Self-Care, A-Z: 5 Steps for Successful Self-Care Resolutions, Not Regrets

2017: Skinny, rich, and happy! Ample evidence documents that New Year’s resolutions can quickly turn into regrets. Here are steps toward successful self-care resolutions, not regrets.

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How To Maximize Client Return Rate + Visit Frequency

To every beauty business owner's detriment many clients extend time between scheduled appointments due to busy schedules and desire to stretch the dollar. By implementing a pre-booking strategy you can maximize the return rate and visit frequency of your clients. The key is to reward clients for returning to the salon before they even leave it. January is the perfect time to focus on pre-booking strategies that contribute to busier days, fuller books and bigger profits. 

Consider this calculation:
400 clients booked every 8 weeks = $50 spend per visit or $120,000 a year.
400 pre-booked clients every 5 weeks = $200,000 a year, an $80,000 difference!

Prepare to pre-book
How does your staff go about pre-booking clients? Do you even know?
If you are a salon owner trying to get your pre-book rate up here are some suggestions that can be implemented by your entire salon team.

Schedule a team meeting to share the hard facts about why pre-booking is so important and how it can positively affect each stylists’ income and success of the salon as a whole.

Preparing for pre-booking can change your business. Practicing pre-booking scripts can make your team feel more comfortable. It’s not about what is said, but what is offered. Most clients need a little extra incentive to get them to commit. 

Idea 1: Pre-booking Contests
Communicate the Offer:
Create a drawing to win a prize. Explain to clients every time they pre-book their next appointment their name will be entered into a drawing to win basket of products valued at $XX. The prize, combined with the chance of winning, will get a clients to give it a shot.

How To: Assemble a stunning looking basket or bag filled with top-selling products and accessories. Create a noticeable display front and center with a combination of signage and color; use tissue paper and colored pretty fabric ribbon to display. Shrink-wrapped baskets are great too. Hold the contest for two months, then draw a name.

When: January is a great time to start a pre-booking contest. Start contest January 1 or February 1 and run for two months.

Idea 2: Pre-booking Cards
Pre-book Cards are simply appointment cards engineered to maximize the return rate and frequency of your client's visits. 

How To: When client returns Pre-Book Card on their next pre-booked appointment they receive a free gift. Determine free gift that will build your business; such as a retail product, a complimentary add-on service or dollars off their next service.
*Changing it up every few months keeps clients interested. 

Calculate the number of Pre-Book Cards you will need; 100 minimum per team member is a good start. Have team members fill out their own Pre-Book Cards with their names and the free gift decided. Place your Pre-Book Cards at each station and the front desk.

Idea 3: Pre-Book To Win a Prize
Give away something big, a big dollar service. Some clients will pre-book for a free paraffin dip, but the bigger the prize the bigger the incentive to pre-book. A gift card for a nice dollar amount that may be used towards service or retail is a wonderful prize.  By running the contest for two months you are only giving away a free service every two months.

Idea 4: Front Desk
Offer a larger product gift basket or gift certificate drawing to every client who pre-books and place the gift basket prominently at the front desk. Coach your front desk staff to engage each guest to enter the drawing for a chance to win this basket/gift certificate by pre-booking your next appointment. You’ll be surprised how your salon’s pre-book percentage will increase. 

Idea 5: Valentines's Day Drawing Entry
Create a drawing around a seasonal holiday such as Valentine's Day (Easter, Mother's Day, etc). Have every client fill out an entry form with name, phone number, and e-mail address;  this helps you keep your salon contact list fresh.

How To: Begin the drawing 4 - 6 weeks beforehand, hold the actual drawing for winner on Valentine's Day (or the seasonal holiday of your choice).

Idea 6: January/February Email Promo
Use drawing entry information as a marketing tool. Send each entry an email campaign for $10 off or a complimentary upgrade with a service. These target guests are engaged and will likely take you up on the promotion in the slower month of January and February.

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Tipping Guidelines for Divers

Generally, members of a dive staff make a living wage, but often not by much. In some regions or situations, staff works entirely for tips. Gratuities can make a big difference, not only to the quality of life for dive staff, but also when it comes to the service you receive. Diving is a service industry, so in most cases it is appropriate to tip for good experiences. Here we offer some basic tipping guidelines for divers.

How much should you tip?

We base tipping guidelines for divers on several factors:

How much did the diving cost? Obviously diving is more expensive in some areas than in others. As a generalization, cheaper dives often occur in areas where the cost of living is also lower. Generally, $5 to $10 per dive (per tank) is appropriate; or, think of it like a restaurant tab and tip 10 to 20 percent based on service.

How was the quality of the service? Were you welcomed to the shop? Did the dives go smoothly and did the boat leave on time? Did staff brief you properly and happily answer your questions? Were your special requests handled in a manner that made you feel appreciated? If a staff member goes out of their way for you, especially if the situation was a result of your actions, you should tip appropriately.

Did the captain turn the dive boat around because you forgot your fins on the dock? Lend you their spare mask because your strap broke or make a last-minute repair to a regulator right before the dive? Maybe your dive guide gave you lots of encouragement and extra attention because you hadn’t been diving for a while. If someone goes the extra mile for you, do the same for them.

Sometimes gratuities are included on group trips or on liveaboards, so make sure to note whether or not that’s the case. If so, consider a small top-up to individuals that made things extra special.

Who should you tip?

Knowing who to tip can also be confusing. Some operators explain how to leave a gratuity, and sometimes it’s completely up to you. If you don’t know, ask how the shop divides gratuities. Often in-water staff and boat captains share tips, and some shops and operators split gratuities between all staff. Handing a staff-member the money and clarifying who you intend it for is generally okay as well. Bringing envelopes for longer trips and passing them out accordingly at the end is also common. Don’t forget that staff may be filling tanks, arranging for special excursions, or rinsing your gear at the end of the day. Those people may not be on the boat with you. Often a general tip for shop staff, and extra for those who ran your dives is a good approach.

If you’re in the midst of your dive training, tipping your instructor may also be appropriate. While you did pay for service within the course by signing up, the staff will appreciate a little extra if the service was exemplary or if you needed extra attention beyond the group activities. If a situation directly results from your lack of readiness, such as not having homework done or forgetting an essential piece of gear for class, and your instructor accommodates, you should definitely tip.

Owners and operators usually make their living off the dive or course costs. Base your tip on the operation’s size. You may not even know who the owner is when visiting a big resort. But if you dive with a small operator, where the owner is present day to day, a small tip may be appropriate. If the owner or manager is physically running your dives or driving the boat, tip them like dive staff.

Leaving a gratuity at the end of a longer dive trip or a liveaboard is appropriate — again, 10 to 20 percent of the cost of the trip. But if you’re diving day to day, tip daily so that the people who provided service that day will get a proportionate amount of the money. Once you’ve figured out how much to leave, the general rule when it comes to tipping guidelines for divers is easy: take good care of dive staff, and they’ll take good care of you.

By guest author Christie Ball

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Choosing a Dive Charter

Choosing a dive charter is one of the most important decisions you’ll make if you’re about to embark on a dive-centric trip. Most importantly, you should research the boat’s safety procedures, and the owner’s vision of safety. There are different regulations for dive boats across the world. Review these standards, even if just briefly, so that you’ll have a more relaxed, and safer, experience. Here we’ve offered a few tips when it comes to choosing a dive charter.

Does the boat conduct any type of people count? One of the biggest worries — especially among newer divers — when it comes to diving in large charter boats or liveaboards, is that the boat will leave them behind. Although this rarely occurs, it has quite famously happened a few times. It is easy to prevent by simply conducting a head count via roll call or some other means. All reputable dive boats will conduct a head count before and after every dive until the trip is completed. Some dive boats perform head counts by handing divers a medallion to clip to their equipment; others simply call everyone’s name. Either way it’s a must.

