If you're starting a tanning salon, you may be in for a lot of hard work and heartache if you don't plan it carefully from the beginning of your business venture. It is important, businesswise and for your own sanity to plan a tanning salon properly and in an organized manner. You will have better chances of making your tanning business successful if you do things right from the very beginning. Here are some tips that will help you run a tanning spa smoothly.
The 1st thing you have to do when starting a tanning salon is to write a business plan. Writing a business plan will force you to learn more about the industry because you will have to study the management of the business, create marketing strategies and find out how much money you will really need to open a tanning salon. If you need to borrow money from bank to capitalize the business, your banker will also need a copy of your business plan.
Go to other tanning salons in your area and observe how the manager or owner runs the business. Take note of the prices for each procedure and what kind of equipment and supplies they use. If you will be undergoing a tanning session they will probably let you sign a waiver and give you safety guidelines. Remember these too as you will also have to provide the same things for your own tanning business.
Search for a location that doesn't present too much competition. Scour the area of a potential location and find out if there are other tanning spas there too. Starting a tanning salon in a new community is also better than opening a spa where there are already lots of competition. Look for new communities being developed by real-estate companies and see if you can get a good location there.
Hire a lawyer from the beginning of your planning stage. A lawyer can check zoning laws and building regulations of possible locations. He can also prepare or review documents and lease agreements, permit applications, and construction contracts. Your lawyer is also the best person who can prepare a draft of your salon waivers, make employee contracts and represent you in the future. Businesses like tanning spas are prone to lawsuits.
If you discover that you need more cash to start a tanning business, you can approach your banker or private investors to borrow money. Bring copies of your business plan when applying for a loan along with your financial statements. Your banker will want to see a business plan that shows you can run a tanning business smoothly and profitably. Their main concern is that you will be able to repay your loan and that they can profit from it.
Looking for tanning suppliers and tanning beds is going to be part of starting a tanning salon of course, but try to look for equipment that won't eat up most of your capital. Buying expensive brand new tanning beds won't necessarily help you make more profit or make your business more successful. It is proper marketing that will help you become more lucrative and popular among clients. Look for used tanning beds that still look and work like new.
There are many more things that you will need to touch on when starting a tanning salon such as getting insurance, learning how to hire the right kind of employees, how to stretch your budget and creating an effective marketing plan. Your marketing strategy can make or break your tanning business. Learn more about the tanning industry by doing more research online. Find a mentor in the tanning industry who can give you the right advice.
