The Most Common Mistakes When Opening a Beauty Salon and How to Avoid Them

Opening a beauty salon requires much more attention and care than what most entrepreneurs think.

Beauty and aesthetics are a very competitive market. New salons and beauty institutes appear every day, offering modern and differentiated treatments. So, to stand out from the competition, you need to invest in quality, innovation, and organisation.

How many beauty salons do you know? Many I presume... How many of them do you genuinely like and would feel comfortable in becoming one of their regular clients? Right... Just by answering these two simple questions, you can notice how beauty salons are not all the same, so anyone who wants to open one has to take the proper care and attention to not be part of the rejected group.

But what makes one beauty salon different from the others and more attractive to customers?

Here are a few tips on what to avoid when opening a beauty salon to make sure your business is a successful one right from the start:

Not having adequate planning

This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most critical. You should always think and organise before you act. Planning is everything when starting any business. It begins with the search for the perfect spot to implement your beauty salon and goes down to the smallest details related to its decor.

Everything must be well thought so that the final result is the best it can be.

Choosing the wrong name for the beauty salon.

The name needs to be attractive and related to the beauty industry. It’s no use using names like "Emma's little corner," because, although it seems cosy and personal, it doesn’t identify and reflect at the first moment what your business is about.

It is also necessary for the name to be easily read and remembered, so have several options prepared, before choosing the definitive one.

Hiring more employees than you initially need

If your business is just starting, then it's advisable to take it easy and grow it slowly. It’s common for people to dream of a super busy place and a busy schedule, but this is not always possible, so don’t make the mistake of hiring more staff than you need.

Hire few professionals in the beginning. Start with less, and as the demand arises, then think about hiring new ones and expanding your services.

Offering a commission above what you can afford

It's perfectly understandable that you want to attract the best professionals in the industry, but you need to be realistic about the commission amounts you can afford.

Having an unprepared team

Not being able to afford hiring the best and most qualified professionals on the market is no excuse to hire bad ones. It is mandatory to carefully select the people who will form your team, so look for referrals and perform all the necessary tests to be sure you are hiring the right professionals for the job.

Also, invest in their training, as they will have an essential role in the success of your business.

Not investing in the visual identity of the beauty salon.

This is also a common mistake that provides a competitive edge to those who don´t make it.

One of the essential things regarding this aspect is to invest in high-quality beauty uniforms for your salon. The use of uniforms conveys an image of seriousness and professionalism that is vital for anyone who has a business in the beauty industry.