Elements Day Spa & Wellness Center - Twin Falls

After two-and-a-half years of being a stay-at-home mom, Tonja Valdez was approached by the owners of a local day spa about purchasing their existing business. Valdez had never run her own business, so she turned to Cindy Bond with the Idaho Small Business Development Center at the College of Southern Idaho for consultation and advice regarding the purchase.

Although the sale fell through because of the seller's financial and legal difficulties, Valdez became convinced that the skin care industry was in her future.

She became a licensed esthetician and then obtained her license to practice esthetics in Washington, Idaho and Colorado. She also completed advanced medical training and studied with a plastic surgeon in Utah. Her first professional experience was gained at Spa Beleza in Ketchum. All the while, Valdez continued to work with the Idaho SBDC for assistance and guidance in eventually starting her own business in Twin Falls. With the help of the Idaho SBDC and a couple of no-interest credit cards, she opened Elements Custom Skin and Body Care in the fall of 2003.

Elements started with a single treatment room adjacent to a hair salon. Valdez did all of her own marketing and developed a loyal clientele with her cutting-edge skin treatments. She also maintained a practice in the Sun Valley area through her association with Irina Sher Skin Care.

In 2005, Valdez moved her business from its one-room studio into her current full service day spa, now known as Elements Day Spa and Wellness Center, in a joint venture with LE Duke Salon. LE Duke Salon owners Julie and Duke Kodesh also wanted to expand their business and the Idaho SBDC was instrumental in bringing the two businesses together.

Elements Day Spa and Wellness Center provides spa treatments, massage therapy, wellness programs and a variety of other services and high quality skin care products.

Valdez works with business partner Irina Sher in Sun Valley once a week. This past year they have been developing a skin care line with a team of biochemists and have received national attention for the line from a company that helped launch L’Oreal in Europe, as well as other well-known U.S. companies, like Lancome.