Opening new salon, I could use some help. - Page 2

BronzeBiz · 02-03-2004, 07:23 PM

Hey, I just opened my first salon with 8 beds also. Have you already got your location? Everything I read said that the #1 thing with customers is cleanliness. After doing research in my area (I made a list of all the tanners I knew and my family knew and called them with an interview) I don't believe it! I do think it is the 2nd most important. I think the most important is location. Most of your clients will come from a 5 mile radius of your salon. That is the marketing list you buy and market to. You must be convenient to clients work or home. That means convenient distance, parking, entrance, etc. Then the clean thing comes in. IMHO.

Neon Beach · 02-03-2004, 07:42 PM

So what you are saying is if the location is good, ****-roaches are okay? Know what, I knew a lot of tanners before I opened, and where are they now, at the competition. There seems to be a false sense of loyalty amongst tanners. Even your friends. They know they aren't getting what they are paying for, they are paying too much for their lotions, customer service is getting worse, yet they don't want to leave where they are now for fear of insulting the salon owner they have gotten to know over the past number of years, they don't want to damage the rich "*astards" livlihood.

BronzeBiz · 02-03-2004, 07:52 PM

I am just saying that if valcas1 hasn't chosen their location yet, it is very important. I guess I just assumed that of course their salon would be cleaner than the competition. I just think location is much more important than most of us think. Keeping your salon clean and pleasant is how you keep them. Do you really think that customers stay with a dirty place simply out of loyalty?

top250tansyou · 02-03-2004, 08:07 PM

Val I may take some heat here. You are offering something the other salons are not. Ergoline is the best equipment out there. People in your town wont know if they dont try it though. We are getting 2 spray tanners this month. For two weeks we are going tan any one who wants to try it for free. Sounds costly but look at the long run. Lets say you do it for a week, if you get someone in that ergoline bed they will stay with you. Lets say that you tan lets say you 1000 people in that week. That cost what $1.25 a session (ergoline ultra 600) Best advertising you will ever do. We got our ergolines I think 3 - yrs ago. I tanned people for a week for free. We do really well with them know. $12 single visit, $75 for 10, $120 for 20. The last few years we have tanned less people but made mor money. Rely on your beds they are the best.

valcas1 · 02-03-2004, 09:54 PM

Top250 I agree with the free tanning. It is my opinion that if the people come in they will return and pay. I also must agree with Bronzebiz on location that is the reason that I passed up four locations to date. I dont think that enough owners put sound business practice behind opening a salon. (This statement was not meant to offend anybody here) It is just my observation, I believe that most people neglect true marketing in their business plan. Also no direspect to you Neon but do you really think that based on the info I have given I would run a filthy salon. I have seen alot of people here talk about how much trouble this business is, but most of the issues discussed are common in any business. I think that if one uses sound business practices formed over time that they can be successful in the tanning industry. And if i am wrong this is going to be a very expensive lesson learned.

Neon Beach · 02-03-2004, 10:43 PM

two-fiddy: any stats on how many of those freebies that you tanned that actually stay with you. I can tan less people and make more money too as soon as I jack my prices up. Location is very important IMHO, however, if you are just another dump in a good location what's the point. IMO, $25,000 tanning beds are not worth the money. Descent units that are well-maintained, look good and give results will set you apart from Try-N-Tan on the next corner. As an example, I had a tan at a salon 3 hrs. from here. EWE beds. I Paid $25 for 12 minutes in the Silver bullet. It looked great, felt like tanning in a Cadillac, but when I really thought about it, I could have had the same tan/results in my $6000 bed for $7.50 and all I had to do was invest was another mere 8 minutes of my time.

MJ · 02-04-2004, 12:25 AM

Troublemaker,
I think I like you!!
I see both sides. I have "BIG expensive beds" and a lesser beds. One must cater to all types of clients.

