Angela and Curtiss Beagle, HavATan

Angela Beagle got into the tanning industry during its heyday in the late ‘80s to find a long-lasting success she never would have imagined. She intended to simply get a tanning bed for home use, but wound up with a multi-location business that has lasted 26 years. Angela shares her insight regarding keeping the right employees and her excitement for the Smart Tan Nashville tradeshow and conference in October.

Q: How do you keep your employees motivated and loyal?

A: In addition to the Smart Tan training and the salon training, we are teaching some of these employees to use vacuums and washers and dryers. They aren’t just learning how to help people tan responsibly; they are also learning how to be more responsible people. They want to learn, and understanding more helps them feel proud of where they work.

Education is the best way to make great employees and keep them. The motivation to do well is when they believe in what they are selling. There’s not too much you can do to light a fire under someone that isn’t there – they have to feel that desire to treat the store like it’s their own. Sometimes we got so lost fixing the employees that aren’t doing well that we don’t recognize the good ones who treat the store like it’s their own.

Once they have that education, you really have to trust them. For so long, I wouldn’t delegate tasks, but they feel really important to be able to help you with stuff. When they can get involved with the business, that’s the stuff that gives them the most pride.

Q: What are you looking forward to about the Smart Tan Nashville show this year?

A: If we can get to Nashville this year, I would love to see Tabatha speak – I’m really interested in what she would have to say. I like seeing the big keynote speakers, but it’s also great to listen to Joe Levy and Matt Russell. They are troopers who have been through everything.

I also love seeing every single lotion out there. I used to keep a little bit of every lotion in the industry, and I still keep a wide variety. At the Nashville show I can see every bottle, smell the lotions and talk to someone about it.

I have also missed the roundtables where veterans share ideas and you talk to other salon owners who truly believe in this industry.  Talking to people in business makes a big difference because they’re not trying to sell you anything. Sharing ideas is so much fun.