Beauty Businesses on Wheels

Bath Petals beauty products are sold in 30 Whole Foods supermarkets the country, but the brand's store--the only place selling all of its 116 offerings--sits six wheels and blows bubbles onto the street.

Since Julie Warnock's family-run business launched beauty truck early this year, the 11-year-old business has received all of attention: Retailers want Warnock park the truck outside their shops; tourists photos with it; movie producers have asked to feature it films. "It's really hard to break the noise and get attention," Warnock says. "We wanted to create excitement." So , it's working. Circulating through the Los Angeles area, the Bath Petals beauty truck has opened a new sales channel for the beauty products manufacturer, helping increase overall sales by 15 percent and promote the brand retailers.

Bath Petals is one of a growing number of small businesses jumping the beauty truck bandwagon to differentiate themselves, says beauty products expert Jennifer Walsh. "Beauty in the past years has become of stale. This concept really goes to the customers are, instead of waiting for to come."

It isn't only the extra attention that the beauty truck trend appealing to entrepreneurs. As they expand brand's reach, here is a look four benefits of going mobile – and what you can learn by taking your business the road.

1. Save the expense of a lease. Operating a retail shop wheels can be cheaper than leasing commercial space. When the rent his Bronx, N.Y., spa and tanning salon doubled in 2007, Claude Pierre decided to find alternative. He used his experience auto customization to outfit a 22-foot truck a toilet, sink, lighting, air conditioning, heating, a gas fireplace and flat screen TV. Operating a massive vehicle presents a new set challenges--from maintenance parking--but Pierre likes the flexibility of and when he works. While he was initially taking the truck daily to attract business, the high cost of gas these has made him focus more private events like bachelorette parties or showers business is guaranteed. The Mobile Spa also gives Pierre more control his work schedule. "It's in my control how business I am ," he says. " I take out the truck, that's when the phone starts ringing."

2. Test products faster and easier. Beauty trucks can provide a convenient test market for new products. When Warnock developed line of bath salts earlier this year, she equipped her beauty truck a bar area where customers could sample . After a successful trial run, Bath Petals installed similar bath-salt bars seven Whole Foods stores. "It's allowed us to test out new items before bringing to a retailer," Warnock says. "We've already got customer feedback and worked the kinks."

3. Make a more personal connection. some beauty businesses, a mobile shop means traveling from coast to --something Harold Zimmerman, founder of Votre Vu, has done five times with his Airstream, the vuBAR. Zimmerman launched Votre Vu in 2009 in Sugar Grove, Ill., selling the skincare and cosmetics products online and direct salespeople he calls brand ambassadors. To expand the brand's reach, he decided try a mobile strategy. Admiring the sleek Airstreams he drove by route to his lake house in Wisconsin, he bought and refurbished with an L-shaped bar and sofa. He has used the Airstream to promote products at street, wine and food festivals the country and attract new brand ambassadors, increasing the direct sales force from 100 in 2009 to 4,000 today. The vuBAR Airstream has "become iconic our brand and a symbol for our brand ambassadors to get behind," says Zimmerman, who put $129,000 refurbishing the vehicle.

4. Go where the market is. Elline Surianello, CEO of New York City-based LeMetric, taking her business on the road much easier now she has a van equipped with a consultation space and stocked her treatments for thinning hair. Ten years ago, Surianello started calls from across the country after her business was featured in Ladies' Home Journal and on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America." But traveling all of her beauty equipment long-distance appearances difficult. As a solution, Surianello decided to recreate her New York studio inside a 10-by-17-foot van last January. Now, can go on the road once a week without the hassle of repacking all her equipment each . "You can go where the market is and not worry the market coming to you," she says. "That gives you incredible flexibility."


Adapted from: entrepreneur.com, July 6, 2012.