Some client get a kick out of the status of being in the BESTEST bed.( and spending 60 bucks on goo.) And like you pointed out others think like you...hey 8 minutes more and I would have saved ching. Even if I have to tan 2 times a week I still save ching. Not that there is anything wrong with either. Use the lesser beds to get them in the door. And as for the sunless...well MY advice is never do anything you do not feel completely comfortable with. JMHO

What this person needs to do is:

*Do their homework on the industry and tanning in general
*Determine the capital he/she is able to raise
*Develope a business plan
*Aquire or brush up on management skills (at least basic)
* Find a good Location(and the skill of negotiating a reasonable lease..or pay some to do it for you)
*Chose the right "mix of beds" for the area you are planning on opening in. (For example I know that the people in my area would not support a HIGH PRESSURE 30.00 a pop unit.)Just because I want one does not mean I will be able to price it out at a price that would A) return my investemnt asap and maintain the unit in the manner of which it needed to be maintained.(maybe if I got sweeeeeeeet seeeet deal on one I would..but other then that...nawwww I will pass.)

Once these things are done there is much more to do...this is enough to chew on for now.

_________________

[ This Message was edited by: MJ on 2004-02-04 00:29 ]

top250tansyou · 02-04-2004, 06:44 AM

No I dont have a stat. We do have customers that have been tanning there for 15 - 20 years. This wasnt my idea althogh it is a good one I think. Like I said for the last 3 years our tanning numbers have come down but our revenue has gone up which also means profit have went up. Is that a stat. People that try our beds usually stay, I dont mind giving away something to gain a client. Over the last five years we have done hardley any advertising, I beleive we make it on our beds and customer service.

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02-03-2004, 07:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
BronzeBiz I love Derf!! Join Date: Nov 10 2003 Location: IN Posts: 445 Rep Power: 5	Hey, I just opened my first salon with 8 beds also. Have you already got your location? Everything I read said that the #1 thing with customers is cleanliness. After doing research in my area (I made a list of all the tanners I knew and my family knew and called them with an interview) I don't believe it! I do think it is the 2nd most important. I think the most important is location. Most of your clients will come from a 5 mile radius of your salon. That is the marketing list you buy and market to. You must be convenient to clients work or home. That means convenient distance, parking, entrance, etc. Then the clean thing comes in. IMHO.

02-03-2004, 07:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
Neon Beach I'm Banned Join Date: Nov 30 2000 Location: Ontario Age: 45 Posts: 52,065 Rep Power: 0	So what you are saying is if the location is good, ***-roaches are okay? Know what, I knew a lot of tanners before I opened, and where are they now, at the competition. There seems to be a false sense of loyalty amongst tanners. Even your friends. They know they aren't getting what they are paying for, they are paying too much for their lotions, customer service is getting worse, yet they don't want to leave where they are now for fear of insulting the salon owner they have gotten to know over the past number of years, they don't want to damage the rich "astards" livlihood.

02-03-2004, 07:52 PM	#13 (permalink)
BronzeBiz I love Derf!! Join Date: Nov 10 2003 Location: IN Posts: 445 Rep Power: 5	I am just saying that if valcas1 hasn't chosen their location yet, it is very important. I guess I just assumed that of course their salon would be cleaner than the competition. I just think location is much more important than most of us think. Keeping your salon clean and pleasant is how you keep them. Do you really think that customers stay with a dirty place simply out of loyalty?

02-03-2004, 08:07 PM	#14 (permalink)
top250tansyou I love Derf!! Join Date: Jan 1 2004 Location: little rock Posts: 2,237 Rep Power: 6	Val I may take some heat here. You are offering something the other salons are not. Ergoline is the best equipment out there. People in your town wont know if they dont try it though. We are getting 2 spray tanners this month. For two weeks we are going tan any one who wants to try it for free. Sounds costly but look at the long run. Lets say you do it for a week, if you get someone in that ergoline bed they will stay with you. Lets say that you tan lets say you 1000 people in that week. That cost what $1.25 a session (ergoline ultra 600) Best advertising you will ever do. We got our ergolines I think 3 - yrs ago. I tanned people for a week for free. We do really well with them know. $12 single visit, $75 for 10, $120 for 20. The last few years we have tanned less people but made mor money. Rely on your beds they are the best.

