Typically, when we think of a traditional boutique style business, we think of a small upscale brick and mortar retail shop. In recent years, businesses such as spas, fitness studios, and wineries have also adopted this model. The characteristics of the boutique business model incorporates values, passion, a unique esthetic, attention to detail, personal connection with your team and guests, and more.

If you have considered opening a spa, there are lots of benefits of adopting the boutique business model for you, your guests, and your team.

8 Characteristics of The Boutique Business Model

1.     Designed to serve less clients, with a higher attention to detail, quality, and personalization for each guest. 

2.     The team of employees is small, so they receive a higher level of attention and training to ensure the quality and personal attention for each guest is upheld. 

3.     The boutique owner is more personally connected with team members and guests, ensuring a quality, personalized experience.

4.     Premium pricing at upscale boutiques set a standard for elevated levels of service and superior products.

5.     Distinguished services and products can be found at boutiques. For example, our boutique spa offers a rustic nature meets modern science approach to our services and products. We source local herbs and botanicals, hand crafted into skincare products, combined with professional-use peels, and clean clinical Glo Skin Beauty products. A private infrared sauna session is included with each facial and body treatment for whole body rejuvenation. We offer hand-crafted ginger elixirs both after a service and for retail. Our team of estheticians and myself are consistently researching exclusive products and services to better serve our guests that are difficult to find elsewhere.

6.     The strategy is to emphasize quality over quantity when it comes to serving guests.

7.     A small boutique business can take better care of their guests than a larger commodity type business

8.     There are fewer guests so there is the ability to treat them as human beings and not transactions 

8 Reasons Why The Boutique Business Model is a Healthier Option for The Business Owner

Most of us who have opened a business did so because we had a unique vision and passion that we wanted to bring to life. We also went forward with the assumption that over time as the business became more established, we could have the opportunity for more time and financial freedom. They did not want to work longer hours for less money and more stress in an overcomplicated, unorganized atmosphere. Yet, this is what happens to many people. The boutique business model gives business owners a fighting chance at running a business they love while maintaining their health and life satisfaction.

1.     Boutique business models are smaller, therefor require a smaller elite team of employees to manage.

2.     There is more simplicity, organization, and elegance with a boutique model

3.     There is more time to create and develop personally as well as freedom and work life balance.

4.     They can work fewer hours serving a smaller number of premium clients in a higher quality way.

5.     Less is more when attention is on detail and personalization of fewer niche clients vs. serving the masses- improving quality of life. 

6.     As the owner, you are a trusted advisor for your guests’ solutions and are able to provide a high touch experience for a smaller team and client base, that simply can’t be replicated by larger companies.

7.     You can develop long lasting meaningful personal relationships with your team and loyal guests.

8.     People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. You are able to personally connect with guests through your personal brand and therefor your boutique business.