Opening A Hair Salon: 12 Essential Steps
Know your legal procedures
From the point of view of the self-employed, it is possible to open a hairdressing salon without having a diploma. However, it is necessary that one of your employees holds one of the diplomas required for the exercise of the craft activity of hairdresser:
• The professional hairdressing certificate
• The hairdressing master's certificate
A diploma registered in the national professional certification directory, in a field directly related to that of hairdressing.
Choose the right legal status
Does SARL SAS say to you something? Many coffee shops work under the single ownership status. In the last decade or so, though, the establishment of a SARL corporation focused on statistics from the industry directory has increased significantly. Before choosing the tax scheme for the Chamber of Commerce, many questions need to be answered. In drawing up the laws, it is essential to assess three requirements in order to know which legal standing is sufficient and which social capital.
The tax regime - Companies depend either on corporation tax (33.33% of the company's profit), or on the income tax scale, based on the family situation of the franchisee. Depending on the status of the company, this situation may be optional or made compulsory.
The social system - Companies depend either on corporation tax (33.33% of the company's profit), or on the income tax scale, based on the family situation of the franchisee. Depending on the status of the company, this situation may be optional or made compulsory.
Protection of patrimony - The protection of personal patrimony varies according to the statutes. Some provide partial protection as long as others allow the entrepreneur's liability to be limited to his own contributions, provided that there is no personal guarantee vis-à-vis a bank, for example.
Know your financial needs
Consider these costs
Legal - There are many costs to consider before opening your own hair salon. Professional liability insurance, business property tax (CFE), SACEM, social security contributions depending on legal status, to which bank charges may be added.
Human Resources - There is a simulator to quickly assess the cost of hiring. You will be able to calculate the assistance to which you will be entitled and how much the employee will receive as monthly net salary.
Rent - You must of course take into account the rent for your premises, with the rental charges (water, electricity).
Materials - It is necessary to make a first investment which can turn out to be substantial. To acquire hairdressing equipment, furniture, supplies and consumables.
Identify the target of the hairdressing salon
Men / Females - In your barbershop business plan, it is crucial to set a consumer goal and decide the type of service you provide. There could be a number of issues. Are you designing a living space for men or women? In price, what are consumers going to need? What kind of programmes are available? What special feature distinguishes you? In order to identify the form of customer in the district, it is therefore important to conduct a commercial atmosphere survey.
Choose a location
Passage Frequency - It is important to choose a strategic location. A shopping street or a shopping arcade are prime locations. The lounge must be easily accessible by various means of circulation, and with a large parking capacity in the surroundings. These are factors that greatly benefit commercial development, and promote the longevity of the show.
Location of the competition - The choice of venue is important. It can be interesting to start with the basics of a hairdressing salon already in place. This makes it possible in particular to benefit from an already existing clientele and to acquire the right to lease. Several options are also possible. First of all, it is necessary to be able to justify the use of a room in which the hairdressing activity will be carried out, to determine the address of the company, or the registered office for a company.
Find your distributor
The preference of provider is focused primarily on the brands offered by this latter. It is essential to be interested in market recognition in order to keep consumers alive. The number of cosmetic goods labels has been growing in recent years. The challenge is to identify the ones that better fit your and your customers' needs. As an initial phase, knowledge on globally recognised products is preferable and many brands are chosen.
Prepare for promotion
Google maps - To prepare the promotion of your show, being referenced on Google Maps turns out to be a minimum these days. Your customers and potential partners will need to be able to identify you on the internet. In order to be visible on the online maps and itineraries services, you can use three different tools: Google Maps, ViaMichelin and Mappy.
Facebook page - Another reliable way to increase your visibility on the internet is to be present on social networks. Facebook, Twitter remain essential in terms of social networks for the general public. For social networks dedicated to images: Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat. Understanding the codes specific to each medium is essential for a successful arrival on social networks.
Set your service prices
The price of your resources is a decisive step in your trade fair's strategic positioning. The aim is to put ourselves in a favourable way thus fulfilling consumer needs. In order to assess service prices, many considerations must be taken into consideration (time spent, products used, brand image). The expenses (direct and indirect charges) and their know-how often ought to be taken into consideration.
Use software to manage your salon
Discover Miasoft - a powerful and user-friendly software for salons and institutes, used by thousands of professionals in the hairdressing and beauty sector.
Cash register software - Cash register software assists you in the management of sales receipts and in the return of change. Simple and intuitive, the tool allows you to integrate several customers on the same cash register sheet. For a family, this makes it possible to group together the services on the same loyalty card. You can also put invoices on hold, and display advertisements on customer tickets.
Booking software - The software allows you to integrate all the appointments directly on your website. With the online planning, customers can see your availability in real time, with an automatic confirmation system for the customer, by email or SMS.
Inventory software - Miasoft software also facilitates the management of stock entries and exits. With the possibility of integrating a base of supplier products to simplify inventory management. Orders and deliveries can be managed automatically, with a consultation system to make changes.
Prepare a communication budget
Referral Cards - The Referral Card provides customers with certain benefits. It is a good communication tool, allowing word of mouth to work. Ideal for attracting new customers, it is also a way of building customer loyalty.
Social Media Advertising - To gain visibility on social media, it is effective to run advertising campaigns. Facebook and Twitter provide features to deliver your advertisements in targeted ways to people who may be interested in your services.
Preparation internship - It is sometimes advisable to take some communication and marketing courses to be able to launch your communication!
Set your service prices
Setting the price on your facilities is a key move in your salon's strategic positioning. The goal is to compete in a sustainable position whilst fulfilling consumer requirements. In order to calculate service costs, many considerations have to be considered (time spent, products used, brand image). The expenses (direct and indirect charges), their experience, must also be taken into account.
Know your advantage over the competition
A very simple method to assess your competitive advantage. You just need to identify five to six characteristics of your service, in the eyes of the consumer. Then rate its competitors on each of these criteria, with a score of zero to ten. Do the same with your own brand, then compare the two scores. The brand image, availability, quality of the offer, after-sales service and technological innovation are all criteria to be assessed in order to position ourselves in terms of competitiveness.
The price-performance ratio is a major competitive force. The strategic interest lies in the fact of offering a “substitute” product or service. You can enroll in a premium product strategy, justified by superior service. Betting on an attractive price and a volume strategy can also be relevant depending on the situation.