Name: Brad Salley
Salon: Supertan Inc.
City, State: Lubbock, Texas
Years in business: 9
Q: How did you get into the industry?
A: I was born into a family of small-business owners, and I was looking for a business that would provide me the ability to have a certain type of life—including freedoms such as being able to wear shorts to work everyday.
Q: What is the philosophy behind your success?
A: Over-the-top service. That’s what tanning is to me—a service industry. I want to make it easy for the consumers to decide to do business with us.
Q: Best advice for maintaining or growing sales in this economy?
A: Stay on top of your budget, focus on year-round advertising, hire and train the right people to work in the salons.
Q: What advice do you have for new salon owners?
A: It’s not as easy as the salesman says it is. You must be ready to put everything you have into this job to make it work—being a salon owner is not a part-time profession.
Q: What is your favorite or least favorite aspect of your job/the industry?
A: My favorite aspect of being a salon owner is that I am able to spend all the time I want with my kids as they grow up. That has been priceless. My least favorite aspect is the slow months.
Q: What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned in the industry?
A: Honestly, there are a lot of people in this business who will try to sell this industry as a fail-proof business venture. That is wrong and simply not true—and it only hurts the industry and young entrepreneurs.
Q: How do you market to new clients? Any advice for others to follow your lead?
A: We market through the Internet, TV, radio and in print, and our message is always directed at the “tanaphobes.” We want our message to reach the mass of people who have been sold on the benefits of indoor tanning as well as those who have bought into the sunscare scam or simply do not choose to tan for whatever reason. If we can reach them and get them in the salon, our marketing ventures have been successful.
Q: Which of your products and services are most popular?
A: Anything that comes with a free upgrade is a hot item at our salons.
Q: How has your salon changed over the years to best serve the evolving industry?
A: We have matured. We have a very solid foundation of procedures and protocol for all aspects of the business, as well as the ability to continually train and educate employees. Back in the day, salon owners hired employees based on how they looked. Now, we look for a young professional who has a plan of where they want to go in life and we try to help them as much as they help us. It’s a win-win situation.
Q: Why do you enjoy the industry—and how are you contributing to it?
A: It’s a people business and I’m a people person. I am doing my best to spread the good word about tanning.
