Your Essential Opening a beauty Salon Checklist (Step-by-Step)

What You Need to Open a Salon in the U.S. (Complete Checklist)

Most beauty salons take around 3–6 months to go from idea to opening.
This timeline depends on licensing, location readiness, build-out complexity, and funding.

Opening a salon is not one big decision — it’s 100 small execution steps done in the right order. This checklist is built for beauty professionals who have already decided to open a full salon (not a suite and not a mobile/home setup) and want a practical plan to launch legally, safely, and profitably.

Use this as a working document. Go top to bottom. Don’t skip steps. If you do, you’ll pay for it later in time, stress, or cash flow.

While this checklist focuses on opening a full beauty salon, many professionals start as independent pros or in salon suites.
The core steps remain the same — licensing, finances, systems, and marketing — but costs and scale vary depending on the business model.

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Before You Start: Lock the “Non-Negotiables”

Before you look at spaces or buy equipment, define the basics that control your costs and complexity.

Define your salon format:

Boutique studio salon (small team or solo owner + 1–2 chairs)
Multi-chair salon (team-based, higher volume)
Specialty salon (nails-only, lashes-only, blowout bar, etc.)

Define your core services (launch offer):

Start with your highest-demand, highest-margin services
Limit add-ons at launch (you can expand after month 1–3)

Define your target client:

Who pays your prices without negotiating
Who returns regularly
Who you can realistically attract in your local area

Define your capacity goals:

How many clients/day you must serve to break even
What a “full week” looks like in bookings

Phase 1: Business Setup (Do This Before Signing Anything)

This phase prevents legal and financial chaos.

Checklist:

Choose your business structure (LLC / sole proprietor / corporation)
Register your business name
Get your tax ID (EIN if applicable)
Open a business bank account
Set up payment processing (card + digital wallet options)
Set up basic bookkeeping (categories for rent, payroll, supplies, marketing, software, tax)

Owner note:

If you don’t separate personal and business money from day one, your “profit” will become a guessing game.

Phase 2: Licenses, Permits, and Compliance

This is where most first-time salon owners get delayed.

Checklist:

Confirm salon facility requirements in your city/state (not just cosmetology license rules)
Confirm which services require which professional licenses
Confirm health/sanitation inspection requirements (if applicable)
Confirm zoning: the space must be legally allowed to operate as a salon
Get required permits before build-out (signage, renovations, plumbing/electrical changes where required)
Arrange insurance (at minimum: general liability + professional liability)

Compliance rule:

Do not rely on “the landlord said it’s fine.” Verify with local rules. One wrong assumption can cost months.

Phase 3: Budget + Runway Planning

Most salons don’t fail because the owner lacks skill — they fail because cash flow breaks early.

Your startup budget must include:

Deposit + first rent payments
Build-out/renovation
Furniture, stations, mirrors, lighting
Equipment (service-specific)
Licenses, permits, insurance
Initial inventory and disposables
Software and tools
Branding + launch marketing
Contingency buffer

Your monthly budget must include:

Rent + utilities + internet
Software subscriptions
Supplies and laundry/cleaning
Payroll (if staff)
Insurance
Marketing
Taxes

Minimum runway target:

Plan to survive 2–3 months even if bookings start slower than expected.

Phase 4: Location Selection (The Practical Checklist)

Pick a space that matches your business model, not your ego.

Checklist:

Visibility: can clients find you easily?
Access: parking, public transport, safety
Nearby demand: your target clients actually live/work nearby
Competition: who’s within 5–10 minutes and what do they charge?
Lease terms: rent increases, renewal, repairs, restrictions on renovations
Plumbing/electrical reality: is the space compatible with salon needs?
Storage and back-of-house space: towels, cleaning, supplies, staff area

Reality check:

A “beautiful” location that breaks your margin will kill the business faster than an average space with healthy cash flow.

Phase 5: Layout + Build-Out (Design for Workflow)

Your layout is an operations decision, not an interior design moodboard.