Where does the boat store the first aid and oxygen kits? As surprising as it may sound, some dive operations do not follow these standards, so it falls on you as a responsible, certified diver (of any level) to ensure that these items are on the boat and find out where they are should you need them. Most dive guides explain this information in detail during their briefing, but if not, find out where they are and if they’re in good working order before you head out for the day. In some locations, the boat brings the kit to the dive site, while it may be standard in other places to keep the supplies back on land. Understanding this information before diving can reduce any risks that may have been preventable.

What do the reviews say? One of the easiest ways to get information about a particular dive boat is to simply read the reviews. Of course, every establishment (diving or non-diving related) has some reviews that do not represent the location accurately, but if the general consensus of reviews speaks of how well-organized, polite, and informative the staff was, chances are you’re picking an excellent charter. Spending only 10 minutes checking reviews can determine whether your experience is fantastic or a headache.

Remember, diving is a fun, relaxing sport. But as with any extreme sport, there are safety risks. Choosing a dive charter that focuses on your safety minimizes the risk and maximizes the fun.

By guest blogger Elizabeth Maynor

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Do You Feel Me? Empathy for the New Year

When you’re under siege with guidance about how to move forward in the New Year, I don’t think you necessarily need to compile New Year’s Resolutions.

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Dive Site: Turtle Reef, Grand Cayman

For the last few years I’ve lived in Grand Cayman, a 24-mile-wide island just south of Cuba and north of Jamaica. There’s a maximum elevation of around 60 feet (18 m), which means there’s no river run-off to cloud the waters. On a “bad” day in Cayman, visibility may be down to around 50 feet (15 m); on a good day you’ll see for hundreds of feet into the blue. Since I spend most of those perfect-viz days in an office, I enjoy Cayman’s underwater scenery mostly on night dives. Tonight we’re visiting my favorite night site: Turtle Reef. In the northwest corner of the island, Turtle Reef is a 20-minute drive from the capital city of George Town.

The resident dive shop at Turtle Reef is Sunset Divers at Sunset House. If you pop in before 5 pm — best to go earlier, because everything runs on island time — to sign a waiver and pay for the tanks, the shop will happily leave them out for you. You can rent gear and lights as well. Collect any equipment in the afternoon and drop it back the next day when the shop is open. With water temperatures in Cayman ranging from 82 to 84 degrees F (27 to 29 C), I’ve never needed a wetsuit. Those with less insulation or cold tolerance will want at least a 3 mm shorty.

Diving Turtle Reef

Turtle Reef’s entrance is in a little cove in the ironshore, near the Macabuca Bar and Cracked Conch restaurant, both worth a post-dive visit. The light from Macabuca casts a beacon into the water and you’ll often see fish using it to hunt in the shallows. The cove provides a good opportunity to get comfortable and test your torches before swimming out into the darkness.

The site itself is a mini-wall, marked by a buoy about 330 feet (100 m) out. Descend immediately however, and watch for rays and peacock flounder in the sand or squid in the shallows on the swim out. Once you arrive at the site, the mini-wall descends sharply to around 60 feet (18 m). Turn northeast (right) or south (left), depending on the direction of current. With the prevailing current you will turn right. Keep your eyes on the wall as you descend, watching for octopus that blend into the background with fluid color changes.

Turning left you will find several wide swim-through canyons, with tarpon lazily hanging around. Their silver scales flash in your torchlight, which they’ll sometimes take advantage of to hunt. I like to turn right, past an old tube sponge that often hides lobster, shrimp, eels or (sadly) the occasional cluster of lionfish. Overhangs on the mini-wall are ideal places for lobsters, eels and octopus. You’ve also got a good chance of seeing a turtle here. Coral and rocky outcrops provide more opportunities to see lobsters, sleeping grouper, or Pederson or coral shrimp. I love finding arrow crabs, strange spider-like creatures that remind me of the (British) children’s television character Wizbit.

Staying at the base of the wall keeps you between 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 m). You can log some decent bottom time on the way out before rising to the top of the wall for your return trip. On the way back, keep your eyes open again for rays, flounders, and other bottom dwellers in the sand. The light of the Macabuca Bar guides you in, with the promise of a rewarding Caribbean beer.

Guest author Jez Snead lives in Grand Cayman and tries to dive as much as possible. He blogs sporadically on diving and other topics he finds interesting and is always happy when people stop by.

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3 Decorating Ideas for Winter Window Treatments

Inspire your windows with these 3 decorating ideas for winter window treatments and keep cozy during these cold months.  Consider the following ideas: adding a cheerful statement, considering bold prints and dressing up plain curtains.

Image Source: Flickr

Adding a Cheerful Statement
Think big and bright when making these bold ornaments. Red and green scrapbooking paper in fun patterns adorns shapes cut from poster board. We found ornament silhouettes online then enlarged them to suit the window. Glue three papers onto each ornament. Punch a hole at the top, then hang them on red cording or yarn taped to the top of the window. A valance of live greens finishes the display. Source: MidwestLiving

Considering Bold Prints
Bright florals that attract traditional tastes and graphic geometric patterns that offer youthful spunk are some of the bold prints being seen on windows lately. “With pattern becoming more important, it will change the way a designer designs for the window and how the client views her [or his] window fashion,” says Barrett. Source: HGTV

Dressing up Plain Curtains
Although it’s hard to go wrong with simple, solid sheers or panels, why not take them a step further? Give them a custom look by painting on a pattern or stencil, try glueing on embellishments such as silk flowers, beads or pom-poms. Or add bands of contrasting fabric to the bottoms of curtains that need a little boost.
Budget: Modest. Pretty trims can be had for a few dollars, and unadorned curtain panels for not much more. You also can go heavy on humble fabrics and light on expensive ones to get a more upscale look for less cash.
DIY: Absolutely, whether you’re working the sewing machine or wielding a glue gun. Source: DIYNetwork

 

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

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Marketing ROI → How Much is a Client Worth?

Many beauty business owners have delusions of earning a $100,000+ a year income without spending any money to acquire the treasured asset - CLIENTS. Income-producing clients don’t come for free. What are you prepared to spend to acquire a $2,000 a year client? Acquiring new clients requires investment.

No Worthwhile Marketing is Free.
Merely throwing a Facebook page up and waiting for prospective clients to find your business is not marketing. Properly crafted, polished marketing requires time and money. Clients are assets, and marketing is a necessary investment for client attraction and business growth. 

Set Your Marketing Budget.
Most beauty business marketing budgets are set between 4-7%, depending on the organization and size. Marketing has become necessary in an oversaturated market to create awareness of your beauty business brand, whereabouts, services and products. The key is to find the perfect percentage of marketing dollars necessary to maintain a stream of new and repeat clients. 

Controlled Repetition is Key.
Work out an “awareness rhythm” that will continue to keep your salon fresh in the minds of your current and potential guests.

Analyze your Clientele.
What age group do you want to attract to your salon, and what age group are you attracting? More of what you have is easier to attract, but awareness to new markets can expand your market.

What Interests Your Clients?  
An attractive loyalty program provides guests with perks and rewards starting on the first visit. Focus where you are going to get the strongest response.
- Gift with purchase (ex: free treatment w/service)?
- Discounts?
- Rewards?

Your Marketing is Only as Strong as Your Staff.
What promotions will your salon team support naturally? Marketing promotions that are easy to communicate are more successful every time. 

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4 Factors to Consider in a Healthcare Redesign Project

Over the past few years, medical facilities have moved towards making equipment purchasing decisions based on a value-based system. This means that the top criteria for purchasing new equipment are quality of care, best outcomes and improved patient satisfaction for the lowest total cost of ownership.

Along with these new criteria, space has also become a premium. Now, practically every medical facility is trying to improve patient flow within the small spaces they are working in.

