Phyt’s Beauty & Spa is located in the waterside suburb of Drummoyne, just a few minutes drive from Sydney’s CBD. With an ode to wellness and wellbeing, owner Coryn Johnson chats to Professional Beauty about the everyday running of her organic day spa.
Q. When, why and by whom was the salon established?
Phyt’s Beauty & Spa was a pre-existing business established by the Australian distributor of Phyt’s to promote and train the Phyt’s skincare range six years ago. Given the sharp growth of the product locally, the previous owner sold the rights to the salon to concentrate on product distribution. This is where I came into the picture. I purchased the salon two-and-a-half years ago.
Q.Why did you choose this location? What is the local demographic?
I believe the overall character of a business reflects your personality, and Drummoyne had so many positive qualities about it. When I was looking to buy, I had a list of features I wanted my salon to possess. The location was most important. Phyt’s Beauty & Spa was for sale as an organic salon. The demographic and location are critical for this type of business survival. It has a strong influence of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) groups living in Drummoyne and the Inner West. This helped me provide services and products that met the needs and wants of my local clientele.
Q. Who makes up the team and what are their key skills?
Currently we have a small but dynamic team of two senior therapists and one casual therapist. With 45 years of combined experience, there’s not a skin condition we haven’t seen and treated nor a qualification missed.
Q. What is your clientele breakdown?
We have a large clientele of women, but with a growing male market. We recently made a few interior design changes for a slightly more unisex look, and since then our male market has doubled. The largest ratio is 30-50 years, followed by 51-65 years and 16-29 years.
Q. What is your most requested service?
Our most requested service is facial treatments. This is where our focus is, and in essence, 65-70 percent of the business. Many of our clients travel the world frequently for business and pleasure; however they choose to come to us for their regular facials.
Q. How, if at all, did the economic downturn affect your business and how did you meet this challenge?
As the negotiations between the previous owner and I were drawing to a close late September 2008, panic touched everyone as headlines spread across the media regarding the GFC (Global Financial Crisis.) Initially, I thought it to be the worst time to buy a business; the risk was extremely high and I thought about backing out. After all, it’s said that most businesses fail within the first two years and luxury items for consumers are usually the first on the list to be reduced during economic downturns. Nevertheless, I thought facing this major hurdle could only make me stronger and wiser. I made sure I didn’t overcapitalise and I focused my attention to good customer service, marketing, and added value initiatives. I raised our prices in the first 12 months of trading, and as a result we actually experience 22 percent growth in our first year.
Q. What are your most favourite and least favourite elements of your role?
I love that my role allows me to use my creativity, express ideas, and collate valuable information about the skin with clients, peers and colleagues. I also love being reminded that living chemical-free is important for our health and sustainability. When it comes to the negatives, I wish everyone had a better understanding of how to live a more organic lifestyle. Unfortunately, pollutants, preservatives, GMOs, and chemicals all attribute to the increase of many illnesses, superbugs, deformities and cancers.
Q. Which ranges do you use in salon and why and which ranges do you retail and why?
We exclusively stock and use Phyt’s French Organic Skincare range. Phyt’s is currently the leading organic skincare range in the world, and with well over 300 products, the entire range is certified organic by world-recognised certified bodies Cosmebio. We use Phyt’s because the results really do speak for themselves. I’ve been a beauty therapist for 16 years and, in my opinion, there’s not a range that comes close to the results Phyt’s can achieve, and all while being chemical-free.
Q. What is your salon’s philosophy?
Our team recognises the importance of making your visit ‘an experience’. Phyt’s Beauty & Spa combines a talented team, with an emphasis on consultation, to create perfect synergy for our clients, and to deliver benchmark skincare results in a creative and relaxed atmosphere.
Q. What inspires you about the beauty industry?
What inspires me largely are my clients; the core of our business. They are the only reason my business exists. I love the rewarding feeling I get when a client walks in the door feeling one way and walks out the door feeling more positive, confident, self-assured and up-beat. It also proves to me that no matter what our internal and external environments deliver, the beauty business will never cease to exist.
Visit www.phytsbeauty.com.au to find out more.