TAN 310
Small
Salon, Huge Potential
by John P. Ribner
In the two years it’s been open, Tan 310 in
Winter Park, FL continues to thrive, thanks to the hard work of its owner,
Karen Kaplan.
At 23 years of age, Karen Kaplan opened a tanning salon, and although
she was younger than the average salon owner, she certainly wasn’t lacking
in business savvy. Thanks in part to Karen’s marketing ideas and the growing
sunless tan sales, the six-unit salon has continued to prosper during
its first two years – so much so that she’s already looking for a new
facility to house an even larger Tan 310. After that, the next thing on
Karen’s agenda is opening another location.
The Beauty of Tanning
Karen opened Tan 310 because she needed more than just a little change
in her life. “I was an aesthetician and worked in the beauty salon industry
since high school,” she explained. “After relocating to Florida from Pennsylvania,
I managed a beauty salon for a while, but decided I would rather own my
own business. I started looking around the Winter Park area for a beauty
salon that might be for sale, but the only thing that was available was
a tanning salon.” This wouldn’t be a problem for Karen – she had been
an avid seasonal tanner since high school, and the thought of working
in the tanning industry sounded exciting to her. “The tanning industry
seemed so fun and laid back that I knew I wanted to be a part of it,”
she added. It didn’t take Karen long to put everything in place and open
her salon.
What’s In a Name?
Karen named her new salon Tan 310, as a nod to a good friend of hers.
“My friend, Meredith Knechal used to have a graphic design company called
310 Studios, so I used the 310 in my business name as a tribute to her,”
Karen explained. “As it turned out, this was very good for us because
people might forget a business’s name, but they remember it better when
it includes a number. That was the case with us.” Meredith helped Karen
with more than just the name of her salon – she also lent her graphic
design skills to Karen’s website and advertising promotions, creating
a hip, retro feel for the newly opened salon.
Something More …
The former owner of Karen’s salon relied on four base beds to meet his
tanner’s needs, and Karen kept these units – four ProSun 2400 – but added
two upgrade units – a ProSun Turbo Lumina sunbed and ProSun Delta 500
booth. She also incorporated a sunless airbrush tanning system from Biddiscombe
International, as well as Revelation and Genesis self-tanning products
by Biddiscombe International. “Biddiscombe is a great company to work
with!” Karen exclaimed. “They want to see us succeed, and they’ve been
very helpful with all the education and support they’ve given us. They
make wonderful products that are extremely popular with our clients.”
The salon sells tanning lotions by Australian Gold/Swedish Beauty, Designer Skin and Fiesta Sun, and operates using the SunTouch salon software system by Interactive Designs, Inc. In addition to tanning, Tan 310 also offers body-waxing services – performed by Karen and fellow aesthetician Maral Lou. “Maral and I were co-workers at one of the beauty salons I used to manage, and we work very well together, so I asked her to come with me to my salon and she agreed,” Karen said. The salon also sells a lot of Tend Skin, a product designed to reduce skin irritation associated with shaving and waxing.
We’re Open!
To really put Tan 310 on the map, Karen held a grand opening celebration,
during which she sold monthly unlimited packages in the salon’s base beds
for $15. “It was crazy!” she exclaimed. “There was a line of people out
our front door and everyone was purchasing tans, packages and lotions
– it was the biggest sales day we had.” The grand opening also gave Karen
the opportunity to introduce herself, along with her salon and its services,
to many in her community. To keep that momentum going, she regularly utilizes
her salon’s computer database for direct mailing of coupons and specials
to her clients.
Because of the recent rise in gas prices, Karen has been offering some
very attractive specials at Tan 310. First is the salon’s electronic funds
transfer (EFT) program, which offers unlimited tanning for $25 a month
in the base beds, with a $6 surcharge per session for the upgrade units.
Another unique offering is her “Friend Package,” which allows two people
to tan in the salon’s base beds for $40 a month. “With gas prices continuing
to rise, we have to adjust our specials to remain competitive,” she added.
Expansion Plan
Although Tan 310 is currently a small salon, Karen sees its potential
and plans to maximize on it. She says she would definitely like to expand
the services at Tan 310. “Six units just aren’t enough anymore,” she commented.
“But in order for us to expand, we will need to relocate the salon to
a larger building, because we’re maxxed out at our current facility. I
keep my eyes open all the time for new locations, and once we find one
that’s suitable, I plan to proceed with our relocation.” Once she moves
the first salon, Karen says she’ll begin to think more earnestly about
a second Tan 310.
“Opening Tan 310 was the best decision I’ve ever made!” Karen commented. “The indoor tanning industry is very fun and laid-back, and I love being a part of it. I’m excited about my future as a salon owner.”
TAN 310
STATS:
Locations: 1
Years in Business: 2
Tanning Systems: 6
Employees: 7
Other Services: Sunless airbrush tanning,
body waxing
VIVA
LA TAN
LONG LIVE THE TAN
by John P. Ribner
This Greensboro, NC salon lives up to
its name, which means, “Long live the tan.”!
