Small Beauty Entrepreneurs Must Rise Above The Competition In Tough Economy

Columbus, Indiana Local Liz Medley, owner/manager and Artist of the Air Tan & Salon in Franklin recently and for the second time attended an unusual advanced business seminar. “Champ Camp” is a seminar focused on individuals working in the beauty industry including salon and spa owners, hairstylists, estheticians, nail technicians and other professionals. With the current economy causing hard times in small businesses, salons and spas across the nation are struggling to survive. Champ Camp is designed to take business owners to the next level, ensuring that they not only survive in the current tough economy – but thrive.

“Thousands of salons will close this year,” says Champ Camp attendee Liz Medley of the Air Tan & Salon. “We will NOT be among them!” Even without hard economic times, in the competitive professional beauty industry, thousands of salons go out of business every year, while many technicians struggle to earn a living. Champ Camp was created by Lauren Gartland, a beauty industry veteran. She founded the business training and coaching company Inspiring Champions in 1995 to help salon owners and independent salon technicians across North America to gain the business skills they need to ensure a long and rewarding career in the industry.

Medley of Air Tan & Salon notes the importance of this type of motivational business training in the current economy. “Many beauty professionals have a creative mindset, having technical skills yet lacking the business skills to stay competitive. In addition to the new financial skill sets we learned at Champ Camp, we also learned to adopt the attitude needed to succeed. In 1954 in Oxford, England, Roger Bannister became the first man to break the four minute mile. Doctors said it was physically impossible. Yet once he broke that record and the world saw that is was actually possible – within 45 days, 16 other runners had broken it too. Once the belief was there, others overcame the obstacle. What we ultimately learned is that once we believe in ourselves we can achieve any goal, once we take action.”

This type of perseverance may just be the defining mark between small business owners who endure the current economy and those who do not. Gartland equates career and life success with the goal of climbing a mountain. “To reach the pinnacle of success, you need tools and skills just like a mountain climber. You need goals, a plan, support, direction, focus and motivation.”

She’s there to provide the required tools and skills along with plenty of coaching and inspiration. Inspiring Champions has helped thousands of beauty professionals to successfully reach their career and life goals. Liz Medley and the Air Tan Team consider that they have just taken the first step up that mountain.

For more information or a complimentary beauty care consultation, visit Air Tan & Salon at 377 East Jefferson St, Franklin, In 46131. You may also call 317-346-4277 or visit their website at www.AirTan.net. For more information on Lauren Gartland and the Inspiring Champions collection of live training camps, coaching services, mentoring and educational resources, call 800-496-9305, email to info@inspiringchampions.com or visit them on the web at www.InspiringChampions.com.

Introducing the BRAZILIAN BLOWOUT! The most innovative professional smoothing treatment in the World!

The Brazilian Blowout has finally arrived to Air Tan & Salon in Franklin, Indiana! Did you think this incredible hair smoothing treatment was just available in New York or LA? Well, not anymore!

We are tremendously excited to report that Air Tan & Salon will soon be able to offer our customers this extraordinary service! On Monday August 16th, 2010 we will be certified to Preform the Brazilian Blowout service.

The Brazilian Blowout is the ONLY professional smoothing treatment that actually improves the health of your hair! This treatment uses a proprietary polymer system, which creates a protective protein layer around the hair shaft to eliminate frizz while smoothing the cuticle.

The Brazilian Blowout treatment uses no harsh chemicals and is formaldehyde free. In 90 minutes, the entire treatment is completed. You can wash and dry your hair the minute you leave the salon, and the amazing results last up to 12 weeks!

Top Gun Training Course Beginning

We are very excited to announce that we have begun the Top Gun Front Desk training course! These weekly Webinar sessions are designed by highly-trained professionals to promote incredible customer service. Top Gun is a 9 week course and upon successful completion, our team will have acquired extraordinary knowledge and skills that will thrill our clients, both old and new. We are excited that this course is underway and even more overjoyed to gain the rare knowledge that will soon guarantee unrivaled customer service expertise and proficiency! 

What is a BLOG? Air Tan's Spray Tan Blog

Everyone keeps asking, "What is the Air Tan Blog?"

A blog is a two way online communication to engage and interact with each other discussing specific topics in an informal atmosphere.

A blog allows direct access to "decision makers", and getting a fresh insight into the Air Tan Company. With the blog we want to bring the Air Tan community together to converse on what works and what doesn't. Also the Air Tan customers can voice what you truly want and need.

By communicating online, people are able to "speak" freely, as they are protected safely in an anonymous technological environment.  This blog offers us a chance to listen to your feedback, wishes, and comments on how effectively our products and services are being used.

We want the blog to be a catalyst for conversation, bringing like-minded people to one place to talk directly to the Air Tan staff and Spray Tan experts.

