Do you go to a tanning salon? Questions...
 

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?

4. How often do you go?

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?

Many thanks - I'm thinking of buying a salon and really want to market the hell out of it. It's been run by friends who have several other companies and they just don't have the time to run this place. They don't advertise, don't follow up with customers who stop coming, none of their employees upsell - and it's STILL making a profit. It's just waiting for someone to "work it" to bring it to it's full potential. It's completely turn key for me but I'll have to actually get out of my PJs to work so I'm still deciding :upsidedow

And no, there will be no cams or peepholes :thumbsup

These are good questions for Juicy to answer.

haha, just what I thought :1orglaugh

I should move it to NY - I could retire off Juicy ;)

I started going to Mirage Tanning here in MI. because of a coupon for their special bed that is only 8 min. It has air conditioning right in the bed. I only go once in a great while, but now that my coupon special ran out, I will still go just for that bed. No I don't buy any of the extras I think those things are more for the College students around here.

If this survey can help, so here you are:

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?
I know the girl working there and the salon is close to my house.

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?
I'm satisfied with the salon, so I won't change. They have all the services, what I need on my running weekdays.

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?
I'm a hasty person, I can decide something immediately so 6 months is too long time to know what will happen to me then.

4. How often do you go?
Once a week, I don't want to be chocolate-brown (just not to be Snow White)

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?
Almost every month of the year, coz I don't like getting sunburnt. Since the ozone layer is not in it's best state, I have to take care of this. Peeps with lots of birth-marks shouldn't go to solarium either

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?
Relaxing massage and infra-sauna.

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?
If I have many-many contented CLIENTS. (not just from the upper 10 thousand)
8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?
They have some advertising sheets, but I ask if stg isn't clear

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?
12 minutes is usually enough

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?
never

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?
Once I bought a monthly package but I moved to another city and I was given it to my mother. So I prefer buying the minutes.

Hope, I could help you ;) Good luck with your salon!

Thanks for the input, Michelle!

This salon doesn't have a high college base - mostly middle aged women. I was looking more towards pushing the "moisturizing" lotions as opposed to the bronzing ones. I know I hate the bronzing lotions - I always manage to leave a streak or two on my hands - but the lotions that help my skin stay soft after baking it are nice :)

Apparently when they hire the college and HS kids, some of the good bronzing lotions seems to walk out of the store. I bought a security camera for the house years ago which I never took out of the box because I was going to use it outside and realized I needed power out there which I don't have. Seems this might be a good time to use it ;)

Many thanks, Ashley!! :)

You're welcome ;)

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to? its close to my house & i can get straight in (dont have to book like most salons here)

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try? im still there lol

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?
they usually do offers of buying so many minutes, you get so many extra free & i usually take them

4. How often do you go? once a week

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)? usually oct/ nov/ dec/ jan/ feb

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)? i usually go there for my nails too.

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection? yep...no waiting!! lol

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them? i have to approach them

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up? 12 mins lay down ones

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners? not from salon no

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages? minutes

good luck :)

Thanks to you too, Laura :)

The salon has a brand new aqua massage machine (like a tube) that was a small fortune. I'm hoping to push that with the the retirees up here. It really is AWESOME but again, hasn't been advertised (except in their YP ad) and the girls working there don't upsell it.

They also don't offer the girls commission on upsells which I think is crazy - no wonder they don't push things, lol. Something else I plan to implement.

Yes I did buy the moisturizing type lotion from them. Good luck with this, I hope it goes good for you if you decide to do it. yes definitely use the camera.:thumbsup:winkwink:

Good questions!

Thanks - bumping for Juicy :thumbsup

Here ill help you out ;)

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?
I google-d the top salons in the area and went to the one with best review

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?
it needs to be a great special

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?
They offered me 2 weeks of High level Tanning for free once i bought a package

4. How often do you go?
If i get a chance 1x a week

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?
Mostly summer ones exactly .. jason

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?
none i guess

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?
i guess that i can go unlimted..

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?
Sometimes, but its usually annoying. i know they are trying to sell very expensive lotions.
Instead maybe a sign, saying Ask about our special lotion deals for the day.

