Opening your business from the ground up is no small feat, but you got this! Breaking into the beauty industry can be especially tricky, as there are so many variables for you to consider, you must consider everything from the type of clientele you’re hoping to attract to purchasing salon equipment and hiring staff.
Establishing a loyal customer base before opening your beauty salon can have a significant impact on the success of your salon. A few things you can do to build a clientele may require you to increase your presence on social media, making it easier to show off your skills and reach out to a broader audience on social media.
Your self-promotion and advertising on social media will undoubtedly have an impact on bringing new clients to you, but there are a few other tactics you will want to employ, but these may cost you a bit more money. By continuing your education, you are proving to your clients that you want to offer them the best service you possibly can. Working in an industry that heavily relies on the hottest trends can impinge on the success of your business.
Now that we’ve touched on how to create a client base, we’re going to dig deeper into how you can open your salon AND make a profit!
This first step may seem a little boring or even useless at first glance, but writing a business plan and budget can help you to clearly envision your finished product.
While creating your business plan, take the time to detail exactly which types of services you will offer. What type of salon furniture do you need to purchase? You’ll likely need salon chairs, manicure tables, dryers, pedicure equipment, reception desks, and countless other beauty supplies, all of which will quickly eat up your budget. Aside from the equipment needed to run your salon, you will need to factor in the costs of rent, or property loan, utilities, and the many unexpected costs you’re bound to run into.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to saving and budgeting for a new business is to have at least six months’ worth of expenses saved before launching your grand opening. Especially when opening a business where so much of the work is reliant upon scheduling and tipping, you want to have plenty of money to fall back on for the first few months.
Having a clear idea of what you supplies you need to purchase will help you with staying within your budget.
Now that you’ve got your business plan and budget figured out, it’s time to choose your location, and you may already have a location in mind. Where you choose to work from can make a difference when it comes to keeping those loyal customers from your previous salon, if you are moving too far out of town, or to the other side of the city, it will probably be harder for those clients to follow you—no matter how badly they may want to.
As with any commercial or residential property, your salon will need to be insured. You need to have insurance coverage on your building, your clients, your employees, along with much, much more.
Once you’ve filed all the appropriate paperwork, advertised your new salon, hired staff members and set your opening date, it’s time to move in. Moving all of your new beauty salon equipment is no easy task, so you may want to enlist in the help of professional movers who may have access to equipment like moving trucks and forklifts. A lot of salon equipment can be quite heavy, so having professional movers and assistive tools for the move is a must. Once you’re settled, you may want to hire a professional handyman to help you install your new appliances.
