Things Are Bright at the Beach!
Location(s): 3
Web: wertantalizing.com
Owner: Nicole Capps
Years in Business: 8
Staff: 10
UV Tanning Units: 5-13 (Depending on Location)
Lotions: New Sunshine Exclusive: Designer Skin, Australian Gold, California Tan, Swedish Beauty
Salon Software: SunLync
Other Services: Red-Light Therapy, FIT Body Wrap, Infrared Heat Sauna, Airbrush Tans, Waxing
Salon Operator Training: Sun is Life®
Distributor Partner: Four Seasons
Most Popular Tanning Package: Level 3 Membership
This past September, the southeast coast braced for Hurricane Florence to slam the shores and thousands of people fled the Coastal Carolinas for safe land. The hurricane came and went, but harder hit were other areas where the flooding of inland waterways was more damaging. Our November Salon of Distinction is TANtalizing Tanning & Spray Tans of Myrtle Beach, SC. Not only has their staff recently completed Sun is Life® Training and Certification program, they have done an incredible job getting involved with post-hurricane relief efforts. I spent some time with Owner Nicole Capps and General Manager, Angela Cimini, to gain some insight on these efforts and of course, more about their successful salon.
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
IST: How did you get your start in the industry?
[gap height=”15″]
Capps: In 2009, I had a friend who owned a tanning salon in town where I would periodically help out, and I soon knew that it was a business I could get excited about. In January of 2010, I found a salon for sale in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Open only eight months, there weren’t many tanners, but it had great equipment and a great location. I was really excited about the potential. It was a tanning-only salon, but since I bought it, I’ve added red-light sessions, FIT Body Wrap, infrared sauna and custom spray-tans. Our GM, Angela, is also an esthetician and does waxing, lash extensions, tinting and facials. Since then, I have purchased two other salons in the area.
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
IST: Wow! You hit the ground running, as they say. But let’s move on. What would you say has been your biggest obstacle?
[gap height=”15″]
Capps: Staff turnover, for sure. We are in a very transient area; people move to the beach with great aspirations, but many times end up moving back to their home states. We are constantly interviewing and hiring. I have an amazing general manager who has been with me for over seven years and helped me create a very detailed, ten-day training program which includes the Sun is Life Certification program.
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
IST: How important is having a trained staff?
[gap height=”15″]
Cimini: As a manager, I think knowledge is key! Not only does it help sales, but it also helps us offer our customers the best options for their specific needs. We are all about the customer at TANtalizing, and the more you know, the better you can help. People want to be able to trust us and the advice we offer them, so we want everyone to be confident and knowledgeable in what they are selling.
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
IST: What are the next goals for TANtalizing?
[gap height=”15″]
Capps: My ultimate goal is to have a wellness spa, where we educate people on preventive services and products to take care of themselves before they get sick. That is my passion – helping people learn how to live healthier lives. We are always looking at possible expansion opportunities. As a single mom of 11- and 16-year-old daughters, my dream may have to wait until the “mom duties” lighten up a bit. For now, we’re focused on growing our clientele at our current locations through a bigger social media presence and other advertising. We are also committed to more community involvement. With the effects of Hurricane Florence still very much a reality in communities close to us, we have all felt God’s pull to give back and help our neighbors.
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
IST: That’s a great segue to my next question. How did the hurricane affect your salon?
[gap height=”15″]
Capps & Cimini: We did close the salons for about six days to allow everyone ample time to get their evacuation plans in order and head out. We opened up again on the following Monday and were back to business as usual. We were very grateful not to have sustained damage at any of the salons or our homes. We have been volunteering at a local donation center and also helping to serve hot meals at a local hotel once a week to families that have been living there due to displacement from the storm. We are always giving back in some way and donating/collecting items for a cause. Being a part of the community is very important to us.
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
IST: So, how has business been after the storm?
[gap height=”15″]
Cimini: Honestly, it’s been great! I’m not sure who was happier to get back to the salons – me or the clients! We’re also right in the middle of wedding season here in the south, so everyone wants to look their best. Honestly Joe, who wants to live at the beach without a tan?
[gap height=”15″]
Nicole and Angela, thanks so much for your time and all the best in the future. It sure looks bright at the beach!
[gap height=”15″][gap height=”15″]
