6 Mistakes To Avoid When Opening A Tanning SalonThis article on opening a tanning salon may help you save some time, money, and aggravation before you open a new salon. Here's what this is about... The tanning business is an attractive opportunity for anyone with money to spend on a new retail business. But you have to go about opening a new tanning salon with the utmost care. How To Open A Tanning Salon: Here's 6 Common Mistakes Salon Owners Make As They Open A Tanning Salon... 1. Competition is fierce. 10 years ago, opening a tanning salon was much easier. You could find cheaper rent, buy cheap tanning beds, throw up some walls, and put a school desk in your lobby as your front desk, and make a decent living in the tanning business. But not anymore. Tanning salons are popping up all over, and even more are going out of business. The ones who are going out of business are the mom and pop businesses that are not reinvesting in the salons. 2. Cheap Equipment. Opening a tanning salon today requires a solid investment in all aspects of your business. You can't survive on cheap equipment anymore. You have to build a salon that will scare anyone from wanting to compete with you. Otherwise, if you have a low to mid level tanning salon and you are surviving or even making decent living, you are a target. You have to spend money on high end equipment like Sun Ergoline, Sol Tron, Sun Ergoline, some UWE beds, and other very good manufacturers. But don't spend money an any high end equipment just to compete. You have to invest in tanning equipment that appeals to your clientele. This is very important in opening a tanning salon that has the best chance of success. For example, you don't want to invest in a line of tanning beds that are attractive to very young people if you demographic (in your area) is 28-45. 3. No theme or a low class theme. You should consider basing your salon around a theme that appeals to your target audience. See #2 above. A salon without a theme is without character. People like to go places that make them feel comfortable, appeals to their senses, and interesting at the same time. 4. Poor location. Location is very important. Most newbie salon owners opening a tanning salon will base their decision on price, and not consider that return on investment. When opening a new tanning salon, be sure you find a very good location that is: visible, easy to access, and has good parking.
6. Bad Marketing. Most salon owners don't have a clue as to how to design marketing pieces that bring people in the door. Study direct response marketing, and apply it to your business. Here's one marketing tip: it's not about you and how great your salon is, it's about the prospective customer. Opening a tanning salon has many challenges. There are many more obstacles and roadblocks you have to overcome if you want to open a successful tanning salon. The former owners of this web site wrote a fantastic home study course on opening a tanning salon and managing it. It's called Tanning Salon Secrets. But don't expect a beautiful text book. This is real guide written by real salon owners, and it's self published in a three ring binder. However, the content is more than you can ask for. Last tip on how to open a tanning salon: Don't listen to people who have never opened a salon. And never listen to someone who is selling a 19 dollar book on the subject who has never owned one. These people are working in their basement, trying to get you to open your wallet because they know opening a tanning salon is a tough thing to do, and they are preying upon your demand for information on the subject. Invest in your knowledge, and build your knowledge from real business owners, tanning salon owners, and pay your dues. It will all be worth it in the end. Good luck opening a tanning salon! Copyright Tanning-Advisor.com |
5. Guess Pricing. See what your competition is charging for similar services, and price yours accordingly. But don't low ball if your competition is a low-baller, and they have a ghetto tanning salon. If you salon is high end, and your competition is not, (and your demographics support your high end salon), charge higher prices. But if you competition is right there with you in terms of quality, make your prices agreeable.