[gap height=”15″]If you’ve been around the tan biz long enough (since 1986 for me), you’ll remember the days of recording tanner info and sessions on index cards or customer cards. The cards might even have had a column for the tanner to initial each time, or a disclaimer at the bottom for them to sign. You kept a log in a file drawer detailing the last lamp or ballast change, acrylic replacement, and maybe even the last inside-and-out cleaning of each bed and booth. Very “hi-tech” at the time! You really had your hands full if you were operating multiple salons … ah, those were the days![gap]
[gap height=”15″]I contemplated what it would have been like to talk with an owner of several salons or a franchise back in the day, and discuss the future of sunbed controls and technology. I can imagine their looks of astonishment when I revealed that there would one day be computers that would operate the beds, provide detailed tracking of equipment usage, the current duration of a tanner’s session, the frequency of their visits, spending habits, barcode scanners, credit/debit card readers, and electronic signature pads. I’d go on to explain EFT processing (huh?), rewards and membership tabulations and employee controls that can actually be used as staff motivators. “Yep, you betcha. It’s all on the way!” And now, they are all here and more. Much more!
[gap height=”15″]I recently contacted several leading software providers for an up-to-date glimpse of the features offered by these phenomenal products – many that may get taken for granted but are absolutely essential to run our salons. On hand for our roundtable discussion are Nash Abbas of Tan-Link, Chad Hankinson of Helios, Jeff Oakes of Nichesoft and Jamie Ostermeier of SunLync.
[gap height=”15″]Let’s start with a timeline. When did your company begin marketing products to the tanning industry?
[gap height=”15″]Nash: We released the first public version in 2013. The idea was to build something extraordinarily simple to use, with only features requested by salon owners. Nothing more, nothing less. Since then, Tan-Link has been constantly refined based on hundreds of hours of direct, one-on-one feedback from salon owners, salon managers and most importantly, the salon staff.
[gap height=”15″]Chad: Helios has been around a long time! It’s been 20+ years since Helios entered the industry, and since then, we’ve added other great services like the New Sunshine Marketing Hub and other ancillary services to help drive revenue for
our clients.
[gap height=”15″]Jeff: We introduced TanTrack in 1999. It blows my mind that we are nearing the 20-year mark! I can still remember the old days – so much has changed since then.
[gap height=”15″]Jamie: SunLync made its debut into the industry in early 2002. Here we are, 15 years later, still servicing and enhancing our product!
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[gap height=”15″]Time sure flies! All of you have enjoyed a solid existence in the industry. Let’s get to what makes it happen at your company. What’s your “go-to” product?
[gap height=”15″]Chad: By far, it’s Helios, and more specifically, Helios Enterprise point-of-sale software.
[gap height=”15″]Jeff: We do sell other products, but TanTrack is absolutely our most popular software solution.
[gap height=”15″]Jamie: Our point-of-sale software, SunLync. It’s a very robust piece of software that meets the needs of any salon, no matter the size!
[gap height=”15″]Nash: Tan-Link – which consists of a full suite of salon management software – is our flagship product. It is customized for every individual client with only the features they care about and use regularly. Our focus is on automating anything and everything possible so that the salon owner can focus on running the business, rather than working around the quirks of the software. You can choose from add-ons ranging from staffing reminders, scheduling, payroll, credit card processing, staff training, marketing, customer outreach, website development/SEO, product ordering and social media presence. We even provide complimentary services such as EFT collections, and it is all powered by Tan-Link.
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[gap height=”15″]From handwritten index cards to high-tech reports, we’ve seen some remarkable growth in this area. So, let me ask for some insight. How would you characterize your company’s contributions to indoor tanning?
[gap height=”15″]Jamie: Our SunLync product was created to give salon owners the ability to link their stores together by sharing a common database. Watching our customers grow from a handful of salons to dozens and even hundreds of salons has been incredible! Another key contribution has been the monthly membership processing. Fifteen years ago, that was a very manual process that could take a couple of weeks to get through. With today’s technology, the processing time is just hours, or even minutes in many cases.
[gap height=”15″]Nash: During the peak period of the tanning industry, the technology really kept up with it. However, when the industry plateaued, the innovation stopped along with it. The one-size-fits-all approach was forcing salon owners to conform to the software available, instead of the software evolving to keep up with their changing needs. Tan-Link solves issues unique to every salon that may be holding it back from reaching its full potential, whether it’s a sales issue or a staffing issue. Focusing on quality versus quantity, we narrow our development only to features our customers find useful. Functionality that enhances the owner’s visibility into their business through an easy-to-use and easy-to-navigate interface with meaningful, and most importantly, actionable reports. These customized reports are delivered to a salon operator’s inbox daily – a scorecard for success.
[gap height=”15″]Chad: In many ways, I think Helios has defined the way a huge percentage of salons in this industry run their day-to-day business and track daily activities. Our desire is to continue helping salons automate tasks and provide meaningful data so that they can make the right decisions, be more productive and grow their business. One way that many salons have taken advantage of automation has been using the New Sunshine Marketing Hub, enabling them to automate their messaging to customers based on POS data. This helps them stay engaged with customers and drive more business without tedious daily management.
[gap height=”15″]Jeff: We have always been a leader in bringing new ideas to tanning software. Early on, we developed a process to easily take a salon operator from cards into software. This has been such a huge help to businesses making the transition.
