parrot head

I have savings, and no debt. My bills are minimal, but I did just buy new lamps, and these were paid for out of savings. Considering all this, July has always been my worse month.

crosbytan

Push your Facebook! It is all but non existent. Like you started it got little response then gave up. This marketing strategy takes a couple of months to get going but once it does it is a snowball effect. You need to do $100 in paid advertising to your key demographic on Facebook this will likely get you another 50 likes then run a like, share, or comment, on our posts to win a 3 month unlimited campaign. this will get you alot of free likes. If your facebook is dead then you're letting potential customers walk past your doors and through your competitors. If you have old equipment then seal the deal with customer service and bargain prices

__________________
David
www.facebook.com/crosbytanning
www.islandtanz.com
info@islandtanz.com

SteveO

Our college business is definitely down. I can attribute it to 2 things. Declining enrollment is hurting all the businesses in the area. The college president is trying to re-make the school and enrollment is down about 20% over the last 3 years. The other problem is online classes. You can be a student and not come anywhere near campus.

Wynwood

I believe that Under 18 Bans, along with the tan tax and sunscare propaganda campaigns initiated and co-opted by our government, are resulting in large numbers of young people avoiding indoor tanning. If this is true, then it's no surprise that college salons will be damaged badly because their customer base is the 18 - 24 year olds.

parrot head

Sun scare and the economy is really the thorn, or should I say sword, that's killing my business. The enrollment at Stout increases every year, but I have had many good customers that simply don't tan because "I'm just a poor college kid" or that cancer thing "scares me".

Steve Underhill

What have you done to identify why she is showing decreases?

__________________
Stephen Underhill
Consultant
steve@smuconsulting.com

peach

Yes-we are seeing the same thing. And 10% is big money for your average small business person. That will take the money right out of your salon improvement ideas.

If this is happening across demographic and geographic lines, then you cannot blame it on personal business practices or weather. You have to wake up and smell the economics.

As I have tried to say many times on this site, and others, the industry is in serious trouble, by things that are no fault of its own and things that it could control but choose not to.

The biggest problem affecting this season is the economic inflation that is starting to destroy our industry. As we know, indoor tanning is not a necessity. When inflation occurs in areas such as food, clothing, and energy costs, that takes away the extra money people have to spend on things like indoor tanning. Usually, wages rise along with prices so the consumers buying power stays the same. That is not happening now and has not happened in 3 or 4 years.

The reason wages are not rising is simple; cheap foreign labor drives down the cost of labor. So, if you think this country's immigration policy is not your problem, think again.

That is why your sales are off; Fewer people are tanning, and those who do are buying less and spending less. Unfortunately, until wages start rising this trend will likely continue.

There is your ECON 101 lesson for the day.

peach

Well, if nothing significant has changed in you or your competition from last year to this year, what would think?

peach

But advertising costs money, and special EFT deals mean less money in your pockets per customer not more. Does your extra costs balance against your sales increases? Your business has to be able to stand alone at some point-without special expenses and low ball pricing or it is doomed to eventually fail.

peach

"But under 18 tanning bans are going to bring a slow death to this industry if we don't stop it in its tracks." - I am afraid that train has already left the station