Normally I would not even send you any of my hair-brained ideas or another business that I might have gotten involved with, however, in this case, I feel that if I didn’t share with you, then 24-36 months from now, you would be asking why.  And this is not an MLM or recruiting business, so put your credit card away— But here we go.

About two years ago, I met a girl, Heather Montgomery, at a Fitness for Women trade show.  I was selling wraps and she was selling a weight loss program.  It was a very casual meeting, but when I went to open the new spa, she called on me to show me these fabulous vitamins she was selling.  At the time I was selling the It Works vitamins, but It Works didn’t have OPC-3…which is a HEAVY duty antioxidant nor did they have Resveratrol.  So we set up the spa to sell those two products.  It was also very different from anything that we sold in that the vitamins were Isotonic (powder that is combined with water that simulates the blood, sweat & tears—like an IV).  I had just had my blood work done for my thyroid & my C-Reactive Protein had come back at 3.9 (very high).  The doctor told me to get on some antioxidants…so I started taking the OPC-3 and Resveratrol.  4 caps of the OPC-3 & 1 cap of the Resveratrol.  Six months went by and I was due again for a blood test….and the CRP came back at 1.5.  Doc was really impressed and asked me what I had been doing.  Of course, I couldn’t remember if I had been doing anything different.  Driving home, the light bulb went on and BONG! it’s the OPC-3 and Resveratrol.  So we really started selling more at the spa…and life was good…really good.  Heather kept telling me about the business and how great it was…and I kept telling her to go away…I have a spa and a sport fishing business…I am way too busy….I really like you, but thanks anyway.

In April of this year, Heather came by the spa with Andrew Weissman, one of the owners of Market America and son of Marty Weissman.  I was immediately on defense as they walked through the door…what were they doing here…I am very busy!!   Heather asked how the vitamins were doing…and I said great.  Heather is Ms Nutrametrix…she has developed a turn-key wellness programs for doctors that can add $100K to $300K to a doctor’s office in 1 year and she has taught me how to help doctors too…especially medi-spas.  Then she introduced me to Andrew and said simply, I feel like I owe you the courtesy of telling you that if you spend 8-15 hours a week for the next year with Market America, you will have a 6 figure income in a year.  She then said, your right leg is already built (I can explain this), you just have to build the left leg and you can do that with 4 doctors or 4 distributors…whichever you prefer.  Later that week, I had two clients come in and tell me that they were now taking vitamins from their doctors office (two separate doctors)….they were now taking NutraMetrix Isotonic vitamins.  My brain started to churn…6 figures…hmmmm.  So Bruce was in Panama, & I decided to spend some time researching this company Market America, the vitamins, etc.    Four months later, I am a Transitions Lifestyle Coach and getting ready to finish the training to be a Nutrametrix consultant.  The company is so wide in scope that you can really focus on the products that interest you….but I chose Transitions and Nutrametrix and Cash Back Shopping.  I have set up 6 distributors and taught them how to start their business….one who is in San Francisco.  Because the training is national, there are trainings in almost every city, plus extensive web trainings.  If you think you are too busy….don’t…or if your think you make enough money…. the best part of this business is empowering others to change their lives.  You become a teacher and a helper.  You teach others, even doctors, how to make more income and how they can help their patients and their colleagues.   Or you help your friends and family…get healthy.  You end up learning a business that empowers others to create  6-figure income and that is really the best part.

What is it?  Well for starters it is a franchise….it is called the Unfranchise Business.  Why??  Because it has all of the advantages of a franchise without the franchise fees.  Keep reading for more….

1. 1. The name of the company is Market America.
2. 2. It has been in business since 1992.
3. 3. Since inception Market America has never experienced a loss and is growing each year at 25%-30%
4. 4. Market America is the fastest growing company in the U.S. with over 3,500 products.
5. 5. Market America is a product brokerage company that specializes in one-to-one marketing.
6. 6. Market America has partner stores with Cash Back Shopping that offers over 35 million products.
7. 7. All though a privately owned company, Market America shares an independent audited financials every year.
8. 8. Market America shares more than 30% of earnings with distributors.
9. 9. Market America has the second best training program in the U.S.  Microsoft is # 1, and is our partner.
10. 10. Market America  partners with all of the best, Microsoft, Target, Home Depot, Staples, Saks, Macy’s, etc…Recognize any names?
11. 11. Market America is ranked #34 on the Internet top shopping sites.  Amazon is #1.
12. 12. MA has spent $60 million on their website which is bar none the best cash back shopping & as a distributor you earn from that.

