In Start Your Own Hair Salon and Day Spa, the staff at Entrepreneur Press and writer Eileen Figure Sandlin explain how you can launch a successful full-service hair salon and day spa, a business that can be personally rewarding, makes a lot of people happy and can be very lucrative. In this edited excerpt, the authors reveal the six aspects of your business that can help make your salon or day spa profitable.
It’s never too soon to start thinking about some of the operational issues that will impact and contribute to the success of your business. To begin with, you must consider your hours of operation carefully so you can accommodate the maximum number of clients during the business day.
You undoubtedly already know the beauty business isn’t a 9-to-5 kind of industry. Typically, hair salons in metropolitan areas are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in smaller communities. By design, Sunday and holiday hours often are the same as those of local retailers like malls and department stores, and generally run from noon to 5 p.m. Lunch hours and early evening hours tend to be the busiest times for salons. You also may need to have hours to accommodate special needs. For example, if you do a lot of wedding work, you’ll probably have to be open earlier on Saturday mornings, say at 7 a.m., for brides who have to get to church for a 10 a.m. service.
Salon owners who manage their time in a way that enhances their money-making ability will find their business will grow and prosper faster. Focus with laser-like intensity on income-generating activities. As a new owner, you’ll be tempted to try to do it all yourself—from working behind the chair, to managing the books and overseeing your staff. Instead, hire skilled staff (both business and salon professionals) to handle the day-to-day work, then delegate responsibilities so you can devote yourself to tasks that can help you grow the business and make more money.
