Opening a beauty salon: the guide for entrepreneurs

 


Passionate about beauty, do you dream of opening your institute? Then, finally, you knocked on the right door! In this article, you will find all the steps to follow to make your project a success, including information on creating a business plan for a beauty salon.

Market research for your beauty salon

The first step is to conduct a market study to create your beauty salon. The market study aims to allow you to validate your institute's commercial potential and define an optimal launch strategy.

For the market research of your beauty salon, it is necessary to carry out a detailed examination of the trends of the sector, an in-depth analysis of your competitors, and a study of the wishes and expectations of your future customers.

The French beauty institute market

Conjuncture

The sector's turnover is estimated at 2.9 billion euros; after having experienced continuous growth over the last decade, the beauty sector has been plagued since 2014 by a slight drop in turnover.

Several factors may explain this decline:

  • the sluggish economic situation,
  • competition from ancillary professions such as hairdressing salons and perfumeries,
  • competition is caused by the development of devices allowing consumers to carry out treatments themselves directly at home (manicure, laser epilator, etc.)

One in four French people now regularly goes to a beauty salon, and 44% of them have attended a salon in the last 12 months. For men, this percentage drops to 10%. The development potential of the sector is therefore very significant.

Typology of the beauty salon market

Among the 14,000 beauty institutes present in France, there are two main types of players:

  • independent beauty salons, which remain the vast majority,
  • beauty salons attached to a brand, representing a third of the sector.

Future trends in the French beauty salon market

Experts predict that the number of instances will increase. to the detriment of independents, and rising competition, particularly through the installation of treatment booths in department shops, spas, and perfumeries

Some aspects of the regulation of beauty salons

To be able to open a beauty institute, it is recommended to hold a CAP or BEP corresponding to the profession exercised. However, without a diploma, it remains possible to launch an institute, provided you have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a manager, self-employed, or employee (law 96-603 of July 5, 1996).

Registration with the government is required Chamber of Trades. Self-employed entrepreneurs also must register in the trades directory or in the trade and companies register (law 2014-626 of June 18, 2014).

Like any establishment open to the public, the premises of the beauty parlor must comply with safety standards relating to establishments open to the public.

Finally, there are many regulations relating to the beauty professions:

  • Only physiotherapists can offer massages.
  • Permanent make-up requires prior specific training.
  • The use of tanning devices is highly regulated.

Create a beauty salon: with what concept?

A key decision to make early on is what kind of beauty salon you want to open.

Two main choices are available to you: open a beauty institute under a sign or not, and opt for a specialty.

Independent or branded institute?

Opening a branded beauty salon will allow you to benefit from the reputation of a large group and start-up support but will reduce your room for maneuver.

The most popular generalist brands in France are Yves Rocher, Beauty Success, Physiomins and Relooking Beauté Minceur.

Furthermore, low-cost offers such as Body Minute and Esthetic Center, which operate on a monthly subscription basis and provide express care without an appointment, have exploded.

Specialized beauty institute

The trend is definitely towards specialization in the beauty institute sector. This helps to emphasize professionalism and build customer loyalty. There are four major segments of discipline:

  • Manicure, with brands such as L'Onglerie or Le Bar àongles…by V
  • Hair removal, with brands such as Depil Tech or Radical Epil
  • Tanning, with brands such as K2 Chocolate or Point Soleil
  • Slimming, with brands such as CelluChic or Bodysano

Finding a location for your beauty salon

Once the concept of your beauty salon has been chosen, it is time to consider its location. This is a crucial decision that will directly influence the success of your project.

Opting for a site located on a busy street represents the assurance of significant visibility but will cost you more. Choosing another road back will, on the other hand, save on rent but will require greater investment in advertising.

Finally, taking over a beauty salon is also an option.

Choosing the legal structure of your beauty salon

Choosing the legal status of your beauty salon is another essential step that will have a significant impact on both your business and your personal life.

The marketing plan of a beauty salon

After you have done your market research, decided on the type of salon you want to set up, and found the ideal location, the next step is to create a marketing plan for your beauty salon.

The latter's objective is to make you known, recruit your first customers, and retain them.

Apart from traditional means of communication, such as distributing flyers or purchasing advertising inserts in local newspapers, the rise of blogs and YouTube channels specializing in beauty represents a communication opportunity that should not be overlooked. Moreover, an active presence on social networks can pay off to target young women, who are generally very connected.

The human and material requirements for starting a beauty salon

Creating a beauty salon requires a significant initial investment, in particular, to cover the acquisition of equipment: massage tables, comfortable armchairs, and stocks of cosmetic products.

It will probably also be necessary to recruit one or more employees: it is common to use apprentices or trainees in the beauty sector, but it remains essential to ensure that qualified and competent personnel are employed.

You will also require insurance coverage. to cover yourself against the risks associated with your premises, the reception of customers, and your activity. Finally, it may be useful to call on an accountant to assist you in financial management (bookkeeping, payroll, calculation of VAT and other taxes, etc.).

The business plan of a beauty salon

The business plan for a beauty institute aims to allow you to validate the financial viability of the project and to serve as a reference document when seeking financing for a beauty institute. 

The business plan contains two main parts: a financial forecast highlighting the need for financing and the potential profitability of the project and a written role aimed at highlighting the advantages of the project to convince your financial partners.

Therefore, the business plan is essential for setting up your beauty salon.

If you've never done one, a good way to easily create your beauty salon's business plan is to use specialized software.

Opting for a business plan software has several advantages:

  • Instructions and examples guide you for each part of the business plan
  • You can draw inspiration from business plan templates already written
  • You easily make your financial forecast with the help of the software that takes care of the calculations for you
  • In the end, you get a professional document, formatted and ready to be sent to your banker

If this type of solution interests you, you can test our business plan software for free by registering here.

With your company plan in hand, it is then time to embark on the last stage of creating a beauty institute: the search for financing.

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