How To Make Money With Salon Business: 18 Ways To Make More Money As A Hairstylist

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Are you planning to open a salon and are looking for how to make money with salon business? If that’s the case, you’re in the right place.

When most think of salons and spas, they don’t immediately think of businesses that offer great potential for making an income. This is a major misconception. The truth is, many owners and managers make a very good living with their salon and spa businesses, and they do it in a way that can be duplicated regardless of what type of salon business you run.

In this post, I will walk you through 18 ways you can easily make money with salon business. No matter the level of your skills or knowledge, there’s something for everyone in this post.

1. Start a Mobile Hair Salon

Starting a mobile hair salon can be an exciting and profitable way to make money with your hairstyling skills. Many hairstylists find it very rewarding to be able to take their services on the road to clients that are normally difficult for them to reach.

If you are interested in being your own boss, earning extra money, or just trying something different, owning your own mobile salon might be perfect for you.

2. Open a Nail Studio

Salon business is booming, but there are still new opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to break into this market.

If you love doing manicures and pedicures, why not open your own nail studio? It does not matter where you live so long as the location is profitable and has enough traffic. You can start small but eventually, expand as demand increases.

A nail studio has a lot of profit margin and very little cost per service. It’s easy to get started and you can run it from your home or basement with a simple contract agreement.

3. Share Your Space

Make your space count – find a partner. Renting out your salon space can be a smart entrepreneurial move that will generate income while freeing up your schedule.

You can become a “Nail Girl,” and run a nail salon while the cosmetologist is seeing clients in her chair next door. Book your appointments ahead of time and promote yourself as a female-friendly business that provides full foot and hand care services and products. Maybe your next-door neighbor would like to provide waxing services, while you do facials and haircuts.

SEE: How to Make Money Renting Out Your Space

4. Become a Part-time Stylist

Hairstylists are in the business of making people feel good about themselves. A good stylist can make a client more confident, improve their self-esteem, boost their mood, and help them to feel better about themselves.

Everybody can use an extra dose of that now and then. So if you’re one of the many people who love to put on your styling cape and give people great cuts and even better color, consider becoming a part-time stylist.

5. Sell Gift Certificates

Selling gift certificates is an easy way to make sales. The recipient pays for the gift certificate in advance, and then they have a set amount of time after they receive it to use it. While they have that money available, you can reach out to them and try to book a service.

Sell gift certificates for anything from a gift certificate for a facial, a gift certificate for a massage, a gift certificate for a manicure, or a gift certificate for a pedicure. People will often redeem unused gift cards after the holidays.

6. Offer Facial Services

Make money with your salon business by offering facial services. If you’ve got a busy and trendy salon, consider offering facial services. Your customers will be sure to come back for more and this will create regular revenue for you.

People today often want to look beautiful and attractive which is why most of them would go for facial treatments. Regardless if it is adult women or men, facial services can attract anyone.

So If you own a hair salon and wondering how to make additional revenue, consider adding facial services to your shop’s list of available treatments.

7. Become a Hair Extensions Specialist

One of the most popular money-making ideas that can be done from home is to become a hair extensions specialist. This is a completely legitimate way to make money with salon business, and also a fun and rewarding experience. The hair extensions specialist performs services at their own salon or satellite location, or they set up shop in another business.

The hair extensions specialist is responsible for providing clients with a service that allows them to wear their hair in a way they couldn’t achieve on their own. Whether it’s wavy locks on top and straight on the bottom, or long blonde locks on a brunette head, an expert stylist can add the right extension pieces to create any style on any person.

8. Start Your Own Beauty Blog

With the popularity of beauty blogs nowadays, you can easily start one on your own with just a few bucks in your pocket. Just post photos of the hairstyles you have done in your saloon along with stories about yourself or about your life. You can also write reviews about certain products in this blog to inform your readers of the pros and cons.

Blogging is an effective strategy to build an audience and connect with your customers on a deeper level. Once your blog starts getting visibility, you monetize your blog through Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, or sponsored posts.

9. Offer Makeovers

People seek new hairstyles and makeovers to change their appearance for a special occasion and to feel and look better. Offer to transform new clients with a stylish new hairstyle or makeover.

To start, you can choose to offer makeovers, which are not only popular for bridal parties and other special groups of people, but they are also easy to sell. If customers simply ask for new styles within their current haircut package, you can give them some options, or offer them a whole package deal, depending on how busy you are at the time.

10. Offer Hair Treatments & Styling Courses

You could have your own elegant hair salon. Or you can open a hair training academy to teach your students how to style hair. If you are already running a hair salon, expand the services by providing various courses for students who want to become proficient in their skills.

