The Economics

It's relatively inexpensive to get into airbrush tanning as a business. The equipment and starter products run typically from $500 to $2,000, depending on quality and amounts of products included. If you plan to travel to take advantage of hands on training then that also will be part of your start up costs. If you intend to learn from a video or CD, then you must factor in the time and material cost of your learning curve, as well as the "goodwill" of your many "guinea pigs."
 
Based upon our real world experience, (19,000 retail tans and counting) the average number of tans in a gallon of DHA is around 35-40 and the time a tan can be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Market prices for airbrush tans vary from $25 to $75, the norm being about $30 to $40. In addition, you'll need to factor in your overhead and marketing costs. Marketing in most markets is relatively easy and inexpensive, boosted by "the buzz" on national TV and in national publications.