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Old 08-10-2012, 02:35 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
Join Date: May 6 2012
Location: ohio
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Good Mix?

I am opening up a new salon in Ohio. The demographics for this area is 15,000. There are 3 places in town 1-3 miles away that have old Sunvision beds; one is a gym with 3 beds one red light(old bed with the lamps changed out), one hair salon with 2 Sunvisions, one barbershop with 1 bed. None of these locations advertise tanning, you have to call and ask.

I am bringing in:
4 Ergoline Passion 34
1 Ergoline 850
1 Ergoline 480 standup
spray tanning (hand sprayer)
I am setting the salon up for 12 beds, bringing in the others within 6-8 months.
Is this a good mix?
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Old 08-10-2012, 03:06 PM   #2 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

that is a whole lot of tanning for 15k people. remember only 10% of the population tans, then split that 1500 people between 4 locations. will that amount of people pay your bills? I dont think you will need 12 beds let alone more.
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Old 08-10-2012, 06:18 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeatherGem View Post
I am opening up a new salon in Ohio. The demographics for this area is 15,000. There are 3 places in town 1-3 miles away that have old Sunvision beds; one is a gym with 3 beds one red light(old bed with the lamps changed out), one hair salon with 2 Sunvisions, one barbershop with 1 bed. None of these locations advertise tanning, you have to call and ask.

I am bringing in:
4 Ergoline Passion 34
1 Ergoline 850
1 Ergoline 480 standup
spray tanning (hand sprayer)
I am setting the salon up for 12 beds, bringing in the others within 6-8 months.
Is this a good mix?
I would like to see more specifics with the demographics. Give me the address so I can pull a custom report. i am sure most operators will agree that starting with 6 systems you would be better served with only 2 level to beds and 4 up-grades. Now that is a very general statement without seeing more specific market information.

With your competition offering tanning as a secondary business, if you approach your marketing and structure correctly they will have little or no effect on your business.

In markets where tanners have never been served with a specialized tanning salon, you can raise the level of what they expect in a tan.

There are so many other questions i have to determine if you have given your salon the greatest opportunity for success. Let me leave you with this regarding creating a great tanning experience.


Sell the trip not the destination


Many salon owners believe that the tan is what they are selling. The fact is that to be successful in the tanning industry you must sell the tanning experience not the tan. A person can get a tan anywhere. The tanner expects to get a tan, surprise them with the experience. To set your self apart from the competition you must create the most memorable tanning experience. This is most effectively achieved with the packaging of your salon.

When a tanner comes to your salon they must be transformed to a place that increases the value of your services. Beautiful, unique design to the lobby or selling area with special attention shown to color and textures. Also show special attention to creating a buying environment as opposed to a selling environment. Make it easy for a tanner to make purchase decisions. Well trained uniformed employees that understand that building a relationship with tanners can only be achieved with communication and the constant transfer of information. This should be covered in detail in the employee training manual and monthly sales meetings. Tanners will buy the promise made by the packaging of your salon and your equipment will deliver the promise. The sale is made in the lobby not the tanning room. It is not about price, it is about value.

The only way a tanner can really appreciate the difference in your salon and competing salons is if they visit your salon. Never try and make a sale with your advertising or on the phone. Advertising should be solely for the purpose of getting tanners to visit your salon. The sale can only be made in the salon.

Another important issue is advertising, the amount of business is in direct relationship to the type of and amount of advertising you do. There are three advertising seasons that require different types of advertising with different messages.
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Old 08-10-2012, 06:41 PM   #4 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

It's a very odd mix. What is your business background? What made you think of doing 12 units with such a low population? Have you written a business plan? A marketing plan?

Sadly it is clear you have no idea what you're doing.
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Old 08-10-2012, 07:45 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

Good equipment.....BUT....Seems like a lot of overkill for the amount of tanners you will pull out of the 15K population...I live in a town with 8Million people, and would never go with 12+beds....the business is not there anymore, and never will be again..

Hope you have the $$ to pay it forward....may be a lot of out of pocket cash to carry the biz thru..Good Luck, really.
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Old 08-11-2012, 10:51 AM   #6 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Sun View Post
Good equipment.....BUT....Seems like a lot of overkill for the amount of tanners you will pull out of the 15K population...I live in a town with 8Million people, and would never go with 12+beds....the business is not there anymore, and never will be again..

Hope you have the $$ to pay it forward....may be a lot of out of pocket cash to carry the biz thru..Good Luck, really.
I hear the frustration, but the tanning business is alive and well. It has gone through changes as all industries have. Based on your statement here it is clear that you have given up.

If you are not passionate about the industry you work in, you will never excel. Mind set and drive to succeed is first and foremost.

The person that started this thread has not given enough information to completely evaluate. She has room to grow to 12 rooms but is not starting there.
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Old 08-11-2012, 11:57 AM   #7 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

Steve says; The person that started this thread has not given enough information to completely evaluate. She has room to grow to 12 rooms but is not starting there.

She/he may not be starting out with a 12 beds and may have the room to grow, but if the biz is not there the biz will be a hard sell(can not deny 15K will not be enough support), she could have 3 acres to grow into, it all adds up to failure with less than 10% (industry stat we all live by) of the population tanning
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Old 12-02-2012, 12:29 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
Join Date: May 6 2012
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Re: Good Mix?

Just wanted to give an update:
Open for 3 weeks over 100 clients adding more daily. The only advertising so far is word of mouth and facebook. Advertising begins next week. Clients LOVE the beds and spray tanning !!
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Old 12-02-2012, 01:25 PM   #9 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

Are those 100 people paying customers or coming in for a free tan or some one time special?

Congrats on opening!
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Old 12-02-2012, 03:01 PM   #10 (permalink)
 
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Re: Good Mix?

All paying customers. No free tans. They are buying tan packages and lotions. We have all the new lotions. higher end. We discourage the use of drug store lotions. Pauly D, Snooki and JWOWW selling very well.
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