If you’ve always dreamed of opening your own hair salon business, you’re not alone! There are over 42,000 hair salons in the UK, and the industry is continually growing. If you have the skills, drive and determination to succeed, there’s no reason you can’t be a successful salon owner. If you’re interested in starting your own salon, you’ll need to think about these 8 steps…
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Will you hire all of your staff and be responsible for paying them on commission, or will your rent out chairs in your salon and take a cut of your stylist's profits? You need to settle on your business model early on and stick with it, or you could risk alienating and losing your best staff.
Once you know how you plan to fill your salon with the best talent around, you can start to think about how you’re going to make it an amazing place to work!
You don’t have to be a maths wizard to create a strong business plan. There are plenty of templates available online that will allow you to create something professional that you can show to the bank when applying for a loan. Make sure you get help and advice from friends and family on your business plan.
Where is the money coming from? Do you have savings, capital from friends and family, or will you be taking out a bank loan? Be extra vigilant with your money in the first few years of operating as running costs can easily get away from you. Using professional salon software can help you to keep track of everything from bookings to your tax returns.
Location is everything. Don’t feel rushed to sign a lease on premises if you aren’t one hundred per cent convinced it is the right place for you. Choosing your location is something you should take your time with, so don’t stress at this stage.
Now comes the fun part! Designing your dream space. You don’t have to go overboard in the first year of operation. Just because your space has room for eight stations, it doesn’t mean you have to install them all if you only plan to have three stylists on staff. Focus on creating a high-quality finish rather than filling your salon with cheaper options. Broken furniture won’t impress anyone!
You’re not only in charge of the look of your salon, but you’re also in charge of the service! Setting your company culture and your standards from an early stage can help you to define your brand and set you apart from the crowd. Train your team so that you can be confident everything will run smoothly, even if you’re having a day off.
Social media is a great way to promote your services for free. Get the word out in local Facebook groups that you’ll be opening. Our salon software can help you with Facebook integration, where users can book an appointment through Facebook and send automated text messages and email. If you’re the first salon to open in a smaller town or village, local people will love to hear of your arrival. Make sure you have a good physical presence from the street. Adding an A-board outside your business will allow you to advertise to anyone who walks by for free.
Owning and running a salon is a never-ending learning process – embrace this! Make a promise to yourself that you will never stop learning new skills and that you’ll never stop developing new ways to help your business grow. Success can make some people complacent, but only the truly exceptional salon owners will keep growing and developing even when success comes knocking.
