I was asking him how his business was going in these tough economic times and he responded by saying that whilst sales were low, profits were still quite healthy, thanks to his focus on minimizing waste.

Curious I asked him to tell me more. He went on to explain that in the early days of running his business his focus was on getting more customers and increasing his sales. His business grew quite successfully, but then finally got to its limit, where no matter how hard he advertised, he simply could not sell any more pizzas.

Still not content with the money he was making, he began to look at ways to increase his profits by cutting costs. One particular evening after closing time, he noticed the large amount of wasted food that was getting thrown out with the garbage. He started to think about how his business made money. He realized, that in its simplest form, his profits came from buying raw food stuffs at a certain price and then selling each piece of food for more than what he paid for it in the form of a cooked pizza. Understanding this, it then dawned on him that each item of food that was thrown out, was money he had wasted, and profit he would now not make. Ever since that night he has focused on eliminating wastage where possible, and ensuring that every item of food brought in its fair share of profit.

Now you might be thinking, ‘What does a pizza shop have to do with my salon?’, well the answer is ‘plenty’. Particularly in the area of spray tanning.

I know that I am about to push the SunFX bandwagon a bit here, but it’s for good reason. It’s because the SunFX spray tanning system does this better than any other. You see, other spray tanning systems in the market are not designed for applying spray tans. They are instead modified paint applicators in the form of air-brush guns and the like. But tanning solution is runnier than paint, and as such it needs to be applied through a spray gun designed specifically for that purpose.

These other systems waste a tremendous amount of tanning solution through over-spray and the dreaded solution drip. Evidence of the amount of over-spray that occurs can be seen by the fact that the skin of the receptionists of salons using these inferior systems is typically orange on top and pale as you look down their legs. This is because the over-spray floats around the room, settling on the staff who work there.

The SunFX Pro Spray Applicator however is specifically designed to apply SunFX tanning solutions. Because it is so accurate, you only need a tiny amount of solution to apply a full body tan. Skilled operators are able to get as many as 30 full tans from one bottle of solution!

Now admittedly some of the other solution brands are cheaper, but you need to use more of them to get a rich natural looking tan. Therefore you are getting fewer tans per bottle, which means less profit overall. By buying the cheaper brand you are actually costing yourself money.

So the salon recession surviving tip that I want you to understand is the importance of reducing your wastage. In spray tanning the answer is SunFX. But what other areas of your business suffer from wastage, and how can you reduce it? Answer those questions and your profits will increase even if your clientele drops off.

One of the realities of a recession is that people are watching their money more closely. People will often go without those products or services that are deemed to be a luxury, rather than a necessity. Beauty treatments are commonly one of the first things that people give up during times of financial hardship.

But the reality for most salons is that they still have customers, just less of them. The regulars tend to keep coming in, but you tend to lose ‘walk in’ traffic and those who would be typically classed as infrequent clientele. The loss of these clients is significant, as these are often the clients who give your profits a real boost and turn your good weeks into great ones.

But all is not lost; you simply need to work on making more from less.

To do this you need to start focusing on the average expenditure of each client, as well as the frequency of their visits. Are there any products or services that you could be selling your clients that you are not selling to them already? Obviously spray tanning is a big one, as a SunFX spray tan is hugely profitable for your salon, and highly desirable for your clients.

Products are another lucrative area that many salons have not previously focused on. Sure you have always sold products, but how many more could you sell if you really focused on them? By selling an extra product to every second client, you will soon have boosted your profits even though you might potentially be dealing with fewer clients.

It is also important to ensure that your existing clients are coming back regularly, particularly if your overall numbers of clients are diminishing. Make sure that you book people in for their next appointment before they leave, and it’s imperative that you give them a reminder phone call a day or so before their next appointment is due. It’s also worth considering putting individual clients on customised beauty programs. Find out if they have any important functions or engagements coming up and then set out a program of regular appointments leading up to the event that ensures they will be looking their best.

Whilst finances may be tight across the country, there is no doubt that well run businesses can still succeed, and in fact grow. Focus on increasing the per visit expenditure of each client, along with the frequency of their visits, and you will find that you can grow your profits even if your client base is diminishing.

To understand the importance of exfoliating, we first need to understand a little bit about human skin.

Skin is made up of a series of tiny individual cells that have a relatively short life span. Cells are created in the lower layers of the skin called the dermis. From there they migrate to the surface layer as old layers of cells die and fall off. It is important to understand that these dead cells fall off at different rates. For example, clothes rubbing against the skin can remove these dead cells at a faster rate than areas of the skin that do not come into contact with garments.