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Capture the Best of 2017 with the New SeaLife DC2000

Capture your best moments of 2017 with the new SeaLife DC2000 digital underwater camera. Underwater or on land, the DC2000 has you covered with dozens of settings to select from, including full manual control, RAW formatting options, four underwater modes and more. Featuring a large SONY 1-inch type back-illuminated 20MP image sensor and 1080p HD video, the DC2000 will let your underwater inspirations guide you to stunning results.

[See image gallery at scubadiverlife.com]

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Overcoming Diving Anxiety

For many people, learning to scuba dive is fun and joyful as they breathe underwater for the first time. But for some of us, overcoming diving anxiety can be a real challenge even if we really want to learn. We may have to face overwhelming fears and anxieties that scare us into never leaving the dive center’s changing room.

You can overcome all fears with work and patience. Specific techniques can help even those with acute anxiety achieve their dreams. Here are our top five tips for overcoming diving anxiety.

Try Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy helps people overcome fear and create change in any aspect of life, and it lends itself well to scuba diving. This form of psychotherapy helps the mind learn new responses, behaviors and feelings in situations that previously caused a fear response. The patient is fully aware during hypnotherapy. It is not “mind control,” and it can successfully alter beliefs such as “If I put my face underwater I will drown.”

It can also help with more general anxieties, such as claustrophobia underwater. Undertaking hypnotherapy sessions prior to learning to scuba dive is a great way to understand and start removing your fears, and also to learn relaxation techniques that prevent panic when diving.

Practice Visualization

Professional athletes, highly successful business people and many others use visualization. This simple technique allows the mind to learn new skills and create success by imagining or visualizing an achievement. An example in scuba diving would be overcoming the fear of removing a scuba mask underwater. To do so, a diver would visualize each step while remaining calm and relaxed. Repeat the process many times until the mind has learned how to calmly and fearlessly remove the mask. Visualization can be learned and practiced without assistance at home, during a run, when meditating — any time, really. A wealth of resources and books about visualization will help you choose the best approach for you.

Find the Right Instructor

When you’re ready to take the plunge and commit to a dive course, finding the right instructor is essential. By “right,” we mean someone who the student feels comfortable expressing their anxieties with, who is compassionate, and who will adjust their learning style to the student’s needs. There are many dive centers, ways to learn and instructors in the world. Shop around until you find the right fit. A group vacation may not be the best choice, for example, when it comes to a learning environment. Rather, one-on-one instruction might be the way to go.

Practice Your Skills

This may seem obvious, but skills practice is essential for everyone, not just new divers. Regular practice is a great way to manage ongoing diving anxiety, although experienced divers often think they needn’t review. Complacency can kick in, and that’s not only when old fears can resurface without warning, but also when accidents can happen. A diver who has tackled a fear should occasionally practice the skills that brought on the feeling in the first place. He or she must keep exposing themselves to situations that broaden their dive skills and knowledge. With experience, the mind realizes that there’s nothing to fear in different situations. The body retains muscle memory for skills that can be executed safely in case of panic.

Acceptance

Conquering diving anxiety takes time and effort. If you are reading this as someone who has such fears, it’s important for you to accept that the above techniques all require patience, and it may take some time to become fully comfortable in the water. Keep anxiety levels low by accepting that there may be setbacks along the way, and know that with time and patience you’ll succeed. Also accept that, even as an experienced diver, there may be days you don’t dive because old fears resurface. Just remember the golden rule when it comes to diving, that it’s always okay to cancel a dive, at any time and for any reason. If you’re uncomfortable or something doesn’t feel right, dive another day.

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Grow Your Beauty Business - Numbers to Know

As a marketing agency I am often asked “How do I grow my business?” That’s the million dollar question! There is no do it quick scheme – it’s about hard work, loving what you do, and knowing “your numbers”.

What are “your numbers” you ask?
The numbers to know are:
1. # Current Guests per month
2. # Average service ticket
3. # Average retail ticket
4. # Percentage buying retail
5. # Pre-booking Rate
6. # Retention Rate

Number of guests per month
You need to know (mark, measure) where you are to determine where you want to go (benchmark, goal). To achieve your goals you need to be “in the know” of how many guests your beauty business (or you) needs to achieve your goal. Marketing works best when it has a specific target in mind (I want to go from 100 to 150 guests per month).

Average service ticket
This number tells you how much $ (on average) each guest is spending on services. Your salon may not need as many new guests as you think, instead focus on existing guests to spend more through trying additional services. Ideally you want both.

Average retail ticket
A lot like average service, but for retail. Retail product recommendations and sales attribute to business growth through both raised revenue and perception level of your salon and staff’s professionalism and beauty expert.

Percent buying retail
This is one of my favorites. This number tracks how good your staff is at converting service guests into retail guests. This number tracks your staff’s sales behavior. This number can really add to the bottom line, and it is your secret weapon to growing your business.

Pre-booking
Wether you are just starting out as a hairdresser you often overlook this very important stat. If I only see one person today, I better be pre-booking them. This is how you take control of your business.

Retention
Is you overall how “good am I score”. This tells of all the people that have come in an a specific period how many of those actually came back. Very important number. Please understand this is a lagging indicator and will take months before you can look at it.

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Choosing the Best Scuba Instructor Course

Many recreational divers, at least fleetingly, have considered becoming dive instructors. Choosing the best scuba instructor course can make a huge difference when taking those first few steps towards working within an extremely popular industry. It’s not an easy decision, so we’ve put our heads together to point you in the right direction.

Where do you want to work?

Step one is figuring out where you would like to work once you become an instructor. Investigate instructor courses held in that area, as well as the dive centers that host them. It will be far easier to find a job with a dive center that already knows you rather than to hand out résumés, especially if you have little experience.

Many dive-center managers use the time during your scuba instructor course to get to know you a bit better. This helps them decide whether you might fit into the team. It’s not a one-way street, however. You can also find out more about the center, the team and the way things are run. This will help you decide whether this might be a good fit for you. Some centers also offer internships for newly qualified instructors. While you may have to work without pay for a few weeks, reputable centers will treat your internship as an extended job interview.

It’s also a good idea to seek recommendations for courses from instructors you trust and other divers. A personal recommendation usually beats hours of online research.

Observe instructors in action

Another way of getting to know an instructor trainer’s style would be to watch them in action. Maybe your dive center is already running an instructor course and you can offer to help out with logistics? You might also get a chance to speak to those conducting and participating directly in the class. This lets you to get a real feel for what’s happening behind the scenes.

Ask lots of questions. Whether you are speaking to your instructor directly or to someone else at the dive center, you are the customer. You have an important decision to make. There is no such thing as a silly question, so fire away.

Which agency?

And, as if keeping all of that in mind doesn’t offer too much choice already, you must decide which training agency you want to qualify with. This decision will be largely influenced by where you would like to work. PADI, SSI and SDI are among the biggest agencies worldwide. For example, places like Koh Tao, Thailand or Bali have almost equal presences of PADI and SSI dive centers, so either qualification will offer great employment opportunities.

You can typically switch from one agency to another, although you should investigate what’s involved. While SDI and SSI offer crossover programs that are shorter and less costly than a full instructor course, at the time of writing, PADI requires a prospective instructor to sit a full, two-week Instructor Development Course even if they already hold instructor ratings from other agencies.

In the end, your decision on a scuba instructor course will likely come down to a mixture of location, recommendations, and costs for the course. While it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make as you get started, remember that the diving industry is very mobile. Unexpected opportunities can can open up any time, regardless of your certifying agency.

By guest blogger Yvonne Press

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The New Social Worker Top 5 Articles for 2016, and More!

Catch up on The New Social Worker magazine's top articles and awards from 2016, and let's look ahead to the new year.

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The Key to Client Retention is Follow Up

Do you find that most of your salon or spa clients are regulars or “one-offs”? How do you convert more of those one-time only clients into regular guests? Get them connected! Not sure how to get connected, here are some ideas!

Build Email List
Get the email address of every single customer that enters through your salon or spa doors. This simple act automatically turns a customer into a contact. If you are not building an email list you are not growing your business.

