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Old 09-10-2005, 01:19 AM   #1 (permalink)
 
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I am in the process of opening up a new salon. The building we are going to be renting is currently under construction and we are in the phase right now of planning our buildout. My partners want a unique layout to the space that we are going to occupy and I think that they might be limiting our profit, and more importantly might be hurting our customers by not being able to provide a sufficient amount of beds, leading to increased waiting.

Currently we have ordered

1 High Pressure Bed
1 Standup Unit
1 Mid Level Lay-down
5 Entry Level Beds
& 1 Sunless

With the current setup we will have enough rooms to add five more additional beds with two of those having to definitely be entry level beds. This will give a grand total of 13 beds plus 1 sunless.

Here are the facts for our salon.

No competition within 2-3 Miles.
Located on a main road adjacent to an upscale outdoor shopping mall. In the same building as a national vitamin chain.

Local traffic on the major thoroughfare that leads into the mall is 67,510 cars per day. It also has major visibility from a freeway that runs behind the development.

Primary market demographics present an upscale customer where population estimates exceed 200,000, where average household income exceeds $75,000 and where adjacent neighborhoods boast residential growth with the typical houses within a two mile radius range from $200k to $1million.

Does anyone think that the 13 bed max is too limiting? The space we occupy is 2,000 sqft. Should we go more or would it not necessarily make a difference?
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Old 09-10-2005, 07:31 AM   #2 (permalink)
 
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We have found that with 12-14 beds you can do 200-350 people per day. We have a 12 bed salon we can do 200 people in one day with 2 people per shift working their butts off. Your entry level beds should include beds with face tanners and beds without. You need one kick *** type bed that no one in the area has or has ever seen before. You have to have a reason why they want to visit your salon. We are the most expensive salon in our area, but before you come inside you can see you are going to get great service and a great tan. Have fun with the salon. Make a game of it. People who tan want to have fun. Just like when you go to the local bar. You go with the hopes of having fun. Den-den, Miami Bronz
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Old 09-10-2005, 07:46 AM   #3 (permalink)
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I think your mix should be more mid-level units and less entry-level. The key to getting the most out of the least is to have a mix that gives you quicker tanning times with higher session pricing. It sounds like more of your clients will be higher income and in a hurry. 13 units will be fine. Just be sure you have a laundry room and a nice waiting area. Will this give you enough room for 12 nice sized rooms and a stand-up?
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Old 09-10-2005, 08:18 AM   #4 (permalink)
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13 units is fine - that's "about right" for 2000 s.f. if you also factor in laundry/electrical room, bathroom(s), and some lobby/counter area. You probably can't get any more than 15. If your "creative layout" is costing you rooms - change it!! You never want to be paying any more than you have to for "wasted space"! Tanners are only IN the place for 15-20 minutes at a time -- they care about the service and the quality of the result, not if the walls are curvy or if it has some crazy layout! ALWAYS maximize the number of potential rooms - even if you leave some empty initially.

BTW, rule of thumb, the "ideal" tanning spaces are 20' wide or 40' wide (give or take a foot). Anything much different "doesn't work".

That said - 7 out of 12 tanning beds (plus the sunless) is WAY too many entry level beds. You have DEFINITELY limited your profit potential doing this!!!

And I beg to differ with Miami Bronz - I would NEVER put facials in Level 1 beds. That is an "upgrade" feature, one that clients will GLADLY pay more money to use!

I'd make your Level 1 beds 15 mins, no facials, and max of 6, preferably 5. Start with 4.

Not sure what your "mid-level laydown" is intended to be, but I'd have it be approx 40 lamps, higher wattage in the canopy, and probably facials. 15 min tan time would be fine. Need at LEAST 2 of these, and ideally, should have 3!! For budget - start with 2.

I assume the stand-up would be Level 2 or 3. Stand-ups get SO little use - you need a "hook" to have it be hit more than about 10% of the time. I'd STRONGLY consider the TanAmerica SunUpII with facials -- the facials are the "hook". A few others out there that are decent, but usually more $$. Also STRONGLY consider going "used" on your standup. They are ALWAYS for sale, and typically pretty "gently worn" 'cause nobody uses them much!!