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?
12 minute

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?
no teeth whiteners sounds interesting tho :O

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?
i bought Tan package which is like 12+ Tans on the 12min bed etc

Many thanks, Persius! It's amazed me to find out how many men tan. And around here, we're talking men who drive big trucks, lol ;)

i have 35 sessions left on my package plan

I'm too lazy to read your entire first post but, here it's 6 sessions for 21$ and you can go as long as you want

So a month? :thumbsup

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?


Hot sluts who work there

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?

only if coupoin included a blowjob

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?

nah , i use the chicks mouths there for oral delight

4. How often do you go?

off season.... 1x week in season 3x per week

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?

every month
6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?

california tans crap i boought from em

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?

BJs and HandJobs in private areas , and also hands on massage with options

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?

dumb sluts try to sell me all the time and i tell em "Bitch Ii bought that big fucking bottle already look at my account you slut"

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?


the 12 min one

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?


just the AstroGlide in case the girl is tight

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?

i buy the sessions package

Thanks, Juicy - now I know I need to hire sluts. :) I wonder how I should word that in the ad........

"If you are HOT and Love to TAN this job is for you" please call: 333 333 3333 orstop by to fill application. Please only HOT females willing to go the EXTRA MILE

Copying and pasting now!! My house should be burned down within a week (the newspaper only comes out on Thursdays). :helpme

That's going to clash with the Baptist Revival poster they currently have in their window........

OK, now that I've got the "Hooker for Employment" idea, another question:

Any favorite lotions? I understand the concept behind the bronzers, but I haven't figured out what benefit the "Blushes" and "Tingles" give but apparently they sell well. Does "perception" mean anything, i.e. if something's more expensive, it must be better?

Australian Gold seems to be a good seller but I've found a small company that really pushes the "skin care" aspect of it too.

I swear if I don't get this turnkey place, I have enough info to open my own damn shop ;)

Nice questions, I have also been looking into this business prospect. I have a buddy that owns three of them, and I have talked to him extensively about all this. One thing he has said is locatio,n location, location. Although people will drive to a really good tanning place they usually stick around there area.

Yeah, what's amazing out this one is that it's in actually a pretty shitty location but does great biz. It's by far the cleanest and best built in town. And they've done NO advertising - it was just something they were doing on the side and realized they just don't have the time to even do it part time.

I think my business cards are going to have to say "Behind the X store and across the street from X Autostore", lol.

Nope. About the only light I get is artificial, but I never get a tan from it. If I was any pastier, I'd be a (successful) webmaster.

BTW, I talked to them about their advice as far as moving the location (they don't have a lease) and she said the biggest issue is the build out cost - besides the rooms you have to build up the electric, AC, etc. She said it cost them $30K for 8 rooms and they're in the construction biz, so I'm guessing it would cost me at least 2X that if not 3X.

I've been doing so much freaking research on this that if the deal goes through I'm taking my $$$ and going to the Bahamas for a week or two ;)

One thing a friend of mine mentioned she liked was the leg tanners where you sit in and just do the legs. I see several of these for sale used but it doesn't seem like a lot of people are using them. Comments?

Bareskin - I already have inventory, but when/if I replace you can find some EXCELLENT deals on repossessed beds from finance companies :)

you need to open one like this: www.spytanning.com ;)

1. it was close and looked better from the outside than the other close one
2. a new salon was built that was a giant building with shitloads of new bed and a low monthly flat rate for a good bed. Not the crazy matrix shit but like a 30 bulb bed with or without face tanner (up to you)
3. nope, gimme $20-$25 a month for unlimited regular tans or I'm leaving
4. I used to go a lot, now I rarely go. they still get my money though
5. spring - get horny when it first gets warm outside and I try to look my best for the ladies ;)
6. all the tanning places around here employ super slutty hot 17-20 year olds. if they were giving the massage I'm sure I'd take one (assuming they are in their usual shirts with lots of cleavage). otherwise I probably would not go for any reason except tanning
7. I don't understand. Umm, I dont want one. Charge so little monthly that no one wants to have their own tanning bed. they cost a lot and take up space. Charge a $50 activation when people start the unlimited tanning plan for $25 a month. That way they dont quit paying even when they stop tanning.
8. both. the talkative hotties definitely get more of my money though
9. 20
10. i whiten my teeth at home thx
11. i think i mentioned this - monthly

best of luck to you. If you live in a market that doesn't have a lot of competition and you can demand that $50 to start up the deal people will never leave. You'll just keep getting their money even if they only tan 4 months a year. Of course, you can only offer credit card auto rebilling for this to work.

