She liked the spa, so she opened one in Goochland

For years, Brenda Clymer looked forward to receiving a gift certificate for spa services each time a special occasion rolled around.

"It was my normal birthday and Christmas present," Clymer said.

She liked spa so much that she opened one -- the Magnolia Day Spa in Manakin-Sabot.

Clymer first thought about opening a spa in 2007 after she was certified as a nail technician and esthetician. At the time, her husband, Bill, owned Innovative Hair Solutions in Chesterfield County.

"I got the certifications because I wanted to help increase our revenue at the salon," she said. "While I was in school to become an esthetician, my husband prepared a business plan for a spa and presented it to the bank."

Once the plan was approved, Clymer began looking for a location in Goochland County because of the proximity to her Henrico County home.

Her search ended when she found the 3,000-square-foot building at 32 Briggs Drive near Broad Street Road and state Route 623 in Goochland. The space was large enough to accommodate all of her business needs.

"I knew that I wanted both a relaxation room and a hydrotherapy room as well as rooms for massages, facials and nails," she said. "I also wanted a space that had a large room that I could use for yoga and pilates."

Clymer opened Magnolia Day Spa in July 2008.

The spa offers many services, including massages, facials, facial treatments, manicures and pedicures, body treatments, waxing and spray tanning. Clymer also rents out the large area where she has held yoga and Pilates exercise classes for parties that include spa treatments.

The spa also has a sauna, available to anyone getting a spa treatment, and a hydrotherapy spa capsule that uses varying degrees of water flow and pressure to help relax and energize the body.

"I thought the capsule was something that would set us apart from other spas," Clymer said. "I believe it's the only one in central Virginia."

Manakin-Sabot resident Pam McDonald has tried several of the spa's services.

"I've been very pleased with them all," she said. "The quality of the services is excellent."

Everyone at the spa is very personable and friendly, she added. "I get a hug every time I walk in the door."

When Clymer opened her spa, the industry was rapidly growing. The number of spas in the U.S. jumped from 14,600 in July 2007 to 18,100 in June 2008, according to the International Spa Association. In 2007, the U.S. spa industry generated $10.9 billion of revenue.

Clymer's customer database has jumped to 1,100 patrons in less than a year's time.

"We are steadily building our clientele," she said. "It's too soon to see how much we've grown in sales."

She admits the down economy has affected her business.

"People are shopping around and looking for deals," she said. "We've done a lot of price cuts to keep customers coming in."

Lisa Avram of Manakin-Sabot sees the spa as a wonderful addition to the area.

"I was thrilled when it opened," she said. "It's very peaceful there, totally serene."

Avram always books a facial for her mother whenever her mom visits from Florida.

"I set her up with Brenda because Brenda's facial is so wonderful," she said.

Clymer's most popular services are manicures followed by massages and facials. Body treatments, however, are starting to gain momentum, she said.

"There are a lot of new trends geared toward body treatments such as cellulite treatments," Clymer said.

While the majority of Clymer's customers are female, she's noticing that her male clientele is growing.

"We are seeing more men come in for massages and pedicures," she said. "We have a few that like facials and waxing."