Q and A with Marisa Dimitriadis, founder of the Spa Professionals Guild.
Q: Please explain what the “Spa Professionals Guild” is.
Spa Professionals Guild is a Global ONLINE platform where business professionals in the spa, salon and aesthetic space come together to share best practices. We offer various courses and memberships from short modules focused on specific topics to longer Business Management Training Courses.
Q: When, and why, did you start it up and how has it grown since then?
As a business we have always offered these courses but have done so face to face in a classroom type environment. Covid Lockdown forced me to move our education online quicker than planned. I pushed a sudden launch in July since the demand and eager hunger to be supported and learn and grow was taking place during lockdown. I started doing FREE business support coaching sessions twice a week from the first week of lockdown where the audience just grew and grew, I was shocked at one of the sessions I had over 550 people logged on which really did show me that there was a market for this type of online education. We are now over 50 members from 15 different countries and growing weekly.
Q: Please explain your background and your ethos and how this has helped form the Guild.
I have been in the beauty and hair industry for over 20 years now. My experience ranges from sales, marketing, education to design, set up and operations of over 40 spas in the country and a few abroad. I also have two brands that I have launched into the market place, SIX for skincare and Spalicious for hands, feet and body. My passion is business and anything about business. I thrive on challenges and obstacles and look for ways and systems to overcome them and am relentless till I find solutions and ensure that the business is thriving. I suppose this passion is what inspired me to reach out to more people and around the world to share this passion and share best practices from around the world.
Q: Can you give a case study of how your courses have created positive improvement in spa / salon businesses?
We have only been doing courses officially from end of July – so basically two months, and one of our salons has reported an increase of 30% in their numbers from the when they started last month to now purely from implementing our systems and ensuring consistency. The same salon says they have never ever had a more connected, committed and inspired team than ever.
Q: If you had to name THREE things that most spa / salon owners should do differently what would they be?
• Implement checklists into their business
• Staff huddle meetings
• Daily business analysis
Q: Can you please give some details on the course – how does it work, duration, how you study, cost?
There are different membership or course options, all listed on our website www.spaprofessionalsguild.com but in summary our main course is a Business Management Training course which is 7 Modules, each module takes one month to complete. There are two group coaching sessions included plus a weekly business tips newsflash as well as access to the community on whatsapp group and private facebook group where all best practices shared and an unbelievable sense of community to help each other and share information and resources. The Modules include a huge amount of resources and templates that most business owners don’t have. The cost per month is 99 USD so around R1800 which for the content you receive is a very small investment.
Q: If people are keen to find out more, how do they get in touch with you?
They can email me directly on marisa@thespaconsultants.co.za or go check out the site. I can also easily be reached on my mobile 083 626 8382.
Q: Finally, if you would like to say anything else that has not been covered in the above questions, please do!
I just want to say that our Industry around the world NEEDS this type of training. most professionals going into business in a salon or spa are not business people they are therapists, hairstylists or entrepenuers and this type of training gives a holistic look at all aspects of running a beauty or spa business.
Keen to find out more?
Call / message 083 626 8382
Or go to www.spaprofessionalsguild.com
