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Old 01-14-2012, 10:31 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
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just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

Hi everyone,

Due to recent problems in management, my girlfriend and I just took over a salon her mother owns. It was a turnkey operation but there is much to be done in the future in order to stay competitive

I'm new not only to this business, but tanning as well. By that I mean I've literally only tanned once before. However I have a good amount of experience in auto mechanics, marketing, and other various fields. I see some people on here that own salons and seem to know less about beds then I've learned in the last week on this site so I guess if I do my homework things should be ok.

The salon came equipped with a zx30 3f, 3x sunstar 442's, a star power 548, and a sundome 548. We may lose the star power 548 to the previous manager (he stole it...long story) so I'm looking to get an ergoline 650 in to replace it. We are looking to move the small hair salon out front which should allow us another bed and stand up in the near future

Anyway I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. I'm sure I will be needing a lot of help / advice and don't want to be one of those people that only posts when they need something.

Regards,
Chris
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Old 01-15-2012, 07:25 AM   #2 (permalink)
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

One suggestion, if you want to be competitive, would be to replace all the equipment with something new; especially if your losing the star power. The 650 would be an excellent addition. Welcome.

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Old 01-15-2012, 07:47 AM   #3 (permalink)
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

Quote:
Originally Posted by manbeer View Post
Hi everyone,

Due to recent problems in management, my girlfriend and I just took over a salon her mother owns. It was a turnkey operation but there is much to be done in the future in order to stay competitive

I'm new not only to this business, but tanning as well. By that I mean I've literally only tanned once before. However I have a good amount of experience in auto mechanics, marketing, and other various fields. I see some people on here that own salons and seem to know less about beds then I've learned in the last week on this site so I guess if I do my homework things should be ok.

The salon came equipped with a zx30 3f, 3x sunstar 442's, a star power 548, and a sundome 548. We may lose the star power 548 to the previous manager (he stole it...long story) so I'm looking to get an ergoline 650 in to replace it. We are looking to move the small hair salon out front which should allow us another bed and stand up in the near future

Anyway I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. I'm sure I will be needing a lot of help / advice and don't want to be one of those people that only posts when they need something.

Regards,
Chris

First - Welcome to the Industry and Tantalk! And thanks for being "brave" and jumping in to say hi - conversation and posts are what drive these sites!

Second - Whoa - take a second! :)

One of the keys to making improvements is to have a "grand plan", so that any decision you make today will still work with a decision you hope to make down the road!

Before you begin buying new equipment - you really need to analyze what is there, how it is working, what the competition has, etc.

The 650 is a great bed - but (to use an auto mechanic comparison if I can - and that'll be a stretch for me! LOL) --- that would be like having the cars in your fleet be a kid's banana seat bike with training wheels, 3 skateboards, pair of rollerblades...........and a Mazeratti!! Not that most wouldn't admire a Mazeratti. But will they PAY what they should to "ride" in it?? And they should - because it is going to cost you more to run and maintain etc - and those top end beds are the ones that will contribute to your PROFIT of making this work!

In your line-up ---- if I had to replace the Starpower --- and was going to add another bed and another standup down the line......something like the 650 would be the last one I would add (that is - I might still add it, but it would be #3).

First I would look at the current usage - what beds get/got used the most (including the missing Starpower). I'd look at pricing and packages. I'd look at the electrical capacity and tons of HVAC for the place already and -- assuming I would have to upgrade --- get some prices on that. I'd look at the room sizes I had to work with (e.g. something like the 650 will take a bigger room size, more AC and a bigger breaker and bigger wire size than a Starpower). I'd go around town and see what beds my competitors had and how they charged.

And THEN........I'd start thinking about beds to add!

Lots of good used beds out there - so you have "caught on" to that very quickly! Now the key is to find the right ones for YOU - and turn this salon into a money maker! It is a smaller salon so the right equipment and pricing make all the difference between it being something that "buys you a job" or is a true investment.

