Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
tools for opening a spa By Steve Capellini Massage therapists thinking about opening a spa are a special breed. They are entrepreneurial. They have dreams and visions. They have big plans. And usually, they are passionate about those plans. So passionate, in fact, they often plunge forward headlong toward their goal without first laying the groundwork to ensure success. Fortunately, an entire armada of resources is available to help these therapists make the right decisions. These resources include consultants, trainers, videos, DVDs, books, workshops, magazines, expos, conferences, and more. The challenge is to find the right resources for your particular situation. With so many options available, therapists are often faced with an unexpected problem—information overload. Most therapists go through a series of five basic stages as they become progressively more interested in opening a spa. Depending on where you are on this spa planning timeline, you will find certain resources to be more helpful than others. The stages include: therapists toying with the idea, therapists on the fence about the idea, therapists ready to move forward, therapists already committed to their spa project, and those in the middle of a spa project who find themselves in need of assistance. As you sift through the resources, you'll be able to refine your search by focusing first on those items most suited to your stage. Stage 1. Books And Magazines Perhaps you have only toyed with the idea of opening a spa, or the idea is on the furthest back burner in your mind. But still, you feel somehow drawn toward the spa industry. The first place to look when you begin exploring the spa world is the many books and magazines available. Many magazines offer inexpensive subscriptions, and you'll find surprisingly detailed information in their pages. You can spend many hours researching the industry through magazines, getting to know the equipment most spa owners use, the products they offer their guests, the layouts and designs they choose for their space, and more. If the research you do in spa magazines stimulates your interest further, the next step is to explore the pages of a book or two that will give you some more concrete ideas regarding what it's really like to operate a spa on a daily