Own small hair salon
Lease a small unit, fit it out and run your own salon 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 street-front or plaza salon with several chairs, a reception area and a wash station. You run the business and may cut hair yourself while hiring or renting chairs to other stylists.
Your first three steps
- Price out local commercial leases and fit-out costs, and write a simple budget covering at least six months of rent
- Check your municipality's business licence, zoning and inspection requirements for salons, plus your provincial health rules
- Register your business with your province, set up a Business Number, and decide whether to hire employees or rent chairs
Who pays
Local residents booking regular cuts, colour and styling, plus walk-ins and event or wedding clients.
How it makes money
Service fees and retail product sales, and in some setups chair rental from other stylists, minus rent, supplies, wages and insurance.
Skills that help
- Cutting, colouring and styling
- Managing staff and schedules
- Budgeting and marketing
Watch out for
- Provincial trade certification for stylists, and any premises inspection or public health rules, so check with your regulator and local health unit
- Commercial general liability and property insurance, plus WCB/WSIB registration once you hire (rules vary by province)
- Commercial leases are a long commitment, so have a lawyer review the terms
- Employee versus self-employed chair renter status has tax and legal consequences, so check with CRA and your province
- Quebec has its own rules, including French-language requirements for signage and documents
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: own small hair 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 hair salon in Canada?
Startup costs are typically around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the unit, lease deposit, fit-out, chairs and wash station, equipment and opening stock of products.
How much can a small hair salon earn?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on the number of chairs, staff, pricing and how busy your client book is. Expect at least about 35 hours a week.
What rules should I check before opening a hair salon in Canada?
Check provincial trade certification for stylists and any premises inspection or public health rules, insurance, workers' compensation once you hire, lease terms with a lawyer, employee versus chair-renter status with CRA, and Quebec's French-language requirements.
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