4 Tools You Need to Run a Successful Beauty Salon

Making the transition from beauty student to stylist to salon owner is an exciting (and challenging) progression. There’s a lot to consider when you go commercial: How can you best serve your customers and comply with regulations while still looking out for your bottom line?

Sometimes it helps to go back to the basics. Here are four tools you need to run a successful beauty salon, everything from baseline equipment to business insurance for beauty salons. Start off on the right foot (and stay there) by building a foundation with these important components, whether you run a nail salon, hairdressing business, waxing studio or multi-faceted operation.

The Right Equipment

Customers are expecting to walk into a fully-furnished, comfortable salon right off the bat. Are you providing the optimal space and stocking the equipment your staff needs to do the job? Not only will you need actual beauty appliances and hand tools, but you’ll also need to create a waiting area. Consider this salon equipment and furniture:

− Chairs for hair and nail stations

− Mirrors

− Reception desk

− Shampoo bowls (and plumbing)

− Hair and nail dryers

− Laundry room (for towels)

− Hair, nail and body tools (tweezers, scissors, etc.)

− Computer with scheduling software

− Payment processors

Trustworthy Products

By using and selling certain beauty products, your salon is putting an implied stamp of approval on them. After appointments, your customers will browse your lineup and maybe even pick a few bottles of nail polish or conditioner to take home. The products that you use at your salon will make a huge impact on how customers perceive their overall experience. You may even be concocting and using or selling proprietary products that are a direct reflection of your brand!

The chances of retaining a client go up 30 percent every time you sell a client retail, and retail sales achieve higher profits for your salon than services do. Make sure that you’re partnering with reputable brands and selling products that you’re proud to represent; it will be better for your salon and for your customers.

Qualified Staff

Your salon may have started small, but it will grow over time. Do you have the staff you need to handle your current appointment volume? Are customers ranting and raving about the personal touch they experienced, or are you getting lukewarm Yelp reviews about your salon’s professionalism? You may need to hire for a wide range of positions: from cosmetologists to manicurists, massage therapists, aestheticians, salon managers and assistants. Make sure your potential hires have the right mix of professional and people skills before you make an offer.

Business Insurance

You work hard to make sure everything goes right. But in such a fast-paced environment, accidents happen. That burning smell could be a patient’s new bleached ‘do going up in smoke. Someone could break into your salon at night and take everything of value. Your employee may get injured on the job, requiring medical bills and time off of work. You could face a client lawsuit after that new lotion you stocked is recalled for health reasons.

The good news is that business insurance for beauty salons is meant to help your salon stay afloat financially if an unexpected incident does occur. Find a policy that fits your beauty business using CoverHound today!