Start by posting ads on sites like Craigslist, Facebook, and Superpages to reach potential students. Offer “introductory” pricing or group discounts to garner interest. Set up an informational website for students so they can easily learn your methods.

11. Sell Hair Products and Accessories Online

With the convenience of online shopping, there has never been a better time to start your own eCommerce site. Start an online accessories store, and sell both new and used hair products, as well as hair accessory items such as – wigs. Sell hair products directly to customers either on your own webpage or on 3rd party sites.

Some of the products and accessories you can sell include:

  • Tiaras
  • Curlers
  • Combs
  • Brushes
  • Rollers
  • Blow dryers, and more.

SEE: How to Sell Online – A Complete Beginner’s Guide

12. Start a Private Hair Consulting Business

If you have a friendly personality and a knack for hair, you may have the makings of a successful hair consultant business. You’d help people decide on hairstyles that work for them, consult on new “hairdos” after surgery or chemotherapy, or do makeup for weddings.

As a private hair consultant, you can develop and sell products and hairstyles and offer styling and coloring services. You can also teach others how to cut and manage hairstyles too by setting a fee per student or by charging a flat fee for consultations for a group of students.

13. Work in a Corporate Salon

The image of a corporate salon is one where the customers are catered to by someone other than the owner or their employees. These salons can be found in malls and shopping centers, hotels and resorts, and various other commercial locations. Corporate clients hire these salons because they provide quality styling and hair care services at affordable prices while giving the client total privacy and convenience.

Working for a corporate salon doesn’t mean you can’t open your own business. Corporate salons often have a high turnaround rate too, giving the employee plenty of opportunities to make contacts within the company and put together enough money to open their own shop.

15. Sell Spa Services

To make money with a hair salon you need to offer your clients more than just hairstyling services. Many hair salons are failing to recognize that women are looking for an all-around beauty center. That’s why many women prefer to visit a single location for all of their treatments, which includes salon services, facial treatments, and massage therapies

Selling spa services at your salon is one of the best ways to boost your income. There are plenty of services that you can offer to increase profits, but some are better than others.

16. Become a Licensed Cosmetologist

Becoming a licensed cosmetologist is one of the best ways to make money with salon business.

In a new or existing business, you can work as a cosmetologist. In this capacity, you will not only help your clients look good but help keep them healthy as well as earn some additional income for yourself.

The next key pieces of information that should be researched include regulatory laws, location, client demographics, pricing, and competition.

SEE: How to Make Money as a Cosmetologist

17. Sell Branded Merchandise

First of all, you can always produce branded merchandise in order to sell in the salon. The most popular items are t-shirts, mugs, hats, and bags pens, calendars, hair clips, hair ties, etc. These are all incredibly inexpensive to create and can earn you a lot of money.

Just like in any other business, when customers see your logo they think of you, and when they buy the product because it represents everything you stand for. The more beautiful and quality the product is, the more people will want to purchase it and in turn the more money you make.

18. Offer Manicures and Pedicures

A great way in which you can make a little extra money with your salon business is by offering manicures and pedicures in your salon. If there is a demand for such services in your neighborhood, this can be a profitable part of your business.

Aside from giving manicures and pedicures, you should also learn how to give foot massages. This will not only provide your client’s feet with relief but it will be able to make them enjoy your service even more.

How Can You Make More Money With Salon Business?

If you can provide a full spectrum of salon services, then you can create a really profitable business. Here are some examples:

  • Hairstyling
  • Facials services
  • Manicures & pedicures
  • Chemical peels
  • Waxing services
  • Massage therapy
  • Liposuction
  • Threading
  • Esthetician services.

In fact, you can even expand your salon business by offering tanning services. These are just a few of the many things that your clients can enjoy while at your salon.

FAQs

How much do hair stylists make with tips?

A low-end average for a licensed stylist would be $15 an hour and it climbs from there, reaching as high as $30 an hour in some states.

How much do nail salon owners make a year?

Depending on the salon’s location and how well managed the business is, a nail salon owner can earn anywhere from $40,000 to $75,000 per year. On average, they can make $58,000 per year.

Conclusion

Salon business is one of the profitable businesses with low startup costs. However, what makes your salon succeed will be your service to your clientele.

The satisfaction of their needs will produce regular customers who take care of you by referring new clients to you. You will reach higher profit levels as you gain more knowledge and skill in this profession.

If you’re just starting, you can take a job at a corporate salon or sell hair products and accessories online, but if you have the experience and skill, you may want to open your own salon and add other services to your salon business.

To make more money with salon business, you may want to know some profitable cosmetic business ideas you can add to your salon business.

I hope you found this post helpful. Thanks for reading.