“ If you are going to start your own business , do something you absolutely love . You will eat , sleep , and breathe your business when you are the owner . It takes much more work , dedication , and resources than working for another person or organization so if it isn ’ t something you love , you will burn out quickly .”
— IRIS SHELTON founder and Spa Consultant , Shelton Management Solutions
Venturing Out on Your Own For Iris Shelton , founder and spa consultant at Shelton Management Solutions , entrepreneurship was a long and winding road . The year 2005 was when Shelton first realized her life calling was in the spa industry . Two years later , she left a career in corporate America and accepted her first job in the industry at a luxury spa in Michigan . When the economy began declining , she relocated back to the Washington D . C . area to help manage a spa until 2010 .
“ In these roles , I noticed the trend of high turnover rates in the front desk operations , issues with customer service , and challenges to overall business operations ,” Shelton says . “ During my time working for other companies and managing spas , I found myself identifying methods to continuously improve their overall business , maximize their revenues , reduce their risks , and drive overall efficiency levels .” By determining the needs of the spas she worked for , she identified a niche for starting her own consulting company .
As a way to gain broader knowledge of the spa industry and prepare herself in her role as an entrepreneur , she joined ISPA in 2012 and attended her first ISPA Conference & Expo in Kissimmee , Florida .
Then , in 2015 after being accepted into the Launch Hampton Road Entrepreneur Program ( an initiative that provides tools to aspiring entrepreneurs ), Shelton officially launched Shelton Management Solutions . “ I identified my opportunity to become a spa consultant and [ founded the company ] to offer solutions , including hiring and empowering staff members , creating and updating training , developing employee handbooks , and creating spa best practices and protocols ,” she says .
As a new entrepreneur , Shelton admits to learning valuable lessons . “ When I started my consulting business , I was focused on business roadmaps , networking , sales , marketing , and developing my service plans . I did not create proper financial plans . This oversight caused me to spend more than what was necessary ,” she says . “ I learned , first , to monitor my financials
very closely and , second , that it can be more costeffective to hire someone and outsource operations that are outside of your expertise . Hiring experts to run certain segments of my business enables me to successfully oversee the entire operation and create accurate forecasts or projections .”
The Entrepreneurial Journey For Sue Harmsworth , founder of ESPA International , entrepreneurship runs in the family . “ My father mentored me on a daily basis , encouraging me to be independent and free thinking ,” says Harmsworth . “ He was an entrepreneur himself and , through him , I learned many lessons . My childhood and upbringing meant I understood the real value of money , how to control costs , and how to make profit . For that , I am forever grateful to him .”
Harmsworth opened her first business in 1970 at the age of 25 : a day spa in Toronto , Canada . “ Within three years I ’ d grown it from one to three floors and our turnover was $ 3
“ Always be as honest as you can be with clients and your team . It takes years to build a reputation and moments to destroy it , so never overpromise on anything , always aim to exceed expectations and don ’ t try to avoid difficult situations or conversations .”
— SUE HARMSWORTH , founder , ESPA International
million , which was a lot , especially considering this was the 70s and it was a cash-only business .”
She sold her Toronto Day Spa in 1979 before moving to France to run a thalassotherapy spa for eight months , and then returned to the United Kingdom so her sons could attend school there . She ran Grayshott Hall ( the U . K .’ s foremost health farm ) in Surrey for four years . From here , she was headhunted as managing director of a major cruise line company , designing spas and overseeing 1,100 therapists on board .
After working hard for other companies , she eventually felt the urge to get back out there on her own . “ In 1988 , I decided to start my consultancy business ,” says Harmsworth . “ I worked on a visionary new spa project for Turnberry in Scotland , which opened in 1991 , creating a collection of holistic treatments as well as formulating all the products
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28 PULSE ■ January / February 2017