Opening your own salon from home is a really exciting venture. There are so many benefits to working from home and being your own boss including setting your own working days and hours, flexibility and no commuting. As with starting any new business it's important to research so that your business reaches it's potential and is successful.
Below are our top tips for opening your home salon to help you make it a success.
- Firstly you should inform your mortgage provider, or landlord if it's a rented property, that you are intending to open a salon from home. You also need to inform the local council that your business is going to be run from your home as you may need to fill in a Change Of Use application and pay business tax etc. You also need to check with your home insurance that you are covered to bring the general public into your home.
- You will need to take out the relevant insurances for your business. We have blogged about the insurances you need for your salon so have a read below.
What insurance do I need for my hair salon?
It is also important to make sure your business complies with health and safety and fire regulations.
- Write a business plan and marketing strategy to better see how you will grow your business. Include things like your marketing channels, how you will grow your client base, offers for new clients etc.
- Keep things professional as if you were a high street salon. Being at home is more relaxed for you but your client is still paying for a service from you. Setting clear working hours and having a price list that you have researched based on the services you offer will make you reliable and stop any surprises for your client and hopefully keep them coming back. You also want that work-life balance so think about how your working hours will affect your family.
- The room you choose to set up in can be an existing room in your house or a purpose built room in your outside space. Either way you want the clients to feel like they are getting that high street salon experience so make sure it's not cramped or crowded and make sure all previous furniture has been removed. Keep the room clean and tidy as a high street salon would be. Lighter paint colours tend to work better in smaller rooms giving the illusion of a bright and airy space so pay close attention to your decor.
- Before you get to the exciting bit of choosing your products, furniture and final touches you need to work out the layout of your salon. Think about where the clients will enter, how they will move around the space and how you plan to divide up the space. Try to create a flow within the space and have defined areas. If you can have a separate entrance and a bathroom for clients that would be better as it keeps the rest of your house private. If this isn't possible make sure that areas of your house that your client will need to enter are kept clean and tidy.
- When you have sorted the above you can start the exciting step of choosing your own salon furniture. Make sure you measure up first so you are confident everything will fit. Choose furniture that is fit for purpose, comfortable for the client and fits with your brand.
SEC can offer you a variety of things to help with opening you home salon. We offer packages on our hair and beauty furniture which give brilliant savings to help keep costs down. We offer finance on orders over £1000 spread over 1-5 years, again helping you to budget and get your dream furniture. We also offer next day dispatch and express delivery (stock levels and T&Cs apply) to help get your furniture to you ask quickly as possible. Finally, we offer bespoke options on our furniture. You can choose paint colours, metal finish, fabrics, stone tops to create furniture that is unique to you and fits perfectly with your brand. For all your salon furniture needs visit our website, call our sales team or visit our showroom!
Ultimately don't be afraid to take this step! We have seen a huge increase in home based salons as they are giving people the work-life balance they need. A home salon can be hugely successful and can offer as much as a high street salon can if done correctly. You've been dreaming about having your own salon at home so make the leap and go for it!