How to start a hair salon: what the first six months actually look like

Costs and funding

The average cost of opening a small hair salon in the UK ranges from £15,000 to £40,000, depending on location, fit-out standard and whether you are taking on staff from day one. The main cost buckets are: lease deposit and first months of rent, fit-out and furniture, equipment, insurance, and initial stock.

Most salon owners fund their opening through a combination of personal savings, a bank loan and sometimes a government start-up grant. The British Business Bank website is a good starting point for available schemes. A typical funding mix is 30 percent personal savings, 50 percent loan and 20 percent supplier credit on equipment.

Licensing and legal requirements

You do not need a specific hair salon licence to operate in the UK, but you do need to:

• Register your business with HMRC for tax purposes.
• Hold appropriate insurance: employer's liability if you have staff, public liability for all salons.
• Comply with COSHH regulations for chemical treatments (colours, perms, relaxers).
• Register with your local authority if you offer certain beauty treatments such as ear piercing or semi-permanent make-up.
• Comply with GDPR for client data, with a privacy policy that explains what you collect and why.

A session with a small business accountant before you open will cost a few hundred pounds and save considerably more in avoided mistakes. Equally useful: a one-hour consultation with a salon-focused commercial property lawyer before you sign your lease.

Choosing a location

Location decides foot traffic, demographic match and rent burden. The cheapest space rarely turns out to be the cheapest investment. A few practical tests for any potential location:

• Walk past at the times your salon will be busiest. Friday late afternoon, Saturday morning. Is there foot traffic?
• Check parking availability. Salon clients often combine an appointment with errands and need to park nearby.
• Look at neighbours. A salon next to a coffee shop benefits from that traffic. A salon next to a betting shop usually doesn't.
• Map the competition. A new salon directly between two established ones rarely outperforms either.

Equipment and fit-out

A standard 4-chair salon needs around £8,000 to £15,000 in equipment: chairs (£200-500 each), a backwash unit (£500-1,500), trolleys, mirrors, dryers, lighting, reception desk and POS. Buying second-hand from salon closures can cut that by 40-60 percent without compromising on quality.

Your first 30 clients

Most new salon owners underestimate how much of their early growth comes from people they already know. Your hairdresser following from a previous salon, your social media network and personal recommendations will drive the majority of your first bookings. The most effective thing you can do before opening day is set up your booking page, share it widely and make it easy for people to book without calling.

A practical 30-day pre-opening plan:

1. Set up your booking page with services and prices. With Avana this takes around 15 minutes.
2. Set up your Google Business Profile. This is free and indexes immediately.
3. Set up your Instagram with before/after photos and your booking link in the bio.
4. Message every client from your previous chair with your new link and a small opening-week discount.
5. Print 200 cards with a QR code linking to your booking page. Distribute through local cafés and gyms.
6. Run a soft-open week with friends, family and former clients. Refine your service flow before paid clients arrive.

What to do today

Whatever stage you're at: an online booking page is one of the few things you can set up today, without spending money and without your salon physically existing. Once you open, it's live, and in the meantime you can share it with friends and family for testing.

Avana plans start at £19/month, with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. Setup takes 15 minutes. Set up your booking page →