How to Start a Spray Tan Business While Working a 9–5

You don't have to quit your job tomorrow to start building the life you actually want.

If you're reading this after a long day at your 9–5, I want you to know something before we talk about pricing, clients, equipment, or marketing:

You are not behind.

You don't need to have your entire business figured out before you begin.

And you definitely don't need to quit your job before you start.

In fact, I think one of the smartest ways to build a spray tan business is to start it alongside the job you're eventually hoping to leave.

Maybe you've been thinking about starting a spray tan business for months.

You've saved videos.

You've looked at spray tan machines.

You've stalked other artists on Instagram.

You've probably already imagined what it would feel like to wake up on a Tuesday morning and realize you don't have to clock in somewhere you don't want to be anymore.

Maybe you want more flexibility.

Maybe you're tired of asking for time off.

Maybe you want to be home with your kids.

Maybe you're craving something that's yours.

Or maybe you simply know:

"I wasn't meant to spend the rest of my life doing this."

If that's you, this is your reminder that you don't have to figure it all out today.

You just have to start.

You Can Build Your Spray Tan Business While Working Full Time

One of the biggest misconceptions I see with new spray tan artists is that they think they need to go all-in immediately.

Quit your job.

Rent a studio.

Buy all the equipment.

Launch your business.

Book 20 clients.

Make six figures.

And somehow do it all at once.

Please don't feel like you have to do that.

Your 9–5 can actually give you something incredibly valuable while you're building:

Stability.

Your paycheck can pay your bills while your spray tan business grows.

That means you can take your time learning your craft.

You can build your clientele.

You can figure out what kind of clients you actually enjoy working with.

You can test your pricing.

You can learn what marketing works.

And most importantly, you can build the business before you need it to support you.

That's a very different experience than quitting your job and then desperately trying to make your business work because you have bills due next week.

Start small.

Start imperfectly.

Start with the time you actually have.

What Does Starting a Spray Tan Business Part-Time Actually Look Like?

It can look incredibly simple.

You don't need 30 clients a week.

You might start with:

Tuesday: 1 client after work

Thursday: 2 clients after work

Saturday: 3 clients

Six clients. That's it.

And six clients can become ten.

Ten can become fifteen.

Fifteen can become twenty.

You don't need to wake up one morning with a fully booked calendar.

You need to create a system that allows you to consistently move forward.

And here's something I really want you to remember:

Your first version of your business doesn't have to be your forever version.

Maybe you start doing spray tans from home.

Then you move into a studio.

Maybe you start with two evenings a week.

Then eventually you're working three days a week.

Maybe you start with $75 tans.

Then as your experience, results, and client experience grow, you raise your prices.

You are allowed to evolve.

How Many Spray Tan Clients Do You Actually Need?

This is where I want you to stop thinking about becoming "fully booked."

Instead, let's think about your freedom number.

Let's say your goal is to eventually replace $4,000 per month of income.

If you're charging $85 per tan, that's:

47 tans per month.

That's about:

12 tans per week.

Twelve clients a week doesn't sound nearly as intimidating as "I need to build a six-figure business."

And here's where things get exciting.

You don't necessarily need to work five days a week to see meaningful income from your business.

You could eventually have:

• 3–4 clients Tuesday

• 3–4 clients Thursday

• 3–4 clients Saturday

And you're already getting close to that number.

Of course, your actual income goal will depend on your pricing, expenses, taxes, and the business model you create.

But the point is this:

You may be much closer than you think.

You don't need hundreds of clients.

You need the right number of clients, at the right price, on the right schedule.

That is how you start building a business around your life.

Create Your Spray Tan Schedule Around Your Life

Here's where I want you to think differently from traditional entrepreneurship advice.

Don't build your business and then try to squeeze your life around it.

Design the business around your life from the beginning.

If you work 9–5, you might decide that you're available:

• Tuesday evenings

• Thursday evenings

• Saturday mornings

That's your availability.

Not "whenever someone wants an appointment."

Not "I'll squeeze her in."

Not "I'll just stay late tonight."

Your clients don't need access to you 24/7.

You are allowed to have boundaries.

And honestly?

I think this is one of the most important things you can learn as a new entrepreneur.

Because the goal isn't to leave your 9–5 and create another job that owns your entire life.

You didn't start a spray tan business so you could work 9–9.

You started because you wanted more freedom.

Keep that at the center of everything you build.

What Does It Cost to Start a Spray Tan Business?

One of the reasons I love the spray tan industry for new entrepreneurs is that you can start relatively lean.

You don't necessarily need a storefront, employees, or thousands of dollars in inventory to get started.

Your initial investment may include things like:

• Spray tan machine

• Solution

• Tent or spray area

• Pop-up supplies

• Disposable supplies

• Business insurance

• Booking software

• Website or booking page

• Marketing materials

• Education and training

Your exact startup costs will depend on whether you're working from home, mobile, or in a studio. And please don't fall into the trap of thinking you need the fanciest equipment, prettiest studio, and perfect branding before you can book your first client.

