Coronavirus or ‘Rona as many of us now call her, has knocked most of us for a loop. In the wake of the pandemic, hospitality will change the way it does business. And so will the spa industry. It has to. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
March 26, 2020
Author Linda Harding-Bond
Linda Harding-Bond
March 20, 2020
With coronavirus forcing many of us to work from home, it’s easy to become distracted. Here are my suggestions to keep you on track and at your most productive. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
March 15, 2020
In the past month, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused a pandemic resulting in a reduced face to face commerce. The hospitality industry across the board has experienced a drop in occupancy and bookings. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
February 29, 2020
Wash your hands. Keep a supply of medicines. Get a flu shot.
Federal health officials have warned that the coronavirus is likely to appear in communities in the United States. If it does, what can you do to protect yourself and your family? Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
February 19, 2020
Morning Headaches? Check Your Cell Phone
Tags: android, bedtime, chiropractors, contortions, head-pain, I-pad, I-phone, neck-pain, sleep Master Class, Products
Do you take your I-phone, android or I-pad to bed with you? I do. I know experts say it’s not conducive to a restful sleep but I’m sorry. Bedtime is when I catch up on pop-culture, videos and e-mail. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
February 9, 2020
In the past seven years, I’ve been fortunate to do what I love most which is to provide retail training for the spa and wellness industry. I’ve worked with companies like Biologique Recherche, Shangri-La, Raffles, and Oberoi Hotels among others. With the global travel that entails, it has also never been more challenging to maintain wellness, improve sleep and totally relax. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
February 4, 2020
My husband Norm and I did something that was very romantic but kind of dumb in hindsight; we got married on Valentine’s Day. To be honest, I never thought about the future difficulty of scheduling an anniversary dinner at a candlelit restaurant, a getaway weekend or even a couple’s spa treatment during premium time. I never realized the additional cost or pre-planning it entailed.
But if you happen to be a same sex couple married on the same day as us, early scheduling may be the least of your concerns.
You may wonder if the establishment you’ve selected will be wholly accepting and willing to provide a quality experience for you and your loved one.
Spas may unconsciously be overlooking one of the most robust markets that exists today; same sex couples. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry, everyone may not necessarily buy into it. Therefore it’s important to go the extra mile and show potential customers that you are accepting and ready to offer a quality experience at your spa.
It kind of reminds me of the stories my parents shared with us years ago. They explained that despite the fact that Civil Rights laws for equality were passed, some business still resisted serving African-Americans. Therefore it became incumbent upon the establishment to proactively reach out and let us know we were welcome there.
Some companies like Lush Cosmetics “got it” a few years ago with their viral ad for the Women’s March.
It’s a smart marketing move and from a business perspective very savvy. In 2019 the total buying power of the U.S. lesbian, gay, transgender, bi-sexual and queer population was projected to be 917 billion dollars!
So what can you do to market to your LGBTQ customers besides slapping a rainbow flag on your reception desk? First, keep in mind that LGBT folks are a subset of other demographic groups that you are currently serving, so relax.
- Put yourself in their place as a same sex couple. Consider the behavior and personality of each spa staff member. Discuss the issue with your team and be aware of their responses. You (hopefully) wouldn’t accept discriminatory behavior if your customer was a person of color. Treat this with the same sensitivity. Address potentially uncomfortable situations.
- Advertise your services in main-stream media. Use accurate depictions of same-sex pairings in everyday situations, such as at home, driving, shopping or eating.
- Advertise in LGBTQ media and not just during Pride week.
- Show up to genuinely support the community
- Support your LGBTQ employees.
Have a prosperous Valentine’s Day.
Linda Harding-Bond
January 16, 2020
Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar winning actress and owner of the e-commerce site Goop is stirring things up again. Most recently her addition of celebrated perfumer Douglas Little’s candle “This Smells Like My Vagina” has seemingly touched a nerve across all areas of social media. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
December 14, 2019
There is still sufficient time to maximize customer holiday spending at your hair/ lash/ brow salon or spa no matter if it’s a corporate entity or single person operation. I’m totally loving April Maguire’s tips to make our last minute Christmas income even merrier. Of course I added my own twist with a nod to my international spa tribe. Read More
Linda Harding-Bond
December 4, 2019
Retail training costs money but there is probably no better investment for a spa to make. Still, convincing senior management and the financial department to fork over the amount needed to bring your staff up to speed can be tough. So one would assume that once the funds are secured proper preparation would be done to ensure a positive outcome.
But amazingly, that doesn’t always happen. It’s almost as though the training itself is anti-climatic. Read More