Megan Ward is a veteran stylist of 25 years, and almost nine years ago, she became a salon owner after purchasing and renovating a commercial building in Spokane, Washington. 

“We createdLuxe Salon on the second floor and my lash business on the first floor,” she says. “But I was getting a lot of interest in laser hair removal and other med spa services. So a year after I opened, I also began offering monthly botox injections.”

Ward found a nurse practitioner to come into the space, and business boomed. In fact, it went so well that when a house next to her salon became available, Ward bought it, tore it down, and embarked on a $1.5 million renovation to create a three-story med spa with a comprehensive menu, state-of-the-art equipment and medical staff.

Structuring the Med Spa 

To learn the ins and outs of the med spa business, Ward joined AmSpa  (American Med Spa Association), and hired an attorney who specialized in med spas. “AmSpa helped me dial in to the industry and get protected,” Ward says. 

With AmSpa and their recommended attorneys, Ward was able to structure a business plan to grow her med spa and provide the services her clients need. Clients view the business simply as Luxe – one business they visit for all their needs. But internally, it is two separate entities. 

“We have two separate buildings, side by side, with the same branding,” Ward says. “We have to run separate transactions for all our med spa services since they must go through a medical bank account linked to a medical business. There’s so much that goes into a med spa–for example, we need a different type of insurance to protect the nurses providing those services.”

The Luxe med spa staff is made up of 12  employees—three nurses, seven master estheticians, some front desk employees and the nurse practitioner. Ward handles all the management aspects of the med spa while the nurse practitioner focuses on services and overseeing the nurses.

On the salon menu, guests are able to book hair services, waxing, lashes, brows, and tanning. In the med spa, services run the gamut from spa facials to health services to injectables, Botox and more. 

The Vibe

“The salon is upbeat and fast-paced,” Ward says. “The med spa is relaxing, calm, and tranquil. That vibe is key as the med spa is also very much a medical facility. 

“We do a full consultation on guests, including a Visia scan and labs, to see what treatments are appropriate,” Ward says. “Guests then meet with a nurse practitioner to go over a comprehensive treatment plan that focuses on full body and face.” 

Why it Works

Luxe has operated as a salon and med spa in Spokane for three years, and Ward says her buttoned-up, by-the-book approach has instilled confidence in guests. 

“We start building loyalty on the hair side, and they trust us and stay with us for med spa services,” she says. 

And Luxe stays on top of the latest trends, offering guests what they want and need. 

“You have to invest in the staff, education, and equipment,” she says. “We’re focused on what’s safe and what will give results/outcome, without harming the client. Our approach is to be conservative and show results. 

Key Advice

Ward highly recommends joining AmSpa as a first step to researching a med spa business. “It’s a really good resource for anyone,” she says. “It’s also good to reach out to several attorneys to ensure you have one who understands how to properly set up a med spa in your state.”  

The financial overhead of a med spa, including equipment costs, is also a consideration, Ward cautions. “There’s a lot to keep up with on the back end—protocols, setting up medical binders, keeping up with HIPAA and CPR certifications—it’s a lot.”