Checklist:

Create a floor plan based on service flow (entry → consultation → service → checkout → rebook)
Separate clean vs used tools areas
Ensure stations have proper lighting for your services
Ensure storage is close to where it’s used (reduce wasted movement)
Plan sanitation stations (disinfection, handwashing, waste)
Plan client comfort (waiting area, restroom, ventilation/AC)

Design rule:

Make it easy for clients to feel calm and for staff to move fast.

Phase 6: Equipment + Inventory (Buy What You Need to Launch)

Avoid the common mistake: buying everything “for the future.”

Launch essentials checklist:

Stations, chairs, mirrors (service-dependent)
Service equipment (hair/nail/lash/skin-specific)
Towels/capes/disposables
Sanitation and PPE supplies
Storage units
Reception/checkout setup
Laundry plan (in-house or service)
Backbar essentials (only what you’ll actually use in month 1)

Inventory checklist:

Set minimum stock levels (what “never runs out”)
Choose 1–2 reliable suppliers
Track consumables weekly at launch (you’ll be surprised what drains fast)

Phase 7: Team, Roles, and Standards

If you plan to hire, define the operating system before recruiting.

Checklist:

Decide your staffing model (employees vs contractors vs hybrid)
Write role expectations (not just job titles)
Define service standards (timing, consultation, finish criteria)
Define salon rules (punctuality, client communication, upsell boundaries)
Define sanitation SOPs
Define performance metrics (rebooking rate, upsell attach rate if relevant, punctuality)

Hiring rule:

Don’t hire based on talent only. Hire for reliability + client experience.

Phase 8: Pricing, Menu, and Policies (Set This Before You Launch)

Your policies are part of your brand and your cash flow protection.

Checklist:

Build a clean service menu (no “20 options” at launch)
Price for profit (include time, product cost, overhead, taxes, profit)
Set deposits (when required, how much, how applied)
Set cancellation/no-show policy (clear and enforceable)
Set late policy (what happens at 10 minutes, 15 minutes, etc.)
Create “client expectations” message (what to prepare, arrival time)

Policy placement:

Policies must be visible before booking and repeated in reminders. Otherwise, clients treat them as optional.

Phase 9: Booking, Payments, and Client Experience System

A salon without systems becomes a stress machine.

Checklist:

Set up online booking (fast, mobile-first)
Configure service durations + buffers
Configure staff schedules
Set automated reminders (reduce no-shows)
Set intake questions (only what you’ll use)
Set checkout flow (tips, receipts, add-ons, rebooking)
Create a follow-up flow (review request + rebook prompt)

Execution goal:

A new client should be able to book in under 60 seconds.

Phase 10: Pre-Launch Marketing (Do This 2–4 Weeks Before Opening)

Your salon shouldn’t “open and hope.”

Checklist:

Create your salon presence (basic website/booking page)
Prepare launch offer (avoid heavy discounts — protect your pricing)
Collect launch content (space photos, service photos, team photos)
Prepare a “first 20 clients” plan (friends/network/referrals/local outreach)
Set review plan from day one (ask after great experiences)

Marketing focus:

At launch, you need trust + proof + convenience — not “viral content.”

Phase 11: Soft Opening + Grand Opening

Soft opening prevents public mistakes.

Soft opening checklist:

Run 10–30 real appointments with controlled audience
Test booking, reminders, payment, tips, rebook
Time each service honestly (update durations)
Fix bottlenecks (supplies, flow, sanitation, checkout)

Grand opening checklist:

Make the offer simple (one clear reason to book now)
Document content that proves quality
Capture reviews quickly
Fill next 2–4 weeks, not just opening day

Phase 12: First 30 Days Operating Plan

Month 1 is about consistency, not perfection.

Weekly checklist:

Track bookings, rebooking rate, no-shows, average ticket
Adjust service durations and buffers
Fix one operational problem per week (inventory, timing, client flow)
Build review momentum
Fill gaps with simple local tactics (referrals, reactivation, local visibility)

Owner rule:

Don’t add complexity until operations are stable.

Summary

A successful salon launch is not about doing “everything.” It’s about doing the right steps in the right order, protecting cash flow, and building systems that make growth easier.

Use this checklist as your execution map — and treat every skipped step as a future cost.