How to Establish a Home Salon

If you read my article on the pros and cons of running a salon from your home and have decided to go all the way, this article is your next step. A few things need to be done before you can even start taking clients, and I’m not talking about painting and decorating.

1.) Know your state cosmetology regulations.
Some cosmetology boards absolutely forbid home salons. Those that do allow them tend to regulate them just as strictly as they do standard salons. Know what your state requires for a home salon and ask yourself whether you’re capable of ensuring compliance. You will likely be required to make major, permanent changes to your home.

If you’re going to do it, do it right.

2.) Know your restrictions and requirements.
Most areas require your property to be zoned correctly before you can start running a business from it. A lot of deed-restricted neighborhoods will not allow people to work in their residences. You need to make sure that you don’t have to get any kind of clearance from your home owner’s association or your county.

Additionally, you will likely require:

  • an occupational license (a professional license to perform beauty services),
  • an occupancy license (a license to perform beauty services in a particular location–in this instance, your home),
  • a business license (if you plan on using a trade name), and
  • professional liability insurance (a MUST, no matter your situation).

Be sure to contact your home insurance company to learn about whether or not you’ll need to make policy changes, as some home insurance companies will cancel policies entirely upon discovering an undisclosed business.

3.) Plan ahead to avoid making expensive mistakes.
If your state board and your county will allow you to have a home salon, your next step is to plan before you apply for construction permits.

Visit the building commissioner’s office.

Your city or state building requirements may not be reflected in your state board facility requirements. For instance, the Florida state board doesn’t require ventilation for nail salons in our facility requirements, but our state does–in the form of an extremely costly source capture system that ventilates to the exterior.

Trust me, that is not something you want to learn after you’ve set your plans into motion.

Meet with a building authority in your area and ask what the requirements are. You will very likely require building permits to get your home facility in line with the state board standards, and guess what? The building inspector won’t approve your permits if they aren’t compliant with state and/or city building codes.

Once you’ve learned your requirements, measure out your furniture and equipment and plan for placement before you purchase anything or begin construction on anything. Serious thought needs to be put into how your space is designed to maximize your square footage.

4.) Have money set aside for several months of advertising.
If you’re not fully booked, you will definitely need to put aside advertising money. Unless your home is located in one of those quaint areas that are zoned for both commercial and residential with a bit of exposure, it’s unlikely that someone is just going to walk up to your door looking for beauty services. Build a website, put ads in neighborhood newspapers, and think about whether or not Facebook advertising will be effective in bringing in new clients to your home business.

5.) Get a sign.
If your city and neighborhood allow it, get a nice sign. It should be situated close to the road, large enough to see clearly from 100 feet away, and be written in a font that’s easily readable. (Nobody is going to be able to read “Jennifer’s Nail Salon” if it’s written in Wingdings.)

The rest of the setup (products, furniture, paint colors, business card designs, and brochures) are all up to you. As long as you understand what you’re getting into and you’ve got clearance from your county, permission from your cosmetology board, some signage, and some advertising money, you really can’t go wrong.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Need help? Let's talk.

Schedule an appointment to meet and discuss your goals and challenges.

Latest

A Brush with the Law: The Debate Over Cosmetology Licensing

Uncover how targeted certifications can break barriers for aspiring salon professionals, streamlining their path to entrepreneurship without the need for extensive, irrelevant training. This article sheds light on the impact of these licenses on the beauty sector, offering key insights for those aspiring to join the professional beauty industry.

Do booth or suite renters have to accept the salon owner’s gift certificates?

Is your salon landlord being a Grinch this holiday season?

Your Day in Court: How to Behave in Front of a Judge

Essential tips for maintaining proper decorum in a courtroom. How to dress, behave, and communicate, as well as the importance of respect and professionalism to make a positive impression on the judge. Invaluable guidance for anyone in the beauty industry or elsewhere who finds themselves in a legal setting.

Help! My booth renters aren’t paying their rent!

What can you do when your booth renters are behind on payments and you don't have a written lease?

Popular

Know Your Rights in the Salon: Employee, Independent Contractor, Booth Renter

Do you know what your rights are as a...

Exploitation Exposed: 8 Shameless Salon Practices That Aren’t Legal

The legal misconceptions prevalent among salon owners. Learn about the Fair Labor Standards Act, employee rights, and the legality of certain common practices in the beauty industry. This article is a must-read for salon owners and professionals aiming to navigate the complexities of employment law, ensuring their practices align with legal standards.

How to Inform Your Clients that You’re Moving to a New Business

Alright, so you were a good person and you...

Why Favors Don’t Pay and Clients Can’t Be “Friends”

"Never work for free!" I say it a lot. I...

Wage Deductions: Salon Owners Charging Employees For Product

"Is it legal for my boss to take product...

Management

A Brush with the Law: The Debate Over Cosmetology Licensing

Uncover how targeted certifications can break barriers for aspiring salon professionals, streamlining their path to entrepreneurship without the need for extensive, irrelevant training. This article sheds light on the impact of these licenses on the beauty sector, offering key insights for those aspiring to join the professional beauty industry.

Do booth or suite renters have to accept the salon owner’s gift certificates?

Is your salon landlord being a Grinch this holiday season?

Your Day in Court: How to Behave in Front of a Judge

Essential tips for maintaining proper decorum in a courtroom. How to dress, behave, and communicate, as well as the importance of respect and professionalism to make a positive impression on the judge. Invaluable guidance for anyone in the beauty industry or elsewhere who finds themselves in a legal setting.

Help! My booth renters aren’t paying their rent!

What can you do when your booth renters are behind on payments and you don't have a written lease?

The Salon Owner’s and Booth Renter’s Guide to Avoiding an IRS Audit

Critical strategies for salon professionals to minimize the risk of an IRS audit. Essential practices such as: proper expense documentation, embracing digital transactions over cash, and ensuring accurate tax filings. Maintaining financial integrity and compliance within the beauty industry.
Tina Alberino
Tina Alberinohttps://thisuglybeautybusiness.com
Beauty industry survivalist, salon crisis interventionist, tactical verb-weapon specialist, and the leader of at least a hundred workplace revolutions, Tina Alberino is known as much for her extensive knowledge as for her sarcastic wit and mercilessly straightforward style. She’s the author of The Beauty Industry Survival Guide and Salon Ownership and Management: A Definitive Guide to the Professional Beauty Business. When she’s not writing, educating, or consulting, she can be found overthinking everything, identifying problems people didn’t know existed, and stubbornly working to change the things she cannot accept.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Also, you need to make sure you don’t need a permit through your city. Some cities do not allow signage that is on the outside of your home. I would hate to see someone go through the hoops of setting up at home only to get shut down by the city because a neighbor complained because of clients and parking. It happens!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

A Brush with the Law: The Debate Over Cosmetology Licensing

Uncover how targeted certifications can break barriers for aspiring salon professionals, streamlining their path to entrepreneurship without the need for extensive, irrelevant training. This article sheds light on the impact of these licenses on the beauty sector, offering key insights for those aspiring to join the professional beauty industry.

Do booth or suite renters have to accept the salon owner’s gift certificates?

Is your salon landlord being a Grinch this holiday season?

Help! My booth renters aren’t paying their rent!

What can you do when your booth renters are behind on payments and you don't have a written lease?
1
    1
    Your Cart
    Policy Creation & Enforcement Pack Square Remove