Face tanners in base beds?

[CarlsbadTan]

Depends on your market ... we have to have facials in our base beds around here ... everyone does.

[Island girl]

What kind of bed is a good base bed that is 15 minutes? I have never shopped around because I bought the salon with 2 base beds, but they are 20 min beds. With only 4 beds, what would be the "mix" I should have? Anyone?

[CarlsbadTan]

We have Sundash 232s and they really are great base beds. Ours were 20 minutes and we recently had them configured to 15. Stronger "lamps" (okay Neon??)

[eileen]

Originally Posted by Island girl

What kind of bed is a good base bed that is 15 minutes? I have never shopped around because I bought the salon with 2 base beds, but they are 20 min beds. With only 4 beds, what would be the "mix" I should have? Anyone?

we have dr. mueller 36/3's that seem to be great base beds for us.

[sunsally]

Originally Posted by Island girl

What kind of bed is a good base bed that is 15 minutes? I have never shopped around because I bought the salon with 2 base beds, but they are 20 min beds. With only 4 beds, what would be the "mix" I should have? Anyone?

So you only have room for 4 beds total and you want to replace everything you have?

What power do you have? Room size? Budget? What is your competition like? What sort of pricing/programs are your customers used to now? Is your space big enough to add more rooms, or even make 3 out of a current 2 with some re-configuring (e.g. if one was a smaller room for a stand-up).

4 rooms is awfully tough to get a "mix" in.

[Neon Beach]

What colour is you toenail polish?

[Island girl]

No, I don't want to replace everything I have. Yes, I only have room for 4 beds. And the Mystic booth. I'm just trying to come up with something different from the comp. There are like 7 salons in this town and it's tough. The salon across town came in the same time I did and offered 18 a mo unlimited. She cleaned up!!! She really has hurt everyone and it seems we're all scramblin to do something to get our share. Three salons closed after last year.I have a stand-up and that is very competitive to others in this town. My base beds are sunvisions and thats what most have here. I have 2 of those. I know its hard to get a "mix" in such a small salon. Oh, my last bed is the Starpower.

[sunsally]

And your nail polish colour was.....(you forgot to answer Neon's question!):)

With room for only 4, and that much competition, it is very hard to see HOW you are going to make a run of things!

Hopefully your rent is VERY cheap. But I'm not sure how much you want to invest in this business with so many things working against you making any money.

Couple of thoughts:

1. Promote the "double dip" like crazy! Have them do your Mystic and your stand-up together for a set price - maybe $24.95 or 19.95. Not a lot more than your Mystic on it's own, but use it in your advertising - something about getting their "instant bronze". Try to upsell all your current customers to add in a Mystic at least once/week -- maybe for an extra $10 or $15. That will add up.

2. If your stand-up is competitive, no sense in changing that. Changing out your base beds doesn't sound like it is going to bring you in any new customers or that you lost them in the first place because of equipment - it was because of pricing. So can's see spending money on new basebeds. And your Starpower is a decent upgrade bed already. Unless you see yourself throwing out 1 base bed and putting in HP or something, I don't see any reason to change equipment.

3. That leaves competing on price. You can try a "summer unlimited" package for June/July/August, or a "Tan 'till 2008" through the end of the year. If you aren't working your referrals now, start working those HARD. Run a contest for the most referrals to your salon in a month -- give the winner a free month of tanning on Level 1 or a free bottle of lotion.

Investing in new equipment may be throwing money away. Work on getting more bodies into the salon first.

	Superior UV

[Island girl]

Thank you very much for your information. We do the California Cocktail some, but I will start pushing it more. I finally got my address book in line and we did a mailing which has brought back clients from years ago. I have only about 875 tanners in my data base. My rent is not bad. I can relax now knowing I don't need any other beds. PS I have a french pedicure............

[sunsally]

Originally Posted by Island girl

PS I have a french pedicure............

LOL - Island girl, I like your attitude!:)

Your goal and focus should be getting more people in your data base. THEN - you KNOW who is interested in tanning in your market - and you can work on reaching THEM (as you have recently by getting your addresses on-line).

Strongly consider a "free tan weekend" or "Free tan week" or "customer appreciation day" etc. There are LOTS of threads on these - do a search (note: please know in advance, Neon Beach does NOT approve of these and will nay-say any conversation about them!). Your goal with these will be to get people IN THE DOOR who have never previously visited your salon. Best to do it when people have tanning on their mind still - so either NOW (very soon!) or, wait until Jan/Feb. During this event your place will SHINE, and you/your staff will have their selling skills honed and ready, locking customers into long term packages like your competitor did with the 18mo deal.

In the meantime - make the equipment you have top notch. Polish it up, make sure the lamps are fresh etc (note: that can mean changing them as early as 400 hours on your standup/starpower and 600 on your base beds - don't let them run to the manufacturers "suggested lamp life").

Good luck!

	Superior UV