Offer a Loyalty Program
An attractive loyalty program provides guests with perks and rewards starting on the first visit.

EXAMPLE SALON LOYALTY PROGRAM STRUCTURE
1) Service and Retail Purchases
- 1 point for every dollar spent on services
- 2 points for every dollar spent on retail
- 2 points for every dollar spent on series/packages

2) Pre booking Appointments
- 250 points for reserving and maintaining your next appointment at check out

3) Refer a Friend Bonus
- 1000 points for referring a new guest to the salon

Details:
100 points is equal to $1.00. Points are eligible to be redeemed for services only. 1000 points is the minimum threshold to redeem and has a value equivalent to $10.00. 

Rewards expire after one year of account inactivity. In order to receive the referral points a new guest must state who referred them on their first visit.

EXAMPLE SPA LOYALTY PROGRAM STRUCTURE
 1) Loyalty Card
A loyalty “punch card” that offers 1 free service after 10 is perfectly suited for massages, facials, manicures, and waxing.

2) Pre booking Appointments
To entice pre booking at checkout offer the loyalty card immediately and include the service just provided towards the free service.

3) Artificial Advancement
Increase customer retention by offering the first service plus the service they pre booking as rewards {punches on the loyalty card}. Customers are more likely to complete tasks when closer to the finish line, starting the loyalty card with 2 punches is great incentive for recurring appointments.
Artificial advancement has the best effect when there is a clear reason why the client is receiving the bonus such as new client incentive, loyal guest appreciation or a special sale. One-off clients who don't have a massage habit, may just develop one after receiving a regimen of massages.

Email Follow Up
Start implementing a repeat visit email marketing strategy the day after a salon/or spa service. 

1) 1 day later - Send a helpful email with important advice regarding color maintenance,  style maintenance tips, or to keep hydrated after a massage. 

2) 1 week later - Send an email where they just check in with the customer. No sales pitch. Nothing. Just a simple email asking them how they’re doing, and then share some data / research about the importance of getting a massage regularly.

3) 2 weeks later - Send an email invitation to join your loyalty program to get them to continue to buying/booking (if you were not able to sign them up in-salon).

Follow-Up is Key
What do you do to turn new customers into repeat customers? Follow-up is the key. 

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Dive Destination: Marsa Shagra Village, Egypt

Egypt’s Red Sea offers clear, warm waters, abundant marine life, drift dives, wreck dives and just about everything in between. While the entire region is a diver’s paradise, some spots really have it all. Marsa Shagra Village in Marsa Alam, Egypt is one of them.

Marsa Shagra Village

Marsa Shagra Village is centrally located 157 miles (253 km) south of Hurghada International Airport, 25 miles (40 km) south of the Marsa Alam International Airport, and 12 miles (20 km) north of Marsa Alam itself. It’s far from the crowds, yet still close to both the main airports. Marsa Shagra offers a mixture of modern luxury and natural simplicity — the best of both worlds.

The house reef is one of the highlights at Marsa Shagra Village. One of the richest and most pristine house reefs in the area, it’s home to plentiful marine life and an excellent variety of soft and hard corals starting from 3 to 33 feet (1 to 10 m). There’s a slow drop-off as it reaches the outside walls at 131 to 164 feet (40 to 50 m). This has been a protected area for the last 20 years, and you could easily spend every day just diving here. But, with so much more to see, you’ll want to get out and explore. There are around 18 different dives sites around Marsa Shagra, all of which offer excellent diving. Here are a few you shouldn’t miss.

Best Dive Sites near Marsa Shagra

Elphinstone Reef

A 1,200-foot (375 m) long off-shore reef with drop-offs descending to 325 feet (100 m), divers consistently rank Elphinstone Reef among the top 10 dive sites in the world. You can expect to see soft corals and a staggering variety of marine life. When it comes to sharks, Elphinstone is known for oceanic whitetips, scalloped hammerheads, white and grey reef sharks, silkies and threshers. It’s an advanced dive site, and you must have a minimum of a PADI Advanced Open Water certification, as well as comfort diving in potentially strong currents.

Abu Dabbab Bay

Abu Dabbab Bay offers divers plenty of different options. You can see spectacular hard coral reef formation as well as a wrecked safari-boat hull, which caught fire and sank in 2005. There’s also the chance to swim or snorkel with the endangered sea cow, or dugong.

Marsa Mourain

This site is a large, sandy bay and offers a patch of seagrass where you can see dugongs and giant green sea turtles.

Shaab Samadai

Shaab Samadai is local marine park, protected by the government. You’ll need a permit to dive here and HEPCA strictly enforces certain rules. You’ll travel by truck to Marsa Alam Marina and another 40 minutes by boat to reach the reef. You will usually do two dives as it’s quite a long distance from the village. Snorkelers are welcome too and will be provided with mandatory life jackets.

Other Activities

Although most people visit predominately to dive, if you’re traveling with a non-diver or need something to do on your dry days, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Hire a kayak and sail around the house reef or try your hand at kitesurfing. You can also book full or half-day desert tours or sunset experiences.

By guest author Sarah Richard

Author:

Guest author Sarah Richard is a travel writer currently living in Hong Kong. She is a divemaster who has been diving for eight years and has most recently worked on a liveaboard in Micronesia. She also runs her own travel blog here.

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The Importance of Continuing Dive Education

When is comes to continuing dive education, the focus should always be on improving your skills, not racking up numbers of dives or destinations. Let’s illustrate this point with a fictional fellow named Ralph. He went on a liveaboard trip to Palau and ran into an issue with a divemaster we’ll call Julie. Julie had asked the group to follow her closely, as the dive site involved using reef hooks in a specific area to enjoy the pelagic action.

Ralph had been on multiple trips to Cozumel. He had never used a reef hook while diving in current there, so he skipped the briefing and didn’t take the hook. How different could it be? Current is current.

What did Ralph do wrong?

During the dive, Ralph ignored Julie’s instructions and went past her to get a better view of the sharks. Ralph missed hearing Julie bang on her tank to signal it was time to come up the wall and hook in. Thusly, he missed the hook-in area. In the process, Ralph scared off the sharks in the area and ruined the show for everyone.

To get back to the hook-in area he had to crawl hand-over-hand over the reef, breaking coral as he went. His buoyancy control was terrible. He kicked the reef and destroyed coral as he snapped photos. He forced mantis shrimp from their homes and kicked a turtle in the head. Ralph also got caught up in another diver’s reef hook. In the process of getting free, Ralph scratched the dome port of his camera. And finally, all the extra effort meant Ralph burned through his air and had to ascend early.

Ralph came to the surface and complained about how the dive and divemasters were terrible. Julie witnessed all the events. After the dive, she asked Ralph to attend all briefings and follow the divemasters and their instructions going forward. In response, Ralph asked Julie her age and Julie answered that she was 29. As a master scuba diver, with 900 dives executed over 30 years, Ralph wondered aloud how someone so young could help someone with his experience.

Although this example is exaggerated, this is what can happen when a diver overemphasizes his numbers and underemphasizes his training.

It’s Time for Continuing Dive Education

Let’s break down the scenario to gain some perspective and discuss why continuing dive education is critical in our world. During open-water courses, new divers learn how important it is to listen to briefings and follow a guide’s instructions. Had Ralph recalled this basic instruction, his dive would have gone infinitely smoother. Regardless of the sheer number of dives you may have under your belt, if you’re diving somewhere new especially, pay attention to the guidance and training tips offered by those who know it well.

Had Ralph taken a peak performance buoyancy course, he could have developed skills to help him avoid getting tangled in another diver’s line, saving him a dome port and precious gas in his tank. A drift-diving course could have provided valuable insight into traveling in a high-current environment, again helping him to conserve air.

Although experience does count, a diver can nonetheless execute hundreds of dives poorly over multiple years. We’re never done learning until the day we hang up our fins — and we should hang them up once we think we know everything. Experience and education go hand-in-hand when it comes to maintaining and improving your dive skills.

