Position: Owner
Company: Mobile Tan LA
What they do: Custom airbrush tanning
Revenue: Estimated $45,000 to $55,000 in first year
Goals: To expand the business, hire assistance and educate clients on sun exposure
After working as a makeup artist in Hollywood for more than 20 years, with stars from Frank Sinatra to Paris Hilton and for such award shows as the Oscars and Grammys, Mary Murphy left Los Angeles and moved to Baton Rouge.
Murphy came to the city nearly two years ago with her husband when he was brought in to help develop Celtic Media Centre off Interstate 12 and Airline Highway. When she arrived, she looked for a place that provided airbrush tanning.
But after discovering only one person in Baton Rouge provided the service, Murphy established her own business: Mobile Tan LA, a portable custom airbrush tanning service that caters to clients by coming to their homes. It is comprised of an air compressor with two spray guns and a tent that allows for privacy.
“I did a lot of research about my business and found out there was a need for it,” she says. “I also did research on the products, and I found the highest quality.”
She became involved in the makeup industry when her neighbor hired her as an assistant. She later worked on movies and TV shows like The Mask and Deal or No Deal. She was retired for two years before establishing Mobile Tan LA, which targets women between the ages of 17 and 50.
Mobile Tan LA offers five services, from the $25 upper- or lower-body spray to the $65 in-home tan that includes a full-body spray, and five shades, from SunSpray [light] to Celebrity Glow [medium-dark] to Sunset Bliss [extra dark]. An airbrush tan is healthier than tanning in a bed or outside because there’s no exposure to ultraviolet rays.
Since starting Mobile Tan LA earlier this year, Murphy has spent most of her time spreading the word about her business and adjusting to a different schedule.
“I’m still learning,” she says. “You have to be very organized and follow up on things. But I’ve also learned that I will not have any days off in the beginning.”