Team Air Tan runs 5k

Saturday evening’s Outrun the Sun 5K marathon event turned out great! It was fun to be part of such a special race. Team Air Tan may have been small, but we certainly made big contribution and had a blast!

We are without a doubt planning on participating again next year. So no matter if you want to run, jog or walk it is a great cause and wonderful family time. Fortunately next time, we will plan ahead to raise donations and get as many people as involved as possible! We want to thank everyone who participated and supported our team and the fight against melanoma.

SPF Update Sneaky Ways to Outsmart the Sun

6 SMART, SEXY, SPF Tips

Good news for Al Gore's disciples: The ozone layer, our natural UV filter, is beginning to repair itself. But that doesn't mean it's safe to go out with naked skin. Shield yourself from the evil rays by following this easy advice.
By Meirav Devash

1. BEACH-IFY Your Beauty Routine

• Start with a protective SPF 25 moisturizer.

"Mineral pigments create a shield on your skin to block UV rays," says Jeannette Graf, M.D., a dermatologist in Great Neck, New York. Try Jane Iredale Active Light Under-Eye Concealer, $25, beauty.com.

• Follow that with an SPF-spiked foundation such as Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil SPF 25, $19, bareescentuals.com.
• Dust bronzer over cheeks, nose, and forehead.
  
• Then dab lips with sheer color.
  

• Mist hair with an SPF-packed styler.
  

2. Seek Shades

Ultrastylish oversize sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement. They also shield the paper-thin skin around your eyes from dangerous UV damage (5 to 10 percent of all skin cancers appear on the eyelids) as well as the formation of fine lines and crow's-feet. More important, sun exposure can affect the eye itself (specifically the cornea, lens, and retina), causing cataracts and macular degeneration over time.

The American National Standards Institute requires that common outdoor-use sunglasses guard against 95 percent of UVB and 60 percent of UVA light (even drugstore cheapies!). "But why not find a pair with 100 percent protection of both?" asks Bryan Shelton, West Coast regional lab manager at Oakley R&D. He recommends wrapped lenses that also give peripheral protection, like those in Oakley's Perform Beautifully Line. Try Oakley Compulsive Brown Gradient, oakley.com.

3. Protect From the Inside Out
"Sun damage causes free radicals, which all edible antioxidants fight. But some work better at protecting against the sun's rays," says nutritionist Keri Glassman, R.D., whose book, The O2 Diet , is in stores now. Your best bites are reddish-orange foods that are high in lycopene, such as tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots, and papayas, and foods and beverages that are rich in flavonoids, such as green tea and dark chocolate. But you'll need at least 10 weeks of daily ingestion to optimize the benefits.

In one study, researchers from the London University of the Arts and the European Dermatology London clinic gave 30 volunteers either high-or low-flavonol chocolate daily for 12 weeks. At the end of that period, it took double the amount of UV to turn the high-flavonol group's skin red. Many studies suggest the polyphenols in green tea provide a similar boost. "If people aren't getting enough of these antioxidants in their diet, I recommend adding a daily supplement," Glassman says. Try New Chapter Organics Green & White Tea Force, drugstore.com.

4. Sport SPF-Wear
Bikinis are de rigueur pool-and beachside, but they provide little sun protection. If you're going to be in the water, take a cue from the world's sexiest surfer girls and rock a rash guard. The fabric in Letarte rash guards has a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of 50-plus, which blocks 98 percent of harmful UV rays.

The truth is, "all clothing has a sun protection factor," says Graf, but it's not enough to combat summer sun. "The lighter the clothing color, the less it shields." A white T-shirt has an SPF of 4 to 6, while a black one has a 9 or 10. However, all washables can have a UPF of 30: Just add a packet of SunGuard (sunguardsunprotection.com) to your laundry during the wash cycle. Pretty cool, huh?

5. Fake It -- Safely
Don't even think about heading to the fake-bake salon for easy head-to-toe bronzing -- derms around the world have deemed them unsafe!

6. Cover Every Inch Of Skin
Your boyfriend isn't the only one who wants to get you naked in the morning. Derms insist that a nude bod is the perfect canvas for sunscreen because you're less likely to miss a spot. Oft-overlooked areas include the hairline, behind the ears, lips, back of the neck, hands, and feet, so do those before the rest of your body.

When it comes to SPF, higher isn't always better. SPF 30 protects against more than 95 percent of UVB rays, as long as you're not stingy with the stuff. "Most women don't apply enough," says Syed Amiry, D.O., a cosmetic dermatologist in Reston, Virginia, and a spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation. Skin docs suggest using at least one ounce or more of broad-spectrum sunblock half an hour before going outside, and reapplying after swimming or excessive sweating.

Some Other Sun Protection Tips:

• Size matters when it comes to sunglasses.
• A glass of green tea a day helps keep wrinkles away.
• Cover Up: Reapply SPF every two to four hours.

source: May 2010 / Women's Health