I used a few yrs ago only in the summer months, started just sitting outside my house if its not too hot. As I get older I don't really care that I don't have a nice tan and fear of getting skin cancer is also a factor.

I always bought a 10 session package, never used stand up or the super premium bed that can fry you in 2 mins

As far as lotion goes, I'll never understand why some decent lotion needs to cost $40 per bottle.

Other than that it must be close to my way to work or close to my house.

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?

close by location, easy parking and they offered a fair drop-in price no membership required ie. I can just show up, pay my $7 for a session, don't need to sign up for any plan or anything

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?

old bulbs losing intensity

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?

not interested, for me not having to buy a package or long term is a big plus

4. How often do you go?

twice a week for a month then usually take time away

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?

jan feb mar apr may

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?

none

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?

maybe a juice bar, or even a cooler with bottles of some healthy drink choice (cold herbal iced teas or juices or mineral waters)

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?

they have and I don't really like that, I don't use them and hate having to go through the whole sales chat every time

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?

love the cyclone vortex type new technology super high intensity ones, second the stand up, bulbs must be new and strong though

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?

no

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?

I really prefer to pay as I go, so a place that has that option without charging a ridiculous overprice is the kind I look for, if I am forced to buy a package I would pick minutes with no expiry (or really long time until expiry). I live in different cities 3 or 4 times a year, so if I do buy minutes I might not be back to the same city for a year

To me operating a tanning salon would be a bit like operating a store that sells cigarettes... it's still the customer's choice but you gotta wonder what it's really doing to them in the long run. :2 cents:

(I'm an Aussie so I'm naturally more scared of skin cancer. :winkwink: )

Only tanning I would do is the Mystic tan. You couldn't pay me to sit in a tanning bed and damage my skin. The only safe tan is one from self tanning lotions (Mystic).

The beds will fuck up your skin and make you look older faster.

Neither I nor wife tan however we have been in a few in our town for other reasons. I must say the ones around here are almost all about the other products. From lotions to swim suits.
They also seem to have promo packages all of the time. Prom specials, bridesmaids packages, etc.

Tanning is too dangerous, you are cooking your skin and it will result in making your skin leathery when you get older and possibly give you potentially fatal skin cancer if done too much. Not to mention it's a waste fo time and money too. I like to look tan though so I use Coppertone Gradual Tan Lotion twice a week all over my body and that gives me a very natural looking bronze tan.

I recently joined PlanetTan. One choose them because they just opened a new location a few mins. drive from my house, http://planettan.com/planettan.php
Also they had a special offer of unlimited tanning, all five levels of beds, plus unlimited spray tans, (versa Spa) for $49.99 a month, no contract, no init. fees etc.

Although I got a good price, that was not the main reason for joining... Location & its brand new, they are a franchise, and have the latest beds and 30 to 50 beds per location...

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?
It was close to my house.

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?
I left because I moved out of state. No, the only thing that would bring me back is the promise that I would get to bend the owner over and shove a watermelon up her ass without lube. I cancelled my account in March and they still bill me every month and every month I have to call and get nasty then eventually call Visa and charge it back.

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?
Free lotion if they offered it.

4. How often do you go?
Not often. A few weeks before a show I would go about 3 - 5 times.

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?
About the same each month.

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?
Nails.

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?
New bulbs, great sound system, cool rooms.

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?
They were pretty good sales people and knowledgable about their product.

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?
I used to love the stand up but, found one of their lay down beds which was wider with built in fans, music and a face tanner, was much better.

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?
Nope. Just lotion.

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?
Obviously, the monthly lifetime package.

I want to add that my favorite lotion ever (and I left about half a bottle there, grrrr) is called Fortune. It has a bit of self tanner in it plus it smells yummy.

Good luck to you!!

Sounds like a cool opportunity mate!

