Setting up a beauty salon is a popular aspiration in the UK. That’s because, even when times are tight, most women – and, increasingly, some men – will ensure they can still make their regular visit to the hairdresser or manicurist. As a result, a new beauty salon with a good business plan in a convenient location still stands a good chance of success in today’s dampened economic climate.

If you’re hoping to set up your own salon, it’s important to realise that it requires a lot of experience, hard work and good business sense. Here’s a quick guide to getting started.

Professional experience and business planning

The first thing you’ll need before starting your own salon is experience. Good experience in the beauty industry shouldn’t be underestimated – it’s the only way you’ll get to know your trade, how to interact with customers and see another business in action. It also gives you a chance to learn from the successes and failures of other salon owners. People who run successful hairdressing businesses in the UK usually have several years’ of experience under their belt, in different salons and often in different countries.

Once you feel that you’re armed with enough experience and know-how to get your own salon up and running, you need to think about a business plan. This is the document that sets out your goals, targets and responsibilities. If you’re going into business with other partners, this is particularly important as it sets out what parts of the business each of you controls. It also helps you identify your market and the business strategies you will use to pursue customers. Moreover, if you need to acquire funding to start your business, potential investors are likely to base their decision to give you money on your business plan. So it’s important that this element of setting up your beauty salon is sharp and water-tight.

Practical considerations

Once you’ve got the go ahead, turn your mind to practical considerations. For instance, where will your salon be? If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need to order basic equipment like sinks, chairs, mirrors, hair dryers and scissors and you’ll also need to find a supplier for wholesale beauty products. If your margins are tight, remember that you can make extra money by selling beauty products in your salon directly to your customers.

Most of all, you’ll need to find staff. If you’re starting small, consider hiring one person to cut hair and another for beauty services, like waxing and facials. Perhaps colleagues you’ve worked with in the past would be suitable to work in your new salon. Whatever you choose, it’s important to make sure your staff has the right skills for your service list. There’s little point, for instance, offering manicures if you don’t employ a nail technician to do them.