28-30 Apr 2024
Radisson Blu Hotel,
Glasgow,
|
08-08 May 2024
Hotel Melià ,
Milano ,
Italy
|
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex,
Guangzhou,
China
|
13-16 May 2024
Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia ,
Italy
|
14 May 2024
JPMorgan Chase Headquarters,
New York City,
United States
|
18-22 May 2024
The Ravenala Attitude Hotel,
Mauritius
|
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais),
Wiesbaden,
Germany
|
30-30 May 2024
Four Seasons Hotel George V,
Paris,
France
|
|
|
|
Invest in design, customer service, Green & Blacks founder tells spa conference |
|
By Jane Kitchen 12 Nov 2015 |
Jo Fairley was one of two keynote speakers at the 2015 Spa Life UK
|
Jo Fairley, founder of organic chocolate giant Green & Blacks, spoke to attendees at Spa Life UK this week about building an ethical global business, and offered business advice on investment in design and customer service.
Fairley, who is the author of The Anti-Ageing Health & Beauty Bible and The Green Beauty Bible, also opened and ran a wellness centre in Hastings, England, which she sold earlier this year.
“Spa is a business I’m extremely passionate about as an insider as well as an observer,” she said.
Fairley launched the Green & Blacks brand “on a very, very rainy evening in our flat in Portobello Road with a yellow legal pad and a biro,” she told the audience. (She later sold it to Cadbury’s for an undisclosed amount.)
She suggested businesses focus on the key areas of branding and design, product quality, customer service, and public relations, as well as the ethics that underpin a brand.
“They ain’t rocket science,” she said. “You don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel. You >do have to do certain things really well.”
As a former beauty journalist, Fairley said she understood “what pushed journalists’ buttons” when she launched Green & Blacks, and that one square of her chocolate was worth 1,000 words.
“I’m a massive fan of sampling generally,” she said.
Fairley is also a fan of good design, especially in what she said is “an ever-more design-conscious world.”
“People often think they don’t have money to spend on high-quality design, and it has to go at the top of the list,” she said. “...I believe every single penny that is invested in good design – and good interior design – will be repaid a thousand times over.”
She put this into practice not just with the iconic Green & Blacks packaging, but also when she opened her own wellness centre after selling the chocolate brand.
“Everything had to look and feel a notch above the average wellness centre,” she said.
The centre included nine treatment rooms, as well as a healthy eating cookery school and yoga and pilates studios, and won an award for Healing Spaces in Holistic Healthcare.
“The building and the environment itself is part of the treatment,” she said.
Fairley also said she is “obsessive” about customer service.
“It is the lifeblood of any business,” she explained. “These days, it will be out there in the blink of an iPhone if there’s a problem.”
She said in every business she’s run, her employees knew they could never get into trouble for over-delivering on customer service.
“It’s about an attitude,” she said. “The customer is always right – even when they’re wrong.”
Fairley also advised that companies enter themselves for awards whenever possible – something she personally did from day one.
“When you have a great product or a fantastic service, it’s worth the time,” she said. “Whenever you win an award, it’s a fantastic PR opportunity, and it’s a really good way to help you stand out in an ever-more-crowded marketplace.”
Today, Fairley is working on The Perfume Society, a networking website for people who love fragrance, and she also incorporates wellness into her own life, practising meditation and yoga, which she said keeps her "strong and flexible."
|
|
News |
1 to 12 of 8704 news stories |
|
|
25 Apr 2024
Kerzner International has signed deals to operate two new Siro recovery hotels in Mexico and Saudi Arabia, following the launch of the inaugural Siro property in Dubai this February. Designed to offer guests a holistic ... More
|
|
|
|
24 Apr 2024
The US spa industry is continuing its upward trajectory, achieving an unprecedented milestone with a record-breaking revenue of US$21.3 billion in 2023, surpassing the previous high of US$20.1 billion in 2022. This data stems from ... More
|
|
|
|
24 Apr 2024
Short-term incentives to exercise, such as using daily reminders, rewards or games, can lead to sustained increases in activity, according to new research. Researchers found that even a simple daily reminder encouraged people to move ... More
|
|
|
|
24 Apr 2024
Spa and wellness veteran Shannon Malave has been named spa director at iconic US spa destination Mohonk Mountain House. Based in New York’s verdant Hudson Valley and founded in 1869, Mohonk is a historic Victorian ... More
|
|
|
|
23 Apr 2024
Six Senses Kyoto opens its doors today, marking the eco-luxury hotel and spa operator’s entry into Japan and a new addition to its urban collection. Situated in the historic Higashiyama district, the 81-key hotel is ... More
|
|
|
|
23 Apr 2024
The UAE’s first-ever Dior Spa has officially launched at The Lana, Dubai – the Dorchester Collection’s debut property in the Middle East. Bathed in natural daylight on the hotel’s 29th floor, Dior Spa The Lana ... More
|
|
|
|
22 Apr 2024
The Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan will reopen later this year with an all-new design plus enhanced treatments and experiences inspired by its river valley home. Nestled amid rich tropical ... More
|
|
|
|
18 Apr 2024
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has released new data on the US’ wellness economy, valuing it at US$1.8 trillion. According to the organisation's recent report – called The Global Wellness Economy: United States – the ... More
|
|
|
|
19 Apr 2024
UK sauna enthusiasts will converge at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland next week for the highly anticipated second annual UK Aufguss Championships. Hosted from 22-24, the event will see competitors from across the UK showcasing ... More
|
|
|
|
17 Apr 2024
Remedy Place, a US-based social wellness club brand, is poised for steady expansion in the coming years, with plans to open two new clubs annually moving forward Remedy Place is the brainchild of Dr Jonathan ... More
|
|
|
|
16 Apr 2024
Swiss longevity brand Clinique La Prairie (CLP) has inked a deal with Montara Hospitality Group to operate a resort at Tri Vananda – a purpose-built wellness community in Phuket, Thailand. Tri Vananda, envisioned as a ... More
|
|
|
|
15 Apr 2024
Six Senses has announced the grand opening of its first-ever property and spa in the Caribbean, called Six Senses La Sagesse. With a picturesque beachfront setting and surrounded by verdant hills, Six Senses La Sagesse ... More
|
|
|
|
|
|