How to Start a Tanning Salon

Starting a tanning salon can be a great way to make money in an place, and atmosphere that you choose, but before you can quit your job, you need to get a few things done.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Research

1. Scout for a location. Choose a primary location and at least two backup locations. Information you should obtain are the location's street address and its proximity to other competing services in the area. Bear in mind that spas and even some health clubs may offer tanning.
2. Get an idea of the area's demographic. You should be able to do this with county records or a recent census.
3. Find out about zoning and licensing regulations, as each state and county will vary. Your county clerk will be able to help you with this. Be sure to ask about the need for and cost of special licensing for a tanning business.
4. Price equipment and utilities.

Decisions

5. Choose your business type. In most countries business are broken into types such as: sole proprietor, partnership and corporation. Each of the types has a different set of advantage and disadvantages, so choose you type wisely, and contact your state for filing papers.
6. Take a realistic inventory of how much money you can afford to invest in your business and how much you will have to get from loans.
7. Decide on your top location based on the factors discussed above.

Opening Up

8. Write your business plan. Many sites online can help you to do this, or you can hire a professional writer.
9. Obtain your financing. This can be done in many ways. The first way is to obtain a small business loan through your local bank or business incubator or a venture capitalist group. To do this you will have to contact the lender and fill out an application. Another possible finance method is to use money from a grant, if your business meets the grant's requirements. If you make a good case for your organization you may get the grant. You have a much higher chance of getting a grant if your salon is: women- or minority-owned and located in an urban revitalization area.
10. Purchase our equipment and goods. You can do this by contacting the companies that make tanning beds and tanning products. Find their Web sites and then look up the contact info for their commercial sales office, not their retail sales office.
11. Hire your staff. Place an ad in the paper or online asking candidates to send their resumes. Review the resumes and call you top choices in for interviews. Select your candidates and make them offers. Process any hiring paperwork that your state requires.
12. Set up your store and pass inspection.
13. Set an opening day. Promote the store as per your marketing plan and open your new tanning salon.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't try to bluff your way through inspection.