Setting training goals can be as easy as looking at any dive training agency’s ladder of progression, as well as expanding your focus to incorporate specialties and then progressing into more complex dive courses, such as rescue training or tec diving.

Early in my career I was lucky to serve on a ship with a crew whose dive tallies were nearing 18,000 (20 years leading liveaboard dives). I’ll never forget them telling me that they too were still learning and finding ways to improve. It’s this humility and interest in furthering our skills underwater that will keep us fresh.

Becoming a better diver comes from time in the water and continuing dive education, focusing on self-improvement. Keep diving and keep learning, and stop worrying about the numbers.

By guest author Adam Straub

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How to Reduce Weight When You Dive

Most of us start our diving careers wearing way too much weight because we’re not yet comfortable enough underwater to relax. The more nervous we are, the harder it is to descend, so we add more weight. As we become more experienced, we can shed more lead and still successfully descend. Because it takes time and particular practice to shed these pounds, many divers stick with what they started out with, but being over-weighted carries with it some issues. Read on to find out how to reduce weight when you dive and eliminate some of those problems. 

What’s wrong with being over-weighted? 

Several issues can arise if you’re wearing too much weight, including:

• You use too much air. Being heavy means you must use more energy for propulsion, which in turn will cost you in terms of air consumption.

• You may struggle to do an emergency ascent. If you must make a swimming emergency ascent, you may find this difficult, or even impossible, if you’re severely over-weighted. I’ve seen this happen to numerous dive students during the emergency swimming ascent drill. You could drop your weights if this happens, but that leads to another problem…

• You risk an uncontrolled ascent. If you do drop your weights, or they fall off by mistake, you may shoot toward the surface much faster than you should, and you may struggle to regain control of your ascent before it’s too late.

How do you shed weight?

The first thing to realize is that unless you’ve specifically worked on dropping weight, you’re probably diving heavy. The best way to reduce weight when you dive is through buoyancy checks. For a number of consecutive dives, do a check before diving. Enter the water with all your gear on and deflate your BCD. Breathing normally, you should now float with the waterline at about eye level. When you deeply exhale, you should descend. If you’re sinking before you exhale, you’re too heavy.

You can also do a reverse buoyancy check, wherein you start with all your gear on, but no weights. Then deflate your BCD and try to sink by exhaling. If you can’t, add a single pound of weight and try again. Keep repeating until you’re just able to descend. And remember — the purpose of adding weight is to allow you to descend, not cause you to do so.

Do a safety-stop buoyancy check

During your safety stop, you should be able to hover at 15 feet (5 m) with no air in your BCD at all, maintaining depth simply through your breathing. If you need air in your BCD to maintain your depth, you’re too heavy and should start your next dive with a little less weight.

Ideally, you should do a buoyancy check every time your dive conditions change — if you get new gear, dive in a new dive location, or after a prolonged break from scuba diving. Even if you always dive in the same location with the same gear, you should still perform regular buoyancy checks to see if you can reduce weight when you dive. Dial it in further by doing a safety-stop buoyancy check every time you dive. Practice these methods and you’ll reduce your weight needs over time. This will make your dives all the easier and more enjoyable — and potentially safer, too.

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App Review: Ocean Maps – Florida

Are you a diver who wants to learn as much as you can about a dive site before descending? When it comes to wrecks, advance information can make for a safer and more interesting dive. Details can also help you determine which sites to visit when you have limited time but lots of options. While reading divers’ personal accounts of other divers is useful, being able to virtually explore a site from your mobile device adds a whole new element. Enter Ocean Maps.

Ocean Maps has specific apps for multiple locations, but here we’ll review their newest entry for Florida. Like most apps, there’s a free version and a paid version with more features.

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Ocean Maps Free Version

The free version of the app offers a lot of information about 30-plus dive sites in southern Florida. You’ll find information like the site coordinates, its location on the map, accessibility, marine life, difficulty level, general details and its history, if applicable. The app also gives you full access for two sites so you can see what you would get for all sites if you pay the subscription fee.

Ocean Maps Paid Version

In addition to the information in the free version, the paid version lets you take a virtual tour in either 2D or 3D. There are two modes available. In one you can view the site like a 2D- or 3D-model (your choice) by rotating and zooming in and out. View it with or without water and with or without the depth color-coding. You can select points of interest or marine-life hotspots. You’ll see more information about them and the optimal dive route around the site.

Second is the Dive mode. While the controls take a little getting used to, once you figure it, out you can virtually “swim” around the dive site. You can go up and down in depth, forward and backward, and turn. The hotspots are accessible in this mode as well.

All in all, the app is very informative and easy to use. The free version gives you quite a bit in and of itself. But for $3 per month, for the paid version isn’t much to spend to virtually dive all the current and future sites. Discover sites you didn’t know existed and virtually dive before you dive for real — sounds great to me.

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Real World Clinical Blog: Social Work as Moral Compass

When we provide individuals with the space to think, to broaden their emotional literacy, to feel what feels un-feelable, we send change agents out into the world. Dr. Danna Bodenheimer signs off with her final weekly blog post.

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See you in 2017!

Good morning, my darlings. 2016 has been quite the year, hasn’t it?

It was a banner 12 months for Diamonds in the Library, with my first official visit to Vegas jewelry week, my first Miami Beach Antiques Show, writing for InDesign and Instore magazines, experiencing my first WJA Gala, enjoying my first Sotheby’s auction preview, helping create the first Metal and Smith, visiting the legendary FD Gallery and Fred Leighton, getting the chance to take very exciting consulting and social media management opportunities, and all kinds of other exciting jewelry world firsts.

Continue reading See you in 2017! at Diamonds in the Library.

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SeaLife Micro 2.0 Holiday Gallery

Looking for a last minute gift for the underwater photographer in your life? Check out our favorite underater camera, the Micro 2.0 by SeaLife. Whether snorkeling, surfing, or diving, the SeaLife Micro 2.0 can capture all your underwater memories with a push of a button. Contact your local SeaLife dealer to get one today, just in time to make for that perfect stocking stuffer.

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Top Five Critters at Lembeh

Tucked into a small cove on Lembeh, just off the northeastern corner of North Sulawesi, sits the muck-diver’s dream destination, Lembeh Resort. Onsite dive shop Critters@Lembeh can make all your macro dreams come true, with around 60 dive sites to choose from just a short boat ride away in Lembeh Strait. The Strait’s gently sloping brown-sand bottom provides perfect habitat for everything from octopus, to frogfish, to the wildly weird looking stargazer. The sheer volume of critters at Lembeh will leave you gob smacked.

Dive guides at the resort have logged thousands of dives between them, and seem to know just where to find anything and everything. You’ll be asked to provide an animal bucket list on arrival, so don’t be shy: if you say you want to see it, guides will make it happen. There are so many possible critter encounters that it’s hard to narrow down our favorites. But nonetheless, we’ve given it a shot with our picks for the top five critters at Lembeh.

 

Mimic Octopus

Although it’s similar in appearance to the more common wunderpus octopus, the mimic is considerably harder to spot. If you’re unsure which one you’re seeing, look at the animal’s arms: the mimic octopus has a bright white line along the base of its suckers, but the wunderpus does not. This solitary octopus is native to the Indo-Pacific, and thusly named because of its uncanny ability to impersonate other species. They can change both their skin color and texture to impersonate anything from a rock to a sea snake or lionfish. Only growing to about two feet long (60 cm) including arms, it’s also one of the region’s smaller octopuses.

 

Hairy Frogfish

Frogfish are a diver favorite, and Lembeh certainly delivers. You’ll see giant frogfish, hairy frogfish, warty frogfish, painted frogfish and more. One of our favorites is the hairy frogfish, whose spines look like hair, causing both its distinctive name and appearance. Frogfish can change color and pattern to match their surroundings, but they’re often brownish-orange to yellow like this one. And just because they’re small, don’t think they’re not deadly. Waving an extra-long spine that looks like a lure in front of their mouths, they attract their prey within striking distance and gobble up the curious passerby before it even knows what hit it.

