New At The Tanning Business, Info Please!!

[mryoung33]

I am writing because I would like to know what all I need to do to open a Tanning Salon. There was a "good" one in my town but the owner skipped town with everyone's money who paid for 3-6-and even a yrs worth of tans.
There are a few places , like a Nail place that has a couple of beds and a Curves Fitness that has a couple but I, nor other men, don't want to go into places like this to tan. There are no places for men AND women to go.
I appreciate any information on the how to's , the do's , dont's and whatever else you can supply me with.
I will know if I have space for rent or buy within the next week.
My goal for starters is to have 5 beds. I have been looking at wholesalers on the web but don't know what to look for and where to turn. Plus my wife is going to offer Spray Tan for those who can't deal with the UV rays.

Can you help me??
Thank you in Advance!!!

[pam]

Research, research, research! This biz requires a great deal of cash reserve the first few years and honestly with only 5 beds you may have a hard time making it....it depends on your area. This site is a good place to do research by using the search feature to get opinions on different bed manufacturers and distributors. It can also be confusing. Do you plan to work the salon yourself or pay someone to do it? Are you dependent on it for income? Are you considering new equipment or used? Do you have money to use on this venture or are you planning on financing? Lots of things to consider and most of those of us who have been around for awhile would certainly do things differently than we did when we started. Plus the industry is changing rapidly with the economy, large franchise and corporate salons making there way into every area of the country, etc. I am not trying to rain on your parade but please take the time to carefully consider your market and your willingness to take financial risks.

Keep us posted. It can be a fun biz but it is also stressful when JASON shows up to haunt you! (July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov )

	First Merchant Funding

	Bodi Tox

[mryoung33]

Hi, Thank you for the reply. I am pretty flexible with my hours. I am a Massage Therapist and my wife is in Real Estate. More than likely, we or someone in our family would help out running the place.
I live in a small tourist town that is Booming in the Summer, on the coast of South Carolina.
I have been looking all over the net for beds. Some say Buy Used and others say NO!. www.tanningbeds4less.com has some prices they say will beat anyone, ok everyone says that. Another, www.tanningonline.com has Salon Package deals. I have a little money but I didn't want to use it all up at once. Maybe finance 1/2. Still crunching #s.

I appreciate all the info anyone can give on top of what's already been said.
Can anyone tell me if those websites mentioned are good buys or where are the good places to go??

Thanks again!!

[sunsally]

mryoung33 - since you just joined this site, do this.....

spend the next 3-7 days reading, reading, reading, reading! Keep a notebook at your side and right down questions as you have them. Go to "stats" at the top, and look up "most viewed posts" and "most replied to posts". Read the first "stickied" posts in each section. Do a "search" on different topics and see what you find that way. And then just start plowing through posts, from now to back a few years!

If, after all that reading, you are still interested in opening a tanning salon - ask some more questions!

Right now, at face value, I would say that the odds of you being successful with what you have told us so far is almost impossible. A town that is small, and only booms seasonally combined with an industry/business that is small (typically 10% of a population actually tans) and cyclical itself (75% of your income, approximately, is made from Jan-June).

If you are going to make a decision on renting or buying a space within a week - with no further knowledge than you have now - you are moving MUCH too quickly on an investment that is almost sure to fail.

As for finding your beds through those tanning sites on the net - they are likely to be more "home use" quality than "commercial grade" - and you will DEFINITELY find you "get what you pay for". I wouldn't recommend them. All the reputatable manufacturers will also offer package/salon deals as well. There are also good quality used beds out there, which can be fine, as long as you deal with the right vendors. There ARE plenty of snakes in the industry, as there are in most.

When you say "have a little money, but didn't want to use it up all at once" - my mind says "warning, warning, warning - danger Will Robinson, danger" (ok - that was a quote from "Lost in Space" from my youth, but you get the idea!). Plan on having at LEAST 6 months cash in reserve for basic expenses - your rent/mortgage, lease/loan payments for equip, utilities (more than you think for a tanning salon - LOTS of electricity!), advertising (also more than you expect!), etc. Plus what you spend on your buildout. And "decorating". And signage. And downpayments on the equip, space, etc. Can go with financing through the SBA - but will need to put 20% of the total projects costs down in your own money first.

Got your attention? Great! Don't want to scare you off or sound negative - it can be a great business. But believe me - if you have been in it very long at all, you have seen a lot more tanning salon owners open and FAIL than those that survive - let alone thrive! And the competitive marketplace is ramping up with more "big money" than ever before, at the same time the "anti-tanning coalition" continues to make inroads into the American belief system. It is NOT like the "glory years" in the industry 10 & 20 years ago anymore!

Come back in a few days and let us know what you're thinking and we'll be glad to answer more specifics!

	First Merchant Funding

	Bodi Tox