Mala McAlpin “We looked to find the positive in the situation.”
Every business owner and practitioner has spent their time during shutdown differently – some have taken the opportunity to educate themselves, pumping through virtual seminars on a daily basis. Others have reaped the benefits of some much needed R&R, engaging in me-time, home projects, and time with family. Others have opted to give every ounce of energy they had into their businesses, restructuring offerings, renovating the premises, or rebranding completely. Because what better time to implement change than when there are no clients around to disrupt?
Sharni Mancell from Queensland’s newly rebranded MBODY Aesthetics (previously The Derm Lab Brisbane) is one of the latter, and has found the process a positive experience. The two months of downtime has allowed time to implement a fresh new look for the business, including new logo, website, and social media presence. Sharni tells us more.
“Just before COVID-19 hit we were in negotiations, buying our business partner out and solely owning the business, and with that we thought what better time to rebrand, rename and start fresh?
During COVID-19 we transitioned to an online platform offering clients online consultations, skincare, and gut health products. This proved to be very successful. We were able to continue assisting clients with their skincare needs which helped them to remain connected with us. We also continued to post on Instagram and IG Stories to give our clients continued education and information along with updates on waiting lists and when we would expect to return to business.
A lot of people have found this isolation period very difficult and whilst that is totally understandable, we looked to find the positive in the situation. Like many, we were able to take a step back and look at things in the business that needed focus, or simply just completing those tasks that had been put off for so long. We did some long overdue renovations, to give the clinic a fresher look. We thought this was a perfect time to rebrand, rename, and propel the business and clinic forward into an exciting new venture.
Saying we have been busy (since reopening) is an understatement. There were many clients who were already booked in for treatments when COVID-19 hit, these unfortunately had to be postponed. However, when we reopened we offered these clients the first option to rebook. To add to this demand and taking into consideration clients that were already due for treatments, we likewise had a huge influx of new clients wanting to book in. Taking this all into consideration we were very well prepared with the pressures of reopening and attending to our clients needs.
We realise and are conscious of the fact that COVID-19 has affected many individuals and businesses, personally knowing of some businesses who have sadly not pulled through. Taking this into consideration, we have remained conscious and have used this time to focus and reset, looking at what is important for our business and clients, this in turn has had a major influence on our direction, hence rebranding to MBODY Aesthetics and refocusing on our path.”
Plenty of other businesses have opted to find the positive in the situation, including Bridget Savage’s esteemed BASE Aesthetics.
“We have used the lockdown time to fit-out our new clinic in South Perth, so that has been a little silver lining of the time off,” says Bridget. The already-gorgeous clinic has now relocated and undergone a full transformation, as well experimenting with some new skincare protocols ahead of WA’s upcoming return to work (salons and clinics set to reopen mid June, though no specific date has been announced).
