Wellness businesses and spas should inherently be known as places where people can come to relax and de-stress. After leaving, they should feel rejuvenated and better than they did when they walked in the door.
So, while the services you provide are important, it’s perhaps more important to make sure your wellness business is a welcoming space. That means fostering an environment of inclusivity and accessibility in everything you do.
If you own or manage a wellness business or spa, it’s up to you to build a welcoming environment into your brand. Let’s cover a few ways to make that happen.
Learning Inclusivity
Inclusion refers to the behavioral norms that help people to feel welcome. No one wants to walk into a spa or wellness business – especially wanting to receive some type of healthcare treatment – feeling judged or looked down upon. With that in mind, it’s important to be inclusive of groups based on things like
- Age
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Life experience
- Class
- Cultural or religious affiliations
Because most people will come to your business trying to improve their health or practice self-care, it’s also crucial to be inclusive of all body types. Owners and managers of wellness businesses can learn something from “fat-friendly” doctors. Doctors who consider themselves to be fat-friendly recognize that people can still be healthy in an overweight body. Accepting an individual for who they are will help to quiet any self-doubts and will make them more likely to return to your business.
It’s also important to consider individuals with disabilities. Someone with mobility issues, for example, has just as much of a right to be treated like anyone else. Make accessibility a priority. Whether it’s installing a wheelchair ramp, which in most cases is legally required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, training your team, or readjusting your indoor space, everyone should feel safe and welcome.
Building a Welcoming Brand
In today’s digital world, accessibility and inclusivity go far beyond your brick-and-mortar business. It needs to extend into your branding.
The easiest way to do that is to make sure your website and social media are accessible to everyone. Build an interactive, fully-responsive website that is easy to navigate and always includes a customer care portal. It should be easy for people to contact you, whether they have questions or want to set up an appointment.
Showcasing your dedication to inclusivity in your branding and advertising materials will also show that you’re not giving into modern advertising’s problematic views on beauty goals and specific standards. You can show that beauty and health don’t have to look a specific way and that everybody’s size, shape, and race are beautiful in their own ways. By leaning on that message, you’ll attract a more diverse audience.
Your goal as a wellness space should be to make everyone feel as healthy and relaxed as possible, no matter who they are. Even if you already cater to everyone, what are you doing to campaign for inclusivity? With a few small changes to your business structure or marketing strategy, you can become widely known as a welcoming space for all – and grow your client base in the process.
