Dear Readers,
We know you’ve all been eagerly awaiting this announcement … it’s time to vote in the 14th Annual Industry Choice Awards! We’ve always been proud to offer this opportunity for members of the tanning community to choose their favorite people and products, and the level of participation makes it very rewarding. This is our industry’s only campaign to recognize those working hard to achieve excellence in our business. Visit istmagazine.com/ica and make it happen!
[gap height=”15″]
Of course, many of your industry favorites are represented every month in IST, both with their support as advertisers and with contributed articles. They share so much knowledge – I just sent a great sales idea from Jerry Deveney’s article “Create the Ultimate Buying Environment” to my salon management teams. Bottom line: you really CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Many veteran salon operators have told me that they continue educating their staff by sharing IST articles with them each month.
[gap height=”15″]
I can never stress it enough: education is your key to success! Getting your team trained to operate your business in a professional manner is so easy – Sun is Life® Training is available online 24/7 and it’s crazy-affordable: $99 to train your whole team for a year! If you plan to attend the National Tanning Expo in St. Charles, MO on October 22-23, you can sign up for the Sun is Life classroom session taught by SIL Director, Joe Schuster. There will be opportunities to get certified at other upcoming events. Stay tuned!
[gap height=”15″]
On that note, there will NOT be a tradeshow in Nashville this year – but the event in St. Charles, MO will be huge! The city offers so much great entertainment when you’re not on the show floor checking out what’s new for the upcoming season and networking with industry leaders. I know it will energize everyone for a great season and I look forward to seeing you there!
[gap height=”15″]
It’s crucial for salon operators to keep up with what’s new, including technology. This month, Joe Schuster talked with tan biz veteran, Helios Software and Zoom Tan founder, Tony Toepfer, about his recent move to self-serve kiosks in his salon chain. With local governments fighting over the minimum wage and many salons employing people from a generation “less than enthusiastic” about working, other industries are eliminating the human element. Does it make sense for tanning salons? Read Joe’s interview with Tony.
[gap height=”15″]
If you plan to stay in the tanning business, my recommendation is invest, invest, invest! A company that doesn’t invest is destined to fail. As we bid farewell to summer, I hope you’re getting ready to make the tan biz great again!
