VERY IMPRESSIVE: if you’re ever been to The Perfect 10 Spa in the relaxed town of Indiana Harbour Beach, Fla., walking in you feel impressed, not intimidated, by the swanky full-service spa, says owner Anna Marie Paty.

Paty describes her spa as “upscale, yet attainable by anyone wanting a better spa service.”

“When they come in, the first thing our clients do is relax on our comfortable couch and enjoy a book or magazine,” she says. “The lights are dim and the music is tranquil.”

After spending 10 of her 16 years in the nail business competing, Paty decided to take her competitiveness to the ownership arena.

Modern Salon

“I opened Perfect 10 three years ago because i was frustrated with not being able to control the consistent professionalism I would expect to have at a salon,” explains Paty.

“I ran into the owner of Foils, which was awarded Salon Today’s Top 200 Fastest Growing Salons in America. She told me the location next to hews was available. And the rest, as they say, is history,” says Paty.

Needless to say, the two owners now work together to keep clients happy.

“Foils does all the hair and we do the reminder of the services,” says Paty. “It’s a great marriage.”

BEACHY KEEN: Known for its tropical weather and pristine beaches, Indian Harbour Beach practically rubs elbows with its infamous neighbor, Cocoa beach. With miles of sand and surf shops, gourmet restaurants, quality boutiques, a mall which is home to stores such as Chanel, Cartier, Gucci, and Luis Vuitton. We are also close to Kennedy Space Center,” says Paty.

Because of the electric mix of business and elite neighborhoods surrounding the spa, its clientele is made up of a combination of “happy homemakers, ladies of leisure, and business professionals.”

“I don’t want any more to feel that they can’t receive the same professional care and attention provided to the person sitting next to them,” says Paty.

Quality is emphasized at The Perfect 10 Spa and its service prices reflect that. Manicures range from $16 for an Express Manicure to $30 for a Butter-milk & Honey Manicure to $45 for a Sea Spa Manicure. Pedicures to $80 for a 90-minute Ultimate Foot Encounter. Nails make up 60% of the spa’s business, with massage and body treatments making up 15% and facials and body waxing making up another 15%. Fantasy and other tanning make up the final10%.

“It’s hard to put a price on quality,” emphasizes Paty. “If you want OK nails, you can go to an OK salon and pay an OK price. We charge a commensurate fee in relation to the service we provide.” Paty keeps her nail technicians at the forefront of service provided by enrolling them in continuing education courses and actively implementing new procedures.

“Natural nail care is an up-and-coming trend as well as colored acrylics, so I made sure we were ready for both,” says Paty.

STAY AWHILE: After finding her ideal locale, Paty had the daunting task of giving the space a complete overhaul.

“The location was telemarketing company an answering service with multiple offices and cubicles, and computer wiring throughout,” explains Paty. “This just wasn’t going to work with the setup that I needed, so I gutted it and started fresh.”

This suited her just fine since it allowed her to tailor the spa to her exact wants. Besides private facial rooms and a retail area that takes up more than 500 square feet, there’s a client hospitality bar located in the middle of the spa where clients can choose from a long list of beverages including Pelegrino water and mimosas.

Paty created a French door connecting the spa to Foils, the hair salon next door. She also made sure to add extra touches to the rooms, including the bathroom. There’s a salt scrub for clients to sample, cotton hand towels, and an array of toiletries.

Paty also decided that her spa should “flow.”

“I tried to envision all of the services that I would be providing and wanted to make sure that they flowed in way that I could provide a calming tone for the client,” explains Paty. “Keeping high-traffic areas away from the massage room and ample space for each service to be done was my goal. So many times you see the nail areas of a salon or spa mixed with the pedicure area. I definitely didn’t want that type of situation.”

Paty still finds time to work as a nail technician and sees clients three days a week, in addition to training her staff members one-on-one two days a week.

So far, Paty’s plan has worked. Sales are up 30% from last year. She credits this to the welcoming atmosphere and the professionally trained staff she has working for her.

“In essence what we want is to have the customer receive exceptional customer service as if she had paid a $10 cover charge just to walk through the front doors, giving her an extended sense of value and quality from the moment she walk in,” says Paty.

Paty keeps her employee equally as happy with specialized incentives that are in place throughout the year on different areas of concern for the spa.

“I try to keep friendly ongoing contest in place for my employees to pique their interest and keep their outlooks fresh,” says Paty. “These rewards are based on performance of retail sales and services performed, plus other special incentives to maintain morale and performance.”

As for the future, Paty sees multiples of 10, The Perfect 10 Spa, that is.

“I’d like to have multiple locations to give untapped clientele the opportunity to take advantage of the upscale, quality services we provide at an attainable value.”

Salon Name: The Perfect 10 Spas

Location: Indiana Harbour Beach, Fla.

Owner: Anna Maria Paty

Square Footage: 2,500

Years of Ownership: 3

Number of Nail Techs/Employees: 6/11

Specialties: Natural and Artificial nail care

Other Service: Body wraps and treatments, massage therapy, tanning, full-body waxing, and skincare.

Compensation Structure: Commission plus performance-based bonuses

The team at the Perfect 10 Spa work cohesively to be the premier upscale spa in Florida.

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