The hairdressing and beauty service industry brings $5 billion annual revenue in Australia alone. It’s an industry that keeps growing steadily regardless of global economic issues. This means that opening a hair salon is a great idea by default. You also get the added benefit that you don’t have to rack your brain for some original business idea. Offering top-quality service will have the power of ‘word of mouth’ marketing running full force. Therefore, building up a loyal customer base will be relatively easy.
However, if you want to be 100% sure that your hair salon business succeeds, consider all factors relevant for that success.
5 Things to Consider Before Opening a Hair Salon
1. Local laws and regulations
What are the sanitary norms, laws, and regulations in the place where you want to open a hair salon? What certificates will you need to start and operate this business? Will you need some specific inspections? What are the documents necessary for this business operation? Will your future employees need some special certificates and licenses? How often does all this paperwork need to be renewed?
These are only a few of the essential legal questions you have to answer before you even think of writing a business plan. Consult a professional and don’t forget that every region has its own set of requirements. Keep this in mind if you plan to launch a chain of salons.
2. Equipment
There is no shortage of hair and beauty salon equipment and furniture available today. It varies greatly and you can save (or waste) a lot of money depending on how well you know these tools and whether you can come up with the most efficient hair salon design.
Take your time to research the choices for every essential piece of furniture and equipment. For example, you can see a variety of barber chairs if you click here. Each option comes with a detailed description so you can assess them and pick the one that will be truly best for your future business.
Take note of all prices and be sure to contact the suppliers regarding discounts. This should be a part of the prep work for your business plan as it will allow you to know exactly how much money you will need when opening a hair salon.
3. Customer Relations Policies
Hair dyes, shampoos, scissors, and the like are merely tools. They do not make a hair salon. People do. This means that your staff will be majorly responsible for either a success or failure of your business.
Not only do you have to handpick your employees with extreme care. You also have to make sure they know exactly how to interact with clients and handle any potentially problematic situations. To have your employees trained in these matters, you have to draw up policies they must abide by. You can look at the How to Develop a Customer Service Policy guide for some inspiration.
However, due to the highly personalized nature of a hairdresser’s work, general customer service rules won’t be enough. Make sure you include training in conflict resolution skills and have a strict procedure in place for such cases.
4. Trade Organizations
When opening a hair salon, you will need to work very hard to build up its credibility. Joining various reputed trade organizations will grant you an instant boon in the eyes of prospective customers.
This will also help your salon from the professional point of view. These organizations often offer training and assistance in a variety of business-related issues.
5. Location
The most important thing to splurge on when opening a hair salon is your working space. You have to get a spot in as prime a location as you can afford. Foot traffic will be your main source of customers, so you must get to a place with many people. Think malls and areas around grocery stores in residential neighborhoods.