02-03-2004, 09:54 PM	#15 (permalink)
valcas1 Join Date: Jan 23 2004 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	Top250 I agree with the free tanning. It is my opinion that if the people come in they will return and pay. I also must agree with Bronzebiz on location that is the reason that I passed up four locations to date. I dont think that enough owners put sound business practice behind opening a salon. (This statement was not meant to offend anybody here) It is just my observation, I believe that most people neglect true marketing in their business plan. Also no direspect to you Neon but do you really think that based on the info I have given I would run a filthy salon. I have seen alot of people here talk about how much trouble this business is, but most of the issues discussed are common in any business. I think that if one uses sound business practices formed over time that they can be successful in the tanning industry. And if i am wrong this is going to be a very expensive lesson learned.

02-03-2004, 10:43 PM	#16 (permalink)
Neon Beach I'm Banned Join Date: Nov 30 2000 Location: Ontario Age: 45 Posts: 52,065 Rep Power: 0	two-fiddy: any stats on how many of those freebies that you tanned that actually stay with you. I can tan less people and make more money too as soon as I jack my prices up. Location is very important IMHO, however, if you are just another dump in a good location what's the point. IMO, $25,000 tanning beds are not worth the money. Descent units that are well-maintained, look good and give results will set you apart from Try-N-Tan on the next corner. As an example, I had a tan at a salon 3 hrs. from here. EWE beds. I Paid $25 for 12 minutes in the Silver bullet. It looked great, felt like tanning in a Cadillac, but when I really thought about it, I could have had the same tan/results in my $6000 bed for $7.50 and all I had to do was invest was another mere 8 minutes of my time.

02-04-2004, 12:25 AM	#17 (permalink)
MJ Join Date: Jan 21 2002 Posts: 3,060 Rep Power: 8	Troublemaker, I think I like you!! I see both sides. I have "BIG expensive beds" and a lesser beds. One must cater to all types of clients. Some client get a kick out of the status of being in the BESTEST bed.( and spending 60 bucks on goo.) And like you pointed out others think like you...hey 8 minutes more and I would have saved ching. Even if I have to tan 2 times a week I still save ching. Not that there is anything wrong with either. Use the lesser beds to get them in the door. And as for the sunless...well MY advice is never do anything you do not feel completely comfortable with. JMHO What this person needs to do is: Do their homework on the industry and tanning in general Determine the capital he/she is able to raise Develope a business plan Aquire or brush up on management skills (at least basic) * Find a good Location(and the skill of negotiating a reasonable lease..or pay some to do it for you) *Chose the right "mix of beds" for the area you are planning on opening in. (For example I know that the people in my area would not support a HIGH PRESSURE 30.00 a pop unit.)Just because I want one does not mean I will be able to price it out at a price that would A) return my investemnt asap and maintain the unit in the manner of which it needed to be maintained.(maybe if I got sweeeeeeeet seeeet deal on one I would..but other then that...nawwww I will pass.) Once these things are done there is much more to do...this is enough to chew on for now. _________________ [ This Message was edited by: MJ on 2004-02-04 00:29 ]

02-04-2004, 06:44 AM	#18 (permalink)
top250tansyou I love Derf!! Join Date: Jan 1 2004 Location: little rock Posts: 2,237 Rep Power: 6	No I dont have a stat. We do have customers that have been tanning there for 15 - 20 years. This wasnt my idea althogh it is a good one I think. Like I said for the last 3 years our tanning numbers have come down but our revenue has gone up which also means profit have went up. Is that a stat. People that try our beds usually stay, I dont mind giving away something to gain a client. Over the last five years we have done hardley any advertising, I beleive we make it on our beds and customer service.

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