Ancillary Services
Ancillary services can help salon owners buck the ups and downs of the tanning off-season. Such services remain popular year-round, and they allow salon owners to leverage their existing customer bases and use much of their same operating models. The top ancillary services tend to come from the spa industry, where relaxation and pampering blend with the golden skin provided by indoor tanning. LOOKING FIT® has highlighted a selection of ancillary services that are working in tanning salons across the country.
This chapter contains analysis of practical considerations of adding ancillary services to an existing tanning salon in order to provide customers with a complete source for all of their body-care needs. Even if your salon only offers tanning, don’t underestimate your future growth. As the total salon concept becomes more widespread, it may be necessary for you to provide additional services to maintain an edge over your competition. In fact, many salon owners are realizing that diversification is essential to steady profit centers. Salons can play host to a number of ancillary services that can help add additional revenue with a minimal investment of money and staff.
Increasing Your Bottom Line
Operating an indoor tanning salon can be exhausting. Many salon owners struggle to keep up with their growing client base, let alone having the extra energy needed to market any other products or services. Realistically, today's consumer has come to expect more from the business world. Even supermarkets are expanding to meet customers' needs--offering everything from paint and cameras to furniture and fishing rods--in addition to the usual groceries. The tanning industry itself has seen countless successful expansion endeavors, pairing tanning with the likes of temporary body art, sunless tanning, video rental, beauty services, fitness centers and travel.
If you're looking for an opportunity to increase both your revenue and your clientele, ancillary services may be the answer. Rest assured that if you don't take advantage of the chance to cater to your clients' needs, a salon down the street will. Regardless of the positive relationships you've established with your clients, they would sooner visit one salon that fulfills all their needs than spend the time tanning at your place and then going elsewhere for related services.
The goal of any tanning salon should be to stand out in a crowded marketplace by offering a unique experience. Salon owner should consider the amount of revenue they can make simply by expanding service to their existing clientele, let alone any new customers they might gain.
For example, by offering a 15-minute pre-tanning skin exfoliation package, you can bump up your normal tanning price by $15, says one industry expert. While many owners are wary of the prospect of giving up all the space--and potential revenue--of a tanning room, they should keep in mind the new avenues for profit that diversification can provide. Specifically, some of today's hottest ancillary services are designed to expand the client base to include non-tanners.
Adding a sunless tanning unit, HVLP or a hydrotherapy machine share some basic commonalties as add-ons. No additional licensing is needed for these services, although all require minimal employee training-from 15 minutes to a couple of hours.
The vendors provide educational and promotional materials for staff and customers, emphasizing education as a vital part of attaining success. Just as an employee spends 10 to 15 minutes with a new tanning client to explain procedures and make sure the customer understands how to operate the machinery, staff members will need to do the same with these add-on services.
As far as sales, this equipment is a natural fit with tanning. Salons are used to selling time on equipment, performing minor cleaning and interacting with customers.
In terms of set up, ideally each service should have its own 7-foot by 9-foot room. Slightly smaller rooms can be used, but the door must allow for entry of the various types of equipment.
Like tanning, services can be sold in multiple-use packages that pull in higher revenue upfront, as opposed to more expensive single-visit sales. Unlike tanning, the services are not seasonal; therefore, offering a year-round draw to even out a salon’s slower times.
Owners also need to keep in mind that an add-on service is not the way to save a failing business, rather to make a good business better. The last thing you need is to invest in a new product when you’re not even getting customers in for your main line of business.
Ancillary services that do well for you open the doors to future opportunities. If you are considering an add-on service, take the time to do your own research. Evaluate services your customers might enjoy, as well as closely examining any markets you might not be reaching in your area.
In addition to advertising, the best success will come from the client’s overall experience. Salon owners may need to change the lighting or paint in a room and should consider providing headphones to block out any sounds the machinery might make. These upgrades don’t need to be expensive, just addressed.
