Is It Hard to Open Up a Salon?

Opening a salon is a dream for many beauty professionals. The idea of creating a space where clients feel beautiful, confident, and transformed is exciting and inspiring. Whether you’re a hairstylist, nail tech, makeup artist, lash artist, or an entrepreneur looking to invest in the beauty industry, salon ownership can offer creativity, independence, financial freedom, and the chance to build something meaningful. But before taking the leap, many aspiring business owners ask an important question:

Is it hard to open up a salon?

The honest answer is: Yes — opening a salon can be challenging, but it is absolutely possible with the right planning, education, and support. Like any business, it requires organization, financial preparation, leadership skills, and a strong understanding of customers and operations. However, thousands of salon owners start their businesses every year — and many succeed because they prepared well and stayed committed.

This guide from cooviphair will walk you through:
Why opening a salon feels difficult
What obstacles you may face and how to overcome them
What skills you need to build
Steps to opening a salon successfully
Real earning potential
What makes salon ownership worth it

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to expect and how to set yourself up for success.

Is It Hard to Open a Salon?

Opening a salon is challenging because you’re not just building a beauty space — you’re building a full business. That means handling both creative and business responsibilities. Many beauty professionals are talented in their craft, but salon ownership requires more than styling skills.

Opening a salon becomes hard when:

You don’t have a clear business plan
You don’t understand finances or pricing
You underestimate startup costs
You lack marketing or client-building strategy
You rush decisions (especially location and hiring)
You expect success overnight

Opening a salon becomes easier when:

You start small and scale gradually
You research and plan properly
You take business education seriously
You accept help from mentors or coaches
You surround yourself with the right team

So yes — opening a salon can be difficult, but it is completely achievable, especially when you break the process down into manageable steps and learn along the way.

Why Opening a Salon Can Be Challenging

Here are the most common challenges new salon owners face and how to overcome them:

1. Financial Requirements & Startup Costs

Opening a salon usually requires an upfront investment. Costs vary depending on size, location, and renovations, and many first-time owners struggle with budgeting or financial planning.

Expenses salon owners must consider:

Rent & deposit
Furniture & equipment
Electrical & plumbing
Tools & products
Licenses & insurance
Staffing
Marketing & advertising
Software & technology
Emergency fund

Solution

Create a detailed financial plan
Start in a salon suite or shared space if needed
Consider business loans or grants
Start small and expand as revenue increases

2. Business Education & Legal Requirements

Beauty school teaches technical services — not business. Many salon owners feel overwhelmed by legal and administrative tasks.

What business responsibilities include:

Choosing a business structure (LLC, Corp, Sole Proprietor)
Registering the business & getting permits
Health department requirements
Employee contracts and payroll
Taxes and accounting

Solution

Work with an accountant or attorney at the beginning
Take a salon business course
Join salon owner networking groups

3. Finding the Right Salon Location

Location is one of the biggest decisions and affects success more than anything else. A poor location can lead to low traffic and poor visibility.

Elements of a great salon location

Foot traffic (busy area)
Parking and accessibility
Growth potential
Community demographics
Competition level

Solution

Research thoroughly before signing a lease
Analyze other salons nearby
Start in a smaller space and move later

4. Hiring & Managing Staff

Many new owners struggle to build a strong team. Staff turnover, productivity issues, and communication problems can make salon operations difficult.

Solution

Hire slowly & intentionally
Build positive culture from day one
Offer training, incentives, and structure
Create written expectations and policies

5. Building a Client Base

Even the most beautiful salon can fail without clients. Marketing and visibility are critical.

Solution

Build a strong social media presence
Offer a referral and loyalty program
Collect online reviews
Partner with local businesses
Run promotions for the opening phase
Focus on premium services like extensions, blonding & skincare

Why Opening a Salon Is Worth It

Despite challenges, owning a salon is one of the most rewarding careers.

Benefits of owning a salon include:

Creative freedom
Control of your schedule
Ability to build your own brand
Unlimited income potential
Team leadership & community building
Pride in building something of your own
Ability to scale & open multiple locations

Many salon owners say the journey was challenging but completely worth it.

Skills You Need to Successfully Open a Salon

You don’t need to be the most talented stylist — but you do need skills that support business success.

Top skills for salon ownership:

Leadership
Customer service
Time management
Sales & marketing
Basic accounting
Decision-making
Confidence & problem-solving

The good news? All of these skills can be learned.

Steps to Opening a Successful Salon

Here is the step-by-step path most successful salon owners follow:

1. Research your market and identify your target clients

Who do you serve? Luxury? Trendy? Budget? Bridal?

2. Choose your service specialty

Blonding, extensions, nails, skincare, etc.

3. Build a business plan

Budget, services, pricing, marketing, expenses & revenue goals.

4. Determine your business structure

LLC, S-Corp, etc.

5. Secure funding

Loans, savings, investors, grants, credit.

6. Find a location

Suite, storefront, or converted space.

7. Apply for permits, licenses & insurance

8. Design and build out the salon interior

9. Purchase equipment & products

10. Hire and train your team

11. Build and execute your marketing strategy

12. Host a grand opening event

13. Monitor performance & adjust operations

Success is built one step at a time — not overnight.

How Much Can You Earn Owning a Salon?

Income varies based on team size, pricing, location and specialization.

Specialty services = higher profits + fewer clients.

Final Thoughts

So, is it hard to open up a salon?

Yes — opening a salon requires planning, budgeting, leadership, and business skills.

But no — it is not impossible, and thousands of people do it successfully every year.

If you are passionate, willing to learn, committed, and patient, you already have what it takes. The beauty industry continues to grow year after year — now is the perfect time to build your dream.

You don’t have to start big.
Many successful owners started in a salon suite, then expanded into larger spaces as demand grew.

Ready to Start Your Salon Journey?

If you plan to specialize in luxury hair services such as extensions, working with a premium supplier is essential.

Cooviphair provides:
Butterfly Wefts, Hand-Tied & Machine Wefts
Tape-ins, K-tips, I-tips & fusion bonds
Raw & Virgin Bundles
HD Lace Wigs & Closures
Wholesale, dropshipping & private label programs

Premium hair produces premium transformations — and premium profit.

Your dream salon is achievable. Plan smart, invest wisely, stay consistent, and your success will follow.