Lisa Mansell, holistic therapist at Calm Treatment Rooms, explains why the business should win the home business category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
My home business is called Calm Treatment Rooms. I have turned a spare bedroom into a treatment room and I have a small lounge as my reception area and for nail treatments.
I am always looking to innovate what I offer my customers. This is why I have teamed up with a chiropractor who visits each week to offer adjustments to customers. I have also worked closely with a chiropodist offering a complete foot treatment by combining our skills. This approach means that my customers know I have their best interests at heart and they book in again. It very often leads to more referrals too, and this is vital in my community as advertising is pricey and has very little result.
I welcome each and every customer at the front door. I always wanted my customers to feel relaxed from the start and to not to be intimidated, as so many have told me they have been when visiting other similar businesses. I also have flexible hours to suit my customers’ working patterns, so I regularly work until 9pm. I also offer a flexible treatment menu – I have a lot of experience to call on so am happy to offer bespoke treatments to my wonderfully loyal customers.
This customer-led approach is very different to a spa or high street salon, which doesn’t have the time to get to know customers and form bonds with them in the way I do.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the top three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
