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Shah Emily Noaman is a self-professed girlie-girl.
"I love being surrounded by beautiful things," says the 27-year-old Toronto resident. That's one reason she decided to open her own tanning salon, a place she feels people come to become more beautiful, this year. But her penchant for all things pretty pushed her to do something a little out of the ordinary: Noaman opened a salon and boutique combo, where customers can come to get that golden glow, and also browse through her home décor, jewelry and bath product offerings.
Not only does being surrounded by beautiful things please Noaman, but in this case, she also thinks it makes good business sense: "Normally clients are just sitting in a waiting room reading a magazine while they wait," she says. "I wanted to figure out a way to make money during that time."
Bask Tanning Salon & Boutique, which opened in Toronto in early December, isn't Noaman's first foray into the world of small business. Three years ago she bought an existing dry cleaning business in Toronto's Rosedale neighbourhood, which she continues to operate. But last year, after steadily socking away her earnings from the dry cleaners, she felt she was finally ready to go after her dream of opening a tanning salon. Short on funds, Noaman found a silent partner who was willing to pony up half of the start up costs, and soon after began hunting for a location.
Noaman's main criteria in finding the right spot was sticking to the Rosedale neighbourhood, which she'd become familiar with during her three years running the dry cleaner. "I already knew this neighbourhood and so I knew that it would have the kind of clientele that would support this type of salon," she says. It took an entire year for a suitable location to become available within her desired vicinity, but as soon as Noaman saw it, she knew it was the one. In October, she took possession of the 1,000-square foot space and began intense construction. "From the floors to the ceiling, we had to do everything," she says. Luckily, Noaman's father lent a hand with the architectural blue prints and set her up with a cabinetmaker, electrician and contractor to help get the job, which included turning the single-room space into six separate rooms, done.
Noaman further managed to save on renovation costs by trying her hand at interior design, rather than hiring a professional. "Today when I see the finished product it makes me proud to know that I had a lot to do with it," she says.
As construction was underway, Noaman began ordering inventory for her shop, to the tune of $45,000, including jewelry from the 3 Shahs line, which she and her mother and her sister design. She also handed over $75,000 for four tanning beds, as well as one stand-up tanning station, and had a web site built.
Renovations, which set her back some $85,000, hit a snag when her contractor discovered that the space was only outfitted with 100 amperage, but the tanning beds required 200. "That was stressful because it was unexpected and it set us back $6,000," says Noaman.
Noaman knew she wouldn't be able to open her doors without a couple of sets of helping hands, so she worked on recruiting two part time staff members, whom she insisted be Smart Tan certified, a program that provides tanning salon staff with training.
Her staff and inventory ready to go, Noaman eagerly awaited the completion of the construction. "We were originally supposed to open in mid-November but we had to delay it until December because of delays in construction," she says. "It came to a point where I had to get my hands dirty and do some of the work myself."
Just two days before her grand opening, Noaman began to unpack her inventory, input it all into her computer system and decorate the tanning rooms. "With the help of my friends and a professional merchandiser and 17 hour days, we had everything done at 3 a.m. just hours before the grand opening," she says. She had no money—or time—to dedicate to advertising, so she was hoping word of mouth would fill her salon on its first day of business. Aside from inviting all of her professional and personal contacts, Noaman spread the word by promoting the event on the social networking site Facebook
Noaman's salon has only been open a week, but she's already convinced her two-pronged approach was the way to go. "The older ladies are thrilled by the boutique," she says, "And the younger demographic is excited about the tanning. There's something for everyone." Her salon rises above the competition because of her insistence on sanitation being a priority ("We mop the floor after every single customer because they walk barefoot on the floor," she says) and also because of her attention to detail. "I decorated each room with a theme," she says. "Customers really notice that effort."
It all comes back to the customers for Noaman, who's excited to see what 2008 has in store for Bask. "My number one goal is not to make money. It's to have happy and healthy customers. That in turn will bring me money."
How she did it
Shah Emily Noaman always wanted to open her own tanning salon. A dry cleaner already under her belt, she decided to go for it when she found a silent partner. But she opened a tanning salon with a twist by coupling the concept with a gift boutique.
Start up costs
Renovations $85,000
Furniture/décor: $5,000
Tanning equipment and supplies: $75,000
Computers: $4,000
Point-of-sale software: $3,000
Smart Tan certifications: $150
Surveillance: $2,500
Inventory (jewelry, gifts, home décor): $45,000
Website: $2,000
Bags/wrapping: $500
Stationery $350
Advertising: $500
Store signage: $10,000
TOTAL $233,000
Monthly costs
Rent $4,000
Utilities $2,400 (including electricity and phones)
Staff $1,200 (two part time)
Cleaning supplies $100
Tanning supplies $2,700
Inventory $5,000
TOTAL $15,400
Number of $10 tanning sessions she needs to sell per day to break even: 51
