by John P. Ribner
The success of The Tan Shop in Guilderland,
NY is the result of the hard work and business expertise of the three
friends who started it.
Ken Brownell and Barry Feinman built The Tan Shop in 2004 after they decided
that an extra business venture – particularly one in the fun and exciting
indoor tanning industry – would supplement their careers as commercial real
estate developers. With the help of a third friend, Rona Wilker, The Tan
Shop quickly became a hit in their town and continues to flourish. Not ones
to be satisfied with their current plateau, the three business partners
are perfecting their current sales force in preparation for a possible second
Tan Shop location.
Coming Together
The Tan Shop was born when three friends joined forces to provide a much-needed
service in their hometown. After looking around their area, Ken Brownell
and Barry Feinman noticed that there was a need for an upscale tanning facility
in Guilderland, NY, so they decided to fill that niche. In 2004, the two
commercial real estate brokers opened The Tan Shop in a retail plaza in
the city, which is on the outskirts of Albany. Since they’d still be busy
with their real estate business during the day, Ken and Barry knew they
needed someone to help operate their salon – enter Rona Wilker, a friend
of theirs and neighbor to Ken. “I had worked for more than 20 years in various
positions for a large retail store; but when that store went out of business,
I started doing consulting work for other businesses in the area,” explained
Rona. “When Ken and Barry approached me about the idea of helping to operate
the salon, I was excited because working in the indoor tanning industry
sounded fun, so I jumped at the chance to come on board.”
The decision to add Rona to The Tan Shop team proved to be a good one –
her retail sales expertise helps guide the Tan Shop staff. “Customer service
is extremely important to us, and this is definitely stressed to all of
our employees,” she stated. “They all understand that they only have one
opportunity to make a good first impression with a client, and during our
two-week training period, they’re all trained to be extremely professional
with everyone who walks through these doors. We do everything we can to
not only create the best tanning experience for our clients, but also the
best service experience.” Rona’s training is supplemented by mandatory monthly
training meetings. The salon’s manager, Jennifer Miller, reinforces all
of Rona’s training ideas each day with the salon’s staff. “She does an excellent
job with everything here!” Rona added.
They’ve Got It!
With four levels of UV tanning plus a sunless spray booth, The Tan Shop
has everything its clients need to develop a great-looking tan! In the level-one
category, there are four Sun Dash Competition 226, while seven Ergoline
Classic 300 units make up the level-two offerings. In level three, there
are two Ergoline Classic 450 sunbeds, and three Sun Dash Radius 252 booths.
Rounding out the salon’s UV equipment is its level four, Ergoline Classic
600 sunbed. The Tan Shop also has a Mystic Tan sunless booth and sells products
by California Tan, Designer Skin, RSun and Synergy Tan, as well as Mystic
Tan’s sunless enhancement products. The salon operates using the SunTouch
software system by Interactive Designs.
The “Community” Salon
“We’re a small salon, so we must use our marketing dollars wisely, and what’s
worked the best for us is sponsoring community events,” Rona said. “Whether
it’s something for the schools, churches, business organizations or the
colleges, we make sure we’re a part of it. Being visible in our community
has helped our business, and we’ll continue to do that.” The Tan Shop also
recently partnered with a local travel agency for various cross-promotional
ventures, and they report the partnership a success.
Planning for the Future
Expansion is a definite possibility for The Tan Shop, but Ken, Barry and
Rona want to make sure they do it right. “In order for us to grow the business
by adding another salon, we first have to optimize the original location,”
Rona explained. “In order to do that, we must continue to upgrade our tanning
equipment, and more importantly, optimize the sales potential of our staff.
Once those two goals are met, Ken and Barry will consider the possibility
of opening a second location.”
Rona simply loves being a part of The Tan Shop team and the indoor tanning
industry. “It’s great!” she exclaimed. “After working so long in the retail
industry, I truly enjoy having a career where I can really get to know my
clients. I love establishing relationships with them, and it’s great to
be in an industry where we’re helping people to look and feel good.”
THE TAN SHOP
STATS:
Locations: 1
Years in Business: 2.5
Tanning Systems: 18
Employees: 8
Other Services: Sunless Spray Booth
Always
Summer
“A Dream Come True”
by John P. Ribner
Started 11 years ago with one
small location, Always Summer tanning salon in Danbury, CT has grown into
three, thriving stores.
Inspired by her father, Nick, a successful entrepreneur, Ann Falzone set
out to become a tanning salon owner at the tender age of 25. She started
modestly with a four-bed salon in the Germantown area of Danbury, CT, which
opened in January 1995. In less than two years, Ann not only doubled the
size of that location, she opened another five miles across town, which
in turn spawned a third. Today, Ann is happy with the success of her salon
chain and eagerly looks forward to her future in the tanning industry.
Like Father, Like Daughter
Perhaps Ann Falzone is a chip off the old block – as a child, she benefited
from her father’s example as a hardworking entrepreneur. She even helped
him in his business – a grocery store/meat market – since she was eight.
