Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/691743
42 july/august 2016 sales and keeping you from bringing in fresh items that have a better chance for retail profit. Retail displays should be updated every month to give clients a fresh shopping experience. FINANCIAL FITNESS Are you confident your financial position is in good shape? If you are unsure, it may be time to recruit a professional bookkeeper, accountant, or tax consultant. Monte Zwang, principal at Wellness Capital Management, recommends you see a professional bookkeeper while you are in the process of developing your business. "A bookkeeper and CPA have very different roles in assisting a business owner," Zwang says. "The bookkeeper makes sure all of the Chart of Accounts and financial tools are in place and functioning. He should also process your data daily and make sure they are correctly coded in your bookkeeping program. A CPA should prepare your annual state and federal income taxes, advise you on the best entity for your business (corporation partnership, LLC, or otherwise), set up your depreciation schedules, and advise you on taxation issues." Your financial inspection should also include a review of your business's status, including profit and loss, labor costs, and all other key tactical numbers. At the end of your inspection, you want to know if you are on track to achieve profitability. WORKPLACE WORKOUT Whether you have been in business for a few months or several years, you can't know everything that happens inside your business as a client sees it, particularly if you have employees. Having an objective assessment from the client perspective can help you identify key areas for improvement and provide benchmarks to document your service standards. Consider hiring a professional mystery shopper to evaluate the total experience your employees and your spa provide. The assessment should include everything from your online presence to an actual service. If you don't want to hire a professional, recruit a friend, colleague from another business, or someone who is not known to your employees. Provide them with the key areas to evaluate (check-in process, waiting times, home-care recommendations, reviews, etc.) and compensate them with a gift certificate for a complimentary service. Encourage them to make notes, take pictures, and arrange for a debriefing. MEETING YOUR FITNESS GOALS After this head-to-toe inspection, it's time to develop a fitness routine. Just like a successful skin care program, keeping a business in shape isn't a one-time proposition. To avoid that inevitable plateau, you can't get lazy! Stay focused and consistent, and you'll be a lean mean beauty machine. Consider hiring a professional mystery shopper to evaluate the total experience your employees and your spa provide.