Not All Spray Tan Suppliers are the Same:
Your Lowdown on what to look for in training, equipment & solutions:
If you are new to spray tanning, and especially the beauty industry as a whole, starting out can be a minefield. Is it really as simple as buying any kit and getting started, or are some kits better than others? What about the company that you are buying from, can they hold your hand from start to finish? is it really easy to earn £500 a week? or should you save your money?
Lets start at the beginning of your journey and answer the most commonly asked questions:
Q: Can I really easily earn £500 a week?
A: No. Sorry to be brutal but I have to be honest and say don't give up your day job just yet. How much you earn from any self employed work is down to you. You need to dedicate time to market what you do, and you need to be realistic with what you charge and be willing to work hard for it. Nothing comes easy in life and whilst it will only require 25 clients a week to earn £500 you need to understand HOW to get 25 clients a week and HOW to keep them coming back to YOU!
Some pointers to take into considertion:
- You only get out, what you put in. The more you market your business the more clients you get.
- The more friends and family you have the quicker you can get a client base, however is you have a small group of family and friends you have to work a little bit harder in the beginning.
- Clients will not come to you until you have established a good reputation - you need to find them.
- In the first few months expect to have an average of 5 clients a week or earn around £80-£100.
- Make sure your training covers or includes advice and guides on how to market your business and get clients.
Lots of girls establish themselves fairly quickly whilst some can struggle in the first few months. Ensuring you have back up and support from a company especially in the first year is essential. Once you start getting your first few clients it can either slowly or quickly snowball into more and more, eventually giving you a nice steady income.
Q: Theres so many other Spray Tanners in my area is there really room for me?
A: Definetly, don't be put off by competition. Look at how many hairdressers there are and how many new ones come out of college each year. We are a growing population fuelled by wanting to look the best we can. The beauty industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors in the last decade and shows no signs of slowing down. Demand for good, well trained tan technicians is still high and only set to increase with scare stories over sunbeds and the consumer now more aware than ever about preventing aging. By being the best you possibly can with the best training means you will stand alone from your competitors with the bonus of charging more for your services.
Q: How do I set myself apart from the competition? Should I charge less?
A: There are so many ways to stand out from a crowd. Charging less is a no go area. It screams poor quality, poor training and poor client care. I speak to people daily who start out by saying they were thinking of charging £10 to start with. What this does is bring in a wealth of clients looking for a cheap treatment who will probably not pay more later. You lose money attracting this kind of client and when you put your prices up - effectively start again from scratch.
During training and your ongoing support we discuss everything with you from special offers to discounting so that it works in your favour. Its far easier to attract a client with a valuable long term offer than a short one off treatment.
During training you should be taught how to be different from the rest. Its the little things that count, such as client care, offering a wide choice of solutions and colours and aftercare that keeps that client coming back time and time again.
Q: I'm still scared I won't get any clients at all?
A: This is just not an option. If your willing to dedicate a few hours of your time a week promoting yourself then of course you will get clients. Look around you everywhere you go on a daily basis and there are people who have spray tans or use sunbeds.
If your frightened to commit then like anything in life or before starting any new business do your research. Talk to friends, family and work collegues. Do they themselves have spray tanning? What do they pay? Would they come to you if you did it? Would they hold spray tan parties for you in the beginning to help get you up and running? Are you full of get up and go? All important things to establish before setting up.
Q: Is it easy?
A: The spray tanning itself is pretty simple. However you need to ensure the whole service for your client is enjoyable and that the colour will be right for them. The hardest part of any of it is getting the clients.
Q: How do I know what company to go with?
A: What company you choose is down to personal choice, however I discourage you from choosing on price alone. Whilst some suppliers are cheaper than others you may not get the same service all round. Think about what is important to you from a company. Is it the customer care? Out of hours support (after all most tan techs work up until 10PM)? or is price really vital?
Call a few companies and get a feel for them. If they start calling other companies or brands - hang up! Professionalism is key and companies that openly call their rivals want one thing only - Your money! If they are willing to be unprofessional about their rivals are you certain that they won't promise the earth to you just to get a sale?
You are within your rights to ask for what they promise in writing. I have been in this industry for a long time and have seen many companies break there promises.
