ETS Tanning Bed Blog

Salon ownership doesn't begin with planning an opening. There are steps to opening a tanning salon, both behind the scenes and front-and-center. And where does it begin? With choosing a location, of course.

1. Choose the best location.

You can't overcome a bad location, that's just the way it is. So, here at ETS Tan , we help new tanning salons do demographic studies and competition analysis on a particular area to help them find the best location.

We look at the population, the competition and the commercial landscape and we ask "are there enough people to sustain a tanning salon and if there is competition, how many beds are there now, and how can we control that market?"

2. As the owner, get involved.

In the old days, you could throw a few tanning beds in a storefront, throw up a sign and enter the world of salon ownership. Today, owners need to be more involved.

We can actually help walk you through the ins and outs of salon ownership and if you can't be as involved as you'd like, then we can offer advice on hiring a skilled, experienced and passionate salon manager.

3. Hire the right staff.

Your staff are the front lines of your people. They talk to people, represent you, deal with problems, make your sales, maintain your beds and keep your salon clean. And the sad truth is that even though most people care about their jobs, some people don't. It's your job to hire people that care.

4. Nail the perfect mix of equipment.

I know, I know, I sell tanning salon equipment, so why isn't it at the top of my salon ownership list? Well, to be honest, location is critical, you're critical and so are your staff. All of these elements together can actually overcome equipment that's less than ideal. But, you're more likely to see success with a nice mix and selection of quality tanning beds.

5. Learn how to market.

How you put together your advertising, your decorating, your pricing structure, your membership fees, the lotions you're going to carry, other products you might stock and all your other offerings are all going to come together to create your salon image.

Are you going to be a high end spa/tanning salon or more of a budget-friendly facility? How will your marketing reflect that?

6. Find a salon ownership mentor.

Here at ETS Tan, we can help to connect you with a fellow tanning salon owner who has seen some success and is willing to help walk you through part of the business. Having a mentor (outside of your competition area, of course) can help you avoid common mistakes, bring new ideas to the table and learn from the expertise of others.

7. Learn how the equipment works.

You have the best equipment available. That's great. Do you know how to work it? Can you fix it if something goes wrong? Do you know how to maintain it on a day-by-day or tan-by-tan basis? We'll walk you through every nook and cranny of every tanning bed and tanning bed system you buy.

8. Learn how to sell lotion.

Pinpoint the lotions that you want to carry and connect with their sales reps. How will each company work to help you make sales? Will they provide training? Displays? Free samples?

9. Get a good web presence.

A solid web presence is mandatory. This is how the majority of your new clients will find you. And remember, you can't just create a page and forget about it, it should be dynamic and updated regularly. Not only does this keep your customers coming back, it also keeps your search engine rankings high.

10. Plan your opening.

Finally, now that you've stated to get a handle on tanning salon ownership,  now it's time to plan your opening. Will you do a soft opening? How will you advertise? Will you use direct mail to target the neighborhood? will you advertise in the local paper? Remember, your opening and its marketing needs to reflect that same branding and style that you want from your salon.

In past posts, we've talked about how you can tan naked to eliminate tan lines , and to make sure you're getting a healthy-looking tan all over.

What we haven't talked about is how to protect your. . . uh, personal areas while you're spending time in a tanning bed.

Why? Well, apparently, over-exposure to UV rays can actually cause sterility. And because the tip of the male penis is actually mucosal membrane, like human eyelids, and not the same kind of skin as the back of your hand, it can actually become discolored or disfigured if it's damaged.

Similarly, the eyelids, nostrils, lips, and inner ear do not contain pigment, and are not meant to hold color, so it's important to keep them protected. You can apply SPF lotions and lip balms to the appropriate areas, but what should you do about other areas that you just shouldn't apply lotion to?

There are commercial products available to cover a man's penis or a woman's nipples, or you can just use a piece of nylon/lycra. Cotton actually only blocks 6 - 9% of UV rays, which means you can still get burned.

It's also important for women who have chemically-treated hair to keep their hair covered while they're tanning, because your hair can actually change color inside the tanning bed.

While I have yet to meet anyone who has suffered from any of these ailments as a result of nude tanning, the mental image of discoloration is enough to send almost anyone running to cover up with these types of products.

Finding a tanning salon isn't an easy task. It's not like picking a restaurant or grocery store. Going to the most popular one is an option, but if you like to tan at certain times of day, chances are everyone else does too, so you're either stuck waiting or have to find a different time of day.

Remember, this is a place you're going to visit a few times a month. You want to find the best one that fits you, so there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.

It Starts With the Staff

The salon staff will make or break a salon. Are they friendly and outgoing and willing to answer your questions? Or are they sullen and unfriendly, and huff whenever you need something? The salon staffers should be knowledgeable about their equipment, the best lotions to use, and can tell you about your skin type and design a regimen just for you.

