caribbean tan man

i didnt see anything in MISSYHOTS post that mentioned the unemployment agency had TANNING advice! she stated she used them and it worked for her. i think she means they can help with just general business startup advice..........relax pal.

i agree with others if you need a consultant your most likely not ready.....this biz is not a get rich quick skem.........you wont even get rich slow......

__________________
someone PM me when a good tanning topic is posted. :lol:

movieking

Looks like BigLeo has a stalker!

TanWorldOrder

Forget all that crap. PM a tWo rep and we'll help ya for nuthin.

*Luv2taN*

I have a rep from the Entrepreneur centre helping me with my business plan. He doesn't know a thing about tanning, but he knows where to get the information, and he knows how to make a business plan, and we are all learning in the process.

Steve Underhill

The smartest thing you will ever do if you wish to open a business in an industry that you have no experience in is get a qualified Consultant to help you. The money that a Consultant can save you will pay for their services ten times over. The amount of additional income a Consultant can generate is in the Hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of your salon. Why people are so resistant to say yes I did this without help and here I am looking for help after the fact. A qualified Consultant can make you successful. I am sure I am not the only Consultant in the industry, find someone you are comfortable with and go with them. Just a simple phone call to a Consultant will help you decide if you need help.

Steve Underhill

I visited another site today and found this post that I thought would be a good idea to share with you.

PacificTan vbmenu_register("postmenu_149508", true);
Rookie

Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 30



To all of you non believers. I have owned and operated my own businesses for over 23 years (Non-Tanning.) When I decided to enter the tanning business I did my research over a 2 year period. I went to trade shows, talked to and reviewed every major tanning bed manufacture. I visited over a 100 salons in various States looking for ideals. I looked at the way they market there salons, the type of packages they sell and why, the type of equipment they carry and why, I looked very closely at how many levels of equipment they had and why. I looked at independents and franchises. And I determined to my satisfaction who was profitable and why.

I discovered that there are many ways of operating, marketing and setting up a winning program. I know from trial and error from past business experience that site location is a very tricky and a key ingredient to a winning program. I discovered that I put one of businesses (non-tanning) in a location that was good and profitable but, was just not quite right. A few years later in a costly move I relocated it to a new location just 200 yards away and saw an extra 350k in sales per year. A 40% increase from moving just down the street to much better location witch I should have looked at in the first place. My point is do your research and look and get help from someone you know is qualified and avoid costly mistakes.

There are so many variables in putting together a winning program you need to make sure you do it right the first time and avoid those costly mistakes. I have always done pretty well in my other business ventures and was smart enough to know that in the tanning business I needed help. I started looking for a consultant. I talked to a lot of salon owners and did a lot of online research.

One name kept coming up and I gave him a call. I literally talked to him for hours on the phone over several weeks and questioned his every suggestion. I am hard to satisfy when I am about to invest money in a new business venture. I finally agreed to go to Dallas to meet with him and listen to his whole program. I was very impressed and new I had found the winning program I was looking for.

I could ramble on to make my point but I think you get the ideal. If you have a salon or you are interested in opening one or more. IMHO you owe it to your self to give Stephen Underhill a call and in list his help in your new venture. I did and I have opened 3 very successful locations in a short time and more are planed in the future.

I was not asked to write this by anyone and received no financial gain for doing so. This is just my attempt to try and help those wanting to enter the tanning business or those in business now and wanting a better your program.

Good luck with your new venture.

Steve
Pacific Tan

billable

The "Tanning Business" has less to do with tingle factor and proper terminology of "lamps vs. bulbs," than it does with sound business practices. These principles of business apply to each and every business that you can name.

Knowledge of products and services that you offer are a small part of the business when compared to sales and management ability. There are many companies out there that want to sell you tanning beds and lotions and will educate you on their products. Finding someone to help you understand cashflow projections in a seasonal business and to budget properly is a little harder. You might find that Missy has a little better idea than you first gave her credit for.

Steve Underhill

Buying equipment is a way to get all of the extensive consulting services free, however the services are also available for a fee. The fee is less than the cost of a base bed and yet will increase sales by hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of your salon.

Why would you not be interested in choosing an equipment company that can fulfill all of your equipment needs. One equipment source, better price and business is about building relationships, strong ones. In my opinion there is some what of a flow in design when all of your equipment comes from one manufacturer.

Here are some of the services you receive.

Business Plan Development Assistance
One of the most important elements of opening a business or requesting funding for a new business is a comprehensive business plan. In order to create a business plan you must have a complete understanding of the type of business you plan to open. A good business plan is more than development cost and spread sheets. You must have a clear understanding and strategic plan as to how a successful business will be operated. After 27 years in the tanning industry I have developed hundreds of business plans utilizing the proven techniques of the Tanning Today marketing program. Business plan development is one of the many services that are available to my clients at no cost.

Income Projections
It is important to have realistic income projections when evaluating locations and writing business plans. I have developed an accurate formula for creating income projections based on industry trends and statistics combined with the demographics and equipment mix of your salon.

Site Evaluations
The location of your business can be the difference between success and failure in the tanning industry. There are many things to look for when choosing a tanning salon location that you would not be aware of unless you have owned a successful salon before. It is my job to insure proper evaluation of a desired location.

Demographics & Demographic Evaluation
Many important decisions are made based on demographics. Your business plan, income projections and future growth are based on demographics. My custom designed tanning salon demographic reports are provided by Demographics Now, the most comprehensive demographic source in the US. My demographic evaluation is based on industry statistics, and is a valuable tool in the development of your new salon.

Floor Plan Design & Build-Out Specifications
In order to properly evaluate a potential location or to maximize the effectiveness of a selected location, you must have a floor plan. I will create a floor plan design and build-out specifications based on your particular needs. Having a floor plan in the early stages makes it easier to negotiate a lease and get accurate build-out bids.

Lease Negotiations
There is an art to negotiating a lease. I can save you thousands of dollars over the term of your lease and get you maximum build-out allowance. The money you save on your lease can be used in other areas of your business development.

Tanning Today Marketing Program
My marketing program is the most successful program in the tanning industry today. Salons using my proven methods of marketing are among the top 2% of income producing salons in the industry. Now you have the opportunity of being the most successful salon in your area.


TanningCenter Guide
The success of your salon can also be connected to the level of organization of your business. My Tanning Center Guide provides you with a tool that will give you a clear understanding of what it takes to be a successful tanning salon. This document is the perfect foundation for your employee manual.

Point of Sale Material
I provide you with material that makes it easy to sell your services. These materials are provided on a CD, making it convenient for reprinting.

Advertising Strategies
What and when you advertise is equally important. The in your face method of advertising is crucial to the service industry of tanning. I will guide you through the proper method of advertising while sharing proven promotions and specials that will create the desired salon traffic.

Comprehensive Employee Training Manual
Employee training and consistent transfer of information are crucial to the consistent success of a tanning salon. Our Employee Training manual is the most extensive source of information for training your employees.

Steve Underhill

If you look around the Newbie forum you will see many of my clients referrals, if you would like to email me direct I will provide you with as many referrals as you like. Also remember getting qualified assistance will have more positive impact on your business than the equipment you buy.

sundasher

There are no big secrets that you need to pay a consult to hear.