Need some guidance in managing your spa or salon business during these trying times? Below are some answers to commonly asked questions.
Where do I find any guidelines with regards to sanitation and hygiene Standards to follow when we return to the salon / spa?
ISPA and CIDESCO are two international industry organisations offering guidelines to follow.
We have collected information from various resources as well as referring back to basic hygiene and sanitation guides as part of the aesthetician qualifications and written a comprehensive easy to follow step by step standard operating procedure that is ready to be adapted to your specific salon/spa set up.
Every aspect of Covid-19 prevention has been taken into account with the strictest of social distancing measures. It is, of course, the discretion of each business owner to what extent they wish to implement the standards we have outlined at the Spa Professionals Guild.
When should I train my staff on the new sanitation standards to be implemented in my salon / spa?
The answer is simple. Start now, whether it be virtual online training or in-salon training if you are allowed to move around of course once again practicing the strictest social distancing measures possible.
The important to note here is that the new operating systems are not normal and not habit yet so it is going to take some time to get used to and remember all the protocols.
I would ensure training with the team takes place daily discussing and finalizing exact protocols to follow from the second the appointment is made to when the client leaves the salon.
Are there any additional revenue streams to supplement income during this pandemic?
There is always another revenue source, you just need to sit and focus on a brainstorm session with your team and it will soon be discovered what else you can do to generate income.
One way is to move to virtual online skin/body/nail/hair consultations.
If you do this correctly you can brand yourself and your salon/spa as leaders in virtual online consultations and the retail revenue as an add-on to the consultation is guaranteed if your consultations exceed expectation.
We have a comprehensive guide with standard operating procedures and step by step on how to perform the virtual online consultations which include ideas for marketing yourself as well as wording to use at all communication points of the process.
How do I minimize risk of infection among my staff?
Effective scheduling of rosters is important to ensure two or three teams of staff work together all the time as you will need to cut the amount of staff at the salon/spa at one given time. If one group of staff are at risk they can all immediately self isolate while the second group can continue.
Ensure that staff don’t spend time in any communal areas such as kitchen or reception areas but rather are confined as much as possible to their own treatment room where they can sanitise effectively.
Staff also to travel in different clothing to uniform used at the salon so they change on arrival where they can then safely seal and sanitise their travel clothing until they travel home. Do all the necessary checks with your staff daily by ensuring the lines of communication are open with regards to how they are feeling.
Refer to the comprehensive health and sanitation guide with all standard operating procedures to implement and follow that also include staff and protecting them.