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[gap height=”15″]The tanning industry has certainly experienced its share of ups and downs. Despite negative media coverage, it’s mid-way through four decades of existence and still maintains its presence from coast to coast. Here’s a two-part question: What do you see for the industry in the next five years, and (without revealing company secrets), what can you tell us about future innovations from the tech side?
[gap height=”15″]Nash: As a multi-location salon owner myself, this is something I think about a lot – where will my business be in five, ten years? I firmly believe that a business that is run well, where the owner is really watching the numbers (cost and profitability), making adjustments as necessary, introducing the right mix of equipment and services, and leveraging all the tools and technology available, is going to survive any industry and any competitor.
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[gap height=”15″]There is nothing inherently different about the tanning business, and it is in fact better than many other service-type businesses. The internet is making the world a really small place – everything and everyone is connected. Upcoming technology will allow business owners to observe, interact with and run their businesses entirely from a handheld device and the comfort of their couch. And I’m able to do this today!
[gap height=”15″]Chad: I see an industry that will continue fighting and evolving to provide great services that people crave. In the past decade, we’ve seen very innovative owners implement creative and profitable ways to bring in new customers. That’s exciting, and I see more of that coming. We all have to be willing to step out and be bold and innovate within our current environment, utilizing the resources that we have to the best of our ability. I expect to see a group of owners and people supporting those owners to do that at an even greater pace, with (hopefully) much
less regulation!
[gap height=”15″]Jeff: The industry has certainly changed since I joined nearly three decades ago. In the last 20 years with TanTrack on the market, I’ve watched the social media platform explode, the introduction of spray-tan machines – which are now so much better since the original versions came out – and numerous versions of Windows on the PC.
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[gap height=”15″]For the industry, I see continued growth of the recurring revenue model, and further expansion of the spray-tan market. The tech side of everything is always evolving. Each week, it seems like there are more new Cloud-based technologies available for software developers. There are new forms of security, card-payment options, operating systems and computing devices coming, as well. I can assure you that we’re watching them all closely.
[gap height=”15″]Jamie: Our customers are smart! They know that the key to being successful and staying viable is trusting in the abilities of their tools to increase inefficiencies while maintaining their ability to evolve based on customer needs. At SunLync, we follow this same practice. We continuously accept customer feedback to know exactly what their needs are at any given point in their journey.
[gap height=”15″]In my opinion, in the next five years, you’ll see salon owners becoming more creative. Your local tanning facility will see the revenue per customer being driven by more than just tanning services. There will be continued demand for UV services; but others will be in demand as well, such as massage and other beauty-related services. At the end of the day, the customer wins – they no longer have to visit multiple facilities for tanning and massage, because they’ll be able to get everything done in one place. Today’s generation is very mobile and expects information and services delivered quickly. You’ll continue to see similar innovations in the tanning industry.
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[gap height=”15″]Alright, let’s end with some suggestions for the many new salon owners in our industry. What advice can you offer to these newbies (or maybe even some of the veterans)?
[gap height=”15″]Jeff: I have a few. For starters, get yourself out there on the internet. You must establish an internet presence – both a mobile-friendly website and social media pages. Make sure the website and all of your social media pages are linked to each other. As quickly as possible, start selling monthly packages – commonly referred to as EFTs in our industry. This is crucial to developing a strong revenue stream. There are still so many salons that do not have a consistent revenue stream!
[gap height=”15″]Jamie: Today, we all rely so heavily on technology. But, it’s people who really make a difference in our business. All businesses face many trials, but it is the ones that have built good relationships with their customers, staff and business partners, that will have the best chance for success. Don’t be afraid of change. Our industry is forever evolving! Stay involved and engaged in the market.
[gap height=”15″]Nash: Talk to other salon owners! I’ve learned a great deal about the business just by talking to others like myself and learning from their successes and failures. You’d be surprised how helpful people are in this industry! Watch your numbers – I cannot emphasize this enough. If you don’t know what’s broken, you cannot fix it. Don’t get lost in meaningless reports. Figure out your top 3-5 metrics, watch them closely, and watch them daily without fail. Technology is your friend. Rely heavily on it, and it will make things much easier to manage. Make minor adjustments until you see the desired results.
[gap height=”15″]Chad: First, always be learning and willing to push past current boundaries. Don’t accept that past results will always predict future success, and
test everything.
[gap height=”15″]Second, build relationships and reach out in the industry. It’s a tightly knit community; listen to great operators and learn both what you should do and many times, as Abraham Lincoln said, what NOT to do. Both are extremely beneficial.
[gap height=”15″]Lastly, leverage technology well. Sounds a little hollow coming from the tech guy, but technology has shrunk our world so much and there are so many options to utilize – social media, email and text marketing, pay-per-click advertising, web advertising. Don’t be afraid of technology in your salons and allow your staff to use it liberally to pass your salon’s message along to all of their networks.
[gap height=”15″]Trying to limit and control access to technology will often produce the opposite result from all that you’re trying to accomplish. In addition, everything needs to be focused toward mobile – your customers live on these devices, so any way that you can communicate your message to and through those devices will go a long way toward having happy and well-informed customers.
[gap height=”15″]IST thanks this group of “techies” for taking time to join our roundtable discussion of software. We rely heavily on you and look forward to all of the future products that will undoubtedly make our lives easier, as well as making our salons more successful!
