Just started my own Esthetician/ Treatment Room in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands

Just started my own Esthetician/ Treatment Room in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands. I have been in the cosmetology business for years but for the past ten years I have been epanding my web engineer technoloy busines on St.Thomas. After losing a major contract I decided to go another direction.

I got my Esthetician License in Florida and I have set-up my treatment room in a doctors/surgeon's office who is retired. I will be using Pevonia Products as well as ome products I am testing for a Private Label.

The problem I have is - there is only one dermatologist on island (Dermatology & wellness Center). I meant with them and the Dr. works only with kin diease - his son (who is a esthetician like me) let me know that he does only "peels & microdermbrasion" - "they do no facials or stuff like that in there office." They asked me to give thema proposal, I have been working on one to send to them but I really dont have one - what I wanted to meet with them and gain some knowedge, but it was not presented.

So I need to know how can I draw Client's? I will be running an ad in the paper down here as well as mailing and posters, car decal, etc. But I need more. I have invested a pprox. $7,000 in equipment, supplies & products. I would be happy with at least 10 customers.

I must add that there are about 2-3 Skincare Clinics on island and they have been here for a while so they have a Client base. Am I gonna lose?

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Permalink Reply by Carrie Patrick on August 9, 2012 at 9:18am

It seems like the tourist trade would be one of your biggest markets in the Virgin Islands. Ads in the paper, mailings/posters/car decals will be good for attracting the locals but the tourists will never see them. So if you want to attract those customers, you should probably be working with hotels, restaurants, and any businesses where the tourists go (whether it seems to be related to skin care/beauty or not) to see if you can put your cards and menus at their reception desk or in hotel room info folders ... all that sort of thing. Especially the hotels, and any local churches, because that is where you will also be able to partner with destination wedding planners. If St Thomas is a cruise ship port, find out how other local businesses promote to those one-day-in-town cruise visitors and start doing the same thing.