Module 1: 5 Reasons To Start A Spray Tan Business
How to start a spray tan business: Intro.
I’ve had a few questions recently in my Sunless Essentials FB Group asking if NOW is a good time to start a spray tan business or if it’s too late to get into it.
From someone who is actively working in the industry as a spray tan artist let me share my thoughts on this.
Within this post, there may be affiliate links to the products I am referring to. Read my full disclosure here.
I have spent 20+ years building an amazing spray tan business with really great clients. Many have turned into very good friends.
So to say that I LOVE what I do is putting it mildly.
You might be thinking, “that’s great Kathryn but you started your spray tan business years ago, is now a good time to start a NEW spray tan business?”
Hang with me for a minute, let me share with you what I am seeing in the sunless tanning industry.
Sunless Tanning Is A Growing Industry
The research is pointing to 4.9% annual growth for the U.S. sunless industry.
More and more people are turning to sunless tanning as a way to have a pretty glow and many have added sunless tanning into their self-care routine.
The Sunless Tanners market in the U.S. is estimated at US$386.1 Million in the year 2021.
That’s a LOT of money spent on sunless tanning!
This means more spray tans and more at-home self-tanning products are wanted and needed!
Additionally, we are becoming more educated on sun safety and skin cancer risks.
And spray tanning no longer has a negative association with being ORANGE that it once did. FINALLY!!!
Also, many dermatologists are recommending that their patients get a spray tan or use a self-tanning product.
I think it’s the PERFECT time to start a spray tan business!
Let me expand on some of the other reasons why now is a great time to start your spray tan business.
You Can Make Money Doing Spray Tans
I touched on this topic briefly in the class intro, but let’s break this down a bit further so we can understand why I think now is a good time to start a spray tan business.
My spray tan business is what supports my family. My husband is retired and I am the main breadwinner in our home.
Personally, I spray 30-50 clients per week (depending on the season) and sell a line of at-home sunless tanning products in my salon. Any tanning appointments that I am not available to spray are sent over to my assistant.
And I don’t do ANY paid advertising at this point.
Sounds amazing right?
I am also not the only spray tan business in town.
There are clearly plenty of available clients who are looking to get a spray tan.
I get messages daily from people who have NEVER had a spray tan and are ready to try one!
There is room for everyone.
Are you ready to own your own business? Keep reading for more great reasons why you should start NOW!
Become A Successful Entrepreneur
Here is where I am going to get VERY honest with you.
The level of effort you put into your business is directly related to your level of income.
This means that you can’t go to your boss and ask for a raise……you ARE the boss and you have to MAKE the raise happen.
That takes work.
I see too often the “chart” of this many tans = this much money.
Spray tan math is fun to do! But it is only part of the equation.
My spray tan business grew by word of mouth when my kids were small and I worked from home around their school schedule.
At a certain point, I invested in my business and learned about marketing which kicked my business income up a level.
My business grew along with my marketing education and it is now a great full-time profitable income that supports my family.
This leads me to the next reason why now is a great time to start your own spray tan business.
Flexible Small Business Idea
My spray tan business offers me flexibility with my scheduling.
I have already mentioned how I was able to fit my client schedule around my kids and family life by starting my business at home.
But to highlight the flexibility of my spray tan business a little further here are a few other reasons why I think now is a great time to build a business with a flexible schedule.
Earn Anywhere
I have been able to take my business with me on many trips!
Traveling with your spray tan business is fun and profitable. Working with the fitness, fashion, or pageant industry is a great way to combine travel and work together.
I am able to step in and out of my business.
A training opportunity was offered to me but required that I was gone for 6-weeks this past year to work remotely.
I went during the slow part of the spray tan season so no one missed me and I came back before the Holidays and walked right back into my scheduled appointments.
And I have many boss besties that have taken “business breaks” to have their babies or moved their businesses to a new location with their families.
A spray tan business is super flexible!
A Spray Tan Business Has Low Startup Cost
I get asked frequently how much a spray tan business costs to startup.
For less than $2000 you can get everything you need!
But it wasn’t always that way. Twenty years ago the equipment and training were WAY more expensive.
As technology has improved the cost of the compressors and applicators has decreased dramatically.
And online training has decreased that cost significantly as well.
Even if you just want to buy a spray tan kit to spray your friends at home for a few hundred dollars you can!
Let me share what I invested in to get my business up and running.
I started my business from home with a small mobile spray tan kit that included a small compressor, a professional sprayer, and a tent. I also invested in supplies and training.
This was perfect to get my spray tan business started and build my confidence.
When my business went mobile I upgraded my equipment so I had a spray tan machine that could handle doing larger groups and created my mobile spray tan bag that I kept packed and ready to go for spray tan parties.
I added specialties like contouring, fitness, and pageant tans when I was ready and built my business debt-free on a solid foundation.
One of my business goals was to have my own brick-and-mortar spray tan salon. That did take some financial planning, but I budgeted for it and it worked out great!
Connect With Your Ideal Spray Tan Clients
It’s easier than ever to connect with people on social media giving you direct access to the people who are looking to get a spray tan.
People are going to connect with you personally and your business in different ways.
You will find the people who match up with you and your style. How you like to spray and the events that you love spraying for.
These are your ideal clients but I like to call them your Besties. Because they will feel like instant friends when you meet them.
I look at it like this, how many hairstylists do you have in your town?
LOTS right!
Some stylists love color treatments, others love curly hair, and others love bridal up do’s.
They are all busy and they are all doing what they love with the people they love.
Now is the perfect time to start a spray tan business
There will always be new people looking for a spray tan.
So whether your spray tan business is a side hustle, something you do for your friends and family, or your main gig now is a great time to get started!
Ready to take the plunge and start a spray tan business? Click the button below to keep reading.
Finding this content helpful? Venmo me a coffee @Kathryn-Swope-1