How to Open a Salon (Without Regretting It Later) [EP:217]

Opening a salon can be one of the most exciting and overwhelming decisions in your career. It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetic side of things: paint colors, décor, logos, and brand vibes. But the truth is, those are the least important decisions you’ll make. What determines whether your salon thrives or becomes a financial and emotional burden comes down to the foundations you build before you ever pick up a paintbrush.

In this episode, we walk through a real planning process behind opening a salon you’ll still be proud of years from now. We talk about business structure, pricing strategy, hiring and training, building your systems and standards, and how to set yourself up with the right support network, "your bench," so you aren’t trying to figure everything out alone.

Whether you’re:

• A stylist dreaming of your own space,
• A current booth renter thinking of transitioning to ownership,
• Or a salon owner looking to stabilize or reset your business,

This conversation will help you avoid the most common (and painful) mistakes salon owners make. This isn’t just about opening a salon — it’s about opening one you won’t regret.

Your business should serve you so that you can serve others.

When we build from a position of strength instead of survival mode, we create salons that uplift our clients, our teams, and our lives.

Let’s build something that lasts!

Key Takeaways

• Start with foundations (mission/vision/values) before leases or logos.
• Build your infrastructure and cost model upfront; surprises kill cash flow.
• Create a living Playbook so standards aren’t “assumed.”
• Price like a business: know breakeven, include profit, review yearly.
• Hiring ≠ onboarding: map growth paths for each role to reduce churn.
• Maintain a bench (lawyer, accountant, trades, mentor) to buy speed.
• Think lifetime value, not single tickets.
• Hybrid/renter/commission lines blur easily—avoid misclassification traps.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Opening + why early months aren’t always “fun” for new stylists
• [03:00] Lifetime value thinking vs. “$200 today” mindset
• [06:00] What new owners obsess over (logos/paint) vs what actually matters
• [07:00] Foundations first: mission, vision, core values → business plan
• [10:00] Infrastructure checklist: banking, payroll, taxes, software, utilities, insurance
• [12:00] Distributors, licensing, and aligning products with values
• [15:00] Write your Playbook: roles, tasks, client issues, emergencies
• [23:00] Posts & Perspectives: hybrid pitfalls, renter/commission confusion
• [24:00] Pricing reality: breakeven, profit first, yearly reviews (not $5 bumps)
• [28:00] People plan: hiring, onboarding, growth paths, retention
• [31:00] Training cadence: six-month outlines, monthly/annual reviews
• [33:00] Build your bench: lawyer, accountant, trades, mentor—why speed wins
• [36:00] Define success & your North Star; plan before you sign

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

Transcript

Episode Transcript: How to Open a Salon (Without Regretting It Later)

Opening & Topic Setup

Todd: All right. What's up everyone? Welcome back to the show. Happy Monday. How’s it going, Jen?

Jen: Great. How are you?

Todd: Amazing. Your voice sounds stellar.

Jen: I have a cold.

Todd: I could tell. Today we’re talking about opening a salon. I figured we could walk through a basic buildout and talk about what to prepare for before opening. We see a lot of “Hey, I opened a salon — now what?” online. There are things you need in place first to prevent chaos and resentment later on.
So today is about building a salon you won’t resent in a few months — or a few years.

Opening Take: The Truth About Becoming a Hairstylist

Jen: So my opening take — I saw something on my feed titled “The Truth About Becoming a Hairstylist.”
A lot of people think doing hair is going to be fun right away — creativity, expression, great clients. But when you first start, it often isn’t fun.

Doing hair on clients is a completely different skill set than doing your own hair or your friends’ hair. You're learning:

• Technical skill
• Client communication
• Time management
• Professional maturity

These skills don’t develop all at once.
So if you’re new and feeling like it’s harder than you expected — that’s normal. It does get better. If you love this work, keep practicing. Find hands-on education. Find a mentor. Learn to take constructive feedback. Once you gain traction, the confidence and joy come — and when it clicks, it’s game on.

Opening Take (Todd): Lifetime Value Thinking

Todd: My opening take is on the lifetime value of a client. We’ve talked about this before, but it matters here because the way you view clients affects your leadership when you open a salon.

People will complain about cancellations and no-shows — and yes, boundaries matter. But many stylists treat clients transactionally instead of seeing the long-term relationship.

If someone spends $300 per visit, 5 visits per year, over 15–25 years — that’s tens of thousands of dollars of lifetime value.
 So before you respond out of frustration, remember:

• Think big picture.
• Think longevity.
• Treat people well.

And stop thinking so small about your business.

Where New Salon Owners Focus (and What They Skip)

Todd: Most new salon owners focus on:

• The name
• The logo
• The paint colors
• The stations
• The aesthetic

Jen: Because it’s fun.

Todd: Right — but what gets skipped are the parts that actually determine whether the salon will work:

• Pricing strategy
• Systems
• Leadership development
• Financial planning
• Hiring and onboarding
• The operating structure of the business

Running a business and doing hair are two different skill sets.
Being good at hair does not make you good at business.

Start With Foundations

Todd: Before you sign a lease, you need:

• Mission
• Vision
• Core values
• A business plan

These guide every other decision.

Without them, people start copy-pasting:

• Policies they don’t understand
• Branding trends with no meaning
• Aesthetic choices with no identity

Jen: And when everything is based on vibes and guessing, the business will feel unstable — and harder to fix later.

Infrastructure: The Non-Negotiables

Before décor, before branding, before the aesthetic — set up your infrastructure:

• Bank accounts
• Accounting system
• Payroll system
• Distributor accounts
• Inventory process
• Booking software
• Insurance
• Utilities
• Licenses
• Taxes

Jen: If you don’t know your financial baseline, you won’t know if you’re profitable — and surprises hurt a lot more after you’ve opened.

Choosing Products & Distributors

Jen: When we switched distributors, we realized our original brand didn’t align with our mission and values.
Every decision — even products — should align with who you are and what experience you’re building.

It’s not about chasing trends — it’s about coherence.

Your Playbook (This Is Leadership)

Todd: You need a playbook — a living document that defines:

• Roles
• Responsibilities
• Standards
• Systems
• How decisions are made
• How problems are handled

If it’s not written down, the standard does not exist.

Jen: And if you don’t define what “good” looks like, people will default to their own habits — not yours.

Pricing and Profit

Todd: If your pricing doesn’t include profit, you’re subsidizing your business with your life.
Know:

• Break-even cost
• Service capacity
• Target revenue per hour
• Retention and rebooking rates

Profit is not something that appears later.
It is planned for upfront.

The People Plan

• How will you hire?
• How will you onboard?
• What is the growth path for each role?
• What does development look like?

Jen: If people don’t know how to succeed or grow in your salon, they’ll leave. And it won’t be their fault.

Build Your Bench

Your bench is your support system:

• Accountant
• Lawyer
• Contractor
• Mentor/advisor

Todd: You are not supposed to know everything. Bench saves time, money, and mistakes.

Define Success

Success might mean:

• Money
• Time freedom
• Team building
• Community impact
• Creativity
• Lifestyle alignment

Whatever it is — define it before you build.

Closing

Jen: If you’re already open and feel behind — you’re not alone. Start with the next necessary step. Get organized. Get support. Move forward intentionally.

Todd: And if you’re planning to open — build first, decorate later.

Both: We’ll see you next week.