Don't just consider the initial purchase as a one off, what about the cost of ongoing consumables and solutions.
Of course price is key - but not vital. Going for the cheapest is a bad idea as the equipment or service may never meet expectations. The most expensive kits may also just be overpriced or include equipment or products you don't need or can't sell. This is why its crucial you know what you need and the capabilities of the equipment at the start.
Going for a company that is run by experienced people is also going to be important. If the company is run by qualified & trained tan technicians, beauty therapists or trainers with years of experience in there industry then you know your products are the best possible and the advice your given from the people in the office is valid and up to date. Most distributors are also still part time therapists. How can we help you if we never meet a client ourselves. Trends change, expectations change and new things constantly being launched. I like to see what they are like myself rather than listen to other therapists otherwise it becomes chinese whispers.
Here are a few points of what you should look for in a company:
- Price. Too cheap and you could end up with ongoing problems, too dear and it will take you longer to recoup your investment.
- Professionalism. Do the company put down other brands and companies.
- Pushy sales team. Never feel pressurised. You should be allowed to go away and think about it without being offered time limited offers.
- Do you get a warranty?
- Where is the equipment they sell manufactured? UK & USA manufactured items are far better and more reliable than those made elsewhere.
- What spray tan solution choice do they have? Do they have products suitable for all skin types? (see more on solutions below).
- What is the companies background? Sales people or therapists?
- What training and support is provided?
- What happens if you need help at 9pm on a thursday evening?
Q: What Equipment should I choose?
Students, Personal Use, Light Useage, Spare/Backup Machine.
Choose the Maxi Mist Spray Mate Lite. This small machine is the size of a bowling ball. Its very light to carry and fits easily into a case or cupboard. It has a 13 ft hose and the same gun as is on the Maxi Mist 5008. The gun is by far one of the best on the market for a machine of this price. The gun has a concave cup and flexible solution flow tube which prevents air spots and splattering. The volume of spray and the pattern of the spray can be adjusted accordingly to suit your working methods and the stainless steel needle is the finest diameter of 0.5mm ensuring a fine and flawless atomisation of the solution. This enables you to give yourself or your clients the perfect tan every time. The hose can be detached from the gun to allow the warm air to dry and warm up the client.
This machine has the smallest motor of all spray tan machines. It is only suitable for low useage of no more than 2-3 clients at any one time and should be allowed to cool between use. Do not use on a carpeted floor as the air flow around the machone will be restricted and cause it to overheat.
Mobile Tan Technicians, Salons, Medium Useage.
The Maximist 5008 machine has been voted the 'UK's No.1 Spray Tanning Machine.' by the Salon Magazine. This machine is set to become the countrys most popular machine for its reliability, ease of use and application. The price is super too. The Motor is much larger than that of its sister model and can therefore withstand much more use. It will be as happy doing the one client as it will be to do a Spray Tan Party of ten. Its great for mobile therapists as the hose clips into place around the machine and it also has an on board holder for your gun, so more spillage from guns falling over ever again.
The external filter is easy to replace and clean. The machine is simple to use with just one on/off button. The heat generated from the motor enables you to warm up/dry your clients after the tan has been applied.
The gun as described above is one of the best on the market designed solely for Spray Tan Use and whilst there are many machines on the market that blow air - without a good gun designed for the viscosity of your solution you will encounter problem after problem. The Maxi Mists gun was designed subject to a Spray Tan Technicians Needs. Its lightweight, has a concave cup to prevent air locks disrupting the solution flow, a flexible patented solution feeder tube again designed to reduce and prevent air locks and disruption of solution flow right down to the parts you can't easily see which includes Stainless non corrosive needle and internal components. Again the needle size is vital to the flow of tan solutions being only 0.5 mm Diameter.
Its all the small things together that make this one of the best guns available. Its been tried and tested and has so far a gleaming and spotless record, with no faults reported.
