leifvasstrom

This is an open letter to salon owners and industry participants.

As most of you know I do not spend a lot of time here, but I have recently been made aware of certain comments regarding the ITA in particular.

You may or may not know it, but I have been, and remain a staunch supporter of the ITA organization, as well as the Smart Tan Network. In fact my partner Ellen Reich-Luchtel is a founding member, and was representing QDM/Dr. Müller at the time.

You should also know that the board members – and also others like myself - spend a lot of time – and money (and only out of our own pockets – not the ITA’s coffer) to IMPACT (stands for Identify, Map, Plan & Act) the future of the industry, which as you well know is very much at a stage where even more negative impact from the other side can be hugely detrimental to you as salon owners and the entire industry. If only you knew how many state legislators currently are working against salon owners, you would be astonished. I wish you would all support the ITA. If you are interested, read on.

You may not know this either, but last year alone, the ITA spent more than half a million dollars on defending the salon owners, most of whom do not even realize how much the ITA does for them. It is unfortunate that too few salon owners step up to the plate and pay the absolute minimum to safeguard their own future and their business. To me that is absolutely absurd. We are to an extent under siege by a few lawmakers that either do not understand the positive aspects of tanning, or simply have their own agenda, in lieu of some more important cause - such as their local economy and jobs.

I will give you a case in point. About 2 years ago, the salon owners all over Colorado begged the ITA to help them with a proposal of a Tan Ban. Guess what – It cost, if remember correctly the ITA more than $30K to kill the bill, which they did, yet hardly any salon owners stepped up to the plate and started paying their $100 per salon, per year dues. Pretty amazing.

We can all do the right thing. I personally last year supported ITA President Dan Humiston's bid to get elected to congress, so we would have a voice in the congress.

The ITA does not work behind the scenes - if you are a member - you get access to all data and you would know what is going on.
It is OK to have an opinion, but one would hope that the opinion is based on facts and research. It is not good to bash the only organization that actually does something with the money that we collectively have put up for the betterment of the industry.

Having said this, it does not mean that even we can have differences of opinion, that is normal. But as is often said, if you cannot counter with a better proposal, a better agenda or other ways to combat the negative publicity we have received in the past year in particular, then say nothing, especially not anything negative. It is like stepping on your own you know what…

I realize that I cannot tell anyone what to do, but I wish salon owners all over the country would contemplate this post, discuss it with others and maybe change your opinion, because you could all be an asset to the ITA.

I will be happy to discuss the ITA more in depth with anyone, as would many other members of the ITA, so that I can better explain what we are going through and what it means to me and the entire industry. You may in turn better understand what the ITA is doing for you, the thousands of salon owners and other industry participants, who unfortunately do not understand how important it is and why they should support their only venue to help themselves.


Best Regards,

Leif Vasström


SUPRA® Brands Group LLC / OY SUPRA® Brands AB
SUPRA® Technologies
LV Direct 415-725-6666
( 800-959-1255
7 415-520-5318
* lvasstrom@supratechnologies.com
www.supratechnologies.com

Brian Oshman

Let's get a little discussion going here about this. An ITA dues idea has been proposed to help provide major funding to the ITA to help fight all of the negative press, slander, Derms, WHO...etc...you name it.

This would be a tax or surcharge on every lamp, bottle of lotion, goggle, etc... that is sold. The manufacturer would lets say charge $1 a bottle or a $1 a lamp (let's not get hung up on the amount, this is for discussion's sake so look at the big picture) and that would then get charged to the distys which would then get charged to the salon owners which would then get charged at the retail end to every single customer that tans.

Now, this shares the burden equally over the whole industry and the end user, each and every customer is paying this tax. Ity is payed through you, the distys, the manus, which then send the revenue to the ITA to fund them. This gets everyone involved TO SAVE THE INDUSTRY!!!

It would be a flat rate per piece that is added on at the manufacturing end and passed on to the end user by simply raising the price a buck per item. If you don't want to raise the price then you end up eating it but it will never be the make or break amount to your customers. Do you think that your customers will say, "Well the lotion was $49 and now it is $49.99, I don't think I can afford that increase".

Of course not, this is easy for all to pass on and easy for the customer to absorb. It would be roughly 3¢ a session more to break the charge up over the life of the lamps per customer.

This would generate $25,000,000, that's right, twenty five million or more yearly for the ITA to fight the battles the right way for all of us to survive. They would have the money to go to fight legislation, to start lawsuits, to fund research, to finally make a difference.

We already have an organization in place to help us that has staying power, now let's just give them the money to fight with, for you, for me for your customers, for all of us.

Let's make a difference and support the ITA.

There is a poll added to this thread. Please answer yes or no to a proposed revenue generating tax to save the industry.

movieking

Everyone involved in the tanning industry really needs to join The ITA now. There has never been a time more important than now to truly be a part of the industry and help fight the battles that we are facing. $250 per year per salon or $20 per month EFT is all it takes.

If you've not joined/renewed because of past feelings about the organization please consider putting those feelings aside. There are some great people involved in The ITA now that can take it in a new direction but it will not happen without everyone's support.

Vendors: If you're not a member it's time to join. My company will only be supporting those vendors who are members.

Robert K

^^^^ Well said! Everyone at every level. If you do business in the tanning industry then join our ITA.

__________________
Robert Klem
Superior UV Technologies
(888) 526-7712 x77
robertk@superioruv.com

engfant

**** NO! DO NOT SUPPORT WHO DOESN'T SUPPORT US!

Until the ITA puts SANCTIONS on the SUNLESS industry FORGET IT!

Steve Underhill

It is great to see that many salon owners that did not support ITA's efforts are now on board, Thank you Brian. However there are still a few on these forums that don't have a clue as to how important ITA is to the continued growth of our industry. Please become a member of ITA or at least make a donation that you feel you can afford. Manufacturers, distributors and some salon owners are doing their part, now it is time for the rest of you to get involved. Membership gives you a voice.

__________________
Stephen Underhill
Consultant
steve@smuconsulting.com

engfant

Funny how Brian changed his tune all of a sudden. Not one mention about sunless anymore. Now sunless doesn't exist according to the ITA cheerleaders (whom none seem to be salon owners).

Brian Oshman

I haven't forgotten about sunless. This discussion is about membership and revenue generation for the ITA.

We can start a new thread.

engfant

and my problem is that the ITA is responsible for sunless and the damage they have done.

Brian Oshman

No they're not. Salon owners are for buying into it and marketing it as the safe alternative. Salon owners burned their own bridges. They had the opportunity to avoid that route in the first place but figured it would be a good idea to attempt to capture the other 90% of the market and try to get everybody tan and that backfired on them.

Spray is like 2% now? Was it worth it?

ITA had nothing to do with that. You have the key to your own doors.