That of the barber shop is today a very coveted profession, able to give economic gratifications and professional success. Many hairdressers dream of opening their beauty salons where they can apply the cutting and styling techniques that characterize them.
In recent years, the world of cut, fold and color represents a rapidly growing sector. The Italian market is highly competitive; just think, there are about 90,000 barber shops. Inside are more than 190 thousand employees, but the turnover is worth over 7 billion euros annually.
Today it is not only women who take care of their person with dedication and care. Many barber shops satisfy the many requests of an increasingly demanding male clientele. These real beauty centers are often unisex and welcome women and men equally.
This is why those who today want to open a barber shop can set up on their own and have excellent professional satisfaction. However, every detail must be planned to develop the best strategy. This article shows the costs to leave, the ideal location, the business plan, management costs and how much you can earn. We will also find out what the requirements are and what the bureaucratic requirements are to be supported.
What it takes to open a barber shop
The main characteristic of opening a barber shop is to have obtained the title of a hairdresser. This qualification is issued to those who have attended one of the special courses run by private academies, institutes or regions. The duration of these courses can vary from 6 months to a year, followed by an apprenticeship or training for about 2 years. Access is allowed only if you have a high school diploma.
More prestigious and even more expensive schools offer high levels of professional preparation. It is also possible to open a hair stylist salon without qualifying as a hairdresser, but you are only the business owner. You will then have to resort to hiring one or more professional hairdressers.
Tasks to be done
A professional hairdresser not only deals with colors, cuts and styling but focuses his activity on many other aspects. First, he must be constantly updated on the latest cutting and brushing techniques and attend specific courses. The activity also consists of relating with the customer, making him feel at ease, and studying the type of hair based on the type of face.
Those who have a barber shop must also maintain relationships with suppliers to purchase products, sanitize the equipment and the room and take care of the bureaucratic part of the company. To be successful, a hairdresser must love his job and have acquired skills in the sector. In addition to cutting techniques, dedication to work and proven management skills are also a guarantee of success.
Find the location
Good visibility and a discrete passage area are two important requirements when choosing the location for the barber shop. Opening a business is a considerable investment, but there is no need to skimp when finding the perfect venue.
There are many variables not to be overlooked in choosing the best location. For example, the salon should not be too small; it should have parking nearby and be in a passageway. Whether there are many other hairdressers in the area is also not to be underestimated.
The barber shop must be a welcoming and pleasant place to spend time dedicated to hair care. Therefore, the furniture is also fundamental, which can follow the contemporary trend to better adapt to the type of clientele you want to intercept.
How much is needed to start the business
It is not easy to calculate the amount relating to the costs to be incurred for opening the barber shop. There are many factors to consider, first of which are the size of the room, its location (city or suburb), rent or purchase. They are very personal choices, which change according to reality and the context in which you live.
Secondly, the costs for professional equipment, products, and furnishings, including toilets and changing rooms, must be considered.
Finally, we remind you that bureaucratic expenses related to opening the fair, such as registration with the Chamber of Commerce and the VAT number, must also be incurred. It is, therefore, difficult to sketch a figure related to initial expenses. Nevertheless, we can estimate that for the opening of a salon of about 50 square meters with minimal furnishings, it will take from 12 to 15 thousand euros, which can rise to 17 thousand euros depending on the type of shop you want to recreate.
What are the management costs?
Set aside for the start-up expenses, there are those related to current management. They concern personnel, continuing training, products and equipment. The most consistent item is that relating to personnel, a figure that can affect up to over 30% of revenues, calculating taxes and contributions. For example, an employee hairdresser has a total company cost of around 21,000 euros per year. Ongoing expenses also relate to the continuous promotion of the business through successful marketing. Finally, these expenses also include those for the tax authorities, insurance, and plant and equipment maintenance.
The business plan
To function at its best, a new barber shop business must have a barber shop business plan. It is a fundamental business plan containing everything that needs to be done to start the business, calculating costs, investments and management expenses in advance.
Among the main items in a business plan are the financing methods, the marketing strategy and the forecasting of revenues. The costs of opening and maintaining the business for the first year cannot be missing. These relate to rents and costs of equipment, personnel, furnishings and taxation.
The business plan is a constantly updated document that must be monitored and reviewed every month to make changes where necessary. A detailed analysis of the target one wants to address and a study of the competition will complete the document.
How much does a barber shop earn?
The barber shop derives its income from the services provided to clients and from the sale of beauty products and treatments. Some businesses also offer additional services related to beauty treatments that help increase revenue. The daily receipts depend on the number of customers that you can manage.
The more employees you have, the more people you can serve. Consequently, your income will increase. Unfortunately, quantifying how much a hairdresser earns is difficult to calculate because the numbers also depend on where the shop is located and the number of customers created.
For more information you should visit business plan consultant.
Franchised barber shop
In addition to opening an independent barber shop, as for many other businesses, there is the possibility of affiliation with a franchised hairdresser. This involves less “hassle” on a personal level as you will have considerable support in all phases of the business, from opening to future management. Let’s see what the reasons are why it may be worth opening a hair stylist salon with the franchise formula.
The first advantage is certainly being supported in all aspects of the new opening. Assistance and support will be fundamental both for the bureaucratic and administrative parts and for the place and its furnishings. Investing in marketing will not be necessary as belonging to a chain means already having a clientele and a target that belongs to the brand. The brand will also be very useful for building customer loyalty by offering them targeted promotions and discounts.
A franchising salon normally uses professional products with reserved price lists. This allows the owner not to enter into agreements with other suppliers and not to waste time purchasing products as the network will think about this. Being part of a hairdressing network also means learning new techniques and participating in professional courses organized by the brand. Finally, last but very important thing, you benefit from technical, commercial and legal protection for the entire period in which you remain affiliated.
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