How Much Money Can I Make From Spray Tanning

One of the most frequently asked questions in my experience educating in the beauty industry is "How much can I make and how much do you charge?"

My answer is unpopular, but honest.  "The amount you are willing to work at this and master the art and business is directly related to how much money you will make."

Know your numbers and understand the demand for your services.  Price your time and talent accordingly and be willing to take feedback and make adjustments 

I tell my students that you must always consider the fixed costs that are likely going to increase as you expand your business and to be prepared for the ebb and flow of the demand of this service.  If this is a hobby for you, then you will likely make the kind of money that pays for you expenses and a compensates you a little for your time.  If this is a job, you will likely make a profit to support another hobby or a little extra fun.  If this is a career it has the ability to pay you quite well if taken seriously.

I coach students to take models as they are perfecting their skills, and then again throughout their career for various reasons.  The most important reason is marketing.  There is no better way to market yourself than someone walking around wearing your product and bragging about it.  Instant credibility.  The client acquisition cost for a referral from a model spray tan is exactly the cost of product used on the model.  (approximately 8% of your spray tan price generally $7).

I start my prices off low, but for a limited time. I want to create a sense of urgency, and we will discuss more about this in the marketing blog posts.  Start your prices out low for a limited time and try to get people to try it out and see if they love it.  Chances are that when they need a spray tan for an event or a trip they already know what to expect and they will pay whatever you are charging at that time.  

Consider your timing for the set-up, the service, the pack-up, and any travel time.  This should help you determine your base price.  A base price is almost your break-even price.  It is the lowest you can charge to break-even doing the service, and then you can start to increase your prices based on a number of added values.

Added values may include:

• Skills and experience
• Premium solution options or enhancements
• High demand time or seasons
• Reputation or lack of alternatives

In my experience high demand and reputation will gain you the very highest value-add and the premium you can charge is upward of 200% more than your base price.  I have seen the charts that show what you can expect to make charging $45 per spray tan if your cost is around $5 per tan and you do 5 tans a day 5 days a week.  That is just math and I think we can all multiply ($40 X 25 = $1000).  What I think that chart leaves out is the actual information behind those numbers, and that is what we hope to provide you with at Flawless Artistry.  

More of my blog posts will dive deep into marketing yourself, various pricing models, trade work within the industry, and how to grow or scale your business.  

I talk a lot about the challenges that we face being in a service base industry, because it is not just simple math.  There can be a lot of hidden costs and all technicians should understand where to look and how to manage those costs.  

I hope you find this information helpful and enjoy the our content.  We believe you define your own success and we support it.