alohatanning

Hey guys. I am now open two weeks. I have 200 in the database and about 5k in sales. Everyone seems to love us. I jsut heard that people that work in other salons are bashing us.... Obviously I am doing something right if people love it here. How do I handle that? Am I on the right tracjk witht he business I see, or is jsut because I am new? I see about 30 - 40 people a day for my ten bed salon. Pleae let me know,.

hockey92

sounds like you are doing fantastic.... Congrats... I have a six bed salon that I opened in July of this year, and made no where near what you are making for your first two weeks... I opened up at the very end of season, due to my electrician... Keep it up..

tanu01

You dont handle it - you ignore it
Bob

engfant

Everyone hates on everyone. Just talk bs.

DWhite6872

It sounds great...are you over what you projected? We look at our cash on cash as one measure...If you are exceeding you business plan for the next 6-9 months...you should make a new one, and grow and protect your first store....depending on your market.

Neon Beach

Of course they are bashing you, that's what they do. When I opened, I heard thru the grapevine that our comp was telling tanning shoppers not to buy any packages from us because we were new and could close anytime, and that's why I have no respect for them!

Just ignore it and carry on with your business!

caribbeansun01

Salons bash on each other all the time. The big chains bash on the little ones for no reason. We make it a rule in our salon that we do not bash anyone else, but we will listen to our customers gripes about everyone else. We use their gripes to make our salon better. Like a huge gripe is catching fungus. Gross...no one has ever got anything like that from us. We also are very fair with our customers. If we are closed for a holiday, our customers get their packages extended. Other salons just say screw it and their customers lose out. Alohatanning...the word of mouth advertising will get more people in your door. good luck to you!!!!

sunsally

Aloha Tanning - you are doing great!

You opened at exactly the perfect time of year that everyone would LIKE to open (but if you don't, don't fret - a slow season is always followed by a busy season -- you just need more upfront cash reserves to get there!).

You have brand new equipment, brand new bulbs, are the new kid in town - curiosity alone will get people interested. The 200 in your data base and the 30-40/day probably were tanning somewhere else in town before - so you have the notice (and irritation!) of the other salons as well!

Everyone that walks through the door has to buy SOMETHING to get into the database - so everyone is a "sale" - and often a big one. Buying 20 visits, a month, etc. $50 bills are flying, and each day sees more tanners and more $$ than the day before.

Now....

Take a big deep breath.

No, not every 2 weeks year-round will bring 200 new customers and $5K. And next Dec 1-15 won't be as good as this year, so don't count on that even. But yes, these next few months are when you are going to be rolling in the dough - it is the "season"!!

Your KEY will be RETENTION ..... and continued GROWTH. Track carefully. Is everyone renewing/buying more when their first purchase runs out? Are they referring in friends (see other posts re. the importance of referral programs!)? Are you transitioning them from "let me check you out" (a small package) to "let me be a loyal and committed customer (on EFT/EZ pay, upgrading, purchasing lotions, buying bigger/longer packages)? Are you continuing to get a steady influx of new tanners (10/20/25% new tanners/day?)? Are you/your staff encouraging all of this? Continuing to spread the word around town? Letting current customers know when they are getting close to needing to re-purchase? Thanking your first customers for referring in newer ones?

Ask your customers - where were you tanning before? What do you like about our place? Any suggestions? LISTEN and learn!

Plan on working HARD these next 6 months!! LONG hours, physical exhaustion, mentally spent (all that friendly customer service is draining by the end of the day - and then you go home to the salon bills/paperwork, your personal bills/paperwork, etc etc!). If it is YOU doing all the hours - look for ways to "reward" yourself (a bubble bath after work, have a friend clean your house or run errands for you in exchange for free tanning,...). If it is employees, look for ways to motivate them, praise them and appreciate those that are good - and get rid of any that aren't FAST because they will leave an impression about your business! Commissions, bonuses, bring in lunch as a surprise, a note commenting on a particular thing they do well (or need to improve..)..

Most importantly? SAVE THIS MONEY!! It is easy to see the $$$ roll in and get stupid. Now is not the time to buy a new car, that fancy furniture you always wanted, or an all new wardrobe. Put away enough for your June-Dec rent, payroll, utilities and loan payments FIRST! Then put away more - for advertising during those months. Call your bed distributor now and ask about the cost to re-lamp each of your beds - and put THAT away! Put away some more for your own personal expenses (house mortgage, ..). Now, put away another 10% above all of that for places you underestimated.

And THEN...

put the rest away and decide what you want to do 12 months from now. Research and get ready to do a 2nd location? Add equipment/expand? "Buy" more outside help (working the salon for you, doing payroll for you, handling your advertising,..)? OR - buy that new car, the fancy furniture or the new wardrobe.

Not every day is fun, and most aren't easy, but it CAN be a great business and industry if you are smart about it!

Continued best wishes - to you and ALL salons entering their first, or 15th, busy season!!

TRTS

We have been open since May of this year. I do agree that it seems to be the "norm" for other salons to put "new" ones down. We too have experienced that. Everythiing in our salon is new. From the ceiling to the floor (including our equipment). However, we have heard that another salon tells clients we have old equipment. It doesn't bother me. The way I have found this out is by those individuals being curious enought to stop in. After a salon tour they usually become our client So, I say, let the other salon keep on talking.

alohatanning

Thanks for all the help and knowledge. I am a very emotional person so this really hit me hard. But now I am going to take it with a grain of salt. Is it normal; for other salons to send "spies" I wen twith a very "relaxed" feel to my salon. Terra Cotta walls, silver beds with black wrought iron vanities in each room with personal cds players and all the decorative accents are black as well. Doors and molding I painted cream. I had a tanner who came from elsewhere "which I presummed was a spy" Ask y I didnt paint my doors. I said they are. And I have teenage twits that work at the other salon saying it is dirty. I have been opened two weeks. How dirty realistically could it be? I have also heard that this same salon used to run rumors on other ones that there were ringworm from the "other" salons" This was before I opened mine. Do you guys haev an estiamte on how much busier I will get? Or should I expect? I have not hired anyone yet. Trying to figure that out. Need to know whether to hire one or two..
I am in an extremely busy area on a major roadway.
Please lend advice. Thanks