Tanorama Part of indoor tanning’s history as well its future, Tanorama of Boston continues to thrive and grow. |
STATS: Locations: 3 Years in Business: 9 Tanning Systems: 25 Employees: 9 |
T
anorama is a business with distinction – it was one store in the
salon chain originally started by Gene Charette, creator of the Sun Capsule
tanning booths. For the past nine years, though, the salon has been owned
and operated by Barbara-Jay Angiulo, who purchased it from the previous
owner and reintroduced the business to the community. And the success
she’s experienced with Tanorama has allowed her to purchase two
more salons –Tanning Spa and Urban Sun Tanning – which are
also flourishing. Now, as she continues to own and operate three businesses,
Barbara-Jay keeps a sharp eye out for more.
A
Change of Heart
Truth be told, it was never Barbara-Jay Angiulo’s dream to own and
operate an indoor tanning salon. “I had always dreamed of owning
and operating a hip, trendy nightclub, so after high school, I attended
Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL where I majored in hotel/restaurant
management,” said Barbara-Jay. “While I was going to college,
I worked at a couple of tanning salons to earn extra money, and I really
enjoyed the atmosphere. After graduation, I came home to Boston and worked
as a district manager for an automotive repair business co-owned by my
brother, Gennaro. It wasn’t exactly the most girly job, but my plan
was to save money to purchase a nightclub of my own.” As is often
the case in life, B-Jay’s dreams would eventually change.
While
she co-owned and ran the automotive business during the day, Barbara-Jay
also took a part-time job at an area nightclub. It was
here that she
learned firsthand what owning such an establishment was really like. “I
could see that owning one was not something that I wanted to do, after
all,” she said. “Luckily, I had been tanning at Tanorama and
got to know the owner; she told me she wanted to retire to spend more
time with her grandchildren,” she recalled. “I thought about
it, and I knew that owning a tanning salon would suit my personality,
so I decided to go for it.” When she acquired Tanorama in 1998,
Barbara-Jay got more than a salon, she got a piece of indoor tanning
history – Gene Charette, designer of the Sun Capsule stand-up tanning
system, originally opened the salon but sold his interests in the Tanorama
chain to focus on his equipment venture full-time.
“ Under
New Management”
Purchasing an existing business, Barbara-Jay saw the need to get the
word out about the new ownership. After trying various advertising
options, she quickly discovered what best promotes her salon – direct mail. “I
used the mass mail function in our SunTouch Plus software to send a postcard
to everyone in our database, which was about 10,000 people, and saw a
return of about 47 percent,” she explained. “I’ve used
it ever since, and it’s been a huge help in bringing in new clients,
as well.”
While
she updated the salon’s marketing efforts, she didn’t
need to do much with its equipment offerings. Tanorama has seven Sun
Capsule stand-ups: two VHR units, a Sun Capsule Super Cyclone and four
of the company’s original stand-ups. “It’s amazing, but
these units are still tanning people after 30 years in the field!” Barbara-Jay
exclaimed. “I attribute that to both the quality of Sun Capsule
units and the close relationship I have with the company. I’ve learned
a lot about operating my business from everyone over there.” The
salon sells lotions by Australian Gold/Swedish Beauty, Body Drench,
California Tan, Designer Skin, Pro Tan, Supre and Synergy Tan.
Why
Stop Now?
Barbara-Jay had set a goal for herself – to own three tanning salons
by the time she was 30. After six years of owning and operating Tanorama,
she decided to purchase East Boston’s Tanning Spa in July 2004. “Much
like my first salon, this was a good facility in a good area, but the
owner wanted to sell in order to focus on other business interests,” Barbara-Jay
explained. “I kept the original name because the salon had been
well maintained, and had a loyal client base.” Today,
the 4,000 square-foot facility has five UWE S-class sunbeds,
three Sun Capsule
Super Cyclone stand-ups and an UltraSun facial tanner.
Barbara-Jay added her third salon – Urban Sun Tanning in Revere, MA – in February 2007, achieving her goal to have three salons by age 30, with seven months to spare. “Unlike the first two salons, I thought this would be a great experience to design and build a salon from the ground up,” she said. “This salon is 1,700 square feet, so the build-out didn’t take very long.” Urban Sun Tanning has nine tanning units – four UWE S-class, a UWE i-bed, three Sun Capsule Super Cyclones and an UltraSun facial tanner. “I’m very happy with all three of my salons, and they certainly keep me busy,” B-Jay commented. “I work an average of 35-40 hours per week at Tanorama, with an additional 15-20 hours at the other two.”
A
Team Effort
Barbara-Jay has certainly found success in indoor tanning,
but she doesn’t
claim all the glory for herself. “I give my fiancé Mike Sienkiewicz
a lot of credit; he’s been around for the three salon openings and
whether it’s new advertising ideas, filling in for one of the girls,
helping change lamps, or just keeping me in check, he’s always there
when I need a hand. Tanorama and her other salons are a team effort,
and B-Jay credits much of their success to two managers – Natasha
Carr and Danielle DiSimone. “Natasha’s been with Tanorama for
three years, and she’s very organized and hardworking,” she
commented. “She’s my top-seller and she does an excellent job
running the store while I’m at the other locations. Danielle works
at Tanning Spa and Urban Sun Tanning and she’s a cleaning machine!
They both do a great job managing and training the staff.”
And
On It Goes …
Starting with Tanorama, Barbara-Jay achieved her ambitious
business goal. As to the future, it’s firmly ensconced in the indoor tanning industry. “I
plan to operate the three stores for at least the next year or so, but
I always keep an eye out for other locations,” she said. “When
I’m considering salons to purchase, I look for a certain formula
that was in place ever since I acquired Tanorama – a relatively
small salon in a good location, with great rent, and an established reputation
in the community. That kind of foundation is easy to build on and make
successful.”
After Barbara-Jay finished college, it was her dream to own a trendy nightclub, but she opened a tanning salon instead. Two more salons later, she knows she made the right decision. “I love everything about being a tanning salon owner, especially the people,” she commented. “I’ve gotten to know so many great people, and it’s a pleasure to see them every time they come into the stores.”
