Spa Parties

[Tater Salad]

Hi everyone! I have been thinking about spa parties for quite some time now. I have worked a few at people's houses, that other people have been the main organizers for and on my end it was similar to doing a few outcalls clients at the same location.

I am now moving to a smaller town, and will be purchasing a unique old house that I think would be great for hosting, but I would also be open to doing spa parties in other people's homes. Does anyone have any experience with these?

I was wondering about licensing and the "technical" parts I guess. I will have a private practice there, so if I hosted spa parties would the license and insurance I have for my practice cover everything included with spa parties? Also, catering from local restaurants would be easy, but how about alcohol (if the clients would want any)? Would there be a different license for that?

I see so many spas in Chicago doing it, and it seems like such a great idea. Plus, I think the people from this town would enjoy something like this.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[massage2218]

Spa Parties

I know it's been awhile since you posted this but I just now saw it. The small practice/spa where I work has been doing spa parties for about a year now and this summer they have really taken off. We've done about 6 in the last month, mostly for bachelorette parties. I don't know the licensing regulations where you are, however here's what we do with ours.

We made a menu up, with 4 different parties they can choose from, the prices are $45, 65, 85 or 100 per person. We close the shop during the parties, so the shop is completely theirs and we don't get walk-ins. We do the parties for 4-10 people, although I"m sure if we had a request for more than 10 we would accommodate them. The $45 one is a 15 minute massage (although we do it on the table, clothed, instead of in a chair, a 15 minute mini-facial, a peppermint foot soak and polish change for fingers and toes. $65 is a 30 min. massage, mini facial, foot soak and polish change, and so on.

We haven't done catering since we don't want to cut into profits too much, but we do offer two complimentary trays, one is several kinds of cheeses and crackers and pepperoni or summer sausage, and one is usually veggies although this summer we started doing a fruit tray (usually pineapple chunks, strawberries and grapes) with a chocolate dip. We offer coffee or tea, lemonade and coke, and a pitcher of Fuzzy Navels or Mohitos. As long as we're not selling the drinks, we aren't required to have a license in our town - and we're not selling them, the price of the packages are set for services, food and drink isn't included. Everyone so far has seemed to be perfectly content with the offerings. (We buy the cheese and meat and fruits and slice them up ourselves, cheaper than buying prepared trays. We keep a few trays and dishes around just for parties.)

We also allow people to design their own packages, if say they want a body scrub and massage. The owner will figure out the cost of the services they want and give them the price. We've only had one group that has made their own so far. We use some of the faster-paced massage music that we don't generally use during the day, since it's usually a big, giggly group and they're not quiet, lol. The parties are a lot of fun for us to work too, since there is more talking and socializing.

I do massage but since I'm the only aesthetician in the shop, I created the 'mini facial' just for packages, so I get to do all the facials during parties. I get $15 for each facial (and keep 60% of that) so it's not a ton of money BUT, many of the women that have been there for the first time end up coming back on their own at some point for a full facial or massage. The profit for the shop itself isn't huge on parties but it does get returning clients.

(EDA: We just elected not to do outcall spa parties. I didn't want to have to lug a table, steamer, towels, products, etc, just like the nail tech didn't want to have to carry a basin, towels, all her polishes etc. If I were just doing massage, outcall parties wouldn't be too bad. But that's a personal call.)

 

[Pompal 09.]

Spa Parties

I know it's been awhile since you posted this but I just now saw it. The small practice/spa where I work has been doing spa parties for about a year now and this summer they have really taken off. We've done about 6 in the last month, mostly for bachelorette parties. I don't know the licensing regulations where you are, however here's what we do with ours.

We made a menu up, with 4 different parties they can choose from, the prices are $45, 65, 85 or 100 per person. We close the shop during the parties, so the shop is completely theirs and we don't get walk-ins. We do the parties for 4-10 people, although I"m sure if we had a request for more than 10 we would accommodate them. The $45 one is a 15 minute massage (although we do it on the table, clothed, instead of in a chair, a 15 minute mini-facial, a peppermint foot soak and polish change for fingers and toes. $65 is a 30 min. massage, mini facial, foot soak and polish change, and so on.

I like your package concept with mini services a lot ^^ but I think you are under pricing yourself! They are also getting the use of your facility - at those prices they are barely even paying for services - let alone food and drinks. Do you tack on a gratuity at least?

At our spa we have small parties - but we are only doing full services - massage/facials/mani-pedi We will make or purchase a food tray. We do not supply alcohol.

 

[Pringle]

Spa Parties

I am now moving to a smaller town, and will be purchasing a unique old house that I think would be great for hosting,

Will this be your home or place of business only? Some zoning regs restrict home businesses from having too many customers come to you -- parking hassles for your neighbors, etc.


but I would also be open to doing spa parties in other people's homes. Does anyone have any experience with these?

I will have a private practice there, so if I hosted spa parties would the license and insurance I have for my practice cover everything included with spa parties?

They would not cover other practitioners. your clients are hiring you and your practice -- you may choose to use sub contractors to provide other services, but legally, you need to have insurance that covers them, even if they have their own (they should and they should name your practice as an additional insured)

You also need "slip and fall" insurance for your premises.

Also, catering from local restaurants would be easy, but how about alcohol (if the clients would want any)? Would there be a different license for that?

Depends. Check with local authorities. If you are charging for it, you must have a liquor license, which you may or may not qualify for. If you give it away as an amenity, you need that covered by your insurance.

 

[Sublimeonelove]

Spa Parties

Squash (mind if I call you Squash? lol) We don't add a gratuity. We accept tips, whatever they wish to give. The tips are generally very generous at the parties. The MTs (and me as the aesthetician) are contractors, the nail tech is the owner's DIL and she gets paid an hourly rate when she works, so the nail service portion of it goes to the business, not the tech. We're a pretty small shop, the owner (who is also an MT and works there FT doing massage), another MT, me and the nail tech. We're more like a family working together than an upscale, fancy spa. It's a great group.

You're right, it's not a big profit maker. But it is great advertising. We did a bridal group a few weeks ago, one of the bridesmaids was getting married a couple weeks later and came back with her own group. The original bride came back for a full facial the week before her wedding and then her groom came in right before for a back facial (so he could go shirtless on the beach during the honeymoon, so he told me!). Then her mom came in after the wedding to get an hour massage, just to have downtime after all the planning. The second group, one of them came in the following week to get an hour massage because the 15 minute one was 'just a tease'. We have a local hair salon that comes in a couple of times a year for a party (it's owned by the sisters that work there) and then they all started coming in during the year for massages or body scrubs. And two of their husbands buy them gift cards all during the year, for b'days, anniversaries, Christmas etc. The other two aren't married yet - but when they do, we'll hook their husbands too, lol!!

So the parties really do bring in more business. They're also a nice change of pace for us so we're willing to have a slightly lower income that day. We wanted to have a range of prices in order to appeal to everyone, so someone who couldn't afford $100 x5 bridesmaids might be able to put out $45 each. Everyone so far has seemed very pleased with what they've gotten for their money. $45 - 15 for 15 minute massage, 15 for 15 minute mini-facial, !5 for foot soak and polish change. Yeah, they're getting a good deal!