What does a trip to an aesthetician have to do with your financials

A lot of personal care services out there are considered a luxury-skincare routines, facials, trips for micro needling or dermoplaning have long been in that category.

A few years ago, at the insistence of my friend, I finally made an appointment to a highly recommended aesthetician. I have been meaning to make that appointment for months because at the time, I just wasn't happy with how my skin looked, and even though I don't consider myself a particularly vain or high maintenance person, it was starting to bother me. I was concerned about the expense, the time commitment (was told I would need to do a series of 6 facials 1-2 weeks apart for maximum effect and then maintain with regular facials from there). It felt like an ultimate luxury-not a necessity. But the way I looked was starting to bother me more, and my one main goal was to look great without make up.

Well, I will spare you the details, but let's just say that this first appointment was probably 5 or 6 years ago, and I have been going to this aesthetician every month or so ever since. What originally seemed like a luxury expense turned into a necessity. What I got was education about skincare, great products I could use at home, and I realized that the time and money I spent, over time got me exactly what I wanted-great skin without needing much make up to constantly hide my imperfections. The end result was well worth it and became a necessity.

So what do your financials have to do with those visits? Advisory services are rarely considered a necessity by business owners. Compliance like tax preparation is what most people focus on for obvious reasons, but when it comes to financial planning and analysis, it goes largely ignored or is treated like a luxury.

I could try to convince you that looking at your financials and having a great handle on your budgets and forecasts, as well as cash management is just as important as tax prep, but just like those visits to a salon, advisory services feel like a luxurious waste of money. If you are trying to achieve a business goal, it won't happen overnight. It is an investment you make-both financially and as a time commitment, to work with an advisor to solve a problem. However, struggling with cash flows issues, or inability to grow the business, or simply lacking understanding about what drives your business, or what hinders it, ends up being a lot more costly. We always talk about self-care and well-being, and your business (and you as its owner!) deserve financial well-being. Advisory services is that self-care businesses need to operate at their best.

Looking great without make up may have been an odd motivator to turn my luxurious trip to a salon into a necessity -what will your motivation be to talk to an advisor?