 

Blue-Ringed Octopus

Unlike the hairy frogfish, which is a threat only to other fish who stray too close, the blue-ringed octopus can be deadly to humans as well. There’s enough neurotoxin, called tetrodotoxin, within each one’s body to kill up to 26 adult humans within minutes. The small cephalopod, typically only five to eight inches long (13 to 20 cm), is not aggressive toward people, however, far preferring flight to fight. Its prey consists of small crabs, shrimp and other small crustaceans.

 

Flamboyant Cuttlefish

Vibrant colors in nature often advertise toxicity, as with the blue-ringed octopus. The flamboyant cuttlefish is no exception. Although its base color is dark brown or black to match its surroundings, when threatened by a predator, this small cephalopod displays brilliant yellow and violet coloration by deploying colored ink beneath the surface of its skin. It’s active during the day and inhabits shallow water, from depths of 10 to 280 feet (3 to 86 m). This makes it a relatively common sight in Lembeh. And now back to that toxicity: If eaten, its flesh is as poisonous as the blue-ringed octopus, so this species has managed to avoid a place on the human dinner plate.

 

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Although they’re so common that you’ll see them on nearly every dive, we couldn’t leave the peacock mantis shrimp off our list. This tiny creature is a wonder of evolution, meriting dedicated coverage of its own. Despite their relatively small size, with most growing to around 4 inches (10 cm) in length, these creatures pack quite a punch — literally. There are 400 species worldwide, divided into two sub-groups: smashers and spearers. Smashers, as the name implies, smash their prey with a powerful blow from a club-like thoracic appendage.

Spearers impale their prey with a spear-like structure. Smashers strike so fast (up to 51 miles per hour) and so hard, in fact that a hit’s impact can generate forces of 1,500 Newtons. It takes about 1,900 Newtons for a human karate chop to split a concrete slab an inch-and-a-half thick. And they’re not particularly suitable for captivity: they’ve been known to break aquarium glass with a single strike.

 

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3 Reasons to Consider ADA Compliance When Purchasing Medical Equipment

• Reduce the Risk of ADA Lawsuits
• Improve Safety for Patients and Staff
• Improve Patients Outcomes

Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been around for more than 25 years, only a small number of medical facilities are in full ADA compliance.

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Most Common Diving Hand Signals

Divers know that good communication is key to not only having an enjoyable dive, but also to completing a safe one. First and foremost, signaling is necessary to communicate intentions and give direction, such as whether to go up or down. Hand signals also help to maintain safety during a dive. One might ask their dive buddy if they’re okay, how much air they have, or signal a problem. Although divers use many hand signals, the most common ones are, unsurprisingly, the most important. In no particular order, here are some of the most common diving hand signals.

I have a problem

This one is important because it is used to let your dive buddy or guide know that something’s wrong.  To use this signal, put your hand out horizontally in front of you and tilt it side-to-side, (much as you would signal that something was “so-so” on land) then point to where you’re experiencing difficulty. You could be struggling to equalize your ears, or you may have a problem with your dive gear. This signal could mean a problem with anything. Inform your buddy quickly if something is wrong, so that you can either fix it or end the dive safely.

Are you okay?

Among the most common diving hand signals — and simple — this dive signal means “are you okay?” Both a question and an answer, you’ll make the “okay” sign just as you would on land, forming a circle with your thumb and index finger and raising your remaining three fingers. Most divers check with their buddy by using this hand gesture several times during a dive. It’s a great way to gauge your buddy’s comfort and maintain awareness of one another.

Go up or go down

It’s important to give and follow direction throughout a dive. This is why you must know your “go up” and “go down” signals, which are nothing more than thumbs-up and thumbs-down hand signs. If you’re going to ascend or descend it must be a collective decision. This way all divers act together to maintain the buddy system and ensure safety. Pay attention to your dive guide at the beginning of the dive and near the end, particularly.

Three-minute safety stop

Also important is the three-minute safety stop signal. The dive guide gives this at the end of the dive. To do this, you hold one hand horizontally on top of three vertically positioned fingers on the opposite hand, with those three fingers meaning “three minutes.” It should be used on every dive to signal the safety stop, which is conducted at 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m).

How much air do you have?

Divers should check their air supply every few minutes. It’s a good idea to stay on top of your dive buddy’s air levels too. To ask them how much air they have, you’ll tap two fingers lightly onto the palm of your opposite hand, with your palm facing upward or outward. In response, your buddy will signal how much air he has by holding up fingers to represent the bar/psi shown on his gauge. A half-tank is indicated by making a “T” sign with your hands.

Low on Air

If you’re running low on air, you must tell other divers so that you can perform your safety stop and ascend together. If you’re low on air, which is normally considered 70 bar/1000 psi, you create a fist with your hand and tap it your chest. This lets fellow divers and your guide know it’s time to finish the dive together.

Stop

For whatever reason, divers sometimes need to stop. They may need to rest, change course, check out a critter or simply take a photo. If you want to signal “stop,” extend an arm out in front of you while holding your hand up palm facing out, as if to push something away. This signal is easily seen and will catch the attention of other divers to get your message across.

Slow Down

Some excitable divers end up swimming way too fast through the water.  This results either in fatigue or an exhausted buddy who’s trying their hardest to keep up. Diving isn’t a race, and if you want to slow down, you should know how to communicate this message. Use both hands to slowly make repeated pushing-down motions out in front of your torso, so that fellow divers can understand that the pace is too fast, or that you need a break from kicking.

I’m Cold

Since water sucks the heat from your body 25 times faster than air, body-core temperature can plummet before you’ve even noticed. Although this isn’t dangerous if you act quickly and appropriately, low body temperature can lead to hypothermia. Should you get too cold on a dive, inform fellow divers so that you can take proper measures to warm up. To signal that you’re cold, hug your body and shiver, emphasizing your up-and-down hand movements on your arms.

Reviewing common diving hand signals is always a good idea, and knowing how to properly execute them makes for safer, more enjoyable dives for everyone. These are just the most common hand signals for diving, but divers use many others. Nail the basics, and then you can get creative when it comes to all the ways to communicate underwater.

By guest author Lauren Feather

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Getting Outside on Flores

The nine volcanic islands of the Azores puncture the vast North Atlantic Ocean 850 miles west of mainland Portugal. Among these tiny green isles is a hidden gem: Flores, the westernmost of the archipelago, and the perfect spot for a short outdoor getaway.

Although they feel a world away from anywhere else, the Azores are surprisingly easy to reach. I landed on Terceira after a mere 4-hour direct flight from Boston on SATA. From there it was a one-hour hop over to Flores, the westernmost of not only the Azores, but of Europe itself, as the archipelago is an autonomous region under Portuguese governance. All told, it was about 12 hours door-to-door from my home base of Detroit, Michigan, to Santa Cruz on Flores, which with its population of just under 2,000 inhabitants, is the largest town on this 55-square-mile island, home to under 10,000 people total.

Arrival on Flores

Once we land on Flores, our guide for the week and owner of Flores Dive Center, Miguel Jeronimo, picks us up at the airport. The dive shop, which Miguel runs out of his garage, and our guesthouse, also managed by the dive shop, are both in the tiny seaside town of Faja Grande.

The lush island looks like a cross between Hawaii, Ireland and Middle Earth as we wind up the hills of the narrow main road. We pass black volcanic cliffs, coursing with waterfalls. A patchwork of terraced farm fields hugs the coast, each postage-stamp shaped square separated from the one next to it by a low stone wall buried in blooming blue and purple hydrangeas. We descend into Faja Grande, which hugs the west coast of the island — although there’s nothing “grande” about it. A collection of whitewashed buildings with red tile roofs spills down to the seafront on the cobblestoned main road. There’s a church, a snack bar, waterfront restaurant, small grocery store, and not much else. The dramatic coastline is studded with ironshore, and just off shore is the wreck of the Papadiamandis. We’ve come to experience all the outdoor pursuits Flores has to offer, and we start out with the pastime that draws the most visitors: hiking.