Need a "big VHR bed" here. Think Ergoline 600, UWE S-Class, Sungate, new Heartland Crimsun Sun 48/4 (beautiful!), etc. 46+ lamps, 3-4 good facials, 160W or higher lamps all around, big acrylic, great fans, "bells & whistles" perhaps (aroma, shoulder tanners,...). Have ONE of these for SURE, and you SHOULD have two!!!

1 High Pressure and 1 Sunless. Good, assuming you are talking "real HP", not just a "big bed" that you are calling HP. Make sure you are getting "quality" for both of these -- these are pure profit makers if you pick stuff that works and know how to sell it!

Total -- To start:
Level 1 - 4 beds
Level 2 - 2 beds + 1 standup
Level 3 - 1 bed (2 would be better!)
Level 4 - 1 HP
Sunless - 1 Sunless

Growing toward:
Level 1 - 5
Level 2 - 3 + 1 standup
Level 3 - 2
1 HP and 1 Sunless

IF you get big, and outgrow the space - build a second location! This sounds like a fine spot, and 13-15 beds will be plenty profitable and be able to service customers just fine IF you pick the proper mix of beds!!
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Old 09-10-2005, 11:26 AM   #5 (permalink)
 
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Sorry I guess I didn't list the manufacturer of beds and what types.

We're going with Tan America: The enry levels will be the Santa Barbara, the Standup is the SunUpII w/ Facials, and the MidLevel Lay-down is the DelRey w/ facials and the HP is the Matrix L33.

You guys have been a tremendous help. As far as room sizes go we have:
5 - 10' x 10'
4 - 8' x 8'
2 - 6 x 10' - For the SunUp's, but I'm getting the feeling I'll only need one
3 - 8' - 10' - One of these is Sunless
2 - Bathrooms & One Utility/Washer & Dryer Room
Lobby is going to be 7' x 24'

I always thought that we were going to need more entry level beds than just the five.

Also we were going to only offer a total of three levels: Entry - Mid(DelRey & SunUP) & The Matrix
Do we need another level in there? If so do you know which bed in TanAmerica would be either high or lower than our current midlevels, or should we just offer those beds w/o the facials?

Again, I really appreciate everyone's help with this.
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Old 09-10-2005, 12:50 PM   #6 (permalink)
 
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Quote:
On 2005-09-10 08:18:00, sunsally wrote:


BTW, rule of thumb, the "ideal" tanning spaces are 20' wide or 40' wide (give or take a foot). Anything much different "doesn't work".




I disagree.
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Old 09-10-2005, 01:30 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Room sizes of 8' deep "works" for most beds. Some CAN take 7' deep, some need 10'.

A 20' wide space allows you to put 8' deep on both walls, and a 4' hallway down the middle (comfortable, and meets ADA).

Shave a couple of inches here or there for framing, put a "big bed" across from a stand-up so a "jog" making one side deeper in one section maybe.

40 feet works the same way except an additional 16' deep of back-to-back rooms in the middle and an extra 4' wide hallway.

Get much off from there (e.g. a 25' wide space, or 30' wide space), and generally speaking, you can't fit much, if any, more equipment, and you are "paying" for s.f. that therefore isn't revenue producing.

What have you seen work differently/better West Side Tanner?

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Old 09-10-2005, 01:30 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
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Our space is 25' by 80'
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Old 09-10-2005, 01:34 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Sent you a PM "Square".

If you aren't required to have 2 bathrooms, stick with one. Check your building code.

With your width, room sizes could be laid out more efficiently (beds on the "inside" walls, rather than along the back outside walls) and fit more equipment. What you have now is overkill for most of your equip, and you are losing beds as a result.
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Old 09-11-2005, 11:33 AM   #10 (permalink)
 
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I'm 15' wide. Long & Deep! 4' hallway. 11' wide rooms. You don't necessarily have a choice of a "deep" bay or a "wide" bay, you have to work with what is avail.
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