I saw this curious business the first time I visited Arrial d'Ajuda in Bahia 2 years ago. If you ever go to a beach in Brazil, you're soon amazed at how much the culture centers around going to the beach, playing at the beach, eating at the beach, partying at the beach, . . . . well, doing just about everything at the beach until finally you decide to move yourself to the beach.

The application takes a little more than a minute to apply, and lasts all day. The customer steps inside a bright yellow, inflatable kiosk (about2.5 meters x 2.5 meters in size) free standing right on the beach. The technician spray paints the customer with a pneumatic air brush, just like painting a car. All this is done without touching the customer, who is suddenly bronze from head to toe.

The "spray paint" is made from 100% natural ingredients with a base of coconut and macadamia oils, wheat germ and Vitamins A & E. The formula was created after detailed studies made by specialized chemists, to give hydration and protection to the skin and hair, against damage and dryness caused from harsh exposure to sun, wind, and saltwater.

On a beach with a moderate amount of foot traffic, it's possible to do 80 applications per day. You could charge anywhere from $3 to $20,depending on the type of clientele that visits your beach. If you locate on a high-end beach near a fancy resort or cruise ship stop, you'll have wealthier customers who you can charge more but maybe do fewer applications. If you locate on a beach frequented mainly by backpacker tourists and locals, you charge less. But you're still making money at even $3 per application. In Brazil they charge R$ 4, which is only about $1 US. Ivana guarantees that the return of the investment will happen in well under 4 months, taking into consideration the high season.

The goal is to maximize your income during the high season. This business was designed to operate on a beach, with no fixed lease, giving you the flexibility to shut-down or re-locate in the off season if needbe.

For places that don't have a beach, it's also been successfully run inside clubs.

You will need to have electric power to run the compressor and the air brush. You'll need to negotiate a location near a beach front bar, restaurant, or hotel, to rent their power and possibly their business license. You'll have to find out and become aware of local regulations governing licensing businesses on public or private beaches.

If you already own a bar or restaurant, this could be a great addition. Certainly it will bring in more customers to sip a cold drink while watching girls in bikinis get spray-painted.

The new wave in the tanning industry worldwide is spray-on tans. Unlike tanning beds, spray-on tanning doesn't involve contact with potentially cancer-causing ultraviolet rays. In a typical U.S. tanning salon, the spray-on service is offered at about $30 for a single session, even more at a dermatologist's office, and as much as $175 at ritzy places like the Canyon Ranch Spa at the Venetian in Las Vegas.