Meet The Owner
Ashlyn Greer, a twenty-five-year-old business owner, relocated to Crossville with her family at the age of twelve. She graduated from Stone Memorial High School in 2017 and then joined the U.S. Army. At eighteen, she found herself far from her family, stationed over two thousand miles away in Washington state. After completing her first contract, she continued her military career in South Carolina. Reflecting on her experience, she acknowledges that the military played a significant role in shaping her into the person she is today. Returning to Crossville, she started her own family, marrying Dayton Greer in 2021 and welcoming their first child, Jenson, in 2022. In May 2024, she gave birth to their second son, Preston, clearly demonstrating that her family and children are her top priority in all that she does.
AMPS TANNING
What influenced you to keep the AMP’s legacy going and invest in its future?
That’s an interesting question because I don’t intend to continue with the existing name. The previous owners did a great job of building a community, but they didn't choose the name AMP’s. It is rumored that AMP’s stands for the initials of the previous owners' children, before the ones who turned it into a tanning salon. Therefore, it isn't really related to tanning, and because of that, I plan to change the name. My husband used to tan there, and the previous owners would ask him about buying the business. He kept telling them to wait until I came home, as I was still serving in the military at the time. I did return home at the end of November and had Jenson in January. We met the owners again, and they brought up the idea of us purchasing AMP’s. Since I was home, we seized the opportunity to buy the business and put our own stamp on it. I liked the idea because I had worked at another local salon during high school and had been tanning since I was fifteen. Even in the army, I would use my lunch breaks to go to the tanning beds. I've always had a passion for the industry, so it was an obvious choice to invest in a tanning salon and make it our own.
How do you think you’ve grown personally since becoming a business owner?
I feel like I've developed a stronger sense of assertiveness. As a young business owner, I've faced numerous situations where I stayed silent and overlooked issues. However, I've reached a turning point where I've decided to no longer tolerate being taken advantage of. I have to prioritize standing up for myself, even if it means risking displeasing a customer. I used to feel powerless to say no or upset a customer, but I can't allow myself to be walked all over anymore.
How many employees do you have? What do you think the secret is to a reliable staff?
I have four employees, but I don’t believe there's a secret to being a good boss, and if there is, I'm still far from discovering it! As a business owner, I've made mistakes and continue to learn every day. Luckily, I have an amazing team of women working for me; I treat them like family and always listen to their thoughts. I'm quite laid back and relaxed, which has led to me being taken advantage of at times, but, in my opinion, this is a tanning salon. It's where people have their first job and gain experience. It's meant to be enjoyable and a learning experience for those who are still figuring out what they want to do in life. It's not a permanent position, and I want to ensure it's a positive experience for my employees. I want them to feel excited when they come to work, not dreading their day. Plus, they receive the added perk of free tanning and products as a bonus for being part of my team.
Do you think about expanding in the future and offering different services?
I am always on the lookout for opportunities to elevate my business, whether by introducing new services or upgrading equipment. Despite being a relatively young business at just 2 years old, I am focused on making continuous improvements. This includes investing in new spray solutions for customers and modernizing the salon. While the tanning industry may be costly, I am committed to working diligently toward achieving my business goals.
AMPS TANNING & What It Offers
Ashlyn and the AMP's team can assist with all your tanning needs. They provide a wide range of services, including UV tanning levels one through five, velocity beds, red light therapy, spray tanning (custom and booth), and a wide variety of tanning lotions.
What Sets You Apart from Others?
I would say innovation and customer service are my top priorities. I am always on the lookout for new products and different services to try out in the industry. I constantly receive texts and messages about how nicely my staff treats our customers, and that's always great to hear. We also have a TikTok page that's growing every day. On there, we post anything from tanning advice to trends related to tanning. So, I would also say that our social media presence is important to us, as we strive to stay active and relevant.
AMPS TANNING & What Sales Are In-Store!
AMPS tanning has some major sales going on and it's your turn to shop small business in Crossville. If you work within our beloved school district, you have the opportunity to catch some really great deals at AMPS till September 2nd. I will have some flyers below for both faculty and student discounts.
Where to Find AMPS Tanning
You can find AMPS Tanning right on the corner of West and Miller Avenue by Exxon and Circle K down the road from Food City. I will post business hours below.
I genuinely enjoyed doing this spotlight for Ashlyn! To know that young girls have an influential role model when working with her to better her business is uplifting for our community. I also know that she is a woman who wears many hats so be on the lookout for any type of new endeavors that she's into! She has previously sold cups and tees, and I think she may be onto something new in the upcoming future. Stay tuned into Ashlyn's business pages to keep updated!
*ALL pictures from this blog belong to AMPS Tanning. *
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Comments
Sara,
Your blog is very good! It’s a great thing for the community too! We need more reads about the good stuff going! Congratulations Ashlyn on your business and family!