Open your own small beauty salon
Lease a small unit and open a salon offering hair, nails and skin treatments with a few stylists.
- C$25k-100k
- Full-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
A neighbourhood salon in a leased storefront or plaza unit with a few stations or treatment rooms. You may work in it yourself and add employees or rent out chairs as you grow.
Your first three steps
- Scout locations with steady foot traffic and ask landlords about lease terms, fit-out allowances and zoning for personal services
- Price out a fit-out, equipment and insurance, and write a simple budget covering at least six months of rent and costs
- Check licensing and public health requirements with your province and municipality before signing a lease
Who pays
Local residents booking hair, nail, lash and skin appointments, plus walk-ins and event clients like weddings and graduations.
How it makes money
Treatment fees from you and your team, retail product sales, and possibly chair rental to independent stylists.
Skills that help
- Qualified beauty or hair skills
- Managing staff and schedules
- Budgeting and pricing
- Local marketing and customer service
Watch out for
- Salon and staff licensing or registration varies by province, check your provincial regulator
- Public health inspection of the premises, sanitation and equipment, check with your local public health unit
- Commercial lease commitments, personal guarantees and a slow first few months
- Employer duties: payroll, WCB/WSIB coverage and employment standards, which vary by province
- Commercial general liability and property insurance, and registering for GST/HST
- Quieter seasons and cold-weather dips in bookings
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: your own small beauty salon
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to open a small beauty salon in Canada?
Startup costs are estimated at typically around $25,000 to $100,000 CAD, depending on the unit, fit-out and equipment. Also plan for commercial lease commitments, personal guarantees and a slow first few months.
How much revenue can a small salon bring in?
Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $6,000 to $30,000 CAD, depending on how many stylists you have, your bookings and your pricing. Quieter seasons and cold-weather dips in bookings can affect it.
What licences and inspections does a salon need in Canada?
Things to check: salon and staff licensing or registration with your provincial regulator, as it varies by province; public health inspection of premises, sanitation and equipment with your local public health unit; and employer duties such as payroll, WCB/WSIB and employment standards.
Other ways to run this business
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Offer nails, lashes, facials or hair by appointment from a dedicated room in your home.
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- From home
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Run your own client list from a rented chair or suite in an existing salon, without fitting out a shop.
- C$2k-8k
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- Own premises
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