Hiking on Flores

Most visitors come to Flores for the fantastic hiking, and rightly so. The tiny island boasts four official trails as well as the Grande Rota das Flores, a two-part, 29-mile (47 k) hike that encircles two-thirds of the island. Hikes range in length and difficulty from easy to multi-day challenges, and from relatively flat shoreline walks to steep ascents and descents. Hikers will see pastures and forests, calderas and seashore, lighthouses and small villages. Although it didn’t necessarily qualify as a hike, shortly after arrival we took a 30-minute trek up a stone path and through a verdant forest near Faja Grande, back to the waterfalls of Poço da Alagoinha, streaming down the sheer, vegetation-covered rocks into a pool below. It was a scene straight out of “Jurassic Park,” and I couldn’t have been more impressed had a pterodactyl actually soared over the top of cliff and alit in the pond below.

Canyoning on Flores

If you haven’t any idea what canyoning is, you’re not alone. Until we arrived at West Canyon Turismo Aventura, I too had no idea what we were in for. Canyoning participants gear up in wetsuits, helmets and a rock-climbing harness and then descend a sloped water course, walking through and along rivers and streams. As the waterways descend over cliffs or along boulders, canyoners abseil with ropes, jump, climb down or slide along natural stone waterslides. If it sounds like a challenge, it was — but in the best way.  

Along with the rest of our tour group, who hailed from points as close as Belgium and as far as Colombia, we spent around three hours in the water. We traversed waterfalls and streams, climbed rocks and leapt into chilly, crystal-clear pools. As a finale, we zip-lined/rappelled off the highest waterfall of the course, flying down the rope from the top of the falls at 60 feet (18 m) into the water below. Depending on your level of experience — and need for an adrenaline rush — West Canyon offers three different levels of canyoning tours, from one for beginners (our choice) to those who wish to climb down 720-foot waterfalls and rappel 197 feet (60 m).  

Diving on Flores

When it was time to splash in for a dive, my buddy and I, along with Miguel and his assistant Bruno, boarded one of Miguel’s boats, the Tomaine I, II, or III, each suited to different-sized groups. We did shore dives and boat dives, even venturing over to neighboring island Corvo to dive the marine reserve and tour the island’s caldera. The highlight came on our last day of diving, as we motored for around 45 minutes up the east coast of the island out of Santa Cruz to a site called Ilhéu do Garajau, which means “island of the terns.”

We splashed into the 66 F (19 C) water near the small rock and descended to about 70 feet (21 m) where a recalcitrant hogfish peeped out from among the boulders. We rode the surge near the island’s sheer wall, playing with a school of gray triggerfish in the sunlight’s beams. Lots of small baitfish flittered about, and a shy moray eel popped his head out of a crevice for a photo op. Further searching of the crevices revealed a scorpionfish as well. After pushing away from the wall for our safety stop, we surfaced satisfied that we’d seen all the best that nature had to offer on Flores.

How to Get There

Getting to the Azores from North America couldn’t be easier. SATA airlines offers direct flights from Boston to TK, TK and TK. You can fly from Toronto to TK year-round and from Montreal in July and August. There are also plentiful flights from Lisbon to the Azores each day. 

Where to Stay

We stayed in a comfortable guesthouse, complete with a living room, three bedrooms and a full kitchen on Faja Grande’s main road, close to both the dive shop and hiking opportunities. For other guesthouse options, check here or here.

Where to Eat

One of our favorite restaurants on the island was Por do Sol, in Lajes das Flores. Set in a converted stone cottage, it’s a great spot for sunset and traditional Portuguese food. If you’re diving, you’ll leave from Santa Cruz on one of Miguel’s boats — just above the harbor is a great spot for lunch, Trancador, which serves sandwiches and soups, as well as killer desserts, all with a nice view of the water. Over in Faja Grande, the charming Casa da Vigia, set into a whitewashed cottage, features lots of international dishes like spaghetti Pomodoro and pad Thai, all vegetarian.

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What I’m reading: Vol. 74.

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes. This book is the fourth in a series – one of those wonderful romance novel epics where you get to see every single sibling in a large family fall in love. I’m a sucker for these.

Gilded Cage by Vic James. The first in a new YA Fantasy/Dystopian series – a well done, very interesting start. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Continue reading What I’m reading: Vol. 74. at Diamonds in the Library.

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5 Last Minute Christmas Decorating Ideas

With all the rush and parties that happen during the holidays, you might not have been able to prioritize decorating your home. With only a week left before Christmas you might think time has run out, but it hasn’t!  Here are 5 last minute decorating ideas you can try before Christmas arrives:

Image Source: Flickr

Nostalgic Photo Display
A fireplace mantel mimics the function of a Christmas tree when festooned with ribbon, beads, and nostalgic photos. Decked in blue and white, this display can last all winter long. Simply remove the Christmas-theme ornaments and leave the snowflakes and photographs in place. Source: BHG

Good Wish Tree
Fill the house with holiday cheer by hanging holiday card cutouts from branches in a vase.
Cut recycled holiday cards into small rectangles and punch a hole in one end. For the blank side, invite guests and family to write notes of thanks and hope. Hang on fallen branches displayed in a vase. Source: MarthaStewart

Bottles and Branches
Gather empty soda or olive oil bottles and place branches with red berries inside to make these simple and elegant decor pieces. Green-hued bottles give off the right amount of Christmas cheer, but clear bottles will do the trick, too. Tie tags with holiday greetings onto the bottles for a finishing touch. Source: WayFair

Dress the Doorknobs
Yes, trust us when we tell you, it looks great. Add a bit of holly to your doorknob for a fun holiday/Christmas touch. Add a satin ribbon, tie a wee sleigh bell and you are done. If you do not have holly or don’t want to buy one, just snap some leaves out of any tree and tie them to your door knob with a ribbon. It will look just as pretty. Source: HuffingtonPost

Window Dressings
There’s more to holiday decorating than just the tree and the mantel―consider window ledges and empty bookshelves, too. Place pine boughs in a large vase and hang a handful of ornaments on them. Fill old jars with pistachio nuts, winterberries, or red peppercorns and nestle a tealight on top. Or go for a seashore motif, assembling an array of starfish draped with a length of plain red string. Source: RealSimple

We can surely help you out with all your window treatment needs. Contact us!

 

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

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Airlines with a Free Scuba Equipment Allowance

If there’s one thing divers are terrible at, it’s traveling light. Hefty baggage fees can really put a damper on a trip before it’s even begun. However, there are a few airlines with a free scuba equipment allowance. This means we can pack our gear, sometimes in addition to another checked bag, for free. Below is a list of these scuba-friendly airlines, as well as some handy tips for traveling with scuba equipment.

Top tips for traveling with scuba equipment

• Invest in a portable luggage scale so you know exactly how much your bags weigh.
• If you’ve got the cash, splurge on a first-class or business-class ticket. You can bring more luggage at no extra cost.
• Pack your bulky, durable gear like fins, BCD and wetsuits in your checked luggage. Keep your smaller equipment, such as your mask, booties, etc. in your carry-on bag.
• Consider sending your equipment by FedEx before you travel if you have an address or friend to receive it. This option may cost a little more, but you can insure and track it.
• Be loyal to one airline and save the frequent flyer miles, which will give you extra baggage perks.

Airlines with a free scuba equipment allowance

You can stow the gear in the same bag or pack it separately. This is in addition to the ticketed checked baggage allowance. Garuda Indonesia allows you to bring up to 50 pounds (23 kg) of scuba gear free of charge to anywhere it flies, in addition to your free baggage allowance. Insel Air allows divers to bring an extra gear bag of up to 22 pounds (10 kg) for free. All scuba equipment must be packed in the separate bag, apart from regular checked luggage.