Our main website (did you notice I went from “I” to “our”)—you see I took Bruce to the International Convention in Greensboro, NC in August….and yes he sat for 3 days of training (not a pep rally—it is training).   Now Bruce is working too!

Back to our main website is www.2Shop4Cash.com plus we have a mini-website for our vitamins - www.LiquidVitaminExpert.com .

If you are really interested in a 6 figure income in 24-36 months whether it is just extra income or your main source, you really should research Market America further.   After your research and due diligence, if you decide not to become a distributor, at least, order the vitamins and get healthy.  There is a really cool Nutri-Physical…  http://www.marketamerica.com/2shop4cash/index.cfm?action=services.npHome –take the quiz and then it tells you which vitamins to take.  The Isotonix vitamins have a patented delivery system and are 95% absorbable which means it goes directly into the blood stream….it is second best to having an IV of vitamins.  And there is science behind the products…no binders, no fillers…etc.

Best…..XOXO Nancy

I finally found a vitamin line that is set up for total profitability in either a doctor’s office or a medi-spa.  This program is so streamlined that if you follow step by step, the doctor or medi-spa will start generating between $2,000 and $5,000 in revenue per month.  This is only with 10% patient penetration and only assumes that the doctor sees 20-25 patients a day.

When I first saw the Nutrametrix program…I was like oh….but then the doctor down the street implemented the program and I saw the steps & the numbers.  Every GP, every internal medicine, and cardiologist should implement  this system in their practice.  It makes the patients happy and the doctor happy.

Did you know that 85% of patients are buying their vitamins at the pharmacy?  Who is telling them what to buy?  What are they actually buying?

Body wraps have been around since ancient times.  It is believed that former civilizations used clay and mud on the skin, not only to exfoliate the skin, but to utilize the rich minerals in the mud for healing, detox and weight loss.  The detoxification actually occurs due to a physiological effect in the brain. Once the detoxification process begins with a body wrap, it creates almost a circular affect with the body losing waste.  The body is eliminating the bad toxins while the skin is absorbing the “good” ingredients applied under the wrap.

Benefits of Weight Loss Body Wraps

Depending on the ingredients used in the body wrap, the benefits to the body wrap treatment can be numerous.  No matter what type of ingredients that are used, the wrap will always detoxify the body.  Other affects to the body can be hydration, healing, weight loss, fat loss, and exfoliation.

Let’s focus on the weight loss aspect of body wraps.  While historically most wraps have touted weight loss as the number one reason to wrap, the real truth is that most of these so-called weight loss wraps actually dehydrate the body causing the weight loss to be a temporary loss of water.  The loss of water is the result of covering up the body with a wrap that signals to the brain to send down excess serums.  This perspiration process is what most body wraps produce as a weight loss.  The results are temporary and can actually harm the body through dehydration.

Weight loss wraps need to reduce the fat cells to be a permanent “result” wrap.  The wrap needs to contain ingredients that absorb into the skin.  If it is really going to work for weight loss, it has to reduce the fat cells and it must absorb into the lower layers of the skin (the subcutaneous skin layer).  

1. First, the molecules in the lotion must be small enough to be absorbed into the skin and move to the lower layers of the skin where the fat cells reside.
2. The wrap must increase the circulation of the cells so that toxins can be eliminated.  The faster the cell cycle, the cell’s toxins will be thrown off, but need to be eliminated.
3. Water must be used to eliminate the toxins through the body’s own “waste” system.  The body is very brilliant in that all of the “waste” systems work very hard to eliminate toxins.  The kidneys and the liver are just two great examples of the body’s smart elimination system.  This system requires water and a lot of it.
4. Fat didn’t appear overnight, but fat cells can be shrunk with correct, synergistic ingredients and the correct method of wrapping.  The more occlusive the wrap will produce the best results with weight loss.