Me and my gf goes ones in a while. For her it is very important that everything is clean, and that she feels safe (that noone is lurking and watching through the keyhole). Music with the ability to turn up the volume is important to me. And huge mirrors inside the tan room! Perhaps I can snap some pics from a Norwegian Tan studio for you?!

1. Why did you pick the salon you went/go to?
Close to my place

2. If you left a salon, why? Would a coupon bring you back in to give it another try?
If I left it was for a good reason, so probably not.

3. Do you take advantage of any of their specials (like free lotion for a 6 month contract)?
Nope

4. How often do you go?
once a week pretty much all year

5. Which months do you tan the most (I've heard JASON is a killer - July, August, September, October, November)?
see above, might go twice a week for a couple weeks before a vacation though.

6. What non-tanning product would bring you to the salon when you didn't want a tan? Massage? Nails? Home Spa Packages (lotion, scrub, etc. in a gift box)?
As someone else said, if the girls that work the counter gave massages.... lol

7. If you owned your own tanning salon and you were the only customer, what would be perfection?
Well if I was the only customer I would be sad over losing so much money.

8. Do the workers talk to you about the lotions and what they can and cannot do or do you have to approach them?
Most of them know me, so don't say anything about the lotions unless I dont have mine with me, and even then they normally just give me one of those little samples to try.

9. What kind of beds do YOU personally use - the 20 minute, 15 minute, 12 minute or stand up?
I dont understand the minutes... I figured the time you spent in the bed was determined by how dark you currently are, how easy you burn and how dark you want to get. I generally only tan for 10 minutes at a time, but sometimes as little as 6 when they get new bulbs.
Having one stand up would be nice, I use one every 4th time or so just to get rid of the white spots laying down leaves.

10. Do you use any of the "extras" like the sun tattoos, teeth whiteners?
Teeth whiteners in the tanning bed? please explain.

11. Do you buy the minutes or weekly/monthly packages?
I buy minutes

Let me correct you peaches... Metro Guy's tan... Men, they do outdoor sports :winkwink:

if you decide to go for it, best of luck. I have no doubt if its yours it will be very successful.

Thanks everyone :) I've been having a blast researching everything. Now if the owners and I can just come to terms with a sale price ;)

One of the main things I've found is the bulbs. You can get an old bed with good bulbs with great results and an awesome new bed with shitty bulbs that sucks. This is the nicest one in town by far - nothing fancy at all like you see in the "big city" so getting the right bulbs in there is going to be very important. I know I've laid in 4 different beds that were the same model and had 4 different results.

It's SO hidden that one of the first things I'm going to do (besides sending out post cards to old customer who haven't been in the past few months) is get some business cards printed up with "Free Tan or Free Aqua Massage" printed on them. This town is small enough where I can give them to damn everyone I run into and if I can get 5% to come in and SEE the place, I've at least accomplished them knowing where it is :)

Honez - will look for that lotion - which means you have to come in for a free tan. You know you have a bedroom here at my house! (I may need to pick up a little..........)

Different beds have different strengths. For instance, you can't lay longer in a 12 minute bed than 12 minutes. It's a stronger bed than a 20 minute bed. I used to use the 20 minute beds to start then go to the 15. Personally I don't like the 12 minute at this particular salon and like I mentioned above, it may be the lamps. Now I start in the 15 minute but only at about 3 minutes and work up.

There are teeth whiteners that supposedly work with the UV rays. Don't know if they do.

Pookie, a place like that in my little town wouldn't get the biz to keep something that big running :thumbsup This one is the largest in town and has 6 beds, lol.

I have looked at the Versa Spa though. LMK what you think about it - what it does to your hair, clothes (if you wear any) palms, nails, etc.. I'd have to get a repo'd or used one as they are SUPER expensive. This one has an airspray tanner and there aren't that many requests for it. In fact, the owners haven't even trained anyone on it in a couple of years (they are pretty absentee owners, which is why they are selling).

I've thought about selling bottle juices and such. Apparently if you make your own you're under the Restaurant Gestapo Inspection rule because I just saw that Gold's Gym here in town was inspected.

They DON'T have a stand up and the more I read, the more I think that's the next thing I'll be putting in.

i also masturbate while tanning

Note to self: pick up towels with tongs. :helpme