Boutique day spa

Local residents seeking relaxation or recovery, gift buyers, couples, and employers buying wellness packages for staff.

Treatment fees, sauna or relaxation access passes, packages and memberships, gift cards and retail sales of wellness products.

• Hospitality and customer service
• Managing staff and schedules
• Basic bookkeeping and budgeting
• Marketing to a local audience

• Massage therapy and some other treatments are regulated in several provinces, so check your provincial regulator before hiring or advertising
• Local public health unit rules on saunas, hygiene and any pools or hot tubs
• Commercial lease terms, zoning and building or fire code requirements for the space
• Commercial general liability and professional liability insurance, plus WCB/WSIB coverage once you hire (rules vary by province)
• High fixed costs such as rent and wages, so test demand before committing to a long lease
• Quebec has its own rules and French-language requirements if you operate there

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $30,000 to $120,000, depending on the premises, fit-out, treatment rooms and any sauna equipment. High fixed costs like rent and wages mean you should test demand before a long lease.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on the number of treatment rooms, practitioners and bookings. That is revenue, not profit. The estimates assume at least about 30 hours a week.

Check your provincial regulator on massage therapy and other regulated treatments before hiring or advertising, and local public health rules on saunas and hygiene. Also check lease terms, zoning, building and fire codes, insurance, WCB or WSIB coverage, and Quebec French-language rules.