Things You Need To Purchase Before Opening A Salon

The global hair and beauty industry is valued at around USD$500 billion per annum. If the current annual growth rate of 4.75% is anything to go by, the total annual revenue is likely to top USD$700 billion by 2025.

Opening a Salon

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average pay for salon professionals is USD$29,680. Of course, this value may vary depending on the number of services offered to the clients. The salon’s location and average charges per service can also affect the total revenue generated.

Things You Need To Purchase Before Opening A Salon

As a prospective salon owner, one of the things you need to decide on is whether you’ll have a specialized or full-service salon. Specialized salons focus on limited areas, such as haircutting or facial treatments. Their full-service counterparts, however, offer all salon-related services, from pedicures and manicures to massages. Generally, the more services you provide, the more revenue you’re likely to generate.

But even as you choose between the two types of salons, there are some things you must purchase regardless of your decision. Here is a checklist of what you should buy when opening a salon:

  1. Furniture And Other Furnishing

Besides boosting the functionality of your salon, furniture and other furnishing elements are essential to your business’ identity as they can help set your salon’s décor and ambiance. It can also have a massive impact on your revenue generation. With the right furniture and well-curated interiors, your salon will likely attract more customers and retain the existing ones.

You can consult an interior designer to help you spruce up your salon and check out salon furniture suppliers such as Karma Products and chairs. Overall, a stylish and functional salon can help improve customer experience and enhance your employees’ productivity.

Here are some of the things that should be on your furniture list:

  • Reception Desk and Chairs

To build a good and lasting first impression, you’ll want a welcoming reception area to greet your customers. The reception desk will serve as a booking area where clients can go when they arrive for their appointment or book one. You can have the reception counter custom-made to match your salon’s interiors.

You can also add stylish and comfortable seating and a coffee table, so your visitors can relax while waiting in the queue.

  • Hair Styling Units

This includes wall-mounted or hanging mirrors and shelves for storing salon essentials. These could contribute to the interior design and overall feel of the salon.

To start, you can decide on what mirror to install. You can opt for a modular and regular-shaped type or explore various shapes and styles like circular ones. As for salon essentials storage solutions, you can install hanging open shelves or invest in movable trays or carts. This can be a good marketing strategy to display and promote your retail products.

  • Salon Chairs And Backwash Units

You’ll need salon chairs for clients to sit in as they’re being styled. Since salon services, facial treatments, and hairdressing can take several minutes or even hours, the chairs should be comfortable. They should also be adjustable to enhance the stylist’s productivity.

Your salon must also have a backwash with an attached chair and bowl. This is the unit in which you’ll be washing your customer’s hair. You can choose one that suits your style and budget.

  • Magazine Rack

You’d want to keep your clients busy before or during their styling sessions. The best way to achieve this is to have a wide selection of magazines for the customers to read. A magazine rack can help keep them organized and displayed stylishly.

  1. Essential Equipment Or Appliances

As mentioned earlier, one main thing to do before opening a salon is to define your specialization areas. Besides allowing you to sort your business plan, knowing your salon’s specialization and the types of services you’ll be offering can help finalize the list of appliances and equipment, you’ll need to purchase for your operations.

That said, here are some of the most common salon equipment and small appliances:

  • Blow dryers
  • Hair straighteners and curlers
  • Hair clippers
  • Heat lamps and hair steamers

Of course, the list is endless as it depends on your budget and the number of styling stations that’ll be active simultaneously. However, you must prioritize the must-have items and invest in the rest later.

opening a salon

  1. Salon Manager Equipment

As a manager, you’ll want to monitor all the operations once your salon is up and running. Some of the salon manager tools you’ll need include a phone, computer, and cash register or POS system. You might also need a specialized software program to help you manage your salon business. This can help enhance appointment booking processes, stock optimization, and task scheduling.

  1. Other Essential Salon Supplies

Again, this largely depends on the services your beauty specialists will offer. It’s always a good idea to ask them what they consider essential for their tasks. Make a list of all the items and purchase those that your stylists need from the beginning. You can shop for the remaining tools as your business grows.

Some of the accessories you’ll need when starting up your salon include:

  • Vented, round, and paddle brushes
  • Salon towels
  • Rattail and wide-toothed combs
  • Hair cutting capes
  • Scissors
  • Hand mirrors
  • Hair clips
  • Hair water spray bottles
  • Salon latex gloves
  • Aprons

Conclusion

Opening a salon can be pretty intimidating, especially for a beginner. There are many tools and supplies that your business will need for you to compete with the rest of the players in the industry. But since you’re just starting, it’d be a good idea to invest in the main items first and then consider the rest later.

The four main categories mentioned in the article can guide you as you prioritize your purchases. Furniture, essential equipment, management tools, and salon supplies are a must-have for you to attract your first customers and run your salon business.


Carla Gayou
Carla Gayou

Carla is a high performing marketing professional with 5+ years of experience driving growth of in a variety of corporate and entrepreneurial environments. Strong command of digital operations with exposure to influencer marketing strategy, branding, analytics, SEO/SEM, customer success, content development, and social media Core expertise lies in managing end-to-end campaigns, creating memorable content, and facilitating improved conversion rates to enhance e-commerce operations. Adept in ensuring alignment with organizational goals, facilitating streamlined operations, and leveraging a data driven strategy used to make insightful marketing decisions.

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