How to Start a Tanning Salon Business

Write a business plan

A good business plan is the foundation of any successful business. It will give you a road map to reaching your goals and creating profits that line your pockets. Your plan should include specific information on how you will start, operate, and sustain your tanning salon business. 

Register the business

To start a tanning salon business, you will need to get a separate LLC or corporation. You do not want to put all your assets into the first company and lose everything if something goes wrong. The most important thing is that you are honest in filling out your information on the forms and talking with an attorney about it.

Create a logo

Logos are an essential part of making your tanning salon stand out. You can use the logo on your invoices, website, advertisements, and more to help customers identify you with their ideal experience.

Advertise!

This is by far one of the essential parts of starting any business. There will be a lot of competitors, and you will need to stand out from the rest. You can do this by investing in large advertisement signs, mailers, door-to-door campaigns, and more.

Select a Business Location

You will want to look for the best place possible to set up your business. This could be an indoor location with a lot of traffic or a low-traffic outdoor area that allows you to set up tables and shade umbrellas.

Purchase Tanning Equipment

Before you can open your tanning salon, you need equipment. First, you need to purchase the beds, tanning lotions, and other tanning accessories that will be required immediately. It’s best if you get a few different kinds of equipment so that customers have options when they come in.

Purchase Business Insurance

There are many forms of insurance you may need when running your own business, one type being business insurance. This is very important because it can protect you from many unexpected problems that will arise when running your own business.

Sign a Lease

To start, most tanning salons need to be located near the center of their community so that they have easy access to parking and transportation (if applicable). Then, you need to sign a lease that guarantees you the location for a certain amount of time.

Receive Licenses and Permits

Before you can open to the public, there may be a few permits or licenses that you need to obtain. All your licensing materials must be up-to-date because this will help to prevent any fines or legal issues

Spread the Word

Once you are open, you will want to spread the word about your tanning salon. You can do this by purchasing ad space in local magazines and newspapers, placing flyers at nearby businesses, putting up signs that stand out, and by regularly updating your website to reflect new promotions and deals.

Offer Retail products and services

You may want to sell lotions, tanning products, and other services at your tanning salon. You’ll need a license for that, which will require some paperwork. However, this can be a great way to make additional profits.

Build online Store

A great way to build additional revenue streams for your tanning salon business is to create an e-commerce platform to sell private label tanning products to customers all across the country. This can be a great way to make money, as well as increase your brand recognition.

Create Social Media Strategy

A solid social media presence is the key to success for any business, but even more so for a tanning salon. To get customer reviews and feedback, you need to interact with potential customers frequently via social media.

Hire the Right Staff

For your tanning salon idea to be viable, you need great staff. Hire the very best people you can find and then treat them well. A happy team is more productive and motivated to create an excellent experience for all of your clients.

Send coupons & Promotions

Offer special deals for specific customer groups, such as high school students, seniors, or military members. You will likely get some good local coverage for these promotions, which will help you attract new customers.

Email marketing list

Building an email subscriber list can be a great way to drive repeat business to your tanning salon. Doing so will also make it easier to send out coupons and deals directly to customers.

Social media groups

Join as many social media groups that are related to skincare and tanning as possible. This will help you extend your reach, create brand awareness for your salon business, drive traffic to your website and even build a relevant email subscriber list.

How to Start a Tanning Salon Business Conclusion

As you can see, there is a lot involved in getting your tanning salon up and running. While it’s essential to get the business started as soon as possible, it’s equally vital that you spend enough time planning thoroughly before submitting all of your startup paperwork. Saving money now will eliminate painful mistakes down the line.