Opened in 1998, Viva La Tan was just what Greensboro, NC needed – a tanning
salon owned and operated by someone who loves tanning. Shortly after moving
to the area, former beauty salon manager and nail technician Tania Urena
opened Viva La Tan at the suggestion of one of her clients. Being an avid
tanner for many years, Tania had no trouble adjusting to the tanning business
from the beauty industry. The success of Viva La Tan will act as a springboard
for Tania’s future plans, which include writing an informative how-to book
on opening a tanning salon, as well as expanding her current location, opening
a second Viva La Tan and perhaps even franchising sometime in the near future.
Time for Change
Viva La Tan was born of Tania and Juan Urena’s need for change – a change
of both scenery and of careers. The couple grew up in New Jersey, where
Tania worked as a nail technician and beauty salon manager for many years.
“I had a relative who was on a temporary job assignment in Greensboro, and
we decided to go visit him,” Tania recalled. “When we got here, we immediately
fell in love with the area – everything is so green and beautiful, and we
loved the relaxed way of life down here. Before the end of our visit, we
decided to just pack our bags and move here.” Once in Greensboro, Tania
continued to work as a nail technician and manage a beauty salon, while
she tanned at a local salon in town.
“One of my nail clients used to own a tanning salon many years ago, and
she said she thought I would be good at running a tanning salon,” Tania
recalled. “I had been an avid indoor tanner for years, so I did know more
than a little about the industry. It sounded like a good idea, so I talked
to Juan about it and we decided to go for it.” Tania leased space in a popular
and busy strip mall where a tanning salon had closed its doors only three
to four months earlier, so the space was custom-made for her business. It
was simply a matter of purchasing equipment and moving in, which she did
in 1998. “We utilized the former salon’s database and sent flyers to all
of its former customers announcing that we were open and inviting them to
give us a try,” she recalled. “Many told us they were glad that a tanning
salon had returned to the area.”
Full-Service Salon
Today, Viva La Tan is equipped for success. The salon has 10 tanning units
– six SunDash 232, a SunDash 10-minute bed, a Sun Ergoline Genesis, a Silver
Bullet by PC Marketing, Inc. and a SunCapsule VHR-69 tanning booth. The
salon also has a Mystic Tan sunless spray booth. Viva La Tan sells lotions
by California Tan, Inc., Designer Skin, Fiesta Sun and Supre, and operates
using the SunTouch salon software system by Interactive Designs, Inc. To
further boost retail sales, Tania offers her services as a nail technician,
and sells jewelry and Flo Jo sandals. “Anything that’s stylish and fashionable
sells well to our clients,” she added.
Behind many successful salons is a helpful tanning distributor, and such
is the case with Viva La Tan. Tania isn’t shy about naming American Sun
Systems as instrumental in getting her started. “Ever since the beginning,
they’ve always been willing to help us whenever we needed them,” she commented.
“They care about what their customers think, and they’ve been a huge help
to us.”
Spreading the Word
Tania has used various methods to promote Viva La Tan. From coupon mailers
advertising its electronic funds transfer (EFT) program, to punch cards
for single visits and utilizing her computer database to regularly mail
special offers to all her clients, she reports that all have been successful.
Of all these methods, though, Tania says that simple word-of-mouth advertising
has been the most valuable way she’s promoted her salon. “We pride ourselves
in our customer service, and we get a lot of compliments on it,” she explained.
“The one thing I stress to our employees more than anything is that they
must be friendly, because no one wants to tan at a salon with a rude staff.
In addition to having friendly employees, I require all of them to complete
training and certification in salon operation.”
Cultural Diversity
Being of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent and an avid tanner for many
years, Tania understands the demographic of the Hispanic tanner very well.
She believes, however, that the tanning industry as a whole sometimes overlooks
this huge potential market due to the common misconception that Hispanic
people don’t tan indoors. “Although most Hispanic people are already dark
or olive-skinned, many of us tan to enhance our natural skin tone,” she
said. “Jennifer Lopez is a good example of this type of tanner.” Tania predicts
not only more Hispanic people tanning, but also a rise in Hispanic-owned
tanning salons in the near future, adding to the diversity of the indoor
tanning industry.
Salon Pro/Future Author?
Among her future plans, Tania puts writing a book at the top of her list.
“My book will focus on the ins and outs of operating a tanning salon in
hopes that it could be beneficial to other people who are in the process
of doing so,” Tania commented. “Some of the things I plan to focus on are
the shortcuts to working with banks, the importance of saving funds because
of the seasonal nature of the business, promotions and many other things
that would be of interest to those getting into the industry.”
As for Viva La Tan, Tania and Juan hope to expand the current location to
accommodate more tanning units. Once that is completed, they intend to open
a second salon, perhaps sometime next year. “Our eventual goal is to get
into franchising, but we plan to take everything one step at a time,” she
said.
VIVA LA TAN
STATS:
Locations: 1
Years in Business: 8
Tanning Systems: 11
Employees: 7
Other Services: Sunless Spray Booth &
Nail Tech
