How much should I charge?

[xxjhxx]

Hey guys,

I've just started spray tanning & was thinking about doing a promotion where the client would get a tan for £5 for first 2 weeks to promote myself.

I'll be doing this mobile so do you think this would be okay to try & get customers then up it to £10 after this?

Most of the salons in my area are charging between £10-£15 for spray tans.

Would be grateful for any suggestions as i'm totally new to this!

Thanks xx

 

[Dinkydot]

I think £5.00 is a little cheap to be honest!! When I started spray tanning I was charging £25.00 and £15.00 for a top-up tan with in 7 days!

Dont sell youself short..thats what I say!!

xx

 

[Poshfloss]

No don't do it so cheap !!!!
You are selling your service way too cheap.
Put your self on level pricing with salons in your area.
You have to make some proffit, think of products, petrol, your time etc.
Good luck, hope it goes well, but make some money too.
Lotsa luv x x x :hug: x x x

 

[Pamper&Polish]

I charged £5 to start off for my first few, I charge full price now of £15 there are lots of mobiles doing it for £10-£15 so I couldn't charge £20-£25 x

 

[BlondieBear]

Yes this might get you a few extra customers but the hassle wont be worth it when you tell them its now £10. Trust me now matter how many times you say its a special offer you will still be asked can you not do it for £5.
If i saw a £5 spray tan my first thought would be what is wrong with it.
Start off small build loyal customers
Maybe even do a package like buy 4 get your 5th free.
Good Luck
x

 

[nwtan]

Agree with blondiebear. If its too cheap people may even question your ability as a spray tanner. Petrol,solution,sundries, once these are taken off you won't see much, if anything out of a fiver. If your reputation is good, people won't mind paying a decent rate.

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

I completly agree with everyone,
Dont charge £5 that is silly, Work out excatly how much it costs you to do a spray tan, solution, sticky feet, hairnet, thong/knickers, record card, aftercare leaflet EVERTHING - At a guess I would say £3ish then petrol money & your time - You could possibly be earning £1 doing it that cheap :irked: - Its not worth it!
You said "Most of the salons are charging between £10-£15 for spray tans" The difference is you are doing the tan in the comfort of their home no hassle for them to & from a salon etc.
Also with salon they can book back to back you will have to drive to each client, set up, tan, pack up go.
So I would imagine people would expect mobile to be the higher end of the average price.
If I were you I would do Special Introductory Offer of £10 normal price £15, then maybe a couple of extra offers like book 4 get your 5th free or spray tan partied 6 or more £10 each.
Goodluck hun - dont sell yourself short, its always easier to drop prices than put them up! x:hug:x

 

[lucelasticx]

I never undestand why people feel mobile services should be cheaper!
Yes there is different overheads to the salon but there is only ever going to be one of you to bring in the bucks unlike in a salon where there can be many people working.
Dont do it too cheap , it's difficult to put prices up after. Do a loyalty / referal scheme , or print some special offer leaflets up that are valid for a limited time.
People dont mind paying a decent rate for a professional service :lol:

 

[Lmb223]

Your reputation will speak for itself when you start to build up a loyal client base.

People are happy to pay a little more if they recieve a good service.

I Have a client who lives in Northampton (I live in London) and she only ever has a tan when she travels down to London which is usually once a month!

She has't found any other tan that she was happy with so she is loyal to me and always lets me know that she is coming to London so she can book her tan!

I personally wouldn't compare myself to a salon as I am mobile and offer a more convenient service to people at a time that works for them, I sometimes work till 9pm at night! People will pay for that so I stick to my pricing which is even slighty more than some other mobile technicians around, but it doesn't take away from my business at all.

I get a lot of clients through recommendations because I am good at what I do and that's worth paying a few extra £'s in my opinion.

I would rather pay more for a good service than save a couple of £ and not be happy with the end result.

 

[xxjhxx]

Thanks guys for the suggestions, i think i'm going to start off with £10 for my first week or two then upto £15 for one & try & do the offers & things .. you all have been really great help!! xx

 

[BonBon]

I agree with everyone. £5 is way too cheap.
I particularly agree with Lucelasticx. Why should mobile be cheaper, you are making the clients life easier by goin to them and they have the treatments in the comfort of their own home, without having to to trot into town in loose clothing and no make-up.
In my opinion we have the hassle of carting all our equipment about and setting up I think it should be more really.

 

[tiggerlady]

Im going to charge £10 for the first 5 as 'guinea pig' rates, then £15 as an 'opening offer', then it'll go up to £17.50 or £20, depending in the tan soution the client chooses, methinks! Tanning parties would be £15 per client, minimum of 5 or 6, hostess gets hers free...Do you guys think this is ok?

 

[~Louise~]

I'm hopefully going to be starting up soon too, I think £5 is too cheap, I would charge the £10/15 & maybe do like a loyalty thing, where the 5th or 6th tan is free? Oh & the tanning party is a good thing too, like the hostess goes free

Hope that helps?

 

[gemsie1983]

I know this is slightly off topic but another geek mentioned on here the other day something about mobile therapists and it really got me thinking, If you had a personal trainer come to your house that would cost you more so why would clients expect a personal beauty service direct to your door to be cheaper?

 

[Greta]

Please don't under-sell yourself. £5 is an absolute no-no in my book. You are a trained professional. How long did that take? And you are experienced at your craft - you've put the time in, and you'll learn more each day.

As someone said in an earlier post, people may well wonder why you are charging so little. You are doing this for your living and you can't make a living charging like that.

Please respect your skills and yor industry

 

[karenrose]

I wouldnt charge £5 either! Way too cheap!! Yes it may get people booking in at first but as soon as you put the price up people might not come back!
What about offering your friends it for £5 first till you build up your confidence with it and know what your doing then charging £15 or £20 to everyone else. And like has been said do an offer of buy 1 get 1 half price or something like that.

I charge £20 for my spray tan mobile and I advertise on gumtree yet theres people who offer tans for £10 and £15 on there but I still get business from it! So alot of people might think cheap price equals rubbish tan!

 

[ADiva1]

I didnt even realise that you could still find a beauty treatment for £5.00.

Charging cheap does not make you popular!

Think about your effort, time and the money you spent to train and purchase your products. People pay you for your customer service, the quality ofyor work and the convenience of going to their home to do their treatment.

You would never make any money from a £5 spray tan. Would you rather to do 20 tans to make £100, or 5 tans to make £100.

Be assertive, charge what is necessary and dont let anyone break you down, if you can't then you are in the wrong industry!:hug: