There’s no such thing as a typical day at Planet Beach Contempo Spa.
Just ask Brandon and Julie Price, a turbo-charged, entrepreneurial couple who own a successful franchise in Helena, Montana.
“Every day is different, and every day is exciting,” Brandon Price says. “The beauty of spa ownership is that we are in charge of our own schedule, depending on what’s needed. We never get bored, we always have fun and we have this great opportunity to share duties with the kids. We couldn’t be happier.”
The Prices mean business when it comes to family. Brandon’s sister Katie is spa manager. It’s not just a job for her. Katie sees it as a serious career with a huge opportunity for expansion and education.
Brandon and Julie Price
Here’s a look inside a whirlwind day at the Helena Planet Beach Contempo Spa.
8 a.m. Brandon and Julie divide up the day’s duties. The former schoolteachers used to spend a fortune on daycare, but the success of their spa now means their children are at home. Throughout the day, they share and trade duties. There’s constant communication, juggling and problem solving. They touch base with Katie. Does she have everything she needs? How are appointments looking for the day? Who needs their help, and what task needs to be done?
“We love working together,” Julie says. “We’re creating the best of two worlds: family life and business life.”
9 a.m. Katie Price opens the spa. Early customers usually want holistic skin care and hydration treatments because many have not applied their makeup for the day. It’s also a popular time for spa members with physical conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis. These clients are finding relief with Planet Beach’s infrared heat treatments. Katie and her staff schedule appointments using the Millennium software.
11 a.m. Either Brandon or Julie checks on the flow of morning business. If time permits, they go into “guerilla marketing” mode and plan creative ways to promote Planet Beach services and products.
“We like grassroots marketing,” Brandon says. “We might go to the local YMCA or Humane Society and hand out coupons for a free massage service or to a local sporting goods store and promote complimentary services for the wives of hunters. We call that one the ‘Hunter’s Widow’ special.”
Their marketing mindset produces results. They’ve won several top internal franchisee awards at Planet Beach for sales, management and marketing and have one of the highest membership rates in the Planet Beach Contempo Spa family.
12 p.m. Lunch hour! For members, it means quick, on-the-go treatments: facials, UV tanning, hydration or massage.
3 p.m. “It turns to chaos,” Brandon says with a chuckle. “People who’ve had a hard day flock in. It doesn’t slow down until 6:30 p.m.” Massage treatments and Mystic Tan spray sunless tanning are two ultra-popular choices.
6:30 – 9 p.m. Slow-down time doesn’t mean the spa is empty. College students love these later hours for spa services. “Some customers have a pretty open schedule — for them time doesn’t matter,” Brandon says.
And it’s safe to say the Price children are safely tucked into bed or at least headed that way.