Equally it is important to understand that a spray tan occurs at the surface level of the skin. The tanning solution reacts with the amino acids in the skin, creating a rich, natural looking tan (well, in the case of SunFX tanning solutions at least). Therefore, to create an even, natural looking tan that lasts, it is vital that as many dead skin cells are removed as possible prior to the tanning application.

Another way to look at this is to picture painting an old house. You would not simply spray a new coat of paint on top of the old cracked and peeling paint that is already there. If you did, the new paint would eventually fall off as the old paint flaked away, leaving the house looking patchy and unsightly.

Whilst this example is a bit of an over exaggeration in comparison to a spray tan on a client, the basics are still the same. You need to strip back the dead skin cells, to ensure that the solution is being applied to new skin cells. This in turn will enable the spray tan to last longer and fade more evenly.

Understanding this, we can now begin to see the importance of having our clients exfoliate their entire body prior to their tanning appointment. Ideally this should be done at home the night before their appointment.

Whilst there are many exfoliating creams and gels on the market, not all are suitable to use prior to a tanning application. For this reason we recommend that your clients thoroughly exfoliate with SunFX Body Polish prior to their tanning appointment.

SunFX Body Polish combines walnut shell and pumice with rich emollient properties to form a deep exfoliating body scrub that leaves the skin feeling alive and refreshed. Unlike other beauty treatments which can sometimes be seen as a chore, exfoliating with SunFX Body Polish is a wonderfully indulgent activity that will leave your clients feeling relaxed and revitalised. Of course the extra product sales are sure to be appreciated as well!

So for the ultimate long lasting spray tan you simply must ensure that your clients are exfoliating with SunFX Body Polish.

They are paying at the counter when they ask you “Is there any way that I can extend my tan between visits?”‘ Smiling you place a tube of Summer’s Secret in front of them and collect their money.

Of course your client is going to be completely delighted with the results of Summer’s Secret, because it not only extends their professional salon tan, but it also hydrates their skin and can even build a tan from scratch. It glides on beautifully and leaves no streaking as it blends into the skin.

So what makes Summer’s Secret such a successful body product? Well it’s tempting to say ‘That’s a secret” and leave it at that, but we wouldn’t do that to you…

The secret actually lies in the Dihydroxyacetone that we use. Dihydrowhatsit? I hear you ask. Well allow me to explain …

Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA as it’s more commonly referred to, is a 100% natural tanning agent that reacts with the amino acids in the skin to produce a rich, completely natural looking tan. Unlike some other products in the market, Summer’s Secret uses the purest form of DHA in the world, which is why it manages to produce consistently stunning looking tans.

Essentially an elite quality, salon grade tanning moisturiser, Summer’s Secret has proven to be a massive hit with consumers. So much so that we have had to dramatically increase production just to keep up with the demand.

So if you want a product that you can trust, that will give your clients the sort of results that will have them raving to their friends, then look no further than Summer’s Secret – simply the best tanning moisturiser in the world.

Talk to most beauticians and they will tell you that they are beauticians, not sales people. They don’t like ’selling’ to their clients. Many feel that if their clients wanted to purchase products they would ask for them.

This unwillingness to ’sell’ to clients often stems from the belief systems of the person asked to do the sales. If they believe that sales people are sleezy, untrustworthy or unprofessional, then of course they will not want to be seen as a sales person in the eyes of their clients.

If you suspect that this is the challenge with the team members you employ in your salon, there is a simple test to prove your theory. Sit your team down with a pen a paper and tell them, ‘In the next 2 minutes I want you to write down every word that you can think of that describes a salesperson’. They might need a bit of encouragement, so offer suggestions like ‘Helpful, good listener, etc’ to get them started.

After 2 minutes ask them to stop writing and share everything they have written down. Chances are more than 80% of the comments will be negative, such as ‘untrustworthy, rip off, liar’ etc. If this is the case, then it’s easy to see why your team are not ’selling’ products to your salon’s clients.

So how do you overcome this? Simply by explaining to your team that they are not ’sales people’. They are in fact professional therapists, and as professionals, they need to offer their clients the best possible after salon care products. Give the example of going to the doctor. You’re feeling sick so you go to the doctor. Your doctor is a health care professional who gives you advice on what you’re suffering from, and the best way to treat it. He or she will then give you a script for medication that will hopefully correct the problem. Now ask yourself this ‘Is this doctor a salesperson?’ The answer is of course NO. Similiarly when a client goes to a salon, they are expecting professional advice. Not only on what treatment will give them the best, most beautiful outcome, but also what products they should be purchasing to help them maintain their beautiful appearance in between treatments.

Get your team to view product sales as a beauty ‘prescription’ rather than a sale, and you’re well on the way to increasing your profits through professional advice.