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34 June 2016 | beautystorebusiness.com The Tanning Van Owner: Staci LaMar Instagram: @thetanningvan Website: thetanningvan.com Offering the privacy of self-tanning but the quality of a salon professional, The Tanning Van has taken tanning to a new level, leaving one to wonder why anyone would ever do it any other way. Envisioned and founded by close friends of more than 30 years, Staci LaMar and Michelle Bouras, The Tanning Van is one of the first mobile-tanning studios in the western United States. After years of serving countless satisfied customers, The Tanning Van has proven that just because a business is mobile, doesn't mean it can't come stocked with the features of a luxury salon. In fact, having a vehicle or mobile space ensures beauty professionals can still offer their clients the same comforts, says LaMar, who currently runs the business. THE IDEA The Tanning Van is exactly what it sounds like: an on-call team of tanning technicians who go to clients. Clients can simply step into their beautifully designed, temperature- controlled van, and leave with a perfect, professional tan in 10 minutes. For those who doubt the space or com- forts of a van—they'd be surprised. "TTV features two private spray-tan stations that can accommodate people up to 6'2". They are well lit and temperature-controlled. Because we have two rooms, we can spray- tan two clients at a time, which is great for large parties. Each room has a locker for our clients to put their belongings in and contains bins that provide hair ties, makeup remover, hair caps, wet wipes (to remove sweat, deodorant, lotion, etc.), disposable panties and sticky feet to assure that no tanning solution gets on the bottom of their feet. They also have extraction fans that act as a vacuum for any overspray," LaMar says. Needless to say, with a business that's literally on wheels, the possi- bilities are endless. Customers can get a tan in a parking lot, in their home's drive- way or virtually any other location where technicians can put their van in "park." "Being mobile allows us to service more clients in a wider geographical range and has helped us to secure accounts with pageants, dance competitors, cheer competitors and high-end resorts, such as the Montage, Ritz-Carlton and Pelican Resort," LaMar says. "Our clients love that they can call us for a spray tan that provides the convenience of coming to them, whether at their home or even in the parking lot of their favorite shopping center—and that it will save them time, and cost the same or less than what they would pay at a brick-and-mortar salon." THE TWIST Mobile tanning itself may not be a brand- new idea, but the van is a game-changer. Building the business on wheels allowed the owners to design an environment and space that could be regulated by the technicians themselves—optimizing comfort and quality. And they would know. After all, the idea came as a result of the challenges they faced as mobile spray-tan technicians using a standard tent setup. "[Michelle and I] used to visit our cli- ents in their homes, places of business, hotels, etc., where we'd bring our mobile spray-tan machine, pop-up tent and skin- care products in a rolling case. Many times we encountered issues, such as limited space, insufficient lighting and/or unfavorable temperature," LaMar says. "We wanted to take control of our work environment, yet remain mobile. We decided to create a mobile spray tan studio that allowed us to introduce a unique service in which the space, light- ing and temperature would be provided by us, rather than us relying on the client to provide it." Staci LaMar "Our clients love that they can call us for a spray tan, [with] the convenience of [us] coming to them." Ð Staci LaMar, Owner, The Tanning Van EXPERT TIP: When your business is on the road, you need help from apps and management systems that will make logistical nightmares a breeze. "We rely on and are so grateful for Vagaro and RingCentral. These two sources are key to our ability to manage our calendar, stay organized, create reports, retain our clients' information and communicate with our clients and business partners," says LaMar. MOBILE MUST-HAVES Whether it's to aid them in running a business on the road, or to help clients achieve a long-lasting tan, The Tanning Van relies on these products to keep their business thriving. Vagaro Staci LaMar at The Tanning Van loves this Web-based appoint- ment calendar for running her mobile business. "We need technol- ogy that allows us quick access to easily schedule appointments and review our calendar on the road or at home," says LaMar. "Vagaro provides us with a space to store all of our clients' information and our inventory, to run promotions, send automatic reminders, collect credit-card payments and so much more." RingCentral "With RingCentral, all incoming calls are directly forwarded to my cell phone. We are notified on our cell phones if we've received a text or a voicemail message." South Seas Skin Care "We carry skincare products from South Seas (including, paraben-free moisturizer and body wash, tan extender and spray tan mist for touch-ups) that help clients care for and extend their tan, and make their spray tan look better (i.e., fast-drying bronzer and body shimmer), or to remove their tan (i.e., two different body scrubs and a tan-eraser mitten)." Vani-T Professional Solution "In order for TTV to be a well-rounded service, we offer our clients two amazing spray-tan solutions. One of our tan solutions is an eight- hour solution that provides a beautiful medium-dark tan and the other is a rapid solution that is alcohol-free (great for dry skin). Both solutions are made with natural and organic ingredients." Images courtesy of The Tanning Van