Co-Owners Howard & Teresa Terry
Locations Gardner & Lenexa, KS
Website electricsuntanning.net
Years in Business Going into 21
Staff 20
UV Tanning Units 35
Lotions New Sunshine
Salon Software Helios
Other Services Red Light Therapy, Pura Sunless, POLY Light Therapy, Retail Boutique
Distribution Partner Heartland Tanning
Best Selling Lotion Reputation by Designer Skin
Most Popular Tanning Package VIP EFT Membership
[gap height=”15″]
Resilient and Dedicated
[gap height=”15″]
With three recent regional industry events offering IST’s Sun is Life® Training classroom sessions, I had the opportunity to “meet and greet” some great new faces in the tanning business. It’s also a joy to see veteran salon operators returning with new staff to get them current with our certification program. Howard and Teresa Terry own a salon business that has been a mainstay in the Kansas City, KS area for over two decades. I caught up with the couple at the America’s Tanning Expo presented by Heartland Tanning, and Teresa gave me the 411 on Electric Sun.
[gap height=”15″]
IST: I’ll start with the usual opener: how and when did you get into the tan biz? Did you think your venture would succeed?
[gap height=”15″]
TT: I was a stay-at-home mom with a two-year-old and Howard had put in 20-something years in the grocery distribution industry. I was looking for something to get me back into the workforce and provide a little extra income. In October 1999, we purchased our first six-bed salon in Gardner with absolutely no idea how to run a business! Scared and absolutely excited, it took us two full months to get that little salon ready to open the doors. We opened on our wedding anniversary and Howard always jokes that I chose that date so I wouldn’t forget it. What we didn’t know at the time was that he was about to experience a shake-up at work and find himself unemployed. Well, hello indoor tanning! We flung ourselves into the salon full-time during our first busy season and grew from there. That little six-bed salon quickly expanded into 11 tanning rooms. In 2005, we relocated and sprouted into a 19-room super salon and two years later, relocated again and expanded to 22 rooms. I would tell new salon owners that there really hasn’t been a day when we weren’t scared – we just pursue each day with a passion and work the best way we know how. Failure should never be an option! Over the years, we have learned to ride the ups and downs of our industry. I recall so many times asking God to just get us through one more year. Now, Electric Sun is almost 21.
[gap height=”15″]
IST: To what do you attribute your resiliency?
[gap height=”15″]
TT: Resiliency? Oh, by faith, hard work, blood, sweat and tears, and doing what we didn’t want to do when we knew we had to in order to survive. An abundance of great staff have worked hard and contributed to our success. We changed things up when it was the hardest and most difficult. In 2012, we closed our smallest location and downsized when it was necessary in order to simplify and make our other salons better in a weaker economy. We formed an incredible friendship with a distributor that has been by our side since day one, continuously providing us with educational resources and ways to grow. They have kept us up-to-date on the latest trends in lotions, equipment and add-on services. Heartland’s annual expo has been a must for us to attend along with as many staff members as we can possibly bring.
[gap height=”15″]
They provide us with the tools necessary to keep our business strong in an industry that seems to constantly change. We have taken advantage of trade shows, IST’s Solar Seminars (bring it back!) and every education avenue available. Investing in Sun is Life® is an educational must to enable our staff to be informed and professional at the front counter. Education is the greatest investment back into our business. We have also been part of an incredible community that has shown us so much support over the years. We have formed so many close relationships with customers that many feel like family and we do as much as we can to give back to those who support us.
[gap height=”15″]
IST: You guys have clearly dug in to make it through the tough times. What have the biggest changes been in the industry during your ownership?
[gap height=”15″]
TT: In these 21 years, we have seen so much. From the public’s changing attitude about tanning, the birth of sunless tanning, a recession and then, the Tan Tax – we’ve experienced a wave of change. Some have made us stronger and more profitable while some have seemed to knock us to our knees. At those times, we have tried to resist quick reaction and made adjustments. We do our best to keep up with changing legislation. One of the biggest challenges has been the change in generations and adjusting our staff training process.
[gap height=”15″]
IST: Teresa, what do you see as the biggest hurdles currently facing our industry?
[gap height=”15″]
TT: I would point to combating the public’s view of tanning and changing legislation that has dramatically altered that view. Salons need to unite and support one another, and back the ASA that has and continues to protect us, and our customer’s right to tan. We should be able to promote the health benefits of tanning – that it is so natural and good when it is done responsibly.
[gap height=”15″]
IST: What are your current goals and if you had the chance to do it all again, would you have created Electric Sun?
[gap height=”15″]
TT: Our goal is to make this year the most successful to date (our goal every year) and educate each guest on the importance of how to tan responsibly. We want to teach a generation of team members how having a strong work ethic can benefit their lives. If we could go back, Howard and I would absolutely still have become salon owners! The relationships we have formed with our customers, staff and salon industry peers over the years have become priceless to us. It would be great to change the mistakes, but in many ways, those mistakes have made us who we are today.
