5 Ways to Level Up your Sunless Business in 2021

1. Build a Team
Do you feel like you could do so much more, if only you had the time or could duplicate yourself? It may be time to take the next step (it may feel like a leap!) and begin building a team.

First, identify the areas that are taking up most of your time. Are you spending so many hours in the salon providing services that you have very little time for marketing? Are you spending hours upon hours in front of the computer plotting out your social media and upgrading your website? Identifying the tasks that are consuming the majority of your time and energy or where you need help the most, and delegating those tasks to others. Whether you hire technicians to train and assist with services or hire a virtual assistant to help with SEO or Social Media, building a team will serve to re-energize you and free up some time for you to focus on growth!

2. Work on your Branding
Branding is huge in the beauty industry, especially the Sunless tanning industry. The sunless tanning industry is exploding and strong, consistent branding will differentiate yourself from other sunless businesses. Additionally, aiming your branding to your target demographic will help attract your ideal clients.

Begin by creating a profile for your ideal client including, name, age, location and interests and pinpoint your marketing strategies to them. Establish brand attributes of your beauty business that speak to your ideal client. Brand attributes are the personality traits of your brand, and they shine through in your packaging, messaging, and brand identity. Consistency with branding creates trust, brand recognition, supports advertising, inspires employees and generates new customers.

3. Establish your presence
Let your business be known by establishing your presence among colleagues, potential market, and other business owners. This can be done in many ways,including maintaining your social media presence and collaborating with other businesses.

Keeping up an active social media presence on different platforms helps your business reach a wider range of clientele, engage with your current clients and maintain awareness of your brand. Your social media activity may include posting business updates, service highlights, client experiences and engaging with other businesses.

Another way of establishing your presence is to collaborate with local businesses and influencers. Identify businesses and influencers with the same target market and brainstorm ways to cross promote, collaborate on offerings and events or work together to refer clients to one another. Building solid community relationships is monumental in establishing your presence in the area and will help you widen and expand your network for potential clients.

4. Find your Niche
Finding your niche helps you grow your business because this gives you the opportunity to dig into what you are passionate about as a business.

Whether your niche is organic products, the bridal market, catering to busy moms or career women or fitness competitors, finding your niche can help you level up your business and highlight your strongest selling points.

Do market research and take a look at the salons that are around your business and what they offer. Are there gaps in the market that your business can fill? Can you compete with exclusive offerings, top-tier services, or price point? Make the effort to really identify what your market is missing and then create a plan to fill that hole.

5. Offer new and unique products and services
Increase your average ticket price, expand your market and attract new clients by evaluating and revising your services or adding unique products and new offerings. Whether that means bringing in an aesthetician, offering a new service, adding new equipment or simply offering a new line of product, you have to constantly keep up with industry trends and do a little market research to keep up with what your clients want. The sunless tanning industry is fiercely competitive and it’s important to stay on the cutting edge of the industry. Brands are consistently improving upon existing products and introducing new ones. Stay in the know with different brands, distributors and manufacturers, and keep an open mind to trying new solutions and products. Look into upgraded equipment and supplies to level up your client’s experience.

For more detailed information on any of these suggestions, feel free to reach out to us at sales@thesunlessstore.com. As a seasoned salon owner who grew her start-up spray tanning business to an award-winning 6 figure earning business within the first 2 years, it brings me joy to share the lessons that I have learned over the past decade and mentor other business owners to help them achieve their goals!