Some people use their brains 100% when it comes to ways of earning money. Such is the case with Hunter Skidmore, a Vanderbilt University senior who ditched her part-time gig as a lifeguard for a spray tanning venture. She started making between $125 and $300 a week with an investment of only $300.
Desperate times call for desperate measures
Getting into the spray tanning business was not Skidmore’s first choice. However, she lost her job at Nashville’s college recreation center when the pandemic struck and had to find other options.
She learned everything she needed to know about getting into the spray tanning business from her friend, who was already successful at it. The next thing Skidmore did was buy an Aura Allure spray tan machine from Amazon. The starter pack cost her only $300 and came with the spray tanning machine plus sample sizes for three different solutions.
Skidmore set up a popup tent in the backyard of her family’s home in St.Petersburg, Florida, and started charging clients $15 a session. Considering that COVID made it impossible for people to go out and mingle, she had a large number of clients, enough to be booked for the entire fall semester.
We’re pretty sure you can find great deals on spray tanning starter packs elsewhere, too.
How to keep attracting clients?
Once the business was up and running, Skidmore needed to spread the word about her $15 tans. She named her venture Janny Tans and created an Instagram account where she could share photos of her clients and they could tag her in their pictures. The rest is history.
The best thing about owning a spray tanning business is that you’ll never run out of clients, especially when the tan lasts about 10 days. While some people like to look tanned for special occasions, others prefer the golden skin tone all year round, mainly in winter when it’s impossible to get tanned.
Skidmore now has around 40 regular customers and her hands full every day.
Become an expert spray tanner
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Like any job, spray tanning requires some skills and practice. You can’t just open any bottle of solution and start spraying. You don’t want to make the same mistake as Ross Geller in Friends when he triple-sprayed tan by accident.
The best way to improve and keep customers returning is to learn and upgrade your skills. You can do this by watching YouTube videos, which can be very thorough. It will also help if you practice on family and friends (assuming they volunteer, of course).
There are some tips you can take from Skidmore:
- Keep baby wipes handy as you will need them to clean polished nails or drips after the tanning.
- Place a towel for the client to stand on when they enter the tent.
- Advise clients to exfoliate at home prior to tanning.
- It takes about eight to 12 hours for the tan to develop, so advise your clients to shower the next day.
There you have it! Setting up a spray tan business is as simple as that. All you’ve got to do is buy the machine and the tent, learn a few skills, practice, and promote your business wherever possible.
