Having produced the annual Day Spa Expo in Las Vegas for the past five years, Patrick Witherspoon, President of Bentley International Group explains why the need for regional events. “Request from attendees has prompted us to plan a series of regional events to bring the Day Spa Expo and Business Forum closer to their area. With the financial restraints being what they are, it makes sense for attendees not to incur a lot of travel expenses to see what’s new for the Spa and Salon industry. Atlanta has been slated for the first regional event because of its proximity to major cities that are within a short distance from Atlanta.  A three to four hour (or less) drive includes: Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. A short flight widens the range for many more attendees from the Eastern Seaboard, the Midwest and other USA regions”, stated Witherspoon. Read more …

In honor of National Melanoma Cancer Awareness Month, I interviewed a dozen folks who have been diagnosed with skin cancer. I digitally recorded their stories, and our photographers took lifestyle photographs. Their stories and images tell their story in the following slideshow.

Surprisingly, I noticed something different in these cancer survivors than other people I had interviewed with other types of cancer, such as breast cancer. The survivors’ attitude upon diagnosis was almost systematically laissez faire at first.

While the diagnosis of any type of cancer is so difficult that generations of people still whisper the word or refer to it generically as “C,” most people I interviewed were more intrepid about treatment. Their thoughts weren’t on radiation or chemo. Read more …

Playing it safe is not usually associated with great success. It’s that whole, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and the risk is worth the reward sort of thing. And in this business, you’re surrounded by risk-takers. Of course by the time they get to us, the risk resulted in regret.

In the midst of a recession, we launched a laser tattoo removal business in Houston, Texas. There were already over 100,000 people unemployed in our little part of the world, so needless to say entrepreneurial ventures were looking particularly intimidating. Read more …

FAIRBANKS — In the quaint beauty parlor on Wilcox Avenue in west Fairbanks, a mother and daughter share a warm effervescence that has defined their family cosmetology business, Belle-N-Beau Hairstyles, since 1979.

You would never know Susan Murphy, 50, had donated a kidney to her mom Marge Murphy, 71, just four months ago. Except for one anomaly.

“Now she gets cravings for food I liked,” said Susan, a blond mother of three who works full-time as a cosmetologist and is finishing a master’s degree in social work.

Two summers ago, Marge had a physical exam reporting perfect health. A few months later, in October 2008, her urine had turned dark brown and she wasn’t feeling well. After being misdiagnosed with a bladder infection, she went to see a urologist.

“He said, ‘I think you’re in kidney failure,’” Marge said.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Fairbanks mother daughter share salon business and kidneys

“What an appropriate theme for this year’s conference,” said Gordon Logan, CEO/founder of Sports Clips, who was reelected to his second two-year term as ISBN board president. “Success comes to those who seize opportunities and there is no better opportunity to learn how to improve our businesses than connecting with our fellow members and our supplier partners here at the ISBN conference,” Logan said, citing favorable business conditions like lower real estate prices, availability of stylists seeking stability and work opportunities, affordable advertising and low-cost social networking sites as trends that can help salons and spas build business. Read more …

The complete, detailed agenda can be accessed here:

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May 05, 2010|By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel

Can your next haircut – or even Shep’s next appointment at the dog groomer – help clean up the mess if Florida beaches are blackened by oil?

And by the way, got any old panty hose?

As the massive Gulf of Mexico spill threatens to spread toward the Sunshine State, a California-based group has asked South Florida hair salons and pet spas to save clippings that could be woven into mats and stuffed into used nylons, which then can be used to soak up oil. Read more …

IECSC Las Vegas 2010 began early, with a full education program on multiple tracks.  No matter what the type of beauty business you are in, there was something for everyone.  The Advanced Education Workshops featured multiple classes within the track of Spa Business, Wellness, Solo Practitioner, Medical Esthetics Business, Medical Esthetics Procedures, and Makeup, in addition to 3-hour Advanced Education Workshops, Cidesco and ASTECC continuing education, and there were also dozens of Manufacturer classes. Read more ...

Aroma Blendz’s spa disposables services are at the forefront of latest spa business industry, with many spas services currently operating in local areas and new spa openings in localities. We are presenting chosen owners the chance to take advantage of our expertise in the spa field with various spa disposables services and spa disposables options. Read more…

Although the tanning owners we talked to understand that the $940 billion needed to overhaul health care must come from somewhere, they don’t think they should be responsible to generate $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.

Lisa Williams owns Sculptures Salon, and as a small business owner, is upset about a 10-percent tax on individuals receiving indoor tanning services.

“Well since it’s gonna be a tax, everyone is going to feel the burn, like I said, even if it’s a dollar or two we still, a dollar or two is still a dollar or two in gas, groceries,” Williams said.

Lisa’s shop has many features, including her talent as a nail technician. But tanning is still a main feature of her business.

“Tanning is part of our big picture here but we do nails, and waxing and accessories but tanning is a large part. Thankfully, we do have other things to fall upon,” she said.

Brian Peach is another young tanning salon owner in Huntington. He relies solely on tanning and said it’s already hard enough starting a private business and the tax will strain his expenses even more.

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