A Fresh Start
No Tan Lines is a custom-made salon – Bruce did all of the work to finish the store space. “I hired an artist to paint murals throughout the salon,”. “I wanted an easy-maintenance floor, so we made a mosaic of epoxy on the concrete floor that is brown with glitter and looks like sand. We also painted our salon logo integrated into ‘beach towels’ on the floor.” There was foresight when planning the salon, equipping it with 8 tanning units but having room to expand to 18 in the future. Since opening the salon, he has already expanded to 14 tanning units, including two stand-ups by SunCapsule and two by Royal Sun, four Ultra Sun sunbeds including a high-pressure unit, and a “Classic Legs” leg tanner. The salon sells many different lotion lines including Designer Skin and California Tan.

Bruce has been familiar with indoor tanning for almost 20 years and can appreciate the changes and growth in the industry. “About 15 years ago, I tried indoor tanning, but I stopped because the beds were wooden, and a tanning session took 30-40 minutes,” Bruce said. He uses many sources to keep himself up-to-date with the ever-changing industry,  attending trade shows and other industry events. “I went to TanCun IV last year with my wife and daughter, and the experience was awesome,” he said. “It was such a relaxing atmosphere that I could just sit there and talk with other salon owners about our favorite ‘passion’ – I learned so much from seasoned industry professionals in a very short time.”

Like A TV Sitcom
No Tan Lines tries to create a friendly atmosphere for his clients that he likens to the comedy show Cheers. “I tell the staff that we want to be the ‘Cheers’ of tanning – a place where everyone knows your name,” he explains. The  staff includes two full-time and two part-time employees. Bruce said he tells them to follow “the three Cs” – Cleanliness (keeping the salon ultra-clean), Customer-friendly service, and Color (making sure the tanners are always getting great color). Our staff is what really makes the salon work so well. “Unless you are able to commit every waking hour to personally working the counter, employees can make or break your business,” he said. One friendly face at the salon isn’t really an employee at all – she’s Bruce and Barbara’s 2- year-old daughter Christina. “Everyone knows her,” Bruce said. “She sits up front and tells everyone, ‘bye-bye now,’ when they leave.” No Tan Lines has also sponsored a work-study program for the past two years. “The students help me process monthly membership rolls, learn how to do bookwork, and work at the front counter,” he explained. “They always work out great, but then they go off to college.”

No Tan Lines’ employees have all completed a salon operator certification program, and they pass their knowledge on to the tanners. “We take the time to educate our clients”. “One of the first things we do is skin typing and sub-typing. We explain to them that tanning is a slow process.” As an added convenience, clients can store their lotions at the salon. “It has advantages to them and to us,” Bruce explained. “The tanner doesn’t have to remember to bring their lotion, and when we get their bottle for them we give it a shake and say, ‘It looks like you’re getting low. Can I recommend a lotion for you today?’”

Staying Busy
The staff at No Tan Lines are always on their toes – especially from January-July. “We start getting busy in January and February, but we’re the busiest from March to July,” Bruce explained. “During the peak season, we see 125-150 people a day and about one-half to one-third of that the rest of the year. Just under 30 percent of our tanners are men – I’m not sure why, but it might be because there are many couples who tan together.” Bruce suggests that it is easier to deal with the stress of the peak season when salon professionals plan ahead and also overstaff the shifts. The salon is open from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

Learning From Others
Bruce has been able to learn valuable business tips from other salon professionals. “I learned to start clients in high-pressure beds instead of having them work their way up to high-pressure sessions – this also opens more base level beds up to other tanners,” he said. In January, he also switched to a point system in addition to charging by the session and offering memberships. “The point packages are great for clients who purchase multiple tanning sessions,” Bruce said. “Since we store their lotion for them, they don’t have to remember their money or anything when they come to tan – they just have to remember our address.”

Thoughts On The Future
Bruce said he is hoping to someday work in the salon full-time. For now, he is still doing electrical contracting work and Barbara works as a QC inspector for a medical company. He wants to continue upgrading their tanning equipment on a regular basis. “I want to further our business for business sake and for the sake of the industry,” he said. Bruce said two things he enjoys most about owning a salon are working with people and helping them achieve the results they desire.