Tanning Plus celebrates anniversary

FORMAL GOWN — Michelle Harvey displays one of her formal gowns she has at her Tanning Plus and Specialty Boutique on the B Road over her husband’s chiropractic service. The shop is open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Tanning Plus and Specialty Boutique is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
    Nestled upstairs in her husband’s chiropractic office, Michelle Harvey has assembled an assortment of the latest trends in formal wear, pants and tops, footwear to jewelry and a selection of accessories.
    “I have a little bit for everybody,” she said.
     Harvey began her business by utilizing the empty space upstairs in her husband’s office.
    “We had quite a bit of room and I thought ‘Why waste the space?’,” she explained. “So, I started with tanning and it progressed on.”
    Tanning Plus has one upright booth and a couple of lay down beds.
    “I believe I am still the only one around with an upright booth,” Harvey said. “It’s really neat. It takes half the time of laying in a bed and evens out those white spots that you get from laying in a bed.”
    A person can tan for 10 minutes opposed to 20 in the traditional tanning bed.
    “I have lunchtime people or those who need to get in and out quickly,” Harvey added. “So, it gets used a lot. But, then I have some people who can’t give up their time in the beds because it’s 20 minutes of their own time and they are comfortable.”
    The Specialty Boutique was added about four years ago when Harvey started her line of prom dresses and gowns.
UPRIGHT — Along with Michelle Harvey’s two tanning beds, she also has an upright tanning booth for her client’s convenience at Tanning Plus and Specialty Boutique located at 22 B Road in Houlton.
    “With my gowns, there is only one of each,” she said. “I realized by having daughters, you don’t like to walk into a ball or prom and someone has the identical dress. I have just one of each so they are pretty unique.”
    Harvey carries the Tiffany and Mori Lee brands, which are high-quality dresses, along with other affordable dresses.
    “Most of my gowns are pretty affordable,” she added. “Right now, I am running a deal for the prom season. For every $50 you spend in the shop, you get $10 off. If you buy a $200 dress than $40 is marked off automatically. This is a good time to get a dress.”
    With formal gowns, Harvey decided to carry footwear to match and jewelry.
    “I have lots of jewelry to go with the formal, but I also have casual jewelry,” Harvey said pointing to seashell necklaces and bracelets.
    Once the formal wear was established, she introduced a summer clothing line because of the tanning business.
    “I got into bathing suits and sundresses for people who were going away,” she said. “Then I added beach bags and other accessories.”
    Then Harvey brought in her flip-flops and sandals.
    But, people urged Harvey to carry more merchandise. She obliged and began carrying winter clothing and then added bags, wallets and a variety of footwear, including boots and clogs.
    “I don’t carry many, but enough to have a variation,” she said.
     In other clothing, Harvey carries LEI and Levi jeans. She always has a $5 and a $10 clearance rack, too. Sizes in the boutique range from petite to plus — 0-22.
    Harvey doesn’t carry too many items that are the same. It’s conscious on her part to make the shop more individualized. She carries only women’s and juniors clothing since it is a boutique geared toward women, young and old, even though her son taunts her about carrying some things for guys.
    “No kids. No men. No room,” she said with a smile. “I busted a wall down to put more in. I have to stop somewhere.”
    Harvey is married to Dr. Bruce Harvey and the couple have four children – Tisha, Tiffany, Theresa and Zacharia. Though people ask why she didn’t start her business when the girls were home, she said it was all about timing.
    “It would have been great,” she said, “but they were into everything and I was busy with them.”
    But, with her little bit of extra time aside from being her husband’s secretary and following Zach, who is a junior at Houlton, Harvey likes the outlet and is thankful to her husband for sharing his space at his office to help her dream come true of owning a clothing shop.
    “I do enjoy it,” she said. “I like seeing different styles, in fact, when I go shopping in malls, I browse around to get ideas of what is in and try to keep it stylish, but also for the area.”
    Harvey realizes she doesn’t have the visibility like other shops, but she gets business through word-of-mouth and advertising in the local paper.
PROM TIME — Just in time for prom season, Michelle Harvey keeps prom and formal gowns at her shop Tanning Plus and Specialty Boutique at 22 B Road in Houlton. Harvey keeps one of each of the gowns on hand for uniqueness.
    “It’s taken a little bit of time, but it’s getting out there,” she said. “Business has been pretty good. It’s almost seasonal in a sense. Tanners start more in the spring, so the summer stuff I carry seems to go. The winter things move a bit slower. We own Main Street Fitness Gym downtown and it has a big window where I try to highlight a few outfits. I want to let people know this is a few things I have, but come up and see my shop.”
    Celebrating her 10th anniversary, Harvey is offering many discounted prices. She is offering $10 off 10 tanning sessions, as well as deals on lotions and other accessories; $10 off every $50 spent on merchandise in the store, including already marked down items; 10 percent off all new jeans, jeggings and leggings; $10 plus rack; $5 clearance rack for all sizes; 50-75 percent off winter items and 10 free tanning sessions for any Tanning Plus customer who refers a friend.
    Tanning Plus and Specialty Boutique is open year round, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and later when tanning gets busier.
    “I am here Saturday mornings when tanning is busy,” Harvey said. “I do leave my cell and home number on the answering machine. I live up the road so I can scoot here for a few gals who want to try on gowns or for someone who works all week and cannot get in to see the shop.”
    And, of course, it is never too early to think about Christmas.
    “Through the holiday season I do run a 25 Days of Christmas Special,” Harvey said. “I do get quite a few who come in for gifts, especially jewelry, scarves and accessories. I try to run deals at that time because as I say it’s a little bit slower.”
    Though Harvey doesn’t carry a particular brand, she carries exclusive and distinctive styles.
    “What people like is the variety,” she said. “Sometimes it isn’t even a name brand. I have something no one else has. I have different styles. It is really just a matter of getting people in here. Come in and check us out,” said Harvey. “You will be pleasantly surprised.”