Vanderbilt College senior Hunter Skidmore has gone from being a part-time lifeguard to a twig tanning entrepreneur profiting $125 to $275 per week with a gradual hand and a machine she purchased for $300.
When she realized in August that her job on the Nashville school’s recreation heart was over as a result of COVID-19 closed the pool, Skidmore considered a pal of a pal she’d met a yr earlier.
“She had a twig tanning enterprise. I texted her and he or she informed me every little thing I wanted to do,” Skidmore mentioned.
She ordered the Aura Attract Spray Tan Machine, which is available on Amazon.
“The starter pack comes with the machine and trial sizes for 3 completely different options. That value $300,” she mentioned.
Every full-sized bottle of answer is $50. “Usually I can get about 35 to 40 tans out of a type of bottles,” she added.
So, with a mean of 10 to twenty tans per week at $15 every, she’s making $150 to $300 weekly minus the price of the answer.
“Throughout COVID it’s been particularly good as a result of I believe individuals don’t wish to go to a public place and wait round with a whole lot of different individuals,” Skidmore mentioned.
Pricing and Publicity
With a full identify of Janet Hunter Skidmore, her associates typically name her “Jan” or “Janny,” as a nickname. After they have been serving to her consider a reputation for the enterprise somebody got here up with Jannie Tans.
She began an Instagram account, @Jannietantans, to submit images of tanned purchasers and requested them to tag her of their images to unfold the phrase about her $15 tans. Some purchasers direct message her on Instagram to ebook appointments, whereas others textual content.
Many college students stay in Wesley Place residences close to Vanderbilt, so Skidmore created Wesley Wednesdays. It’s her lightest day of courses, so she will be able to spend a number of hours at a pal’s condo tanning one shopper after one other. On different days, she books most appointments after 8 p.m. when courses are over.
Whereas many individuals consider spray tans as one thing for formal events with bared shoulders similar to a promenade or marriage ceremony, a whole lot of school college students need a splash of shade frequently, particularly in colder climates. Realizing this, Skidmore priced her tans to carry repeat enterprise.
“I used to be going to cost $20, if I needed to come to them and $15 in the event that they got here to me. However I ended up doing $15 for everyone,” she mentioned. She has about 40 common prospects in addition to others who’re much less frequent.
“I get some individuals each week. I get lots of people each different week,” she mentioned. “A tan often lasts per week to most likely 10 days when you use moisturizer and don’t exfoliate an excessive amount of.”
Tips of the Tan
There’s a studying curve to spray tanning. (Bear in mind the mistakes Ross Geller made on “Associates” once they requested if he obtained his spray tan on the solar?)
“It undoubtedly took slightly little bit of apply. I watched a whole lot of YouTube tutorials,” Skidmore mentioned. “My roommates have been type sufficient to be the primary guinea pigs. However they regarded so much higher than I believed they have been going to look.”
It takes a gradual hand, apply at how briskly to maneuver the spray and understanding completely different poses for purchasers to make the colour go on evenly.
“There are 1,000,000 YouTube movies on the market that present you every little thing,” Skidmore mentioned.
Listed here are a couple of ideas she’s realized alongside the best way.
- The spray tan answer can persist with polished nails, so carry alongside child wipes to wash these after the tan.
- Child wipes additionally work to the touch up any drips.
- The machine, and a folding tent to defend the remainder of the room, match simply right into a reusable grocery bag and weigh about 5 kilos.
- Skidmore brings a towel additionally for purchasers to face on as soon as contained in the tent.
“I’ve had individuals who have by no means had a twig tan earlier than they usually have been actually nervous, however they have been proud of it. The answer I take advantage of appears actually pure, not orangey faux,” she mentioned. “No one has gotten mad at me but.”
Katherine Snow Smith is a contract reporter and editor in St. Petersburg, Fla., and writer of Guidelines for the Southern Rulebreaker: Missteps and Classes Realized.
This was initially printed on The Penny Hoarder, a private finance web site that empowers thousands and thousands of readers nationwide to make sensible choices with their cash by way of actionable and inspirational recommendation, and assets about the right way to make, save and handle cash.
