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4 Tips for Cutting The Guesswork Out of Running a Home-Based Salon

You have a passion for beautiful hair, but maybe working in a traditional salon just doesn’t feel right for you. Whether it’s due to concerns about the pandemic or a desire for more flexibility, one solution is to start your very own salon. You don’t even have to rent a building or suite to do so because it’s simple to create salon space right in your own home!

If you want to learn more about setting up a successful salon at home, read through the resources and tips below from The Head Spa Studio.

Make Sure You Have the Right Permits

You’ll need a permit or two to keep your home salon legal. Permit requirements are different based on your location, but you can check in with your local business administration to get a clear answer. Some localities may even require you to secure a special zoning permit to operate a business out of your home. It’s rare, but there are some cities and locales that do not allow any sort of business to operate out of residential buildings. Again, do your homework.

You’ll also need to ensure you have the proper paperwork filled out with the state. If you’re registering as an LLC, for instance, there are specific guidelines you’ll need to follow and documents you’ll need to submit. Once again, make sure you do your homework on this front, and consider working with a formation service such as ZenBusiness to make sure your business is officially registered before you open your doors.

Set Up Your Books

Proper bookkeeping is a must for any business. Best practices require you to keep your personal and business finances separated, and utilizing software that makes life easier like Quickbooks is a great first step. With a service like QuickBooks, getting payroll done is much simpler because you can earmark money for taxes, generate your paycheck, and you’ll even receive notifications when it’s time to pay taxes. You can even take advantage of things like HR services, putting aside money for healthcare, and retirement planning. By setting up proper books right from the start, you won’t have to worry about things like missed deadlines or tax penalties, and you can focus on growing your business instead.

Look for Deals on Salon Equipment

If you want to begin turning a profit sooner, you have to keep your startup costs low. This can be a challenge for hairdressers since you will need so much specialty equipment to get your home-based salon up and running. With thorough research, though, you may be able to score some amazing deals on the tech and products your new business needs. One money-saving tip is to check out current listings for salons that are being sold in your area. These businesses may be looking to get rid of equipment prior to closing or selling the actual business, and so you may be able to negotiate lower prices for your own salon.

Use Social Media to Build Your Client List

Hopefully, if you’ve been in the industry for some time, you already have a list of clients who will happily follow you wherever you go. Most loyal clients will have no issue getting their hair done at your home, as long as your setup is professional, polished, and sparkling clean. Keeping your social media channels updated is a great way to generate excitement for your salon, connect with other beauty professionals, promote your services, and create relationships with product vendors. If you’re new to the salon world, social media could also be your key to attracting your first clients and getting even more people on your chair.

If you’ve always dreamt of owning your own salon but also want to keep your business at home, there’s no reason why you can’t combine these two goals. Plenty of beauty professionals operate salons out of their homes, and you can, too! You just need to put extra effort into getting the right structure, permits, equipment, and marketing plans for your new business.

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