Spa Room Drama

Help....! I'm going through a hard time at the current spa I work at and not sure what to do? To start, we are in the process of relocating and our rents will be going up next month. The owner ( who was my friend) is going through some personal life changes and has completely cut me out on details of our new shop situation, her personal issues and basically has left me in the dark. Any new details about our relocation, I'm hearing from another coworker who is her new best buddy. I've been offered space in another salon and have looked into maybe working on my own but am afraid to lose what we all had together for the last 8 years. I also am going to school to learn massage so that I can have more add on services. This has left me working part time but paying full time rent to secure my space. Any advice on this matter would be of great help. This town is so small I can't really confide with anybody. Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Angela Segal on July 21, 2014 at 5:32pm

Hello. So sorry for your troubles. You say that everyone's rent is going up next month. So I take it that you are a tenant and not an employee of her spa. You also say that she was a friend of yours. My advice would be to sit down and have a serious conversation with her about the future of your association with her spa. The friendship factor has to become secondary in this point. Seeing as though she has cut you out of the details of her personal life, she obviously feels the same. Her personal problems should never interfere with her professional obligations as a spa owner. She has a responsibility to let you as a tenant know what direction she is headed with the business. Seeing as though you have also returned to school to pursue massage therapy, you have even more invested financially. She should be presenting you with the option to stay until your lease runs out, or continuing on with her as a tenant. All terms and conditions should be clearly defined and/or re-negotiated in your contract. She has a legal obligation to make all tenants and employees aware of any final business decisions that she makes in a timely manner, so that people can make an informed decision and plan accordingly. Best of luck to you.

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Permalink Reply by Aimee Vasquez on July 22, 2014 at 4:16pm

Thanks, this advice helped me think. I was letting my emotions get carried away because she isn't really talking much with me. Regardless, I am now looking into other spaces to rent and am not feeling as obligated to be as loyal to her personal problems. I am still waiting to have that sit down. I've approached her twice about having a talk but she has given me the brush off. I think a lot of it stems from me trying to move on and getting more education, so eventually I will be my own sole proprietor.

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Permalink Reply by Teresa Escoffery on August 2, 2014 at 8:20am

Business is not about emotions -- that is what relationships are for -- and mixing the too rarely ends well

Figure out what is best for you and you alone and proceed on what your head tells you.