If you’re traveling with charter carrier Thomson Airways, show your dive certification card on check-in. They’ll give you an extra 11 pounds (5 kg) luggage allowance for free. Turkish Airlines allows one set of dive equipment per person without additional fees for departures from and arrivals to Male in the Maldives, Aqaba in Jordan, and Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. You can bring your own diving equipment in addition to your free baggage allowance at no extra charge. Just keep the overall weight to 50 pounds (23 kg) or less.

All scuba equipment must be packed in the separate bag, apart from regular checked luggage.

Garuda Indonesia	Garuda Indonesia allows you to bring up to 50 pounds (23 kg) of scuba gear free of charge to anywhere it flies, in addition to your free baggage allowance.
Insel Air	Dutch Caribbean carrier Insel Air allows divers to bring an extra gear bag of up to 22 pounds (10 kg) free of charge.
Turkish Airlines	Turkish Airlines allows one set of dive equipment per person without additional fees for departures from and arrivals to Male in the Maldives, Aqaba in Jordan, and Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
Virgin Atlantic	You can bring your own diving equipment in addition to your free baggage allowance at no extra charge as long as the overall weight isn’t more than 50 pounds (23 kg).
Air Tahiti	Air Tahiti gives divers with a certification card an additional baggage allowance of 11 pounds (5 kg) for dive equipment only.
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi’s national airline allows one set of scuba-diving equipment, weighing a maximum of 33 pounds (15 kg) as checked baggage free of charge.
South African Airways	South African Airways allows one additional piece of luggage containing scuba equipment. Your gear bag can weigh no more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and have maximum dimensions of 62 inches (158 cm).
Sri Lankan Airlines	You can include one set of scuba gear in the free baggage allowance. If you’re carrying more than one set, normal excess baggage charges will apply.
Thomson Airways	If you’re traveling with charter carrier Thomson Airways, show your dive certification card on check-in and they’ll give you an extra 11 pounds (5 kg) luggage allowance for free.

By Sarah Richard

Guest author Sarah Richard is a travel writer and divemaster currently living in Hong Kong. She has been diving for eight years and has most recently worked on a liveaboard in Micronesia. Check out her travel blog here, or follow her adventures on Facebook.

 

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REFLECT 2016 & PLAN 2017 →

The end of the year is the ideal time to appraise the previous year’s marketing objectives and approach the New Year with a fresh focus and approach. As 2016 comes to a close, reflection can create a refocused action for the new year.

Want to reset your salon marketing routine in 2017? We’ve created a list of key goals and intentions to be assessed to kick off the New Year right:

In-House Marketing Review
Marketing is vital if you want to attract new clients, increase salon profitability, and capitalize on business opportunities. It makes business sense to give marketing the importance it deserves. Take an honest assessment of your salon’s 2016 marketing endeavors. Was there an investment of time, energy or money? If the answer is no, start out by blocking out one afternoon each week devoted to salon marketing objectives, or hire a professional marketing agency to focus on promoting your salon for you.

Brand Identity Review
Is your brand identity looking a little tired? Are your business logo, fonts, colors and photography looking dated? What first impression does your salon create in the minds of your clients? What lasting impression does it make? 

To play a real role in the beauty industry, it is imperative that guests perceive your business highly. How would clients rate your salon? How do they perceive your salon brand? Do they have an opinion on the level of service provided? Will they stick with your salon? Details can make the difference between mediocrity and megastar status in the minds of your clients.

What IS a Brand? 
“Brand” is the definition of a business in shorthand, because you can’t explain the who and the what of your business to everyone (that would be exhausting!). Your brand is your beacon, it signals and calls out to your potential purchasers so they can find you. What does your brand say about you? It speaks volumes without saying a word, good or bad. In a world littered with marketing noise and branding buzzwords, distinguishing your brand from the rest of the crowd is paramount to success.

Branding is a lot like flirting. Imagine the power of a brand that can genuinely flirt and connect with people. Brand is the combination of creative communications tools that say who and what you are in a visual snapshot. These tools communicate your salon’s identity in the form of mediums such as font, color palette, pattern, images, and verbiage (voice). Branding is the creation of charm. How well is your salon brand communicated, does it leave a lasting impression on clients and guests? 

Website Review
An up-to-date, well-designed website sends out the right message about your salon, spa or beauty business. Take an objective view of your salon website. Is it looking tired and dated? As technology, design and fashion/beauty trends quickly evolve a website designed over 5 years ago is considered antiquated. Images should look contemporary, the navigation clear with easy interface, and online gift card purchasing and online booking apps make websites money makers.

If your salon’s website is in need of a makeover hire a professional agency that can customize the perfect website for your salon brand.

Marketing Materials Review
Spread all your current marketing materials on a table and take a long, hard look at them. Have lots of marketing materials to makeover? Don’t tackle them all at once, instead, pick the worst offenders and work through them one by one. Updating your brand collateral is best handled by a professional design agency so all pieces are consistent and beautiful.

Social Media Review
The New Year is a good time to re-evaluate your salon social media pages. The message is clear, many users who follow you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are hunting for great hair salon offers and promotions. Take your social marketing to the next level by hiring a professional marketing agency with the ability to mix-up the perfect combination of posts that include special offers, beauty trends, hair trends, tips and tricks.

Evaluate the Past 12 Months
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Investing a few hours at the start of the year to write a marketing plan for your beauty salon or spa can have a huge impact on profitability for the year to come. Before looking to the future, take a look back, appraise your business achievements in order to approach the new year with fresh objectives.

Don’t be tempted to skip the evaluation step, taking the time for analysis allows for more-informed planning. At the end of this evaluation you should have a greater understanding of your business objectives and opportunities. 

Your Salon Numbers
> Did your business meet its financial goals last year?
> Did most of your revenue come from existing salon clients or from new ones?
> What percentage of clients only visited once, never to return?
> Which are your most profitable salon services?
> When did you last increase your prices? 

Your Salon Promotions
> What salon promotional activities did you do? 
> What worked? 
> What didn’t? 
> Why not?

Your Salon Website
> Is your salon website mobile friendly?
> How does your site compare to local competitors’? 
> Has the site design or images become dated?
> Is site copy easy to ready and professionally written?
> Are you ranking high on Google so new clients can find you?

Your Salon Marketing Channels
When you deliver your marketing message using a variety of marketing channels you increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience. Repetition works. 
> What marketing channels are you utilizing?
> In-Salon Signage?
> Website?
> Email Marketing?
> Social Media?
> Advertising?
> Marketing Materials?
> New Client Recruitment?
> Loyalty or Reward Programs?
> Contests?

Your Salon Database
> Have you grown your email database over the last 12 months? 
> What incentives have you given guests to sign up?
Don’t forget email contacts are one of your most valuable marketing assets. 

Your Salon New Guest, Loyalty & Reward Program/s
> Do you have salon marketing systems in place for retaining new guests? 
> Are new clients documented and followed up by your team? 
> Have you set up a loyalty or reward program?

Your Salon Competition
Analyze your top 3 competitors.
Review their salon website, their social media, read their online reviews. 
> How do they compare to your hair or beauty business?

Your Salon Guest Services
> How do your guest services compare to your competitions? 
> What is the quality of your recruitment and training you provide your team?
> What do your clients think of your guest services and salon services? 
> Take a look at look at complaints and feedback. 

Your Salon Brand
> What message does the appearance of your salon send out?
> Review your salon marketing materials (salon brochures, salon graphics, price and treatment guides, sidewalk signage, etc.). Are they on-brand and great selling tools or in need of a major refresh?

You
What about your own marketing skills? Are you up to the task? Make marketing a business priority this year, invest in professional marketing services.

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