Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Bunnell.
Hi kimberly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I opened my tanning salon “Hot Spot Tanning” in 2000 on the island here in St Augustine Fl. I won’t beat of St Augustine every year but once. I got second place. Which is still an honor.
I worked in a tanning salon in Orlando Fl to make sure this is what I wanted to do when I moved back to St Augustine. I worked long hours, many different locations and learned as much as I could about the industry. I loved it. So moved back and that what I did. I still have all the awards. I then added spray tanning to my salon. It was a hit. The salon is long gone but my Spray tanning business is still doing great 25 years later. I am currently have my Spray Tanning Studio built as I’m writing this. Very excited about it. The tanning industry has been good to me. I do it part time evenings and weekends. I do a lot of wedding parties. I feel so blessed that they trust me for their special day. I’m also licensed to pierce ears. And ears only lol. I was a single mom most of that time having the salon. It made a good living for my daughter and I. With my staff have me the ability to be a dance mom, cheer mom and softball mom. The things we can never get back. I felt blessed on that journey
As I was newly happily divorced.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, when I got out of
The actual tanning salon business that’s when the tanning tax took effect. We beat it for years. Also maintaining a tanning salon “ the right way “ is also hard but worth it. I was very by the book. Some clients loved it some hated it. I cared about my clients and their well being so I did everything by a computer. It would be impossible to tan twice within a 24 hour period. Some really didn’t like that. A tanning salon also isn’t cheap to run and maintain. I don’t use cheap bulbs. Most do. I wanted bronzing bulbs not reading bulbs. I wanted my clients to get their monies worth. I loved it though and wouldn’t have changed a thing I was doing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I resigned from being a personal banker 1 with Wells Fargo about 6 years ago. I got so sick of dealing with death everyday.
I now work in an office Monday thru Friday. I deal with a lot of money still but completely different atmosphere.
My clients love me and let me know all
The time they appreciate that I treat them like “people” not just a number and I do.
What I am most proud of is the daughter I raised. She is an amazing mother, daughter and wife.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m definitely a risk taker. If you don’t try you’ll never know. I’ve been knocked down but I get back up again. I learn from my mistakes fix them and move on. I strive to be better than I was yesterday. I try to give others the same respect I’d want to receive.
Google recently about to my business out. Instead of me giving up after losing all of my five star reviews and huge client following I’m starting from the bottom. My business has come up in the top five again. I lost ALOT of money due to this. But instead I’m going bigger. I’m building a Spray Tanning Studio. I’ll be host spray tanning parties, bachelorette parties, etc. I WILL Get my business back to the top !
Simone called into Google and had my business completely removed. Jealousy is an awful thing.
Pricing:
- $45 and up is our price point
