Thinking about starting a whitening spa? Starting a teeth whitening spa is no easy feat! but for those who truly want to dive in and start their own business, having your own teeth whitening spa will give you legitimacy that an at home or mobile whitening operation will likely not give you. For us here at Vivid Teeth Whitening, opening a whitening spa or at least working out of a beauty parlor should be all teeth whitening professionals end goal.
In this article you are going to learn about;
- What is a teeth whitening spa.
- The benefits of opening a whitening spa.
- What you need to open your spa.
- Prep for your spa opening.
- Things that will enhance your spa.
What is a teeth whitening spa?
A teeth whitening spa or sometimes referred to as clinic, is a cosmetic beauty spa whose primary function is performing cosmetic whitening treatments on peoples teeth. A spa is often made up of several whitening chairs and lights, teeth whitening products and a cozy atmosphere for teeth whitening clients. A spa can be located almost anywhere there are people, but are often found in shopping centers, stand alone retail spaces and malls. A whitening spa can also be one of several functions of a beauty parlor, or can have other cosmetic beauty professionals working within or around it.
A teeth whitening whitening spa can be ran by 1 or several teeth whitening professionals, but usually depends on the size of the spa. In some locations where teeth whitening is heavily regulated, you may not be able to open your own location, so do your research before starting.
Benefits to owning your spa.
Like with many businesses opening your own teeth whitening spa will not be easy, but it will be beneficial to you as a teeth whitening professional.
Separates you as a true professional.
One of the greatest benefits to opening your whitening spa is what it will to for your teeth whitening business in terms of professionalism. There is a major difference between getting your teeth whitened in someone’s place of residence where the business is mixed into other home functions compared to getting your teeth whitened in a professional atmosphere that has been designed for the function of teeth whitening.
An at home teeth whitening professional is also usually limited to the clientele that they can serve. Many people will be unwilling or untrusting of someone who operates a business that requires such care out of their home. It takes a lot more effort from these individuals to get clients to trust that they actually know what they are doing.
More ways to get clients.
In your home or with a mobile operation you are limited in your advertising. When you have your own commercial location the sky is the limit when it comes to the platforms and techniques you can use to advertise.
One of the greatest marketing benefits to your own location can be street traffic flowing into your spa. Getting street traffic into your location is huge because you have to apply almost no effort to get clients. An at home professional can spend hours of effort advertising online and contacting people just to get one client in the door, while someone with a spa in the right location can get 3-4 clients a day by just sitting at their desk! This of course requires the effort upfront of getting the right signage for your store front, but once your sign is up and you are operating you have created a visual advertisement that be seen by anyone passing by your location.
Another advertising platform that will be of benefit is Google. The Google My Business platform which is used to list local businesses when you search for things in your area does not support businesses that are operating from home which makes it a lot more difficult to be seen when someone is searching for teeth whitening in your area. We have found that at least 35% of the customers that come to our teeth whitening spa’s find us on Google through our business listings and website. Without a physical location that can mean thousands of dollars of potential clients being unable to find you.
A whitening spa can also become a local destination. This is almost impossible to with an at home whitening office. A local destination means that without you having to much people will be talking about your business and the services that it provides.
Room for expansion
Owning a spa opens the door to expand your teeth whitening business. Some people start with a smaller spa operation with only the capability to do 1-2 whitening clients at a time, but as your clientele grows and you become more busy having your own location opens the door for growth.
With your own location you can not only add more whitening chairs and lights but more people to help you service your clients. As you expand and include more people in your operation you will be able to serve more clients and often be open more hours of the day. Rather than a stand alone whitening professional you become the manager of your teeth whitening team. You will just have to be sure that all your team members are properly trained and certified.
What you need to start your teeth whitening business in 2022
Many of the things you need to start your teeth whitening spa can be found right here at Vivid Teeth Whitening. We provide the most in-depth professional teeth whitening training program on the market as well as the high quality whitening products you need to run your business. We also make it easier by providing you with options to buy now and pay as your earn. Starting your own teeth whitening business could not be any easier!
Along with the training and products we also provide you with our free business center that lays out all the things you need to do in order to start your business. However, we have simplified all the things you need to start your whitening business by listing them below.
