Is the topic “beauty” your passion? Have you often thought about opening your own beauty salon? Then don’t wait any longer, but make your dreams come true. Opening a beauty salon can be worthwhile, because people are spending more and more money on their beauty and health. In order for your self-employment to be a success, however, you need a good strategy. Here we give you an overview of what needs to be considered and what requirements you have to meet before you start your own beauty salon.
Open a location-based or mobile beauty salon?
First, you should ask yourself whether you want to work mobile or at a fixed location. Because this decision has an impact on your entire business plan. If you work mobile, i.e. offer your customers home visits, you do not need any premises. This potentially saves you costs, which is a good argument, especially at the beginning. If you have enough space at home, you could also set up a cosmetic room there and also work mobile.
The alternative is that you rent a room or shop for your beauty salon. This has the advantage that you can choose the location and rely on walk-in customers. In addition, you keep private life and work separate – which is important for many self-employed people.
Kamila has become self-employed with her own beauty salon. Look at what she says about her motivation and independence:
</i>” href=”#” id=”id9″>
Requirements for opening a beauty salon
After you have decided whether you want to set up your business mobile or stationary, the next question is what you actually need to open a beauty salon.
Do you need an education to open a beauty salon?
No, you do not necessarily need professional training if you want to become self-employed with a beauty salon. So you don’t have to be a trained beautician to get started. That sounds good at first, doesn’t it? Keep in mind, however, that you have to convince the clientele of you in order to be able to live well from your business. And very few will confide in you if you have no qualifications.
Therefore, although not required by law, it is still important that you qualify for this job in some way. If you do not yet have any training or experience in the field of cosmetics, look for suitable training. This helps you build a solid customer base faster, boost your self-confidence and stand out from the competition.
Apart from professional competence, you also need a certain amount of commercial know-how – after all, you will soon be your own boss. This means, among other things, that you have to take care of your social security contributions yourself. In addition, you will have tasks related to accounting, taxes and marketing. Do not underestimate these new tasks.
Do you need to register a business if you want to open a beauty salon?
Yes, if you want to open your own beauty salon, you have to register a business. You can’t get started before. This applies to both mobile and stationary cosmetics companies.
Since the profession of beautician is a craft profession, an entry in the register of craft trades is mandatory for you. All the forms you need can be obtained from the Chamber of Crafts. As soon as you hold the trade license in your hand, you can start.
The right legal form for your beauty salon
The legal form of sole proprietorship is widely used for beauty salons operated by a single person. It is important to know that you are liable with your private assets when setting up a sole proprietorship. For this reason, some opt for the legal form of the one-person GmbH. In this case, you are usually not liable with your private assets. So you are better protected.
Note: In contrast to the sole proprietorship, the establishment of a one-person GmbH is associated with much more bureaucratic effort.
If you are not yet sure which legal form to choose, feel free to use our legal form finder.
What costs do you incur when you open a beauty salon?
It depends on what your strategy is. If you have chosen a stationary beauty salon, you pay rent – unless you open your beauty salon within your own four walls. If your shop is in a prime location, the rental costs in many major German cities can be considerable.
Then, of course, you also need equipment or furnishings. Ask yourself what services you want to offer and what utensils, appliances and care products you need for them. It is best to make a list and write down the costs that you will have to pay for the foundation. What do you need so that you can treat your first customers? Also, remember to write down things like a treatment table, towels, and the like.
A detailed financial plan will help you calculate the costs correctly. There are several financing options for your beauty salon:
- Equity
- Scholarships
- Start-up grant
- Credits
- Microcredits
- Friends and family who want to help you
In general, you should work out a business plan before starting a business. If you want to finance your start-up through a bank loan, a business plan is even mandatory. Because the bank wants to see that you know what you’re doing and that they get their money back.
The business plan helps you to gain clarity, set goals and identify difficulties in advance. So you can take the appropriate measures in time.
How such a business plan can look like, we show you on the basis of this business plan template using the example of a hair salon.
Opening a beauty salon: Three tips for sustainable success
After you have clarified the basics, you can now address the following questions: How do you manage to be successful with your own beauty salon? How do you attract customers? How do you inspire them and how do you stand out from the competition?
1. You need a clear beauty positioning
What do you want to be known for? Take enough time to think about how you can specialize. What do you enjoy the most? What are you particularly good at? In which area do you have perhaps the most experience?
Take a look at other beauty salons: What do they offer? The aim is to get a feel for what offers are already available on the market. If there are already ten beauty salons in your area with a focus on anti-aging, it probably makes little sense to open the eleventh. Unless you have a special method. Develop a unique business model with which you can stand out from the competition and fully exploit your strengths.
Tip: Keep getting feedback from the people you’ve treated and listen carefully: What are their problems? What are their wishes? This information is incredibly valuable for sharpening your positioning and offer profile. It is important that you do this even before the foundation, because this is the only way to get clarity about the customer benefit. Include customer benefit in your business model – it is the basis for your success.
If you want to open your own beauty salon, it always makes sense to keep an eye on the trends. What’s in demand right now? What is coming in the near future? In this way, you will always stay up to date and get inspiration for new offers.
All of this leads to an important question, and you should be able to give the answer off the cuff: Why should people come to your beauty salon?
2. Make sure your customers feel comfortable
When we go to a beauty salon, we do something for ourselves. We treat ourselves to something and want to make the most of this time. Your beauty salon must definitely absorb this basic mood. Make sure your spaces are welcoming and cozy. Make sure it’s nice and warm and create a feel-good atmosphere.