New sunbed business...please help

[amsutt98]

Hiya
Im thinking of starting a sunbed business, does anyone have any advice on the do and dont's?
Im hoping to rent a shop which has already been used as a sunbed shop before i have seen one for rent in my area and the rent seems low enough to make a profit
Do i need to be thinking about any legal things?
Any helpful hints in the right direction will be greatfully received
Thanks

 

[Gillie]

Can I just ask, this shop you are intending on renting that was also once a sunbed place .... why did it shut or move out?

 

[amsutt98]

I have only seen it on the estate agents site today and recognise it as a sunbed shop i used to go to, im going to ring the estate agents tomorrow to find out more

 

[Gillie]

Yes obviously you need to know if this particular site made money for the previous occupants or not ....

 

[amsutt98]

Yes i will difinately find out, i used to go there and there was always people in and out so thats a good start i suppose

 

[adam]

A number of my customers own shops like these. Thay seem to do well but then they also work just about everyday there is very hard!

It always seems very enjoyable work.

 

[amsutt98]

Yes i know ill have to work long hours but thats ok for me, does anyone know about the sort of planning the shop would need to have?
Thanks for the help

 

[Smile-Zone]

Hi Mandi
I was thinking about tanning last year. Based in Glasgow which is known as Sunbed Capital of UK there are a lot of people to talk to about tanning and sunbeds. The information that i received put me off going into this area of the "Beauty Industry".
A few things you must be made aware of. Last summer was very hot and very sunny which meant the sunbed salons took a hammering and thats in wet and windy Glasgow. Yes you have the winter months but you will have to make sure you earn enough to get you through the summer.
The other main thing that put me off was the fact that their are so many TV programmes now advising the public that sunbeds are bad for you and can give you skin cancer. Whither that is true or not it is enough for the general public to say "hang on a minute I dont think I will go for a sunbed".
The final thing was the cost of sunbeds themselves. I worked out that the cost of one Hi Pressure sunbed at best would cost about £18,000. The avergae time on this bed would be 15 minutes which would give me an hourly revenue of £32 less my consumables would leave me with £26.90. I would have a maximum of 4 clients per hour and it would take me 669 treatment hours or 2676 clients to recoup my investment. That for me was the final nail in the coffin. That remember is only for 1 sunbed and does not include the overheads for the shop, staff etc. Sorry if I am putting you of.
What was my solution - well the name Smile-Zone might give it away. I bought a mobile teeth whitening system. I have no connection at all with any teeth whitening companies so I am not trying to sell anything here except an idea to you. My average revenue per hour is £297. My consumable cost approximately £33 with my gross profit being approximately £263. I will recoup the £5500 investment a lot quicker than a sunbed.
Yes there is business out there whither it is dealing direct with the public or setting up clinics with Beauty Salons.
I hope you realise this is only my opinion. I dont know your georgraphical location so tanning and sunbeds maybe a lot more profitable than teeth whitening. If you are interested I also worked out costs for IPL, Micro Dermabrasion and Spray Tanning and can let you know these for another comparison.
Hope this helps and doesnt confuse anything.
Kind regards
Andrew

 

[amsutt98]

Thank you for your advice, its got me thinking alot more i think ill go in a different direction

 

[CottageCooks]

I'd have to agree with the comments about skin safety. I work as a nurse (as well as running my business) and the number of skin cancer cases seen have rocketed in recent years. There was a school of thought that sunbeds were safer than sunshine for getting a tan but medical evidence has proven otherwise.
With programmes like 10 years younger, people are more aware of the dangers of tanning and the fact that is ages skin more quickly.......I'd go with one of the other beauty type programmes......but that's just by twopenn'orth.
Dani
"getting children cooking"