Alternatives within this price range include the HVLP 550 AKA 'The Pig'. Whilst the Motor ultimatly does the same thing (they all blow hot air!) there are a lot of reported faults with this machine deemed as one of the most unreliable on the market. It was in its day a breakthrough for Mobile Tan Technicians as back then the alternatives were large, heavy and very expensive. It was ultimately 'The Pig' that made tanning accessible to all. The Guns on these machines are unfortunetly poorly made and dogged with problems from leaking cups, spitting and spluttering of the solution on application causing uneven and freckly tans and the also the hoses coming off from overheating. Some people have been lucky and have had there machines for years however the majority have overruled and sent this spray tan machine to Mecha Heaven along with the oversized mobile phones and Personal Stereos.
Its Sister model the HVLP 700 may have a sleek new look but the guns still remain the same and its the gun that ultimately is the difference between a super or really bad tan.
The T200 Truespray again similar to 'The Pig' the T200 has its loyal followers from its earlier reliable past, however its recent updates have rendered this machine as history as nearly half of those sold end up broken within weeks. Its never a good idea for your machine to break mid spray tan on a bride, so this machine sadly has lost its appeal. Problems with the gun are common with mis spraying, leaking and miss-alignment of needles as well as common problems with the motors overheating and butnt out elements leaving you the tan tech machineless and incomeless until your replacement arrives. Whilst these problems are always corrected and I am sure being fixed in preperation for a new model launch sometime in the near future the current generation Truespray may be one to steer clear of at the minute.
The Maximist Pro is another controversial piece of equipment. It certainly has its lovers and its haters. Those that hate it do so as they believe it to be an extra expense and the weight of the gun over prolonged use may deem a problem for some. There are arguments as to whether or not the application of the tan is more flawless than that of the original gun which is also included in the kit. The difference between the guns is the pattern nozzle selector is simple to change on the Pro Gun with a push in and click easy change action. The Pro gun benefits from a direct air flow so the solution is atomised much more finer than that of the original gun. The solution hits the skin a lot softer too and feels a lot less colder than the original gun. Does it give a better finish? I am still sat on the fence on this one, but I do love using it and my clients seem to also prefer this gun too. Another downside is that the gun does not fit into the gun holder on the machine and the weight of it means you have to keep hold of it throughout the treatment to stop it tipping over. Should you invest in the Maximist Pro? I will let you decide, however its nice to have a back up gun and its lifetime warranty is appealing in the wake of other companies history where the gun is often the only thing to go faulty!
Q: What solutions should I use?
A: Well let me ask you what shampoo you use? Is it the same as your friend uses? I doubt it. Solutions are a personal choice. Which one you go for depends on you, but how do you know if its going to be good, or popular, or last, or not go orange? You Don't!
Whatever kit and with whoever you purchase from will include solutions as standard. Its worth trying those first as technically most solutions do the same thing - Tan the skin! Its the other bits that do things differently such as hydrate the skin etc or decide how dark you take the tan.
Here are some points to help you create a shortlist:
- How much choice is there in the range? Whilst you never have to commit to one range only some people prefer to have all they need under the same name.
- Is there a wide enough choice of colours? Not so important at first as you need to familiarise yourself with one or two shades to begin with then venture out however its nice to have a choice of more than just one or two shades.
- Whats in them? Look at how many ingredients are in a solution. Do they need to be there. I.E Like Perfumes?
- Whats the Shelf Life of your product?
- Does it have a supporting Retail Range?
Q: What should I look for in training?
A: First check that you can get training. Training is key to your success. It helps you get accustomed to the machine, the solutions and learn how to overcome any problems you will definetly encounter.
Training should be accredited. Who its accredited by varies between suppliers but the three main insurers are Professional Beauty Direct, ABT of Therapists & The Guild. Any of these three will allow you to be insured for just £50 a year.
Your training should cover the following:
- Marketing your business and getting clients
- Health & Safety
- Contraindications
- Patch Testing
- Client Consultation
- How to set up, use and clean your chosen machine
- How to set up, clean and re fold your tan tent or booth
- How to choose the right solution for your clients
- The process of the spray tan and how to do clients of all shapes and sizes
- How to get HD Flawless Hands and Feet - No tell tale tan signs
- Pre & After Care
- Trouble shooting and problems that can occur
And most importantly this should involve ongoing support for the life of your career if you need it.
If you have any other questions please feel free to e-mail us at sales@thespraytanshop.com