How to Set Up a Home Salon and Stay in Business

This post was sponsored by Glammar.

The impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the world is so huge, and it’s impossible to calculate the long term effect. Millions of business owners are currently suffering great losses because of it. Salons, in particular, struggle staying afloat in these conditions. Many of them won’t make it and millions of stylists, barbers, beauticians, and other beauty professionals will lose their jobs and livelihoods. Opening a home salon, once the conditions allow, can be a solution for them.

However, there are some things one must think through before trying to turn their own home into a salon.

While some customers prefer the “homey” feel that working at your actual home might provide, many find it unprofessional. Therefore, the most important requirement for a home salon is space. Do you have a space in your home that you can set aside exclusively for this purpose?

In the best case scenario, this should be a room with a separate exit. This way, the only thing that would differ the place from a real salon is the neighborhood.

Even if you can’t provide a separate exit, having a room is a must. It’s not only to help your customers feel more comfortable. The room also clearly delineates your working space. You go there, close the door, and forget about the distractions of the outside world.

Remember, nothing annoys customers more than a work-from-home beauty professional who gets constantly distracted. Therefore, to work in this kind of salon, you must make sure that your family and home life are separated from work.

If you do have the room to try opening a home salon, you need to set it up. The equipment you’ll need depends on your specialization. However, there are a few things that any beauty professional can benefit from in their working space.

Clearly, the number one priority is a mirror. After all, you want your customers to see how beautiful and happy they are after treatments. Also, as the space you have to work with is limited, the mirror can become the centerpiece of your design. Professional equipment and a few stylish decorations will make the space complete.

As cupboards are rather clunky and expensive, especially if you want the room to match a certain style, you’ll need other storage space. One of the best options is to buy one or two highly-useful salon trolleys. They look rather stylish overall and are mobile. This means that it’ll be easy for you to customize the space for every treatment and customer. Cleaning will also be easier.

Finally, every salon, even if it’s only a small room, must have comfortable seating where your customer can relax. Consider offering a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of wine, to relax before the treatment. This will help people relax and make them appreciate this appointment more. Bear in mind that many people get anxious while in the home of someone they aren’t close with. This small respite can help them relax so they can enjoy their treatment.

Many people think that they don’t need any special permits for running a home salon. Sadly, this is very much not true. To open this kind of business you’ll need to get a license and a variety of permits. The exact list of documents depends on your location. For example, this is what you need to do in Australia and this is the USA. Find out what the requirements and regulations are in your country.

Due to the current pandemic, regular salon business registration procedures might have changed. You’ll also have to double-check the new sanitary norms.

The majority of your customer base, at least at the beginning, will come from your old regular customers. However, you can’t sustain a salon, even a home salon, on this alone. Therefore, you need to start working on your marketing right away.

Online marketing is tricky and takes time to build up momentum. So start making a brand and advertising it even before you are ready to open your new salon’s doors. Your goal should be to work up some vibe to fill as up your appointment list for at least a month.