Keep reading and keep posting - glad you are here!
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Old 01-15-2012, 08:23 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

Sunsally has (as usual) some very good advice. Right now you have

Level 1 - ZX30
Level 2 - 442's (548v?)
Level 3 - Starpower

If you are loosing your level 3 bed you should replace that first. This would be a 40-45 lamp 160w bed. Then if the budget allows add a level 4 like the 650.
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Old 01-27-2012, 01:33 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

I'D MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE AC/ELECTRIC FOR ANY FUTURE UPGRADES..

(oops, sorry for upper case)
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Old 01-27-2012, 04:29 PM   #6 (permalink)
 
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

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Originally Posted by sunsally View Post



The 650 is a great bed - but (to use an auto mechanic comparison if I can - and that'll be a stretch for me! LOL) --- that would be like having the cars in your fleet be a kid's banana seat bike with training wheels, 3 skateboards, pair of rollerblades...........and a Mazeratti!!
bahahahahaha O Sunsally, you have the best analogies! This one cracked me up. :)
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Old 01-31-2012, 10:42 PM   #7 (permalink)
 
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

Not sure what the competition is like in your area, but don't forget about sunless!
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Old 02-07-2012, 10:50 AM   #8 (permalink)
 
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Re: just took over small tanning salon, saying hi

Quote:
Originally Posted by manbeer View Post
Hi everyone,

Due to recent problems in management, my girlfriend and I just took over a salon her mother owns. It was a turnkey operation but there is much to be done in the future in order to stay competitive

I'm new not only to this business, but tanning as well. By that I mean I've literally only tanned once before. However I have a good amount of experience in auto mechanics, marketing, and other various fields. I see some people on here that own salons and seem to know less about beds then I've learned in the last week on this site so I guess if I do my homework things should be ok.

The salon came equipped with a zx30 3f, 3x sunstar 442's, a star power 548, and a sundome 548. We may lose the star power 548 to the previous manager (he stole it...long story) so I'm looking to get an ergoline 650 in to replace it. We are looking to move the small hair salon out front which should allow us another bed and stand up in the near future

Anyway I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. I'm sure I will be needing a lot of help / advice and don't want to be one of those people that only posts when they need something.

Regards,
Chris
There are many different opinions about equipment mix and price structuring, here is one to consider.
It is very important to understand that there are only three distinct performance levels of UV tanning equipment. There is also UV free spray tanning. While many salons refer to every type of equipment they offer as a different level there are basically three types.

Level1. 100/120 watt tanning equipment: This level of equipment will produce a base tan in five to seven sessions depending on skin type.
Level2. VHO – VHO reflector tanning equipment: (140/160/180/200/220 watt) this level of equipment will generate as much color in one session as two to three sessions on level one equipment. This level also has features like HP facial lamps, shoulder tanners, aroma therapy and spray mist.
Level 3. High Pressure Tanning equipment: This level of equipment will produce an excellent tan in three sessions, and requires only one session every seven to ten days to maintain the tan.

The additional levels that are sometimes created in salons are a combination of level 1, 2 and 3 or may be a booth as apposed to a bed.

Within these levels there are many different models to choose from.

Recommended Equipment Mix:
The recommended equipment mix for any size-tanning center is no more than 20% level one equipment, 30% to 60% level two equipment, and 10% to 20% level three equipment. In centers where there are only two levels of equipment, the mix should be 30% level one – 70% level two that can actually be marketed on multiple levels. Because of the shorter exposure times on the level two and three systems, an equal number of tans can be achieved each day with all three levels of equipment. An important statistic that supports these equipment mix recommendations is that 30% to 40% of all tanners are base tanners or value membership tanners; however a large portion of these tanners can be converted to up-grade tanners. Over the years up-grade tanning has become the standard. Tanning is a niche business, therefore it is important to structure your salon targeting all segments of an already limited demographic.

There can be different types of equipment within each level with different use values.
You can also offer a variety of ad on services, however be very careful, space is valuable and should not be wasted on services that do not consistently generate revenue.
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