Mala McAlpin COVID-19 closures may in fact have been a blessing for some newly opened spas and clinics.
Immense shock and loss was felt throughout our industry when all beauty and aesthetic businesses were forced to close their doors earlier this year, but perhaps none more so than those spas and clinics who had only just opened up a new business. After all the time, energy and soul you have dedicated to its setup, finding the perfect location, sourcing the perfect team, and excitedly throwing open your doors only to have them forcibly thrust shut again before you have had time to build up your client base – the timing could not be worse.
Jessica Dib, proud owner of Ella Baché Glenbrook, was one of these businesses. With 20 years’ experience working in the industry, opening a business was a massive milestone for her, and she was only operating for a handful of months before having to shut up shop.
“Here at the salon, I specialise in skin diagnosis and ongoing treatment plans for all clients. Our treatments range from relaxation and high-performance facials, IPL, brow sculpting, body waxing and more. Our salon consists of 5 treatment rooms, equipped with the latest technology in skincare, and we had a staff of 6 highly trained therapists and our senior therapists who all have over 20 years’ experience.”
“We opened under my ownership in October 2019. I was able to hand pick the best therapists and incorporate my own Beauty Therapy experience throughout the treatments. Glenbrook was very welcoming and clients felt right at home. The more the clients got to know us, the more the phones rang!”
However the excitement, momentum and growth was short-lived when closures began in March this year, and those close to the business feared it may not survive the months it would take to reopen again. The team did its best to stay positive and stay connected through regular catch ups and training initiatives.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of all beauty businesses, my staff and I were gutted we had to close our doors. It was difficult to distance ourselves from clients physically and emotionally. We consider every one of our clients to be family. My staff and I kept in close contact throughout the lockdown. Staying updated with the new products and launches really helped keep us together and strong.”
My staff and I kept in close contact throughout the lockdown. Staying updated with the new products and launches really helped keep us together and strong.
As most beauty, spa and aesthetic businesses around the country have now reopened, we are beginning to see the repercussions that COVID-19 (and the closures that came with it) has caused for our industry. Not only has it stimulated a renewed excitement and connection for many teams and individual practitioners, but most businesses have been inundated with weeks worth of appointment requests from consumers desperate for their long-overdue treatments – a welcome and unexpected boost (that they may not have experienced otherwise!) for new businesses that hadn’t had the chance to build up their clientele. This can certainly be said for businesses like Jessica’s.
“As restrictions started to ease, the therapists and I all began visiting each other to discuss further business growth and to prepare for the whirlwind of clients waiting for our doors to fly open. Being able to get to the salon was a relief and clients are flooding our appointment books. Everyone has been very compilable and understanding of the changes and necessary social distancing and protocols. We are excited for the future of the salon and have so much coming up in the next few months, including eyelash extensions, microblading, electrolysis, IPL and so much more!”
Has your business experienced any unexpected silver linings as a result of COVID-19 closure? Let us know in the comments below.
