- Locations: 1
- Years in Business: 2
- Tanning Systems: 8
- Tanning Levels: 5
- Staff: 4
- Distribution Partner: Four Seasons Sales & Service
- Other Services: Custom Airbrush Tanning, Sunless & Teeth-Winning
The success of X-Treme Tan of Cedar Park, TX proves that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!
After being part of a tanning salon franchise for seven years, David Ross was ready to give up the sun biz for good. Fortunately, his friend, Brandon Scott, had a better idea – the two would open a brand new salon of their own, then encourage area tanners to “experience the difference.” David and Brandon chose the name X-Treme Tan, and opened the salon in a new location, with new equipment and, most importantly, a positive attitude. Naturally, their friendly customer service and exciting offers keep them – and their salon – very busy. As a result, there’s a good chance they could open another X-Treme Tan in the future.
Closing One Door…
When one proverbial door closed for David Ross, another quickly opened … and it was the door to career fulfillment. “When I first got started in indoor tanning, I owned a 20 percent share in a four-salon franchise,” said David. “When the original owner wanted out of the business, I traded my shares for 100 percent ownership of one of the stores, while he sold the others. The problem was, the chain had developed a bad reputation in the area because the owner had lost interest over the years, and this had a detrimental effect upon my business. It got to the point where I believed that just walking away from the whole thing was the best option for me.” As fate would have it, David didn’t have to leave the industry he had come to love in order to find happiness.
…Opening Another
It was David’s friend Brandon Scott who helped him see that giving up on tanning salon ownership was not his best option. “After hearing about all the difficulties he faced as part of the franchise, I finally said that enough was enough,” Brandon said. “I told him that I’d like to join him in the business so that together, we could make a difference. I suggested we completely break from the franchise and open a new salon from the ground up, which would give David the opportunity to show our community all the great things I knew he could do.” The business partners opened X-Treme Tan on June 1, 2010 in a 1,100 square-foot storefront in a nearby shopping plaza. “It wasn’t long before we had more than 1,600 clients in our database and we were serving an average of 80 people a day during peak months, which is great for a small town,” Brandon added.
X-Treme Tan has a contemporary décor that features Roman columns to set off the hallway entrance and the walls painted in bright hues of purple, green and yellow. There are seven UV tanning units – a Dr. Müller Sun Storm, an Ergoline Super 300, one I.So Italia Matrix L33, a Garda Sun Sun Shower booth, a Puretan Cierce 33 and a Puretan Quantum, a Puretan Tanscene 36 – and a Mystic Tan spray booth. The salon’s menu also includes custom airbrush tanning with a Norvell MT-1000 system, and Bleach Bright teeth-whitening. As a New Sunshine Premiere salon, lotions by Australian Gold, California Tan, Designer Skin and Swedish Beauty fill the displays.
Something for Everyone
As one of Cedar Park’s newest tanning salons, David and Brandon try to make the most of their promotional offers to stay competitive in a saturated market. “One of the most successful ways we encourage clients to join our EFT program is by offering our X-cite Awards,” Brandon said. “This provides two free upgrades to everyone who joins, as well as free sunless tanning products and half-off all airbrush tans and teeth-whitening sessions, which has been a great way to introduce these services to all of our clients. In this economy, we believe that it’s only right to reward everyone who becomes a VIP member.”
While David and Brandon reward their VIP clients, they also offer savings to the many people who still purchase tanning by the month. “Our X-clusive Customer Discount offers $5 off each month’s tanning purchase if made before the current month expires, until the client reaches the minimum monthly membership cost,” Brandon said. “At that point, they also receive a six-month loyalty card that provides many additional savings on memberships and services. Many of our monthly clients have told us that they appreciate the rewards for their loyalty, which tells us that the X-clusive Customer Discount was a good idea.”
In addition to customer rewards, X-Treme Tan is heavily involved with local charities and hosts a Customer Appreciation Day every three months. “While it might seem a bit excessive, it’s what our community wants, so we’re happy to provide it,” Brandon said. “We offer free upgrades and two free lotion samples to everyone who comes in during these events, and Jonathon Travis, our sales rep at Four Seasons Sales & Service, has been a godsend in helping us prepare and make them successful.”
Going “Two” X-Tremes?
Given that the past two years have been successful, David and Brandon are considering opening a second X-Treme Tan. “We originally wanted to expand at our current location; but, since space is limited here, we’re more likely to open a second store in a nearby town,” David said. “Before we get started with that, though, we need to see what direction the economy is going to take next year. In the meantime, we plan to remain the same friendly, neighborhood place we’ve always been because we know that’s what our customers love and appreciate about X-Treme Tan.” Seeing the success of their airbrush tanning and teeth-whitening, the two are also considering new and different spa services to augment their menu.
For David and Brandon, the joys of tanning salon ownership go beyond owning a business and becoming friends with their clients. “We absolutely love talking to our clients and educating them about tanning and skincare,” Brandon said. “We’ve found that they appreciate all of the tips we provide for taking care of their skin, both indoors and out.”