Certification and training
Before you are able to perform a teeth whitening treatment or begin servicing clients at your whitening spa you will need to become a certified teeth whitening professional. This will give you the training and documentation that you need to start performing professional chairside whitening treatments on clients.
Not all certifications are the same. Some certifications are outdated and leave key information out of them that you as a teeth whitening professional should know.
At Vivid Teeth Whitening we have created the most in-depth training course on professional teeth whitening, providing you with all the knowledge tools that you need to perform the treatment correctly and safely.
Teeth Whitening Products
You will need to have high quality products to use on your clients. We sell everything you need to perform a teeth whitening treatment in a client kit, including the whitening gels, pre and post care whitening products that each treatment requires.
Be careful where you purchase your teeth whitening products. Remember that as a whitening professional you are held responsible for the care that you give your clients teeth. Some whitening products are not safe to use and can even be held as dishonest, lying about the amount of whitening formula in their gels. If you choose to go with a distributor outside of Vivid Teeth Whitening, be sure that the product you are receiving is actually as was advertised.
Teeth whitening light
Having a Blue LED teeth whitening light is essential to performing your treatments. There are multiple options of whitening lights to choose from all varying in price, function and quality. We have had the opportunity to test multiple lights available on the market and below are our top picks when it comes to whitening lights.
A place of operation or rental space
You will need a retail space to operate your teeth whitening spa out of. Choosing the right space and the right location is essential to your success. If you are operating in a space that is not easy to reach or does not have much foot traffic from surrounding businesses you will find it more difficult to get customers in the door.
That being said you can start a teeth whitening spa wherever a leaser will let you operate as a teeth whitening professional. There are some things to look out for when it comes to choosing your space.
- How big of a space do you need?
For the most part teeth whitening spa’s operate in smaller spaces of around 700 to 1100 sqft, but there are exceptions. For example, if you plan on growing your teeth whitening business or sub-leasing to other cosmetic professionals you may want to select a bigger space.
- What amenities are included with the space?
You will want to look out for general amenities like air-conditioning and heat, but for a teeth whitening business there are a few other things to look out for such as access to bathrooms and a sink. As part of the whitening process you will need to have access to water. If you find a space without a sink, you will have to bring your own portable water solution.
Renting out a space can be expensive, so you will want to make sure that you will be able to make enough money to both pay rent and give yourself something at the end of the day. If the rental price is going to be too expensive it won’t be worth renting out the space.
- Other leasing requirements
Some other things you will need to look out for are the length of lease, information on signage, hidden leasing fees and how to recuperate your initial deposit.
Insurance
You will likely need both insurance that covers your business in case of accidents and insurance that covers your rental space in case of damages. Insurance is important especially when renting out a space, and will likely be a requirement by leaser of the space. Choose wisely when it comes to your insurance and the things that they will cover when it comes to general liability.
Interior Design and Décor
Creating an in store experience that is both true to your brand and inviting to your customer is super important. If your clients are satisfied with their experience and feel comfortable in the space that you provide for their treatment they will likely return for another treatment in 6 to 12 months as well as tell their friends about your whitening spa so they can have the same experience.
Make a plan when it comes to what your spa is going to look like before you begin to move in. It may be a good idea depending on your budget to hire a professional to design and decorate your space. If you decide to decorate the space yourself, we have found floorplanner.com to be a super good resource when it comes to determining your layout and general design.
Open your spa
Once you have solidified a space to operate in and have gotten all the materials you need both for the teeth whitening treatment and the space itself you are ready to open your teeth whitening spa.
We recommend starting with a soft opening in preparation for your grand opening. A soft opening is where you begin operations without being fully prepared to open the doors to the entire public. We use soft openings to invite influential business owners and local people to come whiten their teeth. This method will start to generate buzz about the spa and service that you are going to provide to the community.
Once prepared, make a big deal about your grand opening. Teeth whitening is something that people can get excited about, if your give them that chance. Be prepared to spend some money and time on social channels like Facebook and Instagram in order to generate the buzz that will help lift your business from the start.
Still have questions about opening a teeth whitening spa? Ask one of our business experts by filling out the form below or giving us a call! We are spa owners ourselves and can answer any question you might have.