Neighborhood hair salon with a small team
Lease a small storefront and build a salon with a few stylists serving your local community.
- $25k-100k
- Full-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.
Official data
84,176 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.5% in a year
NAICS 812112 “Beauty salons”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
What it is
A small salon in a leased storefront with several chairs, a front desk and wash area. You run the business and may cut hair too, while employees or booth renters add capacity.
Your first three steps
- Research your state cosmetology board's rules for opening a salon, including license and inspection requirements
- Price out a lease, build-out and equipment, and compare with local rents and competitors in your zip code
- Form your LLC, get an EIN and request insurance quotes before signing a lease
Who pays
Local residents booking cuts, color, styling and treatments, plus walk-ins and event clients such as weddings.
How it makes money
Service fees from your own clients and from employed stylists, or chair rental from independent stylists, plus retail product sales.
Skills that help
- Licensed stylist or a manager with industry experience
- Hiring and managing people
- Budgeting and cash flow
- Local marketing and reviews
Watch out for
- State salon license and inspections, and licensed stylists for every person doing services
- General liability and workers' compensation once you hire, plus property insurance
- Lease commitments and build-out costs, including plumbing and ventilation
- Employee versus booth renter classification, check with your state and the IRS
- Sales tax registration for retail products, check your state
Deep research report · US
Everything you need to start: neighborhood hair salon with a small team
Researched with live web search for United States: 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 hair salon?
Startup costs are typically around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the storefront, build-out including plumbing and ventilation, chairs and equipment, opening stock and insurance. Lease commitments can be a large part of the total.
How much can a neighborhood hair salon earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around $6,000 to $30,000 as an estimate, depending on the number of stylists, your prices, location and how full the chairs are. Rent and wages come out of that revenue.
What licenses and rules should I check before opening a salon?
Check your state salon license and inspections, and that every person doing services holds the right license. Also check general liability, workers' compensation once you hire, property insurance, employee versus booth renter classification, and sales tax on retail products.
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