Steps To Get Started

There is only one way to guarantee that you will stay in business and have a prosperous salon: take excellent care of your clients. Clients visiting your salon should feel that they are being well taken care of, and they should always have a reason to look forward to their next visit. To accomplish this, your salon must be physically attractive, well organized, smoothly run, and, above all, sparkling clean

Planning the Salon Layout

Planning and constructing the best physical layout for the type of salon you envision is an exciting opportunity, where the primary concern should be efficiency.

There are important considerations depending on the type of establishment you are planning to open.

For a low-budget salon that offers quick service, you will need several stations and a small- to medium-sized reception area because clients will be moving in and out of the salon fairly quickly, also, you may not need a large retail area because your clients may not have a lot of disposable income to spend on retail products.

For a high-end salon, perhaps including a day spa, clients expect the quality of the service to be matched by the environment, you will want to plan for more room in the waiting area. You may, in fact, choose to have several areas in which clients can lounge between services and enjoy beverages or light snacks, with the spa areas away from noisy areas where hair services are performed including blow drying.

Regardless of the type of salon you are opening, layout is crucial to its smooth operation. It is important to estimate how much each area in the salon will earn, so you can use space efficiently. Building your own salon from the ground up can be expensive, at more than $300.00 per square foot, it is a good idea to consult an architect, and definitely get everything in writing, from contractors, designers, equipment manufacturers, etc. It is a good business practice to get more than one quote for all you need, and using these quotes, try to negotiate whenever you can.

If you are renovating an existing space, make sure that all contractors are familiar with building codes and salon specific requirements, for electricity and plumbing. While it is less expensive to renovate an existing space, it is very costly to fix mistakes at a later date. Your contractors need to understand your salon’s plumbing needs and the type of wiring needed to operate several blow dryers at the same time.

Personnel

The size of your salon will determine the size number of employees you will need. Large salons and day spas require receptionists, hairstylists, nail technicians, shampoo persons, colorists, massage therapists, estheticians, and hair removal specialists. Smaller salons have some combination of these personnel who perform more than one type of service. For example, a stylist might also be the colorist and texture specialist.

The success of a salon depends on the quality of the work done by your employees. When interviewing potential employees, consider the following:

• Level of skill. What is their educational background? When was the last time they attended an educational event related to cosmetology?
• Personal grooming. Do they look like professionals you would consult for personal grooming advice?
• Image as it relates to the salon. Are they too progressive or too conservative for the environment you plan to have in your salon?
• Overall attitude. Are they mostly positive or mostly negative in their responses to your questions? They will tend to have the same attitude with your customers.
• Communication skills. Are they able to understand your questions? Can you understand their responses?

In order to have a successful business, everyone must feel appreciated and happy to work hard to service clients well. You must be willing to share your success with your staff whenever it is financially feasible to  do so, which can be done in a number of ways:

• Payroll always comes first. It is likely to be your largest expense, and should be your top priority.
• Whenever possible, offer your employees as many benefits as you can. You can cover the cost of these benefits, or some of them, or you can make them available so they can decide if they wish to cover these costs themselves.
• Provide your employees with a schedule of evaluations, making your expectations clear if they are to receive pay increases.
• Create a fair tipping policy, and stay with it, both your clients and employees should know exactly what is expected.
• Create incentives for your employees to earn more, get prizes, or attend trade shows and educational events.
• Put your entire plan in writing and share it with employees.