How to Own Your Own Home Salon!

There is a point in every stylist's career when they begin to think about whether or not they are in the right salon. Some stylist's see opportunity in opening their own salon but don't have the funds or the experience to do so. Then others venture out and open their own home salon. It seems like the perfect mix-no booth rent, no commission, no boss.

Before you begin planning your salon, I would highly suggest creating a business plan. This will help increase your chances of success. There are many free resources online that can help assist you in this process. You want to treat your home salon the same you would as opening a regular salon. Some great resources include: www.score.org and sba.gov.

There are some important steps you need to take if you decide that opening a home salon is for you.

Step 1- Think about the floor plan of your home. Consider if you have enough space to dedicate an entire room to your salon.

Step 2- Consider your water source. This is a tricky situation. Some homes have plumbing readily available while others require major work. This doesn't necessarily have to be a setback though. You can purchase portable sinks or ones that attach to a bathroom sink. Maybe not as nice as a build in sick, but it still does work.

Step 3- Purchase equipment. One of the best places to look for affordable equipment is online. If you aren't opposed to almost-new equipment, you can purchase one on a site such as craigstlist.com or through your local classified ads. Make a list of what you need and make sure it will fit in your space. Example: Styling Chair, Hair Mat, Roll-about, Shelves, Styling Tools.

Step 4- Obtain all necessary state and city licenses. This also includes registering your business name. Some areas do not require home salons to be licensed while others are very strict. Find this information out and make sure you can comply with all the requirements prior to starting the process of building your home salon.

Step 5- Create all your marketing material. This includes postcards, business cards, referral cards, website, blogs, etc. This is pivotal in the success of your salon.

Step 6- Create a professional space. Because it is a home salon you will have to work harder at making your space look and feel professional. Make sure you follow all sanitation and disinfection requirements and keep your salon nice, clean and neat.

By following this steps you can be well on your way to owning your own home salon. With proper planning and implementation, you can soon be your own boss.

Sources:

1. Small Business Planner. U.S. Small Business Administrations. Retrieved December 29, 2009 from: http://sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html

2. Business Tools. Score.org. Retrieved December 29, 2009 from: http://www.score.org/business_toolbox.html