Did they take the time to understand your needs and budget, or do they want to fit you into their one-size-fits-all package?

What About the Tanning Beds?

There are four basic levels of tanning beds. Does your salon have at least three of them? Do they have more than one of each type to avoid scheduling backups? We've come a long way from one type of tanning bed, so hopefully your salon has too. It's important that you rotate between tanning beds to achieve and maintain your tan.

Get a tour of the place, and take a look inside the beds. Be sure to ask questions. Are the beds clean? How often do they clean them? (Correct: After every use. Wrong: Anything less.) Do they provide protective eyewear?

Basically a good salon will be able to answer yes to all of these questions. They'll have a number of different tanning beds, they'll have sanitary eye protection, they'll clean the beds after each use, and of course, the staff will be friendly and professional.

The short of it is if you're not happy with the salon, move on to the next one. The most popular or the cheapest salons are not always the best fit. You may get lost in the shuffle at the popular salons, and you'll get what you pay for at the cheapest. It's your skin. Make sure you're happy with what you get.

For stars like American Idol judge Simon Cowell, true privacy means having their own indoor tanning beds right in their homes. Instead of a trip to the tanning salon (think Britney Spears), it's a trip down the hall.

Whether it’s outdoors or indoors, tanning is a very relaxing and a great way to escape the everyday problems and stresses life throws at you. But safety must be followed, not only for the skin, but the eyes. Like outdoor tanning, you must protect your eyes while using a tanning bed . It’s very important to use some sort of protection and closing your eyes isn’t the answer.

“Why? What’s wrong if I just keep my eyes closed?"

According to several health experts, eyelids offer limited protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays. This can cause short term damage to your eyes. Red, itchy or watery eyes may be an indication of short-term damage. Long-term damage can include dangerous problems, like cataracts or even blindness.

Most tanning salons provide eye protection while using their facilities. On the whole, tanning salons offer customers strap on goggles with highly tinted viewing holes, while others will give you a disposable aluminum eye shield for each eye. Some may even offer sun glasses or allow the customer to bring their own. But regardless of what you use, it’s vital you use some form of protection.

Using eye protection while in a tanning booth is just as important as wearing sunglasses outdoors on a sunny day. UV rays can severely damage your eyes and cause many problems later in life. Nobody in their right mind would stare at the sun. And although not as powerful as the sun, looking at the lights in a tanning bed without protection is also dangerous. Like sunglasses, goggles block 100% of the UV rays, and keep your eyes safe and healthy.

If you're concerned about sanitation from using the salon's goggles, you can buy your own. Many tanning salons sell eye protection directly to their customers for just this reason. This can help assure that the protection you are using is completely free of germs and other eye related diseases that can be spread from customer to customer.

It's a common myth by the tanning nay-sayers that the government has said tanning is bad.

The truth is indoor tanning is rigorously monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the organization responsible for monitoring food and drug safety, and the Federal Trade Commission, the organization responsible for consumer protection and responsible business practices. The FDA makes sure our equipment is safe, and the FTC makes sure we can back up our claims, and don't make false promises.

In 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Tanning Accountability and Notification Act (TAN), which requires the FDA to reevaluate warning labels on tanning beds, and to find ways of educating consumers about responsible use of tanning beds.

The Importance of Proper Voltage in Tanning Beds

All things mechanical are going to have a problem at one point or another. It's natural.

A large part of the issues with tanning beds are electrical, which leads to overheating. Sometimes a bed can overheat and shut down. Other times, it can run too cool, and not give a proper tan. We work with tanning salon owners to avoid these potential problems prior even to the bed purchase.  Our guidelines are clear for voltage and we offer buckboosters to help either raise or lower the voltage, depending on what the needs of the salon are.

230 volts is the maximum recommended voltage. However, not all power is the same – it can be too high or too low, which makes the bed run too hot or too cool. By using a buckbooster, we can help the salon achieve 230 volts for their beds. The best way to tell whether your voltage is correct is by using a voltage meter, which all our technicians carry.


The Importance of Proper Ventilation in Tanning Rooms

Room temperature can also play a factor in the proper functioning of the bed. If a room runs too hot because of poor ventilation, hot air will get circulated into the bed, making it extremely hot. Again, in these cases, a bed can overheat and shut down. This can also cause damage to the bed.

In one salon, a room temperature reached 117 Fahrenheit, which is a scorcher no matter how you look at it. The bed overheated and wouldn't work properly. An HVAC technician came to the salon to work on the problem. He discovered that when the ceiling vents were moved, the heat went down.

Proper ventilation removes pollutants, provides fresh air, and most importantly, allows the room to cool, an important aspect with a very warm tanning bed. Proper ventilation also reduces the possibility of damage to a tanning bed and tanning salon and keeps all occupants – users, workers, owners, customers – safe.