Steve Underhill

You have always dreamed of owning your own tanning salon and you have finally made the decision open one. You have done lots of research and you have some great ideas of what will make your salon better than the other salons in your area. You have spent a great deal of time on the forums getting bits and pieces of additional ideas. However you are just not sure how to put all of the pieces together. You purchase a business plan program and spend weeks writing a business plan. You find some locations that you like and finally decide on the one you like. It’s time to negotiate a lease so you are back on the forums asking for advice. Now without having the knowledge or experience to negotiate your best deal you enter into a lease. Now you are ready to build your salon but you are not sure of where to start. You have a good idea of how you want your salon to look so you start getting bids. You have never built a salon so each time you talk to a contractor you are changing what you want. You settle on a contractor. During the build-out many situations come up that where never discussed and the cost keeps going up. There are things that you forgot or did not realize needed to be done. You may or may not have enough AC or electrical. The store is finally completed.

While the store was being built you come back to the forums to get help with deciding on the best equipment and possible mix. You also need help with pricing and maybe ask for another salon owner’s employee training manual. You are not sure what kind of specials to open with or why you have structured your pricing the way you have. Much of your knowledge and information came from other struggling salon owners that came to the forums for assistance. You open your store and it is not as busy as you had hoped so you come back to the forums looking for answers. There are always salon owners that share advice that started in this business the same way you did. It is a vicious circle and you lay awake at night wondering if you did the right thing opening a tanning salon.

Imagine if there was someone with over a quarter of a decade of successful experience in the tanning industry that after discussing your ideas for your salon could walk you through the entire process of opening a successful salon.

What if your business plan was written for you?
What if the locations that you are interested in where evaluated using proven formulas, to insure that you select the best possible location for your salon?
What if your lease was negotiated for you saving you thousands of dollars over the term of the lease?
What if income and cost of operations projections where made fore you based on your location and proven formulas?
What if your salon was designed for you based on your ideas?
What if a build-out specification list was created for you so that all of your contractors are bidding on the same job and nothing is left out so there will be no surprises later?
What if a cost budget was established for you so you don’t overpay for build-out?
What if a proven successful marketing and pricing program was provided for you?
What if an employee training manual was written specifically for your salon?
What if advertising strategies where provided to you for every season?
What if you opened with the knowledge and confidence to be among the 10% of most profitable salons in the US?
What if the person providing these services was always there to assist you for as long as you own your salon?
What if all of these services where available to you free?
What if you purchased equipment that will lower your electrical consumption by 30%, lower the heat produced by 30% and increase UV out-put by 20%, lowering the cost of opening and operating your salon.

capetan

What IF?

excitednewguy

you know, i see you on here a lot and it seems that you are, or have attempted to make yourself out to be somewhat of a tanning guru. I would never tread on your knowledge or make any statements concerning what you know or don't know. I don't even know you personally, nor have I seen any of your salons, or any that you have "helped to build". So, that being said, I really only have one statement to make.

All of these things that you listed are just plain old common sense business know how. Either you have it or you don't, and it has nothing to do with tanning. Same holds true for any business that you start.

People,,,,,Just use your heads. 99% of the time, if it dosen't feel right, it isn't.

Neon Beach

Good advice, now give me some free money so I can use it.

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Steve Underhill

Quote (All of these things that you listed are just plain old common sense business know how. Either you have it or you don't, and it has nothing to do with tanning. Same holds true for any business that you start.)

If you have never opened a business how can you just use your head and get it right. If all you had to do is just use your head we would have no need for these forums or any form of communication.

I don't claim to be a GURU. I have been doing this for 27 years and my business is focused on assisting people that don't want to guess at what they are doing and make a lot of costly mistakes. 100% of the fortune 500 companies use outside consulting firms, why don't they just use their heads as you suggest.

It always amazes me that so many of you can't admit that you need help. You spend thousands of dollars on build-out, equipment, advertising and yet you feel there is no value in having the knowledge to save money in the development of your salon and make more money in the operating of your salon. And yet here you all are trying to figure out what you did wrong and how to make it better.

I have been assisting salon owners as a Consultant now for 6 years, all of my clients are knowledgeable successful salon owners that when they open additional salons and most of them do, they come right back to me to assist them again. I am not interested in assisting those that know everything about everything. My business is built with those that are smart enough to know that they need qualified assistance and the value it brings. The things that I teach are certainly not the only way but they are proven to be successful 100% of the time. If there is something that you do with great success I am sure there are many people that want to try and discredit you. I wonder why the people that try and discredit a consultant are never the salon owners that have used one.

excitednewguy

no one tried to discredit you, read my post, i made a point to not do so

all i said was business is business to a point, demographics study, lease neg, gc bids, regs, licensing, biz plan, money and loans, etc. etc.

why don't you give som examples of these "things" that you do

Neon Beach

Those you will have to pay for.

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body tan

With all those ifs you will never get a business started.

Neon Beach

Not until you hire a consultant.

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body tan

I think some people are cut out to be business owners and the others, well they need to stick to working for the ones that are cut.