Top 250 Salon Search

[jbizz]

Does your salon rock? Does it stand heads above your competition? If so, it’s time to enter LOOKING FIT’s 2009 Top 250 Salons Survey.

We are very excited about the upcoming listing because we will celebrate the Top 250’s 10-year anniversary in our Feb. 15, 2009 issue!

To enter, all you have to do is register your salon online, choose a login name and password and fill out the form (or forms if you have multiple salons). Then, with the click of a button, your entry is submitted. The site also allows salons to amend information as it changes before the Nov. 7, 2008 deadline.

If online submission isn’t your cup of tea, you can download a PDF of the 2009 Top 250 Salons Survey. Print it out, fill it in and mail or fax it back to (480) 281-6026.

Note: Eligible salons must be in operation by the same owner for one full year by Nov. 7, 2008.

For more information about the 2009 Top 250 Salons listing, contact Rebecca Pray at (480) 990-1101, ext. 1603 or e-mail rpray@vpico.com.

[Kathe]

Judie how can you put 2008 gross revenue? Or are we just doing up to this point?

[Din]

Are Canadian salons eligible yet???????????

[jbizz]

Kathe, we are asking for 2008 gross revs. Most estimate since applications can be submitted by November. We do the judging at the end of the year and actually call and talk to the final 400 or so salon owners regarding their business.

[Alan @ TanToday]

I've always wondered, as have other people on this site, how some of the worst salons in the USA win this Top 250. Is there a certain # per state given out and some states just have that many applicants so they all win?

Just curious because I've been in some of the Top 250 salons and I wouldnt put them in the top 1% of any industry! LOL!

Let us know how salons are selected from start to finish.

[JeffK]

Alan, this is the equivalent of the Looking Fit "Free Tan Day".. they'll take all comers.. even those who are unqualified for "Alan's top 1%"..

To be fair, it must be a unique challenge for them to get a plentiful selection of salons to produce a truly great list.. so they've got to work with what they get, and I'm sure they do what they can to produce a quality selection of 250 out of the parties who express an interest..

For them, they hope to cull relationships with salon owners.. and at the same time it's content for their publication..

I don't think anyone takes the list with absolute seriousness.. but it doesn't hurt anyone, and it gives the salons who do make it a branding/marketing opportunity in their cities..

[Alan @ TanToday]

I'd like to see more salons participate and I hope this thread brings more attention to this salon recognition.

Send in your submission today. It only takes a few minutes of your time folks.

[JeffK]

Originally Posted by Alan @ TanToday

I'd like to see more salons participate and I hope this thread brings more attention to this salon recognition.

Send in your submission today. It only takes a few minutes of your time folks.

You sober up?

[Alan @ TanToday]

No, I think the more people who get involved with anything thats for the bettermeant of the industry is a good thing.

[JeffK]

Originally Posted by Alan @ TanToday

No, I think the more people who get involved with anything thats for the bettermeant of the industry is a good thing.

Not sure if this endeavor betters the industry. On the surface it's purely a marketing exchange. Goes something like this..

-------------------------------------------
Top 250 Salon to client: Look! We were rated by Looking Fit as one of the top 250 salons in America!

Client: By who? Looking Fit?

Top 250 Salon: Yes! Looking Fit!
-------------------------------------------

So the salon gets to claim an award that sounds credible.. and Looking Fit gets the management of 250 salons trumpeting Looking Fit to hundreds of clients each.. free marketing for LF, too..

Works for everyone, if you ask me..

[Alan @ TanToday]

But Looking Fit doesnt cater to tanners. How is that a win for them in the eyes of the tanner? I dont see that logic.

I get thats its a win-win for salon/LF and nothing is wrong with that but I dont see how telling tanners about LF gets them anything.

Jeff, what would make you take a few moments of your life to fill out the submission?

[JeffK]

Originally Posted by Alan @ TanToday

But Looking Fit doesnt cater to tanners. How is that a win for them in the eyes of the tanner? I dont see that logic.

The same logic that propels us to brand our tanning salon within our hair salon, even though it's believed only 10% of our hair clients even tan..

Get the word out any way you can.. we do it, LF does it.. (or ought to do it)

I get thats its a win-win for salon/LF and nothing is wrong with that but I dont see how telling tanners about LF gets them anything.

See above.

Jeff, what would make you take a few moments of your life to fill out the submission?

Well, for the record, I haven't filled it out. So that was a correct assumption on your part.

Whether the old ownership group ever did, I have not looked into that.. but at this moment, that point is moot I suppose..

The main problem for me is the scope. The top 250 salons? If it was the best 10.. best 25.. best 50.. it'd be something to strive form.. but 250? This should not deter others.. I'm only saying it deters myself.

I know mathematically it's top 1% of of the industry based on recent estimates.. but 250 is too big of a number to really be able to grasp onto and utilize as a marketing asset for my own purposes...

I know it's not the same, exactly, but perception-wise it'd be like me calling up my family and telling them how excited I was that I got my name in the phone book..

[Ziti]

Same thing as local
"best of the best" contests. Braggin rights is all you get.

[Shantilly]

Can Canadians enter Yet????

[Le]

I have never felt secure about giving my numbers out to third parties. I am not sure it would be worth it just for bragging rights.

I do agree with Alan's point about crappy salons making the list. Several salons over the past few years in my area have won and some of these salons are not good examples of our industry. IMO

[Glowtanning530]

Originally Posted by Le

I have never felt secure about giving my numbers out to third parties. I am not sure it would be worth it just for bragging rights.

Ditto you would sooner see me naked than get my true numbers. My husband doesn't even know how much money I make.

[Din]

Originally Posted by Din

Are Canadian salons eligible yet???????????

^^^ BUMP ^^^

[jbizz]

Din,
Sorry, but we are only including U.S. salons. We may change this beginning next year as we enter our second decade of the award.

[jbizz]

Also, please note that last year we had about 1,200 entries representing close to 5,000 salons. We rely on a salon's truthfulness about their business, as well as recommendations from distributors, suppliers, manufacturers and fellow salons. We do everything possible to make sure the salons provide us with accurate info to make the judging process easier.

To make it past the first round of judging, certain prerequisites were required. These included whether a salon was certified, held liability insurance, skin typed their clients on the first visit and was in operation by the same owner for one full year by the entry deadline. Other criteria that came into play when the judging was narrowed was whether a salon was a member of an industry association, active in fighting anti-tanning legislation and active within their communities, as well as whether they provided educational materials to customers and offered incentives or bonuses to employees. All of these factors help define the caliber of business they operate.

Each and every salon that made it to the final round of judging was contacted personally by our elite panel of judges. Every attempt was made to verify information so that each salon could be evaluated on its own merits. If a salon owner or operator did not return phone calls to verify information, they did not make it to the next round of judging—even if they were a past winner.

It's not easy to please everyone, but we welcome your comments. There are a host of variables to consider. Check out last year's report for more info.

I will try to keep you updated and answer your questions as best as possible. Also, all information is strictly confidential--you have my word on that.

[JeffK]

Originally Posted by Le

I have never felt secure about giving my numbers out to third parties. I am not sure it would be worth it just for bragging rights.

Yeah but you're only looking at it from your point of view! For them, it's pure gold in building a profile of you..