I'm not psychic, but chances are you're not going to meet your revenue budget this year. Though you can chalk some of this up to the economy and tougher competition, you should take a closer look at your employees. If your operation is a spa, your employees are not where they're supposed to be a full 20 percent of the time.

Ask any spa operator what's on the top of his or her facility wish list, and most will wistfully sigh, "more space for guests to hang out." Indeed, the spas we are designing today contain more of this amenity than ever before. Lounges, meditation rooms, classrooms, well-appointed locker rooms, and bathhouses—amenities that bewitch and bedazzle many a spa guest—are also known by another, less romantic term: non-revenue-producing space. Around here, we abbreviate it as NORPS.

Whenever a spa operator asks me how to find good employees, I look around for a comfortable place to sit down. There is no higher return activity for a spa director, manager, or owner than ensuring their facility is staffed by the most talented, motivated, and dedicated people available. But there is no single process or tactic that ensures you'll be able to do so.

Most people are familiar with the golden rule, which says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." There is another approach, however, that may yield a happier and more satisfied clientele. The Platinum Rule, introduced by Tony Alessandra, Ph.D., and Michael J. O'Connor, Ph.D., in The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four Basic Business Personalities and How They Can Lead You to Success (Warner Books, 1998), puts another spin on the age-old rule. It says, "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them."

The phone rang in my dark hotel room, and I picked it up, expecting my wake-up call. Instead, a familiar voice on the other end said, "Hi, Peggy. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your spa is on fire." In the background, I could hear firemen's voices and the roar of an idling engine. It was 4:15 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, and I was in New York City on business.

"Grow rich in your niche," goes a business saying. These days, much of the spa industry seems to be taking this advice to heart. As our industry matures, the need to differentiate has grown apace, and companies everywhere are searching for unique customer groups to serve. Last year's ISPA survey reported that more than 30 percent of spa visits in the U.S. are being made by men, and about half of those guys became spa converts during a resort stay. Such news gladdens the hearts of savvy spa entrepreneurs, suggesting a bonanza just waiting to be scooped up by an astutely positioned "niche" spa for men.

It's a customer service truism that happy customers share their experience with three other people, while unhappy customers tell nine. We also know that the bad reviews don't stop there—those folks in turn will tell about eight more people. In one study, 75 people were "infected" in just one week by a single dissatisfied customer.

The Simple Life Streamline your spa menu and operations and watch your profits soar. May 1, 2006 By: Peggy Wynne Borgman

Open Any Spa Magazine, Including This One, and you're likely to see articles about innovative new products, treatments, and machines available in spas. As anyone who has ever talked to the press knows, new stuff makes the world go round. Innovation is an entrenched part of the American business culture. We're told constantly that it's how we differentiate and add value. And in a fast-paced industry like ours, we're convinced we must innovate or else we will fail.