As is the case in life as a whole, many factors that impact your business are completely out of your control. Of course, COVID-19 is a prime example. Nobody could have predicted a global pandemic, nor could you control the government mandated business closures that it prompted.

Challenges that we have no choice but to live with are nothing new in the tanning industry. Yet, unfair regulations and federal taxes haven’t stopped thousands of tanning businesses from thriving over the last decade, with many of them even peaking financially heading into 2020. Success in tanning has always required the ability to accept what you can’t change and concentrate on what you can control. Just like before, we need to focus on what the future will bring, roll up our sleeves and get working on creating a winning business plan for next year.

As of March 1, 2020, many tanning businesses around the country were showing signs that 2020 could be the best year in nearly a decade. Enter the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. tanning salons, along with every other business in America, were forced to shut down for several months. Though closing any business for several months was detrimental to say the least, closing tanning salons over their three busiest months of the year was a disaster. But many tanning salons that were allowed to reopen by June saw a resurgence of customers that has continued through the remainder of the year. Though the resurgence didn’t come close to recovering the lost revenue experienced from the pandemic, increased counts over what is typically the slow season reinforced our market’s belief that 2021 will be a great year.

Regardless of your particular salon’s experience over the COVID shutdown, 2021 should be a strong year for the tanning industry, but it’s not going to happen for your business on its own. Sure, we can all expect to benefit from positive press about UV light and the potential for limited spending options elsewhere that will likely push consumers into salons for their little bit of “me time.” But the need to make up lost revenue while working with limited budgets still makes it more important than ever to be on top of your game in all aspects of operation.

There are so many ways you can improve your business and make it more profitable, which is both exciting to consider and, at the same time, can be a little overwhelming. That’s especially true for independent owners who have plenty on their plate already just managing daily operations. That’s where Smart Tan comes in.

For decades, our ultimate goal has been to support North American tanning businesses in every way possible. More than anything, we’d love to be able to bring the industry together face to face to prepare together for an important year for our industry. But, with a lack of any national or regional conventions this year, we know how important it is for us to make sure that salons around North America are still getting more educational support than ever. So, in the coming months, we’ll be releasing content that will replicate and exceed the educational experience of any industry event, highlighted by a full-scale online educational conference focusing on the most significant factors that will impact your financial success in 2021 and beyond.

But, it’s already past time to start planning for next season. So, right now, we challenge you to get the ball rolling by starting to consider the tanning business fundamentals that will help you meet your financial goals for next year. With a clear vision of where you stand and what you need to accomplish, you will be ready to implement beneficial changes quickly.

To start, let’s focus on the areas we can improve to increase our sales and profit potential:

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.