[gap]Co-Owners: Domenic D’Amico & Paolo D’Amico
Location: Shelby Township, MI
Years in Business: 6.5
Staff: 5
UVTanning Units: 7
Lotions: Devoted Creations, Norvell, Selfie
Salon Software: TanTrack
Other Services: Pura Sunless Booth, Custom Airbrush
Salon Operator Training: Sun is Life®
Distribution Partner: Four Seasons
Best-Selling Lotion: (Tie) Devoted Creations White 2 Black Extreme & Believe in Pink Maximizer
Most Popular Tanning Package: Level 4 (tan in every unit except HP)[gap]
[gap]After featuring several salons that do business in warm climates, it’s time to shift gears – literally and figuratively. This month’s Salon of Distinction hails from the state that has led the way in car manufacturing: Michigan. Domenic and Paolo D’Amico spent significant time working in the auto industry prior to pursuing their salon venture.[gap height=”15″]
I caught up with them just as the Great Lakes state was getting spring’s “on again, off again” mix of sunshine and warmth. [gap height=”15″]
IST: I always start with the “origin” question. Tell me how you two got started in the sun biz.[gap height=”15″]
Domenic: My brother Paolo and I always tanned at salons in our area before a vacation, at the beginning of summer or before an event. We were both working in the auto industry (a supplier for Chrysler) in 2009, when GM and Chrysler went bankrupt. Both Our work hours and pay were cut dramatically. We’d joke around at work by coming up with names for the tanning salon we would open, because we liked the atmosphere and it looked like a fun business. However, we really didn’t know how hard it would be to actually run one. We had no idea whether or not the auto industry would really come back full force, so we decided to pursue our plan to become our own bosses and BodyBing opened in August, 2010.[gap height=”15″]
IST: Well, running your own business is a huge step – the learning curve can be substantial and strewn with roadblocks. What’s been your biggest obstacle to overcome?[gap height=”15″]
Domenic: Our biggest obstacle was getting people in the door and to getting them to stay! We started with base-level beds, but there were a lot of people who seemed to like the “flashy units.” After two years in the business, we started to focus on adding at least one new bed a year to create excitement for our guests. We also upgraded our level of services, added custom airbrush tanning after our second year, and then a Pura sunless booth in our fourth year to expanded our sunless menu. All of this helped to increase our pricing theme. Last year, we added two Ergoline beds which have definitely helped us going into this new season. [gap height=”15″]
The learning curve also applied to marketing. In the beginning, we tried to go bigger than our means, spending significant money on print ads, flyers and movie theater advertisements. After analyzing these expenditures, we felt that it just didn’t drive people to our salon. So, we changed direction and looked more into Google and Facebook ads while trying to increase our guest email list. It may not work for everyone, but it did for us. Now in our sixth year, we direct our marketing budget to online ads, emails, website/app, charitable giveaways and word of mouth with our referral program. With only one store right now, it seems to be the best fit.[gap height=”15″]
IST: Training isn’t an expense – it’s an investment in your business. With Sun is Life® Training & Certification, we wanted to offer education that’s financially feasible for any salon to use, whenever they want to use it. Your staff recently took Sun is Life Training; what are your thoughts about the program? How has it helped BodyBing?[gap height=”15″]
Domenic: We found Sun is Life to be very informative and helpful when explaining things to our guests. For example, explaining just how UVA and UVB combine in our tanning systems to create a cosmetic tan. I will proudly tell you that each member of our team scored over 90%, which is fantastic! They all had the background of knowledge that my brother Paolo and I have given them over the years. By passing that on, I think it served as a stepping stone with the factual information from Sun is Life and definitely made it easier for them to take the course and test. Now, we like new-hires to take this course, so that they understand the science behind this business. The more education we can pass on to our guests, the better it is for our industry. I feel that it’s an absolute necessity with the negative spin the media puts on tanning. [gap height=”15″]
IST: Agreed. Education is vital! Let’s wrap it up with the “Crystal Ball” question. What are your goals for the next 3-5 years?[gap height=”15″]
Domenic: We would like to open another location, perhaps something a little bigger. We could then add some spa services like massage, a Cocoon unit and cryotherapy booth, and expand our brand. Our core will always be UV and sunless tanning, but it never hurts to have services that appeal to a wider audience. [gap height=”15″]
Well, congrats to you, brother Paolo and staff. All the best for success![gap height=”15″]
