- Stores: 1
- Location: S. Beloit, IL
- Years in Business: 4
- Owners: Karen Daly & Kevin Davis
- Staff: 7
- Tanning Systems: 10 (ETS, Sportarredo, SunCapsule & ultrasun)
- Tanning Levels: 3
- Lotions: Designer Skin, Ed Hardy Tanning, Hempz, Performance Brands, Synergy & Tan Inc.
- Software: TanTrack
- Training: Sun is Life®
- Distribution Partner: Heartland Tanning, Inc.
The desire to tan in their new hometown of S. Beloit, IL inspired one couple to open their salon, Oh So Tan.
Indoor tanning had always been Karen Daly’s escape, and in 2011, it also became her career. She and her husband, Kevin Davis, opened Oh So Tan on March 17, 2011 after moving to the city of S. Beloit. “We were driving around town one day and we saw a sign for a tanning salon,” Karen recalled. “When we pulled into the parking lot and saw that the windows were covered up, I was very disappointed.” Shortly after her aborted attempt to tan, Karen discovered that the owner of the out-of-business salon was looking to sell it, and even though purchasing it would mean a lot of rehab work, she knew that she and Kevin would be up to the task. “‘Go big or go home’ was our motto!” she added.
The name “Oh So Tan” was the idea of Mariah Davis, Karen’s and Kevin’s daughter. The 22-year-old suggested the name as a tribute to one of her boyfriend’s puppies she named Oso. Karen soon discovered that choosing the salon’s name was perhaps the easiest part of becoming its new owner. “Apparently, the former owner had collected payments from tanners knowing that she would be closing her doors in a month,” she explained. “So many people were still upset about this and many of them thought that we were related to her; I’m not proud to admit that I considered selling the business after our first month.” By compensating those who were ripped off by the former owner with healthy discounts, Karen turned the crisis into an opportunity. Day by day, Karen, Kevin and Mariah slowly earned the trust of the community, and this created lots of positive word-of-mouth.
After seeing Sun is Life® ads in IST Magazine and hearing so much about it from her good friend David McFarland (Performance Brands), Karen is preparing to take the training and certification program. Training, she says, is of paramount importance to her because it shows in her performance and that of her team. She added, “No one can do their best without first knowing the hows and whys of what they’re doing, and this is especially true for working in a salon. I’m certain that Sun is Life will be a great way to get us all on the same page so we can provide the best service possible to our guests.” Karen plans to take the program’s Training Flights first before encouraging Kevin, Mariah and the rest of the staff to do the same.
Four successful years at Oh So Tan have given Karen much to consider regarding her future in the indoor tanning industry. “My husband wants to open a second facility,” she said, “but I’m not sure we’re ready for that yet. Then again, I love doing what we do, and the idea of expanding our business is exciting.” The recently-enacted under-18 tanning ban in Illinois has Karen concerned about expanding her business in the state. Fortunately, she lives near the Wisconsin border, and says she’s considering the possibility of opening salons there. “Mariah has learned everything about this business alongside me,” Karen said, “and she joins Kevin and I in all the marketing, promotions and decision-making. Whether we end up with many locations or just one store, I hope she’ll take over the business someday.” ■