Body wraps are a targeted method to jump-start the weight loss process.  Fat loss can be achieved with some body wraps.  Use these body wraps as a tool to weight loss. It is not a quick snap your fingers fat loss, but an ongoing tool to permanent fat and weight loss.  Put it into your arsenal of fat loss tools, just like a better diet, eating right, exercise, and supplements.  All of these tools lead to weight loss and thus a healthier you.

Yesterday, I spoke at the IECSC conference in Orlando to a jam packed room of attendees.  It was a great group with intelligent questions about retail, how to merchandise, commission structure, and the basics of retail in the spa.  What did we learn?  Retail is a revenue stream in a spa that cannot be ignored. It needs to be managed with utmost care. 

Of course, I am not the  end all expert on retailing in spas, but I have learned a lot about spa retail in the last 20 years.  In fact when I started out I didn’t even realize that retail was part of the spa business or even how to run spa. It was a long journey.   I built a multi-million dollar business where retail sales were 35% of the total sales.  I shared some of my step-by-step plans and spa secrets that will help to drive retail through the roof.  

I cannot stress enough the importance of retailing in the spa.  I hope the room got it! 

What exactly IS cellulite? I know that it is fat, but why does it look different on everyone? And why is it mainly on women? Excess fat accumulates when the body takes in more nutrients than it can use. This fat is stored in the fat cells, which are located in the connective tissue between the dermis and the muscle tissue. This area also includes elastin and collagen fibers. An abnormal accumulation of fat compresses the surrounding tissue, which in turn, can suppress the blood flow and the lymphatic drainage from that area. If lymph reflow back to the area is inhibited, the fluid can build up between the fat cells and give a dimpled appearance.

Recent studies also indicate that enzyme damage accelerates as we age and an enzyme produced in the body breaks down elastin and collagen. When this breakdown occurs, the area appears with the “lovely” orange peel appearance. Many of the newer cellulite gels and creams contain enzyme inhibitors like ‘centella Asiatica’ or ‘Echinacaea’ that can reduce some of this damage. In women, the fat tends to distribute more on the hips and thighs for storage during pregnancy. This fat storage enables the body to maintain enough storage for breastfeeding and the reflow of lymph to the affected areas. Breast milk production can assist in fat mobilization and tends to accelerate post-pregnancy weight loss.

Want to take a peek at a product that helps the dimples?  Try the Ultimate Body Applicator and the Defining Gel…used together, it can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of cellulite.  Check out the starter application package , look under great products, and measure your results.

Walking the floor at Premiere, ever the so serious spa shopper, we discovered a crowded booth….of course, you stop dead.  What are they looking at…oh my, it poofs your hair up.

This is a very small invention by a clever hairstylist, Kelly (who said we didn’t have brains).  She saw that all of her clients loved the little poof, the volume at the crown of the head and she went out and created Bumpits.  There are testimonials and how-tos.

Check it out!  Your clients will love it…especially if you live anywhere South of New Jersey or maybe it is South of Virginia.  You know I have seen big hair in just about every state.  Be a rock star and Bump It Up…when you absolutely must ROCK!  BUMP-ITS!

As spa days go, yesterday was almost perfect.  The entire spa was humming along, with the following percentage of spa services:

• Skin: 20%
• Massage: 45%
• Nails: 20%
• Hair: 10%
• Fitness: 5%

Of course, you match your retail to the service mix to see how each department performed.  The retail percentages were as follows:

• Body Care: 5%
• Clothing/Fitness: 13%
• Gifts: 5%
• Hair: 16%
• Makeup: 5%
• Nails: 10%
• Skin: 46%

Without becoming too number obsessive (I have a fixation on numbers), you can easily see which departments are performing with retail.  Other numbers that are reviewed on a daily basis include:

• Average Service Ticket ($127) - Above National Average, But Below Our Goal
• Average Retail Ticket ($55) - ($1.00 Above Goal)
• Pre-Book Percentage (34%) - (6% below Goal- we had a bridal party of visitors)
• Retail to Total Service: (28%) - (5% above target)
• Add-Ons & Upgrades: 24 Massage, 5 Skin, 4, Nails, 4 Hair (Look at those Massage Therapists!)

