Dear Readers:

Believe it or not, this little space in the magazine is usually the last one to get filled each month – I get a look at the finished product, and then I have to squeeze everything I want to say about it into roughly 300 words. Sometimes it’s tough!

Our “Success With Sunless” cover story is BIG! Ribby did a great job of talking to the major players in this market sector about their many products. Sunless tanning grew tremendously from 2000-2004, then softened a bit in 2005 as so many salon operators added it to their businesses in some form. These companies have been perfecting the technology of both the solutions and the delivery systems, and this story contains a ton of must-read info, even if you already offer sunless in your salon.

Also a “must-read” for this month – the Industry Closeup of salon pro Robbie Segler. He’s been in the industry since 1990 and has built himself quite a tanning empire. Robbie and his wife Vonda have been good friends of mine and big supporters of IST, attending many Solar Seminars. This is another great story – we are very proud of our profile features, seeking out our industry leaders and giving you a peek inside their lives. No other magazine comes close to what we do every month. Yes, I’m tooting my own horn, again.

In the Company Profile spot for March is Interactive Designs – a veteran company that’s been focusing on salon software for 16 years. I’ve always been a believer that a salon can’t run efficiently without software. This company has a lot to offer.

One of the ways we have tried to set IST apart from the other mags is to help our advertisers be more creative marketers. Well, we’ve got another “industry first” for you – along with your April IST, Australian Gold/Swedish Beauty will be sending you a great counter display that includes consumer rebate coupons. It’s very cool! If you sell their products, you’ll want to be a part of this program…if you don’t, you might want to start.

As a salon owner, I’m glad to see 2005 go…business at my salon chain locations was down anywhere from 3% to over 18%. But, I’m happy to report that the first six weeks of 2006 have been great! I hope our industry booms this year – from salon owners, to distributors and manufacturers, I say Good Luck this season…we all need it!

Sincerely,