There are a few more things happening this month that could have some significance for the tanning industry. We are currently experiencing a slow process in which tanning bills are coming up in state legislatures around the country, and according to the state, either are being passed or shot down. Depending on where tanning salon owners live and depending on the traffic they get and the various habits of their customers, these bills could affects on business and they could not.
A bill being proposed in Utah right now would require minors’ parents to overview tanning guidelines and cautions in order for minors under 18 to tan. The bill probably wouldn’t change much; many tanning salons already engage in this process. The bill may or not pass depending on who opposes it.
Another parental permission tanning bill was struck down in Colorado. The bill would have required minors under 18 to get parent permission, and minors under 14 to have their parents come with them to tan, but opponents said the bill amounted to needless red tape and that it was up to the parents anyway whether their children could tan, so the bill was struck down.
Many tanning salon owners are still not too concerned about teen tanning restrictions or even bans. They say very few of their customers are below 18 and when they are that young they come in with their parents anyway. Still, there are others in the industry that are strongly opposed to the bans because of lost revenue and possibly hurt business.
Also, celebrities and tans!
Everyone, including us, has been busy taking sides on the debates behind the tanning bans and the tanning tax. The whole tanning debate concerning sunscare and how much you should tan seems like ancient history, but its still important to these issues.
We came across another writer’s opinion that got us thinking about this issue again. Her blog post brought up a good point: why are so many commenters and lawmakers picking on tanning lately? Isn’t anything in excess harmful to an extent?
This brings us back to the sunscare debates. Can’t we tan in moderation and get our dose of Vitamin D? Why slather on sunscreen and go around with hats and sunglasses all the time in total fear of the sun? Vampires do this, sure, but will our skin burst in flames if we get hit with sunlight?
Tanning beds emit similar sorts of UV rays. Tanning proponents often claim that tan skin actually protects the sun from harmful burns, which are the real culprit. So what’s wrong with hitting the tanning beds here and there, getting a base tan, and then enjoying sunny vacation spots without having to worry so much about burns?
We talk about having too much alcohol or eating too much all the time, which can definitely be harmful, but that doesn’t lead us to condemn drinking and eating all in one breath. Can’t we just do everything in moderation? Just something to think about.
A teen tanning ban has been upheld in Germany after tanning salon owners complained. There was an appeal by a 17 year old girl who claimed that the ban infringed on her rights, but the court denied the appeal and upheld the ban on the grounds of public safety. The bans seem to be holding up in other parts of the world. Especially Europe and Canada.
Legislation is being introduced in Utah for a teen ban as well. The editorial in the link is definitely against the measure, stating that it creates the problem of government getting into people’s lives. We’ll see how that legislation fares.
Also, for an alternate look at the tan tax, here’s an article that talks about how it is faring over the past year. According to the article, about a quarter of salon owners experienced a loss in business, while the rest of them didn’t seem to have too serious of problems. Many business absorbed the costs themselves, or shared the costs with the customer, while the rest passed the costs on to the customer. Many customers were against the tax, but in the end didn’t mind paying it to tan. Of course, the government hasn’t collected nearly as much revenue as originally projected, calling into question the effectiveness of the tax.
We hit this topic a lot. Tanning salons everywhere are fighting for market share in a saturated market that is increasingly regulated. And we also say, don’t despair! There are plenty of ways to make your salon more competitive and stand out in the crowded market, such as developing your brand, offering a wide array of products, providing a unique tanning experience, and more. Here are a few more tips to keep you on your toes.
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you know that airbrush tanning is getting more and more popular, with salons everywhere investing in their own airbrush stations, and there are even entrepreneurs trying out mobile tanning service now as well. We came across a few articles that have some useful information to get you started if you are interested, all of them on a useful tanning industry site, “Looking Fit.”
This article offers an in-depth look at the airbrush tanning business
This short article offers a few tips on what to buy if you are looking into getting started with airbrush services.
And here is some useful advice from a veteran salon owner as well on tanning businesses adding airbrush tanning to their services. All good information if you are looking to add those services.
Finally, here’s another article that nicely sums up some of the strategies to increase the competitiveness of your business: offering unique products and services, experiences, price structures, and etc. All definitely worth a read.
We would recommend browsing some of the additional article links under the articles you read. There’s a lot of great information in there. Anything that you can use to give your business the edge over the competition is worthwhile!
Everyone from TanWall would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving this year! Enjoy the time with your families and the good food. And if you still need to upgrade your salon in the near future, consider taking advantage of our Thanksgiving sale. If you haven’t heard from our newsletter, we are offering 15% off on all sales until November 30!
So have a great Thanksgiving and may your business continue to grow and prosper!
