Solar Lounge

First, does anyone offer a Sitting Service in their salon? Our local gym has one and it works out great for them. They have a playroom for kids and hire a babysitter to be there certain days and hours. They pay this sitter $3.50/hour and give her perks like free gym membership -- then they ask the parents to donate $1 per child to the sitter each time they use the service. Would this idea work in a tanning/nail salon? I've mentioned it to my friends (who are mostly stay at home moms) and they said that it would definitely give me that edge over my competition. Nobody else offers it in our town.

If anyone has done this, could you fill me in on the laws and regulations? How much would this jack up the insurance?

Second, does anyone have one of those Hydromassage units (Dry Water Massage)? Is this a good alternative to a massage therapist? Income potential?

lisa@oceantan

I wish we had babysitters in the stores sometimes!!! but you have to think about how many people would actually take advantage of that and how much it would cost to do... also i would look into the whole insurance thing... we offer coloring books and markers for the little ones... some behave and some try to empty the water cooler and run around the store.... it can get aggravating!!

lisa@oceantan

and about the water massage, I REALLY would love to have something like that, but my hubby wants to use the extra room to add more beds eventually... I know I would pay for that service every once and a while.... massages are running me between 60-70 an hour whenever I go and then you have to tip... plus I also read somewhere that you can offer hydro massage as a great alternative to customers who do not like tingle lotions, since the water massage can help increase circulation in the areas that are harder to tan, eliminating the need for that tingle factor... before they tan. I don't know anyone who has this though -I think its a fairly new concept, I have seen them in my local mall, someone trying to make some fast money i guess... would love to try it...

sunsally

One friends built a half wall small room with a half door and it is their "child care" area. No supervision, but a place to "lock" the kids in while the parents tan. Not a HUGE draw, but they believe it gives them an edge.

There is MAYBE 1 salon in 20 (MAYBE!) that does well with a massage bed/aquamassage etc. In almost every case, they wind up taking them out and putting in a tanning bed because they realize they make MUCH more revenue from an upgrade bed than from the massage. People aren't going to a tanning salon to lay in a massage bed. I wouldn't recommend them.

(although - make enough profits from the salon and buy one for your home use - now you're talking! :-) )

body tan

I dont like the idea of the babysitter thing. You may have to pay at least min. wage, plus insurance, Too much risk for your investment.

tanpro12

Solar Lounge-Check out the new dry water message table at www.wellsystem.com

JensSunQuest

I went through all the ideas of what to add.....I did some research on hydro massage......new beds to add etc.....Finally I settled on adding Body Wrapping...It was a 2 day 75 dollar course and I had two employees trained to do body wrapping. I give them 20 bucks a wrap plus the client usually tips them...the wrap usually runs 75 dollars....clay cost 50 dollars a gallon and does about 35 wraps!!
I am currently doing 12 a week.....Which since I added it in October of this year I figure it will catch on even bigger in the busy season:) just a thought
Just a thought :)

glowtanning530

I jsut rent out a room to a massage therapist and collect her rent

JensSunQuest

To rent a room out to a massage therapist did you have to get any special license to add that her/service to your salon???? Cause I have in my body wrap room a massage table but I worried about the licensing etc...

tnannie

Good move glow. A couple of years ago I had played with the idea of adding massage to our salon. The problem for us is, there are so many hair salons that all offer massage, and we now have atleast 15 different massage centers in our little town. I just don't think we have a need for another place to go to get a massage in our area. We even have people who will come to your home or place of business to work your massage into your schedule!