Instead of jumping right into business after high school, though, Ann took
a job in retail sales, which she stayed with for eight years. “I started
as a sales associate at 17 and worked my way up to sales manager and eventually
into jewelry purchasing,” recalled Ann. “I enjoyed the retail jewelry trade,
but I always knew that I wanted to be in business for myself. My father
said it was never too late to take a new direction in life, so I researched
my options and decided that a tanning salon was the best choice because
it didn’t cost much to get into at that time, and it was something that
helps people look and feel good about themselves, which I found exciting.”
After researching the tanning industry, Ann told her father about her plans.
Not only did Nick give his daughter his blessing, he helped find a location
that would become the first Always Summer salon. Ann would soon discover
that others were willing to help further her goal. “I had contacted various
manufacturers regarding equipment, and this led into a friendship with Chris
Shaffer (Australian Gold, Inc. Director-International Sales),” she recalled.
“At that time, I was fresh out of college and didn’t have a lot of money,
and Chris was very patient and helpful during the entire lotion and equipment
purchasing process. I appreciate everything he did for me, and we remain
friends to this day.”
Ann’s also very close with Karen and Twan Bentlage, owners of Future Industries,
Inc. “Their goal is to help salon owners grow their businesses, and they’ve
been on my side the entire way,” she commented. “I wouldn’t be where I am
today without them.”
A Permanent Commitment
Ann opened her first Always Summer salon in Danbury with just four sunbeds
and enjoyed immediate success. In just one year, she had to double the size
of her salon to accommodate the demands of her growing client base. It was
then that she decided to quit her retail job – which she had kept during
her first year of salon ownership – to focus on her tanning business. “All
of my employees are great, but I realized that no one is more passionate
about a business than its owner, so I threw myself completely into salon
ownership, and I’ve never regretted it!” she exclaimed. Today, the salon
offers nine tanning units – a Sun Capsule VHR stand-up, a Sun Capsule Starship
stand-up, a Dr. Müller Orbit bed, one Atlantis bed by KBL America,
two SonnenBräune 32-3 beds, two UltraSun 3500 sunbeds and a Mystic
Tan sunless spray booth. The salon sells lotions by Australian Gold/Swedish
Beauty, exclusively, and operates using the Helios software system.
While tanning is the focus at Always Summer, Ann has diversified and has
enjoyed the results. “In my first year of business I added nails and waxing
services, and it’s definitely increased traffic,” she explained. “This has
helped during the slow season.” Ann’s experience in retail jewelry persuaded
her to also add jewelry – mostly belly and toe rings and some silver pieces,
and larger more expensive pieces for her loyal clients – to her salon’s
menu, which has also enhanced revenue.
Two, Three Times the Fun!
After two years of operating her first location, Ann decided it was time
for a second. Well, to tell the truth, it wasn’t all her doing. “My dad’s
the type of person who always pushes me to do more, and he found out about
a shopping center being built on the other side of Danbury, and convinced
me to open a second store there,” she explained. “I’m glad I decided to
go through with it because it’s helped us gain more clients who live there.”
In July 1998, Ann opened her second Always Summer salon with a total of
nine tanning units – a Sun Capsule VHR booth, a Sun Capsule Starship booth,
a Dr. Müller Orbit, one Atlantis by KBL America, four SonnenBräune
32-3, and a Mystic Tan sunless spray booth.
Like her first two salons, it was Ann’s father who found the location for
what would become her third store, in Seymour. “He was on the road with
his work when he found this location, which is 30 miles away, and I was
a bit hesitant to open a salon so far from home,” she said. “The more we
discussed it, though, the more I saw the benefits in having a third location
in another town as a way of strengthening the name of the business and helping
more people to get tan.” She opened the Seymour salon in March 2001 with
five tanning units – two UltraSun 35-3, a Sun Capsule VHR, one Dr. Müller
Orbit and a KBL America Atlantis. Unlike the first two salons, Ann does
not offer hair, nail or retail services at the Seymour store. “Since it
is so far away, I decided to only feature tanning there, and it’s worked
out fine,” she commented.
Open Options
Looking back on her success so far, Ann says she thankful for the staff
she has at Always Summer. “I have a wonderful staff!” she exclaimed. “Many
of my employees have been with me since the beginning, and they all do an
excellent job servicing our clients. I definitely appreciate everyone on
my staff.” As for the future, she has a plan for her salon chain. “My No.
1 goal right now is to add more equipment options at each of my existing
stores,” she explained. “Right now, I’m happy operating the stores I have;
but you never know what might happen. It was my father who found the locations,
and now that he’s back on the road working, I never know what he might find!”
Ann considers her salon chain a dream come true. “I enjoyed my career in
retail sales, but it didn’t always give me the opportunity to bond with
people,” she commented. “That’s what I truly love about being a salon owner
– I know almost all of my clients on a first-name basis, and I enjoy seeing
them all each week. This has been a wonderful career choice for me, and
I’m very happy.”
ALWAYS SUMMER
STATS:
Locations: 3
Years in Business: 11
Tanning Systems: 28
Employees: 22
Other Services: Sunless Spray Tanning, Nails,
Waxing & Jewelry Sales
