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Re: Advertising????
Timeless...it all depends on what you have to work with, what you want your image to be and what your competition is known for. What has the salon been known for under the previous owner(s)? Were they the cheapest place to tan, the friendliest, the cleanest, have the best beds? Do you want to go for quantity of tanners or quality of tanners? I know, I know...we all want a large quantity of quality tanners but in this business you rarely are able to do both. If you have a lot of base beds, older equipment, and/or your salon is a little run-down then you might as well do what's being suggested and go for the bottom feeders. On the other hand if you have good equipment (quality and mix of beds), a clean salon, and excellent customer service than don't do a lot of discounting. Coupon/discount advertising can definitely increase the number of tanners you have but it cuts into your profit. With busy season knocking on your door you shouldn't need to discount that much if you have a good price structure in place to support your equipment mix.
As far as advertising goes it again depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you decide to go the discount route, go with the penny savers and money mailer type advertising. Radio, cable and broadcast tv, and upscale magazines are all excellent at getting an "image" message out or for event ads like a grand opening or anniversary celebration. Billboards are great for short messages and directional type ads (ABC Tanning, next exit, right on Broadway). Contact someone from each of these media and do some research. I've found that each one has some good salespeople and some bad salespeople. Talk to other business owners you know and get recommendations.
The preceeding is just my humble opinion and free advice and it's worth every penny!:)
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