Tamar

Yes, I'm mental too. Oh, you said mentor! Thanks to EVERYONE at Tantalk, love you guys! Without you, I'd be GONE...

neon

Can anyone give any good ideas or suggestions on #11, budgeting. This is my first year and I'm a little nervous about my first slow season. What can we do now? what should we have already done? And how can we do all of this as well as trying to add to and grow your salon for the next busy season? Not to mention paying for the debt we gained just by opening?

shallee

MJ

Shallee,
Here is a link to help you with Budgeting..
http://www.tantalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=2322894&forum=33&2
(It is in the salon owners forum, For Salon Owners that haven't yet signed up to get access to that forum..
Please do so. There are many posts in there that could be very benificial to your salon! )
I will post more on this later.. Kinda swamped lately..
Anyone else have a few tips?
Mj

COCONUT

this is a good post for all that are thinking of opening a salon.

Steve Underhill

There is a great deal more to consider than these 10 rules, but let’s expand on these.
1. Location: Evaluating a location is the foundation of a successful salon. Things to consider are; parking, accessibility, visibility, available electrical service and most importantly the targeted demographic population in a 3 mile radius. Based on your demographics and chosen marketing program you can project with a great deal of accuracy your potential income.

2. Lease negotiation: There many ways to create a favorable lease. There are variables with each location. The trick is to evaluate the initial terms offered by the landlord. There is a great deal more cash assistance available when the space is new. When it is a space that has already had a tenant it is best to ask for things that don't require the landlord to spend money. Be creative, you can ask for things that will benefit you well into the lease term. Always make sure there is enough electrical service available. If there is additional cost to get required service to the building, find out what the cost is before you start the negotiation process.

3. Choosing decor: Packaging is one of the most important aspects of a successful salon. Packaging is what sells your product. The sale is made in the lobby, not in the tanning rooms. Your salon should reflect a buying environment not a selling environment.

4. Choosing the right beds: this is typically where most new salon owners make a mistake. You must create distinct levels of performance in your salon. Wide performance separation between levels is of great importance. Use of base equipment should be sold based on value not performance. Basic 100 watt 32 lamp systems w/o facials is the way to go.
Keep performance and separation in mind when choosing your level two and three systems.

5. Software: Make sure you buy the support contract.

6. Pricing (Marketing Program): This is again very important to the success of your salon. Remember that your equipment is tools to support you’re pricing. Your price structure must be determined before you start looking for a space or choosing equipment. Pricing is more than how much you charge to tan. A properly structured marketing program is like a map to a location with very specific directions that will support your final destination.

7. Lobby/retail/waiting area: See choosing decor

8. Merchandise: You can't sell out of an empty wagon. Look like you are in the business of selling lotion. Display your products so tanners can touch them. Lotion companies will train your staff to sell lotions. If a tanner can't steal it they can't buy it. Keep this in mind when you display your products. Your lotion sales should be 18% to 30% of your tanning sales.

9. Staffing: Never hire someone that has worked at another salon, you will spend all of your time trying to break bad habits. Everything your staff knows about tanning you should teach them. If you have a bad employee it is your fault. Always have a structured comprehensive employee training manual and use it. It is the only way to create a consistent transfer of information.

10. Stay Informed: Be aware of your source of information. Do not take advice from a salon owner that is struggling. There are as many good sources of information as there is bad.

BigLeo

Make sure that you have a business plan for your new salon. Salons don't run themselves. You need to establish goals and objectives, developed a marketing plan, position statement, and marketing strategies and programs to launch the grand opening, target customers, advertise and promote the salon. You will also need a set of financial projections that you can use as your budget. Make sure that you make realisitic assumptions for sales and know your operating expenses. Cashflow is very important in the tanning business os make sure you know your breakeven point. I would recommend TanPlan. They have the best software for preparing the financial projections for a tanning salon. Be prepared to work very hard to realize your dream and make your salon a successful enterprise.

West Side Tanner

Read the Entire TanTalk website, 5x before you ask a question.

mr belvedere

What?

Neon Beach

Top Ten Things You need for A Successful Tanning Salon:

10. Money
9. Money
8. Money
7. Money
6. Money
5. Money
4. Money
3. Money
2. Money

And the Number one thing you need to succeed........ ~drum roll~

1. More money, that you don't have to pay back to anyone!!

mr belvedere

#13. Have a fool-proof back-up plan.