Spa directors and owners, like myself, know that the value of running a spa extends well beyond business success. True joy comes from the gratitude of your clients. Helping others feel their best is why many of us got into this industry, and now clients are starting to realize the kinds of benefits that incorporating infrared sauna into their lifestyle can bring.
Log in to view the full article
Spa directors and owners, like myself, know that the value of running a spa extends well beyond business success. True joy comes from the gratitude of your clients. Helping others feel their best is why many of us got into this industry, and now clients are starting to realize the kinds of benefits that incorporating infrared sauna into their lifestyle can bring.
Infrared saunas offer guests a wealth of benefits, helping them feel amazing and achieve their wellness and preventive health goals. They are also a smart business decision for spas, as they provide a successful, unassisted revenue stream with minimal maintenance and high ROI.
Spa guests are increasingly interested in low-touch, noninvasive healing services, which makes infrared saunas the perfect offering. A 2021 Mindbody survey showed a 12% increase in consumers who had partaken in these types of services, and it reported that 53% were more open to trying them. In addition, services with purported immune-boosting effects have seen a 50% increase. Wellness and preventive therapies are top of mind for Americans who are prioritizing their health, and interest in finding them has increased 85% since 2020, according to Google Analytics.
As such, integrating infrared sauna therapy into your business can be a great investment. Here are five reasons why.
1. Quick ROI
In less than three months, businesses are often able to pay back the initial investment from purchasing an infrared sauna and start seeing profit. Most spa equipment is super expensive and not many devices can give you that kind of return that fast.
At an average $6,000 investment, infrared sauna sessions market rate ranges geographically from $40-$150 per session. So regardless of your area, the math to recouping your investment is faster than a lot of other equipment.
2. Touchless Tech
At a time when spas are experiencing a shortage of therapists and the desire to customize experiences, infrared saunas are a wellness technology that addresses both. Infrared sauna sessions provide a passive income stream with no staffing expense. With a few basic setup guidelines, your clients can relax, support their well-being and enjoy customized sessions that require no staffing or commissions from the spa—and saunas never call in sick.
3. Valuable Add-Ons
Spa-goers love to purchase packages, and sauna sessions add wellness value to their experience. They also keep guests at your spa longer and leave them feeling wonderful.
You can create sauna membership packages to encourage regular use, which in turn encourages repeat visits to your spa and builds loyalty. Many spas offer trial packages, knowing that once a guest tries the sauna, they’ll be hooked.
Another bonus to infrared sauna services is that you can gift a complimentary session as a low cost/high value offer when, say, something goes wrong during a spa treatment. It can help turn a challenging situation into one with a positive outcome.
4. Built-in Word of Mouth
As a stand-alone treatment or an add-on before or after other services, an infrared sauna session gives clients a beautiful
glow and leaves them feeling so good and relaxed that they’ll want to come back again. Nothing attracts people to a spa faster than someone who looks healthy, vibrant and vital. Guests who use the infrared sauna become a walking advertisement for your business as someone in your community who looks and feels great.
5. Contributes to Your Mission
As a wellness provider, you want to know that your offerings help clients achieve their goals and make them feel better. Plentiful research and clinical studies have proven myriad positive effects of infrared sauna sessions. Michael Hamblin, Ph.D., principal investigator at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, describes infrared as creating a biochemical cascade of benefits that include detoxification, cardiac health, stress reduction, mental health, immune strength, muscle recovery, pain relief, anti-aging, weight management and much more.
Connie Zack, co-owner of Sunlighten Saunas and Sunlighten Day Spa in Overland Park, Kansas, has more than 22 years of experience as an infrared sauna manufacturer and spa owner. Zack loves to encourage and mentor women and other entrepreneurs, sharing her experience building a thriving, award-winning day spa.
