Dreaming of a beautiful and cozy beauty salon? Picture yourself standing in front of an elegant mirror, delighting clients, and launching your new business. But before you rush in with scissors and a hair dryer on your first day, pause for a moment and ask yourself: are you truly ready to open a salon?

Running a beauty salon is much more than creating the perfect atmosphere and making clients look great. That’s part of the charm of this profession! But… have you considered how many roles a salon owner actually takes on? Here’s a hint: it’s not just about hair, nails, or skincare.

What does running a salon really mean?

Urgent morning calls when a coworker calls in sick. Meetings with suppliers when you run out of shampoo. A client wanting to change their appointment on Instagram. Invoices, staff issues, beauty trends, marketing, numbers. Days can stretch longer than you imagine. And (surprise, surprise!) even after the salon doors have closed, you might still be working on your books and crunching numbers.

You will need to:

  • Resolve personnel matters
  • Handle accounting and paperwork
  • Ensure all supplies are stocked
  • Act quickly when equipment breaks down (or when someone unexpectedly doesn’t show up)
  • Come up with exciting offers and marketing ideas
  • And of course: keep clients happy so they keep coming back!

Sometimes, you’ll need to juggle all of these things in a single day.

Also read: Your guide to perfect salon management – find practical tips for running your salon and managing your team.

Do you have that “something” — the driving force?

Standing in front of the mirror, looking into your own eyes… do you truly feel you have:

  • Courage and confidence – as a leader, you’ll always be on the front lines, no matter your mood.
  • Stress resilience and cleverness – sudden challenges are the norm, not the exception. Can you stay calm when things don’t go as planned?
  • A willingness to learn – beauty trends, technologies, clients, advertising… everything evolves constantly. Are you ready to keep improving yourself?
  • Genuine motivation – is opening a salon more than just “giving it a try”? Does excitement live inside you even when the workdays are long and clients are few?

If you answered “yes” from the heart, you already sense how inspiring (and demanding) owning a salon truly is.

Why being a “lone knight” doesn’t really work

No one can or should face everything alone. Even if you “know how it all works,” you still want (and quite often!) to consult someone, share passwords, or just vent. Trust your family, friends, colleagues, or mentors. Sometimes a good recommendation from a colleague on how to outsource or delegate a task—like accounting or a marketing campaign—is all you need.

If you feel you could use some help with marketing, take a look at:
The 7 Ps of Marketing Every Beauty Salon Should Know – it will show you how to make your salon more visible and valued.

Think openly about your strengths—what are you already good at, and where could you invest more energy? Also, don’t hesitate to ask for and accept help. This will build strong foundations for your salon to support you even through tougher times.

Is opening a salon the right step for you?

Take a moment and reflect:

  • Are you driven by passion and a desire to help and inspire people?
  • Are you ready to work hard even if success doesn’t come immediately and you can’t always offer the most convenient times?
  • Can you delegate parts of salon management or get support when needed?
  • Do you find strength in difficult moments and don’t fear gaps in knowledge, but see them as growth opportunities?

If you nodded to these questions, you’re already one step closer to successfully opening your salon! Now is the perfect time to honestly assess your readiness — this will help you reduce later stress and unexpected surprises, allowing you to face the future with more confidence.

Yes, challenges will come aplenty… but it’s the strongest personalities who create beauty salons that last and shine for years!

Now that you’ve honestly reflected on your readiness, the next big question is:
How do you even create a salon business plan that covers all the essentials from the start?
See you in the next article, where we’ll make writing a practical business plan clear and easy for everyone!

We also recommend taking a look at this guide ahead of time:
Beauty Salon Industry Trends 2025: What’s Making Waves in Europe? – stay better informed about what might lie ahead for your future venture!