Dear Readers,
It’s been a busy couple of months for tanning professionals all over the country! We’re covering five regional events in this issue – lots of great photos. I truly hope you had the chance to take advantage of one of the valuable educational opportunities offered by the industry’s leading distributors. These top-notch events were well-attended and all reports say that excitement for the upcoming season is high. Though the number of U.S. salons has decreased by 20 percent in the last five years, those who survive are working to become better, smarter operators, and they do so by re-investing in their businesses and staying abreast of what the industry leaders are offering. Running a more professional operation is the key and there are abundant resources available. Whether you want to create an educated team with Sun is Life® Training, or get trained to provide a premium spray-tan experience at your facility, look to ist Magazine for information that will help you make it happen.
This month’s Cover Story “Get Savvy About Selling Sunless” is loaded with info about making sunless tanning a profitable part of your business. Most salons offer this service in some form, and it’s necessary to include a sunless option on your menu. But for those who may be intimidated by it, check out the expert advice in this piece and plan to reach out to the experts who offer training and assistance in your pursuit of sunless success.
We’re always grateful to the industry professionals who take time to contribute to our features such as “Salon Pros Say …” and “Ask the Experts.” We love interaction with salon operators and manufacturer representatives who are out there on the front lines and have a wealth of knowledge to share. We plan to add to the already impressive list of contributors who take the time to pen their monthly columns despite their busy schedules. Stay tuned!
We want to reach not only those entrepreneurs who are just venturing into the sun biz, but also those seasoned veterans who are always looking to up their games and benefit from the expertise we provide in these pages every month. Now on our second issue of ist Magazine Volume 19, our evolution continues. Expect us to continue finding fresh ways to produce a better and more valuable business resource.
We’ll have all the details for the ITA World Tanning Expo coming up September 25-27 … save the date!
Change is good!
Thanks for reading,
