Looking to open your own business, personalize and scale it up, tap into a lucrative & steady industry, and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being your own boss? Opening a salon can be your viable chance to realize these goals.
However, to make it a success and less daunting than it may seem, you’ll need to plan and have a course of prioritized actions to be fulfilled before plunging into the industry.
One of the most pertinent decisions you’ll have to make involving cost is whether you’ll be buying a place or finding salon suites for rent. Read on to learn more about what needs to be done to prepare adequately before opening your salon.
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Hone your Salon Business Knowledge and Practical Experience
The salon industry is one place where constant learning and improvement translates to increased earnings as it leads to more understanding of the customer’s needs.
Having a degree related to the salon industry is just a start, as most practical knowledge is gained through experience with customers.
If you are not a practicing stylist, it’s prudent to have a mentor in the field to learn the ropes on how to run a salon business before committing yourself and your finances.
Settle on a Salon Niche
Which type of salon business have you aimed your guns on? Hair salon, massage salon, barbershop, or perhaps a full-service beauty salon & spa? You should choose what salon niche you’ll be getting into, depending on your location and personal interests, among others.
Whatever you choose should resonate with your passion, budget, and risk allowance. You’ll also have to choose whether you’ll be going it alone or buying an existing salon franchise.
Create your Salon Business Vision
Some of the world’s most notable and successful entrepreneurs started their ventures with nothing but a ripe imagination and the will to get their grind going. You should have a powerful vision for your salon that envisions where your business will be at a given time.
The vision should connect to your ideals and goals so that merely thinking of it rejuvenates your energy to keep going and marshall your resources towards achieving it.
Research and Define your Perfect Client
Many clients in the salon industry have different expectations about their beauty needs. Some peg significance on the kind of pampering they receive in a salon without much thought to the cost, while others are on a limited budget and want to get the most out of it.
To be successful in your salon venture means knowing beforehand what type of clients you want and carving them out of the market to your salon. Center your services around fulfilling these particular clients’ needs in the best ways possible to attract and retain them.
In the salon business, there is rarely a one-fits-all salon that can meet the needs of everyone, and it’s always prudent to focus your services on a particular client base.
Know your Competition
Any business venture worth its salt will always have competition, and it is proof that there’s an existing market to be tapped with the right strategies. Your competitors should always be close to you. Understand their various strengths and weaknesses and learn from them.
Evaluating what other salons in your area have been doing is a great way to know how to develop innovative ways of doing things better to attract your target customers.
Get your Financing in Order
Financing your salon should first start with a realistic budget covering everything from purchasing the required equipment, all expenses you’ll incur, wages, and rent and utility bills. A budget will give you a rough estimate of the total financing to start and run your business.
You’ll probably need more funds than what you’d saved for your salon business. Look into the various ways you can source additional finances, like getting your family and close friends to invest in the venture or taking business loans from banks and similar service providers.
Obtain All Needed Licenses and Permits
You won’t be good to start your business without all the necessary licenses and permits, depending on the local authority and the state your business will be located.
Some may include a cosmetology or beautician’s license, a salon business operation license, and a certificate of occupancy. You’ll also need salon insurance to cushion you and your business from any potential risk in line with the business.
Now that you know some of the most important things to do before opening your salon, you are ready to get started. The salon business is a lucrative and recession-proof industry as there is never a shortage of people seeking various beauty services.
The industry, which is currently worth about $60 billion in the US, is projected to grow steadily to be worth approximately $200 billion by 2024.