ooredoo " 72 5:39 BAMBOO SPA.pdf Opportunity and Challenges In 2010 she could no longer wait and decided to give in to her inner calling. She spent approximately 8 months on the initial set-up-a-business phase. She began her much loved project with feasibility study and identifying the requirements such as location, staff, equipment etc. Her banking experience helped her immensely in recognizing the key indicators for a successful start- up project. The Spa opened its doors in February 2011 under the name Bamboo Spa. The name promised to take the customer to the Bamboo plantations in Asia especially in Indonesia and Thailand known for its rejuvenating massages and tranquil resorts. She started business with her personal money that she had saved over 14 A Guide for Entrepreneurship Education 125 91 89.03 Case Studies the years. She was keen on investing in advance payments for rent for 8 months and towards the stock to be used over one year to ensure smooth running of the Spa for about a year's time. She had kept a timeline of 5 years to convert the business into a profitable one. One of her fears was that people may not accept the concept of Bamboo Spa, as it was intended to specialize in natural treatments and most natural methods take time to give results where as customers are always looking for treatments giving results in the shortest possible time. Yet, she always believed that natural treatments for skin are always a better solution than using chemical products. After 4 years of operations of the Bamboo Spa, Moza decided to resign from her job without telling her family. She was a little afraid as she was giving up on stability and safety. Today she acknowledges that all businesses are initially unstable and every entrepreneur needs patience and ability to meet various challenges during the inception years. She always believed that Bamboo Spa is unique in the market. She was a hands-on entrepreneur involved in each and every aspect of creating her spa. Every nook and cranny of the Spa was done up lovingly from cups, furniture to the menu card. She established policies for the Spa and created services and products not available in the market. She started her venture at Madinat Al Qaboos but she was quick to recognise and correct the flaws in her initial location, so she soon moved to Qurum for want of a better and bigger location with visibility. Moza is a much disciplined individual when it comes to running of the Spa She budgets and plans all the activities a year in advance. Annually, she focuses on the things to be developed in terms of the number of products, employees and services. She is forever innovating on the quality provided bringing in new and latest techniques. The Spa offers physiotherapy and wellness services so it exudes tranquility through low lighting and soothing music to encourage relaxation. It offers Moroccan bath, Manicure and Pedicure services. The Spa focuses on providing wellness services rather than beautification and that is the USP of Bamboo Spa and hence there is only one makeup artist in the Spa to provide make up services for their regular clients. As Moza started concentrating on revenue generation, she realized that Spa business is seasonal so to keep the momentum on, she started with marketing campaign, discounts and special offers. She quickly recognized the need to have more revenue sources apart from the services she provided and that made her start the retailing side of her business. She was already sourcing best of skincare products for her services in the Spa and many of her customers wanted to continue using those products at home as well, so for Moza it was just extending the line of the products and making it available at her Spa for retailing. Moza sources her wellness products from around the world. Before adding them to the list of her preferred products they are subjected to many clinical •..