- Locations: 2
- Years in Business: 3
- Tanning Systems: 12
- Tanning Levels: 3
- Employees: 13
- Distributor: Four Seasons Sales & Service
- Other Services: Hydration Therapy, Red-Light Therapy, Massage, Teeth-Whitening
My Resort Tanning & Spa operates with a business model that includes a variety of services, making it a good representation of the future of indoor tanning.
With locations in Ahwatukee and Scottsdale, AZ, My Resort Tanning & Spa offers a unique approach to the “sun business”. The salon chain is owned by a group of people, one of whom handles day-to-day operations, and it offers a unique blend of UV and sunless tanning with a variety of spa services. Add to that an emphasis on customer service and clever yet inexpensive marketing, and the result is a steady flow of clients all year long, despite Arizona’s seasonal population. Now, the power team behind this upscale salon-spa chain looks to continue making improvements while also considering expansion of their successful business model throughout the “Grand Canyon State”.
Joining the Team
Being no stranger to hard work, Abegael Gibson was the perfect person to operate My Resort Tanning & Spa. Before becoming an owner in the venture, she had three jobs – sales representative for a bicycle company, waitress and tanning salon manager. “A group of investors wanted to purchase the salon where I worked and they asked the regional manager to operate the business,” said Abegael. “She didn’t want to because she’d just gotten married and was taking a new direction in life, so she recommended me because I had worked for her for so long.” When the group offered the job to Abegael, they also offered her part-ownership in return for all the “sweat equity” she would be putting into the business. On November 15, 2009, she joined David Benson, Scott Grondin and Dan and Tami Wardrop as co-owner of My Resort Tanning & Spa in Ahwatukee, a suburb of Phoenix.
Learning & Growing
The task of transforming the ailing business into an upscale salon and spa presented Abegael with a challenge. “Suddenly, I had to learn all the things I didn’t know about salon operation along with everything I did know,” she laughed. “I set up a credit card account for the business, wrote the training manuals for the new spa equipment and interviewed and hired a staff. It was definitely a turning point for me; but I’m thankful for the opportunity.” These newly-acquired skills were put to use again when the group opened another My Resort Tanning & Spa in January 2010 in Scottsdale. “That was a more intense process because the facility we leased needed a lot more refurbishing,” she added.
Both My Resort salons are decorated with a relaxing, spa-theme that emphasizes earth tones and other neutral colors, and is complemented by stone counters and floors and subdued lighting. The business operates using Helios software and sells lotions by California Tan, Designer Skin and Devoted Creations. The Ahwatukee facility has five tanning units – VIP 42, UltraSun 6000 Flower Power, SolarWind 3000, Elite stand up and a Heartland 6400 – as well as a MyMyst sunless booth, Hydration Station, Hydromassage, Lumieré skin-therapy system, massage chair, red-light therapy unit and BleachBright teeth-whitening. The Scottsdale locations offers the same spa service menu, along with five KBL tanning units – a 6800, two 3500, a 4000 and a T230 Pure Energy stand-up.
Direct Connections
Rather than using traditional methods to market and promote My Resort, Abegael says she’s been more successful with “guerilla marketing”. By connecting with people in the community on a one-to-one basis, she and her staff have an opportunity to promote all of My Resort’s services. “We designed business cards that include a coupon for two free spa services to all new clients and we require our staff to distribute them,” she said. “Each day, we take a different approach to passing them out, from going to local businesses, to approaching people sitting outside Starbuck’s and participating in community events. We also give them to clients to share with their families and friends, and reward them with a free month of tanning whenever someone they refer becomes a member.”
Because of her reliance on direct marketing, Abegael is always looking to hire people with solid customer service skills. “Nothing on anyone’s résumé will tell you if they’re a people person,” she said. “You have to see how they present themselves during an interview. Usually, if they’re friendly, bubbly and feel comfortable talking with people, they’ll be suited for the job.” Abegael has developed a five-stage interview process that includes a meeting with her, a “shadow day” when applicants spend time behind the counter and passing out coupons and, finally, a phone interview with one of the other owners. “This tends to weed out those who fake it during their initial interview,” she added.
E-mailing clients and former clients can be an effective marketing tool, Abegael says, if salon owners know how to utilize it. “We don’t just send messages asking people to give us a try,” she said. “We make sure it includes some type of sale or special, and we usually send it out during slower times.” Some of My Resort’s most popular direct mail specials are $30 for 30 days, and three tans in any equipment level for $9.99. “This is usually enough to encourage people who haven’t tanned with us in a while to come back,” she added.
More to Come…
Abegael and her business partners opened the first two My Resort Tanning & Spa facilities rather quickly, and they’ve spent their time perfecting the business model. Now, the company’s leaders are looking at various ways to expand their venture. “Ultimately, we would like to have more locations; but when, where and how is always the question,” Abegael said. “Before we proceed with that, we’d like to increase revenue from existing clients and attract new ones. Arizona has a very seasonal demographic of retirees and tourists during the winter, and almost no one in the summer, so it’s a constant challenge for businesses located here; but it’s one we’ll continue working to overcome.”
Abegael has so much fun at My Resort, she says it doesn’t seem like work at all. “With our tanning and sunless services, alone, we help a lot of people look and feel better about themselves,” she commented. “We’re helping many clients with our spa services, as well. Whether it’s that or just being there when they need someone to talk to, I love making a difference in our clients’ lives.”
