Nobody likes to pay for insurance. We don’t even like to talk about it. But no responsible homeowner, auto owner, or business owner would ever operate without it. As much as we hate paying our insurance premiums, we know what can happen to our property and our businesses if we don’t protect them from unexpected disasters. And yet, many tanning salon owners are neglecting the most important insurance policy needed to protect the future of their tanning business.

Right now, your tanning salon is being attacked from a large number of different anti-tanning organizations pushing for state and federal regulations, taxes, and other measures to harm your business. Indoor tanning adversaries, or the sun-scare industry, have created billion-dollar business opportunities from the world’s fear of sunlight and indoor tanning. The dermatology industry has grown by more than 500 percent since their powerful association began villainizing any sunlight exposure instead of correctly targeting sunburn. The dermatology industry uses its expansive lobbying budget to influence state and federal lawmakers to shutter tanning salons and help scare the public into their offices from their overstated fear of UV light. Sunscreen companies fuel these campaigns by contributing millions to the American Cancer Society’s lobbying arm, which in turn lobbies state lawmakers to overregulate tanning businesses. And these are just a few of the many organizations looking to close your business.

The American Suntanning Association (ASA) is the only insurance policy this industry has to protect your business from these attacks. And, becoming an ASA member is actually much better than having an insurance policy. Unlike insurance, which is designed to help after a disaster has taken place, ASA works every day to prevent disasters from happening in the first place. ASA membership is an investment in your future and should be a line item in your budget right next to “Business Insurance.” And, the premium is only $100 per month.

Keeping tanning salons protected requires a well-developed plan, credible scientific research, targeted industry data, strategy development and a team of seasoned professionals to deliver this information to state capitals and Washington, DC. This is no easy task. Yet, ASA has been highly successful in defeating the vast majority of regulatory attempts made against our industry over the past decade.

Attacks on our industry will continue as long as there are powerful groups that profit from the fear of UV light. These attacks are highly coordinated efforts from very influential and well-financed organizations and are difficult to stop. Though ASA has the plan, the science and the team to get the job done, we need more resources if we are to succeed against the attacks from our much larger opponents in the future.

Smart business owners understand that they must protect their businesses from potential devastation by investing in business insurance. If you are a business owner in the indoor tanning industry, you cannot afford to go without the only pro-active insurance plan that is keeping your business from being closed down by overregulation, taxes and more.

I know what you’re thinking right now. “How do I get out of paying for this insurance?” Or, “I had a bad year last year, so I can’t afford to pay the premium right now.” And, “I’ve never paid for this before and things seem to be fine.” Remember, while you’re debating this issue, more than a dozen powerful anti-tanning groups are working on plans to close you down.

For the price of your daily coffee, you can invest in the most important, proactive insurance policy every created for your business. Isn’t the future of your business worth the cost of a cup of coffee?

Join the ASA today.