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Re: My first question
Step 4 - Understand that opening a tanning salon is NOT about tanning, but rather, about the following, in the following order:
1. RUNNING A BUSINESS
2. OPERATING A RETAIL SALES ORGANIZATION
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3. Providing tanning products and services.
Think about tanning LAST. Think first about your skills in running a BUSINESS.
-Are you organized?
-Good with numbers?
-Can multi-task and juggle many different things well - including payroll, staffing, training, advertising & marketing, cleaning, technical maintenance, bookkeeping, PR, community involvement,....
If you can't do all/some of those things WELL-- are you prepared (financially) to pay someone else to do them for you? Because they must be done WELL.
How about sales? Do you understand that tanning is no longer about just opening doors to let the massive waiting crowds in to tan, but it is about SALES!
From your equipment mix, pricing options, salon layout, presentation of the salon to new clients, advertising & marketing ..... it is ALL about SALES. You need to know how to structure your environment for SALES, tailor your advertising & marketing to encourage SALES, hire and train employees for SALES, motivate and reward SALES behavior, .....
Are you PERSONALLY an outstanding SALES PERSON? Do you get a huge kick trying to SELL someone something -- anything? Are you persuasive? Relentless? Resilient (if turned down)? Do you know how to look for those traits in others you want to hire, and how to train them to be even better sales people??
Finally -- and much further down the line --- know a little about tanning. How it "works", why it feels good, how the different equipment and products you offer will lead to different results.
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