As a result, entrepreneurial people just like you are becoming Desert Sun franchisees. When you join the Desert Sun family of franchisees, you'll benefit from a host of services and competitive advantages designed to create year-round productivity and revenues. As a new owner, you will benefit directly from the following powerful competitive advantages:

POWERFUL BRAND RECOGNITION
The Desert Sun brand has a corporate reputation for high quality salons featuring state-of-the-art equipment and friendly and knowledgeable staff, all at an exceptional value. This combination creates an extraordinary tanning experience for thousands of happy customers who keep coming back. Your new salon will be marketed with materials that promote the Desert Sun brand. Every time a new and successful Desert Sun franchise is launched, all franchisees benefit from the increased brand recognition and excitement generated by the continuing growth of the company.

UNSURPASSED MARKETING EXPERTISE
Our professional and unique approach to marketing the brand through comprehensive traffic-driving strategies and tactics is one of the key parts of our explosive growth and successful business model. From radio and television advertising, to ongoing direct mailings, internet marketing and trade-area specific marketing tactics, our brand-building efforts make the Desert Sun name � and your salon � synonymous with indoor tanning. In the Desert Sun marketing profile, the sum of the parts makes up the whole. We ensure that every location employs compelling tactical elements that drive new customer traffic to your location while maintaining the integrity of the brand.

GROUP PURCHASING POWER
As part of one of the largest and fastest growing tanning brand families in the country, Desert Sun franchisees enjoy vendor pricing and ongoing support that is unparalleled in the industry. Desert Sun is proud to feature state-of-the-art tanning equipment from the world�s most technologically advanced manufacturers. To help you offer the ultimate tanning experience to your customers, Desert Sun continually strives to secure discounted pricing on the finest equipment. Our corporate staff regularly research and test equipment from many suppliers ensuring that our customers not only have the state of- the art choices in equipment, but our franchisees receive the most competitive pricing possible based on our combined purchasing power. In addition, we leverage our group purchasing power to obtain discounts on lotions and related products, tanning lamps, printing, media, neon signage, insurance and more, covering virtually everything you will need to open and operate your tanning salon.

EXPERIENCED FRANCHISE STAFF
Our franchise support staff has over 40 years combined experience in multi-unit retail operations in successful brands such as BLOCKBUSTER Video, Pearle Vision, CiCi's Pizza, Palm Beach Tan and more. This collection of industry experts offers continuous support to help you maximize your business opportunities year after year. We have developed management tools that create a structured approach to staffing, marketing, servicing and managing your business. You benefit from our experience in evaluating, implementing and continually refining a highly successful business model. We offer periodic performance evaluations of your salon so that you and your team can continue to maximize your potential. This ongoing consultation and support is designed to help you make the most of your business opportunities.

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
We're with you throughout your Desert Sun career. From selecting your site, to training you and your employees, to your Grand Opening and beyond, our franchise support staff are there to offer guidance, answer questions, give advice and make suggestions to help create and sustain a professional and sound investment. Along the way, we'll help you with the following:

SELECTING THE SITE
Our franchising support staff will advise you on one of your most important decisions � where your salon will be located. Throughout that process we will help you with the following:

• Assist you with identifying locations that fit the proven profile of other successful Desert Sun Tanning Salon retail outlets. This includes providing you with a demographic comparison study analyzing population density, average household income, disposable income and many other demographic specifics.
   
• Provide competitive market analysis for your proposed trade areas that not only assists you with the placement of new Desert Sun locations, but also serves to isolate existing salon acquisition opportunities.
   
• Advise you on real estate negotiations including, but not limited to, Letter of Intent terms and tenant improvement allowances from the landlord or owner.

BUILDING OUT YOUR SALON
Our franchising support staff will help you prepare your salon for opening day by:

• Guiding you through the design and construction process.
   
• Providing you access to our proven team of Desert Sun vendors including; architects, contractors, construction consultants, electrical and HVAC experts and more. These vendors�s experience with Desert Sun Tanning Salons may result in substantial build-out savings including a quicker time line to opening your salon. Throughout the process nothing is left to chance. Our team-approach ensures that you�ll get all the support you need.
   
