Valentines Day

[??Savannah??]

Hi everyone,My name is Michelle, I am in Perth, Western Australia.I just started doing massage, reflexology and reiki from home in August 2004.  Business was very slow to start but I have been working hard and its getting busier and busier every day which is fantastic.Valentines Day will be here soon and I read on another topic someone mentioned Rose Petal Massage and Champagne salt scrub????  I guess my first question is what are these  ???This has got me thinking about promotions for valentines day and some different packages I could offer like a feet treat pamper session including rose petal foot bath and scrub, pedicure and foot massage.What treatments (lovey dovey type promos) do you guys offer at this time and what sort of marketing do you do.I am a florist and still work 4 hours a week in a florist helping them out so thought I might approach them with selling some gift certificates, and there is a gorgeous little chocolate shop in the local centre as well that I thought I might try.  I am wondering if they might think its taking away from their product and their profits if they take massage gift certificates on.  I thought maybe offer them $5.00 from every certificate sold.  Has anyone ever done this before and if so how did you go?Any ideas would be appreciated.Thanks Michelle  

 

[Terrex C]

I would definitely offer them some sort of dollar amount to sell your certificates.  The way I see it is every cert. they sell is business you would not have had if they didn't do this for you.  Remember that when setting a price.  The specials I have offered in the past was couple's massage.  They are massaged in the room together with 2 therapists.  After their treatment they receive lunch/dinner and chocolate covered strawberries. This year I'm not sure yet what I'm going to offer.  Guess it's time to go and think about that one.

 

[jlyn]

Just wanted to let you all know that the florist I work for is willing to take on some gift certificates and on sell them at the shop on Valentines Day which is very exciting!   ;DNow I have to work out a sign and wording for this and what I am going to offer.Do you think if I offer just a 30 minute treatment and when the receipient rings offer them an upgrade it might seem rude being a pressie from a loved one?  ???I dont want to offend anyone.Love Michelle

 

[Mrs.Ploughe]

hey michelle, why not have 30 minute and 60 minute certs. available?  that way they could choose.  

 

[Tyler Durden]

Valentines Day

See, I want to do just the opposite: ask the florist for a discount on their x, y & z bouquets, add a gift certificate & have my receptionist/marketing gal deliver them. We will add on a small fee for her time.Florists do wholesale and retail business all the time, as I understand it. If they mark-up their wholesale cost even by a small percent, and I discount my gift certs by a small percent, the client gets a deal, I can pay my receptionist a bonus & personally, I would "love" to receive a massage or facial gift cert with my flowers instead of chocolate for Valentine's day!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[awm_2266]

Valentines Day

Jill,That is so funny, because that is the idea I came up with too after speaking to a wholesale florist. I'm going to put together a little package and get my sister to be my delivery person. I thought I would try to get a florist to sell my certificates but was told by a few last year that they are do busy during the season that they didn't want the extra stress of handling someone else's money and orders. I don't know what kind of response I'll get for the offer, but I'm going to give it a try. How has your response been? Any tips on things to keep in mind while doing this?

 

[Russell M]

Valentines Day

Hello, "tia"!Just that you should keep your cost (what you'll actually get for your work) is worth it... meaning don't do too deep a discount. Last Valentine's Day, I made special certs with an organza gift bag of a soy wax candle & matching scented lotion. The gift cert could be seen 'through' the organza. I had 'platinum' or 'pewter'ish for guys & 'rose' or 'mauve'ish for gals. I sold just as many certs as the year before, but for full price. The added value (and cost) was the product. I made them myself, but tacked on the cost of supplies (not my time, as making lotion takes 45 seconds & melting soy wax in your microwave takes only a couple of minutes). I did make up a label that had my marketing info on it (your logo, location, phone?) from do-it-yourself bumpersticker decal paper from Office Max. I sold every single 'gift bag' I made. This year I'm thinking bigger. ha.Cool, that you were thinking the same thing!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Shania]

Valentines Day

jill can you elaborate on the 45 second lotion making? Do you buy a lotion base and then scent it yourself or are you actually making the lotion. I want to start making and marketing my own products and think Valentines Day would be a great time to start.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Valentines Day

About the lotion & the candles: I used Alba Very Emolient Lotion (unscented) and blended some favorite EOs. I scented the candles to match, adding a promo label for my practice. The soya wax is in flakes, so its very, very simple to work with. I order from Gelluminations (same dot com). I can't remember where I ordered my brushed silver lotion pumps & tins for my candles, but its an easy search on the net. Lots of places out there to find!Have fun!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Doctor Deth]

Valentines Day

Thanks Jill great info.

 

[KLH]

I had that idea as well the other day.Have been thinking about selling flowers from my home and delivering them myself with the gift certificate of course.Am going to see how much it will cost to do a display ad in the local paper to see if it is worth pursuing.   :-/Valentines Day falls on a Monday this year, being a florist myself I am sure I will be working on the Sunday doing up millions of roses so could bring some home for my own orders but am a little worried about spending lots of money advertising and not getting a very good response.   ???So will have to think a little more about this one!Michelle

 

[Uncle Tom]

Valentines Day

Michellemybelle,as long as your Valentine's advertisements give clear contact info for your biz, its great exposure, whether they buy this time or later down the road for Mother's day, etc. the only thing I'm concerned about is over-buying for the supplies, etc, if I were to put it together myself. Personally, I love floral arrangement & have a friend that could help me, but I have this mini nightmare of buying tons of stems from a wholesaler or stem grower & then not selling enough V-Day pkgs to use them all! That's why I decided to strike up a relationship with a nice florist in my area. We are meeting on Tuesday & I'm ready to m-o-v-e on the ads, etc right after I find out what kind of pricing we're talking about. I told them that Valentine's Day is my immediate project, but I'd like very much to use their discounted services/products for any occasion (anniversary gift certs, etc).Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[bob-chan]

I'm new to MT, but this may give you an idea!I'm going to offer my clients an aromatherapy massage using choclate(mmm...) and vanilla ess. oil ;  straying from the normal lavender, tangerine or lemongrass scents I use with them.Then at the end, they get a little baggie of chocolates with their bottle of water from me.  I'll just do it in the month of Febuary, to do something extra special for them.  ;D

 

[sweet_heart]

where in the world can i get chocolate scented oils???? I would probably wallow in the stuff myself   lol, but it sounds like a delightful thing to offer clients!!!

 

[Jesus]

Valentines Day

I did a "Cocoa Creme" massage promo for Vday a awhile ago - it went great.   I ordered body safe Choc scented oil from  SweetCakes.com  and mixed a few drops with my massage oil, also I got pure solid cocoa butter from an imports website  (it naturally smells soooo chocolaty!)I melted it down and put into bar  soap molds.  Cocoa butter is great - it melts with body heat and feels SO luxurious.The client recieved a full body massage with scented oil - then a full body application of cocoa butter.   a bowl of fine chocolates was set on a table for them when they were done.It went over very well with a lot of happy - chocolate scented clients!

 

[Pompal 09.]

Dori,   Thanks for the info, Im gonna check out the website NOW! I cant wait! I love having different specials every month, but have never had a chocolate massage b4. I think it will go over very well. Heck, who here wouldnt wanna be covered in chocolate?  :}

 

[Chelsea N]

Hi,I like the idea of teaming with a florist for Valentine's.  I was wondering though .... how would you be able to track the gift certificates - like purchaser's info., certificate #s etc. for follow up if needed since the gift certificates are given to the florist?