A unique set of management skill s and a detailed timeline is required to successfully lead your spa from its pre-opening planning, to smart “day to day” operations. Essential Spa Consulting will create and deliver your spa’s core foundations:

• Business plan and budget
• Workable concept development and strong brand identity
• Spa product line, treatment menu and retail
• Equipment selection, negotiation and installation
• National and international human resource recruitment, training and development
• Operational structure and guideline with support manuals
• On-site project management through; planning, building, opening and operations

Your spa can be in a remote destination with cultural and logistical challenges, or imbedded in an urban 5 star property, casino or fitness club - all of which can create management demands. The promise that ESC makes with on-site support is:

• Pre-opening strategic planning
• Acting Spa Director during recruitment or a staff transition
• Evaluate and audit operational systems, deliver changes
• Collaborate with a management company

Once solid foundations are built, and the path ways for growth are structured, it’s a knowledgeable team who will ultimately deliver your promise. ESC is able to support the spa mission by offering:

• International job fair and recruitment for: Spa Directors, Service Providers and Spa Coordinators
• Spa Director Management Training: “Think Like the Owners”
• Spa University: Level I, Level II Courses focus on educating spa staff and executive teams
• Seminars in: the finesse of up selling, adding on treatments, retail sales and future bookings
• Deliver standard operating procedures specific to facility and brand service culture
• Click here to see National Massage Therapy Institute's SPA training

With a critical eye to operations, payroll, marketing, billing and guest flow, ESC will audit systems and create structure for:

• “Are your making and tracking money?” Accounting for billing process
• Create staff schedules to reflect business demands, hotel occupancy and historical data
• Service provider pay scales and percentages
• Perform cost analysis on treatments
• Inventory management, “Where are your products?”
• The power of ordering and vendor relationships
• Licensing and liabilities
• Budget Development
• P&L review: forecast -vs - actual expense and revenue
• “Can they find you?” A review in Marketing Strategies
• Guest journey

With her deep knowledge of holistic best practices, Susan develops integrated spa and wellness programs that combine the best of Western practices with Eastern philosophies. She is a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor, private lifestyles advisor and a course graduate from Yonka of Paris, ESPA International, and Kerstin Florian.

• How to do “destination wellness”, remote location or city center
• Best international hiring practices and cautions
• Programming “10-Zen” Programs and lectures focused on the art of a well life
• Identify and capture niche markets
• Green Spa - converting wasteful habits into a Green Spa
• Make your destination healthy for Eco Tourism

Susan Gwaltney, the Principal of Essential Spa Consulting has traveled, lived and worked internationally as well as opened spas in her own back yard. The spa experience has been culturally fascinating, humorous, an emotional rollercoaster, heartfelt and the best symphony of feelings the world can offer . In addition to twenty plus years in the spa industry, Susan is a graduate from the DC Improv, Travel Chanel Academy, UCSD and Georgetown University writing courses and runs the spa travel blog. Workshops offered include:

• Spa Travel writing
• Writing beyond the spa treatment
• Journaling and how to see the story
• Blogging
• Guest speaking