Advice/opinions needed! New to business

[Zmarie]

Hi all!

I'm in the process of moving soon and with my move my first thought was to create a mobile/at home spray tanning business. I love the tanning/beauty industry and am passionate. I self-tan and self-tan family so I figured why not? I've been doing my research (and continue to do so) and know a little of what I want in my startup.

I'd like to know which is most preferable amongst you in the business when it comes to choosing a solution? I've been hearing many (many!) good things about Sjolie and Jamaica Me Tan. I will be ordering samples but would like to know which is a favorite of yours! I should state that since I'm Vegan I love that Sjolie and JMT are vegan solutions. Which is a must for me!

Because I don't have a gun (yet) is it ok for me to insert the sample solutions into a spray bottle and use a tanning mitt to test it on myself before investing?

What gun is best at the moment for spray tanning?

Since I live in NY I cannot find any Sjolie or JMT training courses in the area. Do I need to train with them if it's the solution I may decide to use? Or is any training facility fine as long as I have a certificate stating I'm certified? Any recommendations in a training school in the NY area?

I plan on starting out as a home/mobile business to see how it goes. Any advice and opinions is much appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[Pollypocket85]

I use Sienna X due to two reasons 1. It's well known and a popular brand. 2. The training course was 15 mins away.
I don't think you it matters if you attend a different brands training course. The process is the same whatever the solution you just will miss out on learning little bits about the brand. Once you have that certificate you're qualified to tan people with whatever solution you use.

I cannot comment about putting it in the spray bottle. I just went ahead and bought a gun.

 

[rachel83]

Just recommended my brand on another post so heres a copy
I LOVE Suntana - Its cost effective and will do around 18 tans. I can keep my costs to a min and run promotions on quieter months

Moving onto the actual product - its amazing!
Natural results, even fade (though most of this depends on client maintenance as with any brand).
You have the choice of 5 shades / fragrances - Yes NO biscuit smell!!
Light tan is 8% Coconut
Medium is cherry 10%
Dark is chocolate 12% (my fave!)
and the extra dark is blackberry scented 14%

They also have a rapid fast tan (tan in 1-2 hours) the longer its on the darker it will go - this has lovely golden results!

You can get samples from them for free so no harm in trying and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

(edited by a moderator to remove Trade Prices)

 

[Blair]

You should look into Aviva Labs. I am in love with their solutions. They also have great aftercare products to help make the spray tan last. Might be worth looking into.

 

[Zmarie]

I contacted Suntana and Sienna X and was happy they replied so quickly to some questions I had!

I'm curious @rachel83 - have you tried their mousses as well? Do you retail them? Because I don't yet have a gun atm I was thinking of trying the mousses but am afraid the results will be different from the actual solution. Or just sampling the solutions with my mitt and seeing how that goes The reviews (and flavored scents) have me highly intrigued!!

Thank you all for your responses and suggestions. I will be contacting these companies for samples!

 

[rachel83]

I contacted Suntana and Sienna X and was happy they replied so quickly to some questions I had!

I'm curious @rachel83 - have you tried their mousses as well? Do you retail them? Because I don't yet have a gun atm I was thinking of trying the mousses but am afraid the results will be different from the actual solution. Or just sampling the solutions with my mitt and seeing how that goes The reviews (and flavored scents) have me highly intrigued!!

Thank you all for your responses and suggestions. I will be contacting these companies for samples!

Hi, yes I often use the mousses when its too late for me to get my kit out or I'm on a last min event.
My dancers in particular buy the mousses to exaggerate their tan if they have been sprayed a few days before an event or have an event lasting a few days.
They don't last as long as the spray solutions - say 4-5 days depending on how much you apply but yes they smell just the same and have very similar results.
You can't beat a good spray though

Personally I would test their free samples pack with a mitt and see what you think before going forth to purchase the mousse range.
The results won't be quite the same but you will have a good guide - just don't forget to still treat dry skin areas with a small amount of barrier or light moisturiser (knees, elbows, hands) and only do one thin coat on the dryer areas.

I hope this helps a little

 

[Zmarie]

Great to know! Helped a ton! Thank you!!

 

[Ali Martin]

I have tried Aviva Labs so many times but just cannot get on board with them. No matter what technique I used (gun turned down, spray farther away) people always ended up looking orange.

 

[Bellabronzemt]

I love Sjolie! I have tried several other solutions and none compare to Sjolie. Their customer service is top notch as their solutions. The fade is natural and last up to 2 weeks. The price is amazing! I have tried aviva on myself and one of my friends and we both wound up with a scaley fade, not cute at all. When I first started I did not have a gun and I put it in a spray bottle and used a foam paint brush to apply it. And even with that the results were fabulous. I will never use another product for my everyday tans. For competition tanning I use Norvell Blackout. Also the tanning store is a great site for resources and samples. For my gun I have the Apollo mighty mist purchased through Sjolie. I am super lucky that their office is only 5 minutes from my home. They are so friendly I go in at least every two weeks to purchase product. They treat me as though I am their best friend. Let me know what you chose I'd love to hear your results. Also if you would like to see my work with Sjolie I would love to show you pictures.
Good Luck to you!