How Small Business Consulting Helped a Memphis Float Spa Expand

When Antwanette Crutcher tried flotation therapy for the first time on a girls’ trip to California in 2021, she had been working in corporate finance for almost 20 years. When she emerged from the pod after her session, she came out with a new conviction.

“For the first time ever, I felt like I was able to rest, not just physically, my mind and my brain too,” Crutcher said. “When I came out of that pod, I knew I needed to bring it back to Memphis. I felt a strong conviction to open a float spa, to create this space for other professionals, other people who felt like me, to come in and find this urban oasis and escape.”

Crutcher’s mind was set.

From a Pop-Up Idea to a Pitch Contest

She eventually left the corporate world to build Jasper Float Spa in Memphis, Tennessee. Before opening a permanent location, she tested the idea through a pop-up setup and entered a pitch contest hosted by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South.

She didn’t win. But the contest put her in front of Rhett Douglas, a Senior Management Consultant on the Entrepreneurship Team at Communities Unlimited (CU), who was one of the judges. Douglas began advising Crutcher in 2023, when Jasper Float Spa was still just an idea, and the two started working through what it would take to open: equipment costs, pricing, revenue projections and a timeline.

Rethinking the Equipment Plan

Crutcher’s original plan centered on a float tank, the piece of equipment she wanted Jasper to be known for. But when she and Douglas ran the numbers, the cost didn’t fit her budget or timeline. Douglas suggested she look at other options, and Crutcher found a local craftsman who built her a custom bed instead, cheaper than the tank and still able to deliver the experience she wanted for clients.

Douglas also pushed her to research the market before making other big investments, testing what would work and benchmarking Jasper against local competitors before she committed more money. He worked with her to set competitive commission rates for service providers, giving Crutcher a clearer financial picture as she moved toward opening.

Six Figures in Year One, Tripled Revenue in Year Two

Jasper Float Spa opened its first permanent space in downtown Memphis and began growing quickly.

“We’ve been rocking and rolling,” Crutcher said. “First year we hit six figures, second year we tripled revenue. We were turning away more clients than we could take in, so we knew we needed a second location.”

Jasper’s original space was small, and as its appointment calendar filled up, the tight footprint made it harder to serve the number of clients wanting appointments without losing the calm, unhurried feel Crutcher wanted for the business.

Two Locations, One Growth Strategy

The business opened a second location at the Carriage House on the campus of the Junior League of Memphis on Aug. 1. Three percent of sales from the location go to support the Junior League and its community projects.

At the same time, Crutcher is relocating Jasper’s original downtown operation to a building about a block and a half away that’s twice the size of its previous space. The new downtown location is scheduled to open Sept. 15; a grant from the Downtown Memphis Commission is funding part of the renovation.

As she planned both expansions, Douglas worked alongside Crutcher on growth strategy, operations, cash flow and opening timelines.

The Carriage House location is still establishing its customer base, but it reached its sales target during its second week of operation.

Deep Rest as a Business Model

Both locations focus on relaxation and wellness services built around deep rest. Jasper’s offerings include massage therapy, infrared sauna sessions, traditional spa services and its proprietary REST Therapy. The business says a 30-minute REST Therapy session is roughly equivalent to three hours of deep sleep.

Additionally, Douglas has become someone Crutcher calls when she needs a second opinion on a decision, something that’s mattered even more now that she’s running a business that’s outgrown its original capacity.

Crutcher said she’s tried to build carefully, leaning on the guidance available to her through Communities Unlimited’s small business lending and entrepreneurship team.

“I’m appreciative of the services you all have provided, which, as a startup, are so critical to starting off on the right foot, with a strong foundation,” she said.