Guide to Running Your Own Salon

The beauty salon industry is growing fast.

As of February 2018, there are 210,254 beauty salons in the United States, with a combined annual revenue of $20 billion. Why is it increasing? One reason is more males are choosing salons over traditional barbers. In fact, men now comprise 1/5 of all salon visits.

It’s a great time to be a salon owner. But getting started can be a challenge. Here are some tips and online resources we’ve compiled to help you get started.

Create your business plan

This is something many small business owners neglect, and not creating one is also a big reason many of them fail. But it’s not hard to do. Here’s a great online resource for making your own:

 

Register your business with the State (if you haven’t already)

Wow, is this ever important. If you don’t register, your business is not legitimate. Simple as that. The State of Michigan is hard to navigate and you’d think it would be easy to find out how to register your new salon. Nope. Relax. Here’s the link:

https://www.michigan.gov/

Determine how you want your taxes done

We all hate taxes, but it’s best to get on early with someone you trust and get their advice before tax time rolls around. Here’s a great resource from Nerd Wallet on picking a tax preparer:

 

Pick out your salon design

Pinterest is a great place for inspiration.

 

Order your products (well in advance):

Some orders take weeks and if you’re a new business, perhaps even longer, especially if they need to run your credit. Again, get in with a good accountant or tax preparer for advice, if you’re worried about your credit.

1. https://www.qosmedix.com/
2. https://www.theindustrysource.com/
3. https://www.saloncentric.com/

 

Order your business cards (they can take up to two weeks)

1. We are partial to Moo Cards: https://www.moo.com/us/
2. Another place that has great printing is Vista Print.

 

Contact your existing clientele and let them know where you are going

1. Consider sending a postcard with a photo of your new salon. Don’t forget to include the address!
2. Include your new address in a social media post. A photo of your new digs on Instagram will probably work best.
3. Remind them more than once. A good incentive is to offer a discount for their first appointment at the new location.

 

Set up online scheduling

A great system for this is Schedulicity: 
https://www.schedulicity.com/

 

Hope these tips help you get going! Please reach out to us if you have questions we didn’t cover.