• Assisting you with your purchases of everything from our approved point-of-sale systems and operating software, to our state-of-the-art UV and UV-Free tanning equipment, insurance, phone systems, and full line of professional tanning and skin products and accessories.
   
• Sharing our nationwide list of suppliers so you can equip your salon with the highest quality products and equipment at negotiated rates.
   
• Providing you with a salon opening rollout checklist that will guide you through the construction and pre-opening phase of your project in a timely and efficient manner. In addition to this resource, our staff will be right there with you at every step to make sure your construction process is rewarding, educational and free of headaches and cost overruns.

TANNING BEDS
Our state-of-the-art equipment is a major component to the success of Desert Sun. To help you with this critical aspect of the business we provide you with the following:

• Assistance in designing the proper tanning bed mix for your particular salon.
   
• Introductions to leasing and financing companies well-suited for your financial needs.
   
• Pre-negotiated group discounts on tanning beds and lamps via our supply network.

STAFF RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING
We�ll advise you on how to recruit staff including utilizing our on-line recruitment tools on our website. In addition we will teach you how to conduct interviews for hiring high potential employees. Finally, we provide you with thorough training, including:

OWNER TRAINING
Taught by seasoned professionals � to help you become an efficient and effective owner/manager. Topics include industry background, tanning procedures, employee recruitment and management, software tools and use, payroll, customer service, pricing strategies, marketing and advertising strategies, sales, facility and equipment maintenance and more. In addition you are invited to participate in owner events that allow you to meet your fellow franchisees compare notes, gain valuable information in roundtable discussions and most importantly to have fun.

MANAGER TRAINING
Concentrated management instruction about how to run your franchise efficiently.

EMPLOYEE TRAINING
Training at your salon for you and your entire staff � focusing on the interrelationship of sales, customer service, and profitability. Employees learn the Desert Sun selling process, which emphasizes equipment and product knowledge, as the best way to meet customer needs. You will also receive instruction in marketing the salon through professionally produced direct marketing, flyers, print ads, billboards, and radio and TV advertising.

ONGOING TRAINING
Chances to improve your operation never end. You will receive periodic training support in sales and marketing techniques as well as invitations to our educational seminars to keep you up to date with the latest industry developments. In addition, you can send your employees to our training facility for updated or additional instruction at scheduled times.

MARKETING YOUR SALON
In addition to your training, you�ll benefit from:

• The right to use the Desert Sun name, logo, and trademarks.
   
• The Desert Sun marketing team. The Desert Sun marketing team is a group of seasoned professionals that understand the business, how to attract and retain customers and how to increase sales in each and every salon. The team is there to not only manage the brand, but also advise franchisees on how to achieve the potential of each salon. A coordinated marketing effort ensures efficiency in your marketing spending.
   
• A turnkey marketing program to promote your grand opening � complete custom grand opening plan (including templates, artwork, advertising and sponsorship recommendations) and implementation guidelines. The Desert Sun marketing consultants are on hand to guide you through the process.
   
• Desert Sun�s corporate marketing efforts are designed to drive traffic to your salon. Each franchisee pays a minimal advertising fee towards these efforts.
   
• Competitive rates for advertising and marketing campaigns through our ability to buy high-volume media placements, along with inexpensive exposure through our heavily visited web site.
   
• A carefully managed and continually updated web site and internet marketing program designed to push more customers to your salon.
   
• Cutting-edge cooperative group marketing plans and programs.

DESERT SUN ADMINISTRATIVE WEB SITE
You will have access to our very own administrative web site and intranet to help you run your business no matter where you are or what time of day it is. You have access to our Document Center, which contains business management document including; training manuals, operations manual, store forms and flyer templates. The site allows you to check salon website statistics, maintain your own salon webpage, access vendor contacts, management tools, training material and point of sale reporting functions at a click of a button. The admin site also allows you send email blasts and access our online E-commerce portal for items including marketing materials, salon supplies and Desert Sun logo apparel and goods.