Inovation work (3)

Elevator Pitch

For the modern busy woman who has a hectic day, Spa Meeting is a service that allows women to both be pampered and knock off her to do list at the same time. Unlike the traditional salons today, Spa Meeting includes all the essentials necessary for clients to finish up that email, make connections, and most importantly, relax.

Opportunity/Problem

The idea for a salon that incorporates a relaxing atmosphere and great services with the ability to multitask on both business and personal work, is essential to meet the needs of modern day women. I stumbled upon this problem as I find it hard to keep up on my look while juggling my everyday workload. I overlooked this issue for awhile, but recently came back to it after finding myself laughing at a sitcom. In the episode, a working mother sacrificed taking care of herself so she could take care of all her other duties. The tv show made light of this situation, hence my laughter, but then it occurred to me that this is an actual problem. Women are facing the dilemma of not having time for themselves because they are too busy. This is where I believe I could fix this problem.

Competitors/Status Quo

Currently in the United States, competitors would be the traditional salons, such as Lord and Ladies, that have women sit in a chair for possibly hours while they get their hair, nails, and or makeup done. These would be true competitors for me since my idea is not the norm and there will be women who prefer to simply relax while they get their services done. There are also beauty parlor trucks that are mobile and will travel to any place you need them. While this is convenient in the sense that you wouldn’t have to leave your location, it still prohibits clients from multitasking. In London, England however, I did find that there were only a few salons that are very similar to my idea. They include free wifi, charging stations, and conference rooms. In the description of the salons, it paints an image of women working at all different stations of the salon. My goal would be to keep the client in one area for the maximum amount of time, rather than have them move all their belongings over and over again. I would also promote the idea that you can book the salon for large groups, even if you’re not a wedding party.

Your Solution

Women today are not the same women of the past. They are fabulous, glamourous, and beautiful go getters. Many are mothers, friends, and more than likely, your boss. But time does not slow down for anyone, which is the root of the problem I see in modern day salons. Therefore, Spa Meeting would allow you to choose your experience from the moment you sit in your chair. Free wifi would be available, while salon chairs would include power outlets, a fold up table with cup holder, and bag holder. Access to private rooms would allow for business and personal calls in between appointments, or service steps. An environment that not only allows, but encourages discussion and networking. The ability to book slots for a mom group, business meeting, or girls night out would give women the power to customize their experience and multitask to their their needs, which is an advantage I think my salon would have over others. Stylist would not only be your colorist, but your favorite personal assistant who would be available throughout your entire appointment to assist any of your needs, setting my salon apart from any other.

Customer / User / Stakeholder Impact

I believe that almost every woman would be positively impacted by Spa Meeting. From the working woman to the stay home mom, women today are plain and simply, busy. Everyone enjoys being pampered and feeling like the best version of themselves. What better way to do this than with women who have the same goal in mind? Revenue would come from the price of services, which would be in line with moderately priced salons. The impact Spa Meeting would have on women would be the change in the way they look at getting beauty treatments from traditional salons. The value of their dollar would be stretched in conjunction with time being saved.

Unknowns / Challenges

An obstacle for me in opening this salon is that it cost money to purchase the building and equipment needed for a proper salon. Then additional equipment and space will be needed to add the elements for workstations and meeting rooms, which will cost more money. I also am assuming that women actually care that much about their looks and feeling their best. In addition, I assume that those women that do value their time at salons want to spend their time their doing things other than sitting there. I would need to do further testing of this idea, like having a pop up shop with discounted prices or donation only for a short time to see if women really value this idea.