Pulse November 2016 | Page 64

SUCCESSSTORIES INSPIRING TALES OF STARTUPS, GROWTH AND OVERCOMING HARDSHIPS Spa Vision Marking a Decade of Helping Spas Succeed BY MAE MAÑACAP-JOHNSON ome paths are meant to collide. This was the case for Spa Vision directors Neil Owen and Susan Auld who, while working on earning their graduate degree in Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at The University of Bath, were introduced by a mutual acquaintance who thought they would make good business partners. “And here we are 10 years [since that introduction]!” says Owen. Owen and Auld founded Spa Vision—a supply, procurement and consulting company—in 2006 near the city of Bath in the United Kingdom. “We were both experienced operators within the hotel, spa and leisure industry and felt there was a gap in the market for our services and business approach,” Auld says. Initially, Spa Vision’s core business focused solely on supplying premium equipment and furniture solutions to the spa, wellness and beauty industry, primarily to luxury hotels and day spas. It wasn’t until this year that the company added consultancy to its list of core services. “Earlier this year, we acquired Spa Developments Consultancy. Its proprietor, Colin Cameron, is now a director of Spa Vision. Our consultancy offering allows us to provide a turn-key solution for our new and existing clients,” Owen says. “The beauty for clients is that they can tap into the consultancy and the equipment offerings or cherry-pick the services they require. This is another factor, we believe, differentiates us from other organizations in the market.” S Facing Challenges In the early years of its founding, the company had to weather one of the biggest challenges any startup business may come across: a global economic downturn. “The company was set up just before the global financial crisis hit and the usual challenges of starting a new business along with operating in these extreme conditions was a tough start. 62 PULSE ■ November 2016 NEIL OWEN, COLIN CAMERON AND SUSAN AULD Directors, Spa Vision, Bath Rd, Box United Kingdom However, starting a new business in difficult market conditions and getting through the other end have given us a solid foundation,” Owen says. An important business lesson the partners have learned along the way is to find the right people and say “no” to those who may not fit in the company mission, culture and values. “As a growing firm, it is more difficult to say ‘no’ to businesses when they are not quite the right fit. This has rarely been the case. However, as you grow, you can be more selective with the partners you work with—hindsight is a wonderful thing!” he says. Auld adds that, to find the right partners, they invest in nurturing relationships. “It takes time to build a good business relationship—Rome wasn’t built in a day!” she says. In fact, Owen says building long-term relationships with the right people has been the company’s most important strategy. “This involves an investment of time with our new and existing About ISPA Membership Joined ISPA: This year. “We saw ISPA becoming more global and, as we grow globally, we wanted to be part of the growing family!” Top ISPA Resource Used: Industry-related news. “ISPA offers great global industry news.”