Congratulations on 20 years of Caci Rotorua. Can you tell us what your journey has been like from 2004 to now?
When we first opened people felt Rotorua wasn’t “boujee” enough to have women wanting to spend money to improve their appearances. It was a first for the area – no one else in Rotorua was doing treatments such as Botox and fillers and those who could afford it had to go to the bigger cities. We had a doctor fly into Rotorua on a Tuesday and do Botox treatments as well as vein and mole removals. Since then, training has evolved and qualified cosmetic nurses on staff now do the injectable treatments. There are also now a lot more people doing the types of treatments we offer. It’s more of the norm than it was 20 years ago. People now prioritise doing things to make themselves feel good and they know it gives them confidence in their everyday life.
The membership model that Caci offers has also been a big thing. The ability to pay-as-you-go for treatments has helped people do the treatments they might not have been able to afford previously, making our services more accessible for people who want to achieve skin confidence. Caci was one of the first to do this and now it’s common practice for places to offer this membership model.
What attracted you to Caci initially?
I used to go to beauty salons for regular facials before I went to Caci, and I always loved the experience. I wanted a business that had technology that did a lot of the hard work for me so I could focus on the business. Having been in business myself and the challenges that come with that, I wanted a business that had support around it to help me tackle the hard things, with children this was a big thing for me.
What has kept you with Caci for 20 years?
I love it! I always feel good coming to work and there has not been one day in 20 years that I have not wanted to come to work! I love what we do and seeing the difference we make to customers' skin and their confidence – there really is no greater feeling. I have a good team behind me and they are part of the reason I am still here 20 years later.
How has the industry changed over this time?
It has changed a lot! There has been a lot of improvement with the advancement of technology and machines to target all skin concerns. Caci has also evolved a lot with new treatments on offer and it's changing all the time. The changes have also come with customer demand. 20 years ago, it was a handful of people who wanted these types of treatments – now everyone wants to feel good!
What have been your key learnings from 20 years in business?
I’ve learned that being an owner without any experience in beauty, you need to have a good team behind you. Having stable staff is key to being successful in this business. When you have a good team – it's almost a guarantee for success. Customers don’t like changes – I have staff who have been with me for 20 years too and that has been huge for our customers and their skin journey. If you don’t look customers, they wouldn’t want to stay – at the end of the day they’re the ones who do the treatment and it all comes down to them. The Caci Academy has been a massive thing too, it’s been great for staff training, improvement and continuous learning.
What are the benefits of being part of a franchise?
You have help on hand and peace of mind knowing that if you need help, it’s there. It’s up to you to succeed but you have a support team behind you. You just have to ask if you need it. It’s your business, it’s your money so the best relationship needs to be with support office. It’s great to have other clinics you can ask for help too, but keep in mind that every clinic is different and what works in one region, might not work for your clinic.
What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a Caci clinic owner?
You have to work hard. You have to be in the business and really work on it. I love it and it’s a fantastic business, you have support but it’s really up to you to drive results and achieve success. You are a business owner but with the support of a team behind you to assist when needed, which is really powerful. You need to really understand your finances as you really have to manage these properly to succeed. If you do this right – you'll be good.
At the end of the day, people come to us to help make them feel good so a good relationship with your customers is important to ensure they want to come back and tell their friends.
