantial nest egg set aside for this, not only to build but to stay afloat until profits are generated.

Consider Teaming Up with a Successful Spa Franchise

If it seems like a lot, it is. But there’s another route you can take that you can invest in with a proven business model, established brand name, easy-to-follow guide, training, and ongoing support. If you really want to know how to start a spa business, the answer is through franchising, specifically with a trusted name like MassageLuXe.

MassageLuXe is a spa franchise that delivers the highest quality massages and facials to our clients. We take care of the complete checklist needed to get your spa location off and running. MassageLuXe franchisees pay an affordable initial franchise fee of $42,500. With that, you receive support at every level, from site selection and grand openings to ongoing training, marketing, and coaching. You don’t have to go it alone because our in-house team has extensive experience in all facets of business operations and is there to assist you as a franchisee.

To learn more about spa franchise opportunities with MassageLuXe, scroll down to fill out the contact form below.