For a Saturday, not a bad performance.  So this begs the questions, which numbers do you look at and why?  Which numbers should you look at?  At the end of the day, should it just be the profit for the day, or are the indicators above the drive for profit.  The drive for profit should have started from day one of doors opening…just like you build a car for speed, you need to build your spa for profit.  The key indicators above are your road map to success–do you have your goals in place?  Do you check your numbers?

Do you want to take your retail to new heights?  Get your front desk involved.  I was not a believer until we gave the front desk the power.  The power?  Yes, more like empower.

Your front desk, your reception area, the people who have client interaction…they have the power.  The power to recommend and the power to receive the commission for retail. 

It has always been a touchy subject in the salon or spa to have the front desk receive retail commission, but I must say, it is one of the best decisions.  We have 4 full time front staff who retail between $4,000-$6,000 a month….that is $16,000 to $24,000 in additional retail.  Yes, some of that might have been purchased anyway, but when you put together a program for the front desk to give them incentives for their hourly wages and for their retail commission, your results will be empowering.  The implementation of the retail program took 6 months from the initial introduction to seeing the weekly goals attained.

Not only does it make the therapists aware of their daily numbers, but it gives your front desk staff something to crow about.  Often it is the front line that takes the hits from the clients, and the staff.  There is a great deal of pressure to perform and smile.  When you can take home a fifth weekly paycheck every month just from retail commission–now that is incentive and that gives them the power.  Another benefit is the added teamwork from the staff.  They work together now to create home care recommendations for the guests and clients.  Spa retail teamwork—now that is empowering.

You know you are on to something when the client wants to take the sheets home.  Now, you ask, how did that happen? 

In 2004, I was attending ISPA, and met this great couple at a booth.  They had these incredible sheets…very soft…very stain resistant and really beautiful.  Up until then, the industry used twin sheets.  The couple were Robert (from the robe industry) and Mia (a massage therapist who designed her own sheets).  The best part was the fabric…at this conference, they were pouring wine on the sheets to show that they would not stain.  I placed an order in of course blue Jacquard and tan fabric, with blankets, table covers, and the sheets.

I waited and waited and waited.  I would talk with Mia from time to time and they were perfecting the fabric, checking the dye lots, re-sewing the pockets, shortening the table covers, putting in new elastic.  Mia and Robert were getting it right–and today they continue to get it right.

Today, you can order directly from The Comphy Company for your spa.  You can mix and match your fabric and your colors, or of course, you can special order.  You will not find better sheets in the industry–even from copycats. 

Additionally, now we have sheets to sell to our clients.  They kept asking, “Can I purchase those sheets?”  “I want to take the Sheets Home”.  You can also purchase Twin, Queen, & King size sheets.  Of course they come Mia style with a jacquard tie.   Great massage retail!

You go to the most famous shoe store in the world, you only need one pair of shoes and you end up with 3 (three) pairs of shoes.  How does that happen?  It’s easy and you could do this in your spa too.

Somewhere many years ago, I read in a book, probably Seth Godin’s, that Nordstorm’s sales clerks were trained to bring out 3 pairs of shoes instead of one.   The sales clerk that made the most money actually made it a personal goal to bring out 5 pairs of shoes.  When you think about this, it is really very simple.

So at our monthly meeting, we walked through the step by step 2 part form for recommending the next appointment and home care.  Each department has their own form.  So I called on each department to recommend to each client 3 home care products–now this wasn’t a check the box routine, they were responsible for analyzing each client and recommending appropriate products, whether nails, massage, skin or hair.  We want to be Nordstorm’s 3-shoes for a month.

Well, you would be shocked, retail increased 22% that month from a 3 shoe spa retail promotion.  What was really nice, is that the therapists and the front desk took the promotion seriously.  Warning: The 3-shoe habit is very addicting. Not only for shoes, but also in the spa.  We have therapists now that live by the 3-shoe rule– we even introduced a 3 Shoe Aromatherapy massage that had 3 retail items with the Aromatherapy Massage and that month the massage department had retail sales of $5,700.   Need to run out for some shoes!