You just need a solid foundation and a great service.

You can upgrade as your business grows.

Let your clients help fund the next version of your business.

Don't Skip the Education

I know this is the part where I'm technically supposed to tell you that you can just figure it out as you go.

But I don't believe that.

You can absolutely learn a lot through experience.

But good education can save you years of guessing.

When you're learning to spray tan, you want to understand more than simply how to hold the gun.

You need to understand:

• Skin preparation

• Solution selection

• Color theory

• Application technique

• Contouring

• Common mistakes

• Client consultations

• Aftercare

• Troubleshooting

• How to create consistent results

Because your clients aren't paying you for a bottle of solution.

They're paying you for your expertise and the result you create.

That's why investing in the right training early can make such a difference.

How to Build Consistent Monthly Income

This is where your business starts becoming more than a side hustle.

The goal isn't simply to get someone to book once.

The goal is to create clients who:

Book → Love their tan → Rebook → Refer friends → Come back again.

That's how you create consistency.

Instead of constantly asking:

"How do I find more people?"

You can eventually start asking:

"How do I take better care of the people I already have?"

Think about your client experience.

Are you making it easy to book?

Are you communicating clearly?

Are you giving great aftercare instructions?

Are you creating an experience people want to talk about?

Are you asking clients to rebook?

Are you giving them a reason to come back?

Are you creating a brand people remember?

Those little things compound.

And Then There's the Part No One Talks About...

Eventually, you may start noticing something.

Your spray tan business starts making money.

Then it makes more money.

Your evenings start filling up.

Your Saturdays are booked.

You're getting referrals.

People are asking when you're available.

And suddenly...

Your 9–5 paycheck isn't the only income you're thinking about anymore.

This is where you don't need to panic.

You don't have to quit the second you have a good month.

Instead, start looking at your numbers.

What are you consistently bringing in?

What are your business expenses?

How much do you need personally each month?

How much should you be setting aside for taxes?

How much savings do you have?

How predictable is your client demand?

Can you maintain your income without relying on one unusually busy month?

Your goal isn't to prove that you could survive without your 9–5.

Your goal is to build enough consistency that leaving becomes a calculated decision

instead of a desperate one.

When Should You Leave Your 9–5?

There isn't one magic number.

And I don't want to tell you:

"Once you hit $10K months, quit!"

Because your situation is different from everyone else's.

Instead, look for consistency.

You might consider leaving when:

• Your business has consistent monthly revenue.

• You understand your expenses.

• You have savings set aside.

• Your client base is growing consistently.

• Your business income is approaching or replacing the income you need.

• You have a clear plan for increasing revenue if needed.

• You're confident in your ability to continue generating clients.

Remember...

:eaving your 9–5 isn't the only goal.

The goal is creating a business that makes you feel secure enough to choose what comes next.

Your 9–5 Isn't the Enemy

I want you to hear this because I think it matters.

If you're still working your 9–5, you haven't failed.

You aren't "not a real entrepreneur."

You aren't behind.

And you don't have to romanticize quitting your job to feel like you "made it".

Your job is funding the transition.

It's giving you a runway.

It's allowing you to build your dream without putting unnecessary pressure on it.

So instead of waking up tomorrow thinking:

"I can't do this anymore."

Try thinking:

"I'm building my way out."

One client at a time.

One appointment at a time.

One month at a time.

And One Day...

You'll wake up and realize the thing you once called your "side hustle" is now your career.

You'll have your own clients.

Your own schedule.

Your own income.

And maybe you'll look back at the version of yourself who was working that 9–5 while squeezing in spray tans after work...

And you'll be so grateful she didn't give up.

Because she didn't need to have the whole path figured out.

She just needed to keep going.

If You're Ready to Start...

You may be reading this and thinking:

"Okay. But I don't actually know how to spray tan yet."

Start there.

Before you worry about branding, booking 20 clients, or quitting your job, learn how to create beautiful, consistent results that make your clients want to come back.

That's exactly why I created The Five Star Formula to Spray Tanning.

It's designed to help beginner spray tan artists build the technical foundation and confidence they need to start creating five-star tans and begin building a business around them.

You don't need to have it all figured out.

You just need to start.

Your dream business doesn't have to happen overnight.

It can happen one spray tan at a time.

[Learn More About The Five Star Formula →]

Final Note

If you needed a sign that it's possible...

Let this be it.

You can build something of your own.

You can make money doing work you actually enjoy.

You can create a schedule that gives you more time.

You can leave your 9–5.

And you don't have to burn your life down to get there.

You can build your way to freedom.

Start where you are.

Use the time you have.

And keep going.