The Benefits Of Sunbed Hire

Sourcing a sunbed for your gym or health and beauty business can be expensive. When it comes to looking after their skin, clients expect the highest standards of safety and quality, and yet these inevitably come with a price-tag attached. Buying a good commercial sunbed is likely to cost thousands of pounds a significant outlay, especially if several are required. Sunbed hire can be a flexible and cost-effective solution to this problem.

Leasing a sunbed

Sunbed hire offers your business access to a wide range of high-quality tanning products at a manageable cost, in addition to bringing several other benefits. It essentially works the same way as any other hire arrangement: in exchange for regular payments, often made on a monthly basis, you have the use of the product for the life of the contract. Contracts may last for a year or more though can be as little as a
week in some cases and can typically be renegotiated at the end of the term.

Most companies offering sunbed hire will require a refundable deposit in case of damage, although in many cases this would be covered by your business insurance. Delivery and installation of the equipment will likely be included in the price, though its worth checking the contract to make sure.

Although straightforward hire is a popular option, other business models are available. Some companies offer sunbeds on a hire-purchase scheme, where you buy the equipment but pay over a period of time with regular instalments. This generally works out as more expensive on a monthly basis than simply renting the sunbed, but has to be balanced against the advantages of owning the equipment outright at the end of the contract. In some cases, profit-sharing plans are available whereby, instead of paying a fixed amount weekly or monthly for a sunbed, you pay a proportion of the income derived from its use.

Further benefits

There are a number of additional benefits to sunbed hire arrangements. Suppliers frequently offer regular servicing and repairs as part of their contract, and training will also be delivered in many instances both of which are vital unless you have qualified professionals at your disposal.

At the end of the hire period, several options are typically available. You can either continue to hire
the sunbed as before, or end your contract in which case, the company should pick it up again. Alternatively, some companies will offer the equipment to you at a discounted, ex-rental price. This can prove a useful way of trying out a sunbed on a low-cost basis before committing to a major purchase.

Pros and cons of sunbed hire

Sunbed hire offers a viable way to access high-quality and generally very expensive tanning equipment. Over the total lifetime of the product or your businesss use of it hiring will naturally prove more costly than buying. However, it does avoid the problems of making a large financial commitment up-front, or taking on unwelcome debts. This flexibility is key if you are uncertain of the benefits a sunbed will bring to your business; because hire contracts may cover as little as a week, it is a low-cost way to find out whether it is worth making a long-term investment. Longer rental periods of months or years tend to be significantly cheaper, and contracts should cover important and often overlooked considerations like maintenance and training. Finally, depending on the company and specific hire arrangement, you may be offered the sunbed at a discount price at the end of the term.