Hope your busy season has wrapped up on a good note. At my salons in Michigan, winter numbers for both sales and tanners were flat, but have begun a recovery over the last month or so. My general manager is attributing our sales success to Sun is Life – the staff in all my stores are completing their salon operator training and certification, and their confidence levels have improved dramatically. Customer retention is key right now, and representing your salon as a professional establishment is more important than ever. Education is truly an investment in the future of your business, and this is a great time of year to get your team trained. Sun is Life is ready for you online, right now.
At this writing, I’m looking forward to attending the ITA’s Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C. – this is a critical time for all of us in this industry to be proactive with regard to regulatory issues. On May 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its intent to reclassify tanning systems and sunlamps to Class II (mid-risk) medical devices, and is considering several other safety control measures (see “ITA Update” on pg. 44). The ITA has been following this issue since the FDA’s 2010 announcement, and the organization was the first to respond to it on your behalf. This will be a huge challenge for our industry… are you doing all you can to help us meet it? If you want to be part of the fight to protect your own livelihood, get in touch with the ITA.
One man who’s been a tan biz advocate for over 30 years is profiled in this month’s “Industry Close-up”. New York salon mogul, Rocco Viele, is known to many in the tanning community, and it’s always great to see him at industry events. You may think you know him, but read Ribby’s story and I guarantee you’ll learn something interesting about Rocco.
Another story of note is “Tan Mom Strikes Again” regarding the under-17 tan ban (UV and sunless) recently enacted in New Jersey. The story of the NJ “Tan Mom” did a lot of damage to our industry’s credibility, and the mainstream media got plenty of mileage from it. There are 25 states with tanning legislation under consideration. One of the biggest things our detractors use against us is the false and misleading medical claims some salon operators have been encouraged to make. This is the reason why it’s time for you to invest in a salon training program that focuses on professionalism and proper business practices.
Look for great coverage – as always – of the West Coast Expo in our August issue.
Thanks for reading.
