business plan salon manicure

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Who is your target customer?

On the surface, identifying your target customer may seem simple. At the most basic level, a nail salon customer is anyone looking for nail services. However, true success comes from knowing not the target customer of a nail salon, but of your nail salon.

During the first phase of your business planning, you spent some time considering what type of salon you hope to open and who it will cater to . At this phase, it is time to deal with the specifics.

An excellent way to approach this step is to create a profile or persona of your ideal customer. Consider the age, location, gender, income level, and other demographic details about who you think will be frequenting your salon. By doing this you can most effectively craft your design, atmosphere, marketing, prices, products, and services.

Some important questions to answer when establishing your target customer base are:

Who are your competitors in the market?

Just as important as understanding your customers is understanding who else is trying to attract them. Knowing who your competitors are, and what they offer, can help you make your products, services, and marketing stand out. It will enable you to set your prices competitively and help you respond to rival marketing campaigns with your own initiatives.

It is important to remember that competition can come from a number of places. The first stage of your competitive research should focus on identifying competing nail salons in your area. Look to local business directories, trade organizations and events, advertisements, and basic online research to develop a better understanding of what businesses and products exist in direct competition with what you hope to offer.

Next, take a closer look at how they do business. Compare prices, services , staff size, brand design , and media and marketing. Much of this information can be found by simply visiting your competitors’ websites or following them on social media. To dive even deeper, book a service or two at some of your competing salons. While there, pay close attention to the quality of their customer service, the wait time for an appointment, how busy their salon is at a given hour, how many people are working, and the skill of their technicians.

Throughout this process, make note of what aspects of their services you’d like to adopt and what things you know you can improve on. Consider what marketing tactics appear to be working for them and what falls flat.

Finally, do not forget about less direct or obvious competition. The explosion of multi-level marketing businesses means competing not only with other brick and mortar nail salons, but also a range of online businesses marketing directly to your customers in the comfort of their homes. Research what nail products are available through these companies and how you may be able to offer similar products or services in your salon.

Nail Salon Industry

Understanding your industry as a whole is just as critical as knowing your local market. This information can help you predict your profitability and growth over time as well as how to effectively capitalize on industry trends or innovations.

The nail salon industry is fairly stable, with an annual growth rate of around 7.5% over the past three years. In 2019, industry sales were $5.9 billion dollars, with the average sales per company around $200,000. As a discretionary service business, nail salon profitability will often hinge on the economy at large. During economic downturns, demand for non-essential services such as manicures and pedicures will fall. As the owner of a nail salon, you should be prepared for these economic ebbs and flows.

Product/Service

With an idea of who your ideal customer is and where your salon will fit in the local market, you can begin to consider what services you’d like to offer, any products you hope to sell, and how to price these selections.

What types of services will your nail salon offer?

A nail salon can offer anything from basic manicures and pedicures to a full slate of personally crafted specialty services . To begin, sketch out a list of services you hope to offer based on the type of salon you are opening. Start with the basic categories of manicure, pedicure, and artificial nails and build your list from there. This initial list will look something like this:

The specific services you offer will depend on your salon’s style, atmosphere, and aesthetic, but should also strongly take into account the information you gain during the market research phase of planning. Look closely at who uses salon services in your area, what services are most popular, what your competition offers, and what gaps can be filled.

A nail salon in a small college town will offer services and specialties different from one located in an upscale city center, but that does not mean you can’t put your own personality into your salon. One of the best ways to do that is to focus on both the service and the experience. Consider how you can transform a manicure or pedicure into a unique spa experience for your clients. Services falling under the manicure category can include anything from simple polish or French manicures to paraffin wax treatments and aromatherapy hand massages, while pedicures may include a hot stone massage or callus treatment.

One of the most appealing aspects of opening a nail salon is that changing and adapting your services comes with low overhead costs. As you begin seeing clients and getting a feel for what types of services they are requesting, what style of artificial nails they prefer, and which technicians are most in-demand (and why) you can further tailor your offerings to meet those demands.

Finally, many nail salons offer additional services, such as waxing and false eyelash application. Keep in mind that as you expand your offerings your technicians may need to be specifically licensed to perform these new services.

Will your nail salon offer products for sale?

Offering products for sale in your salon is an excellent way to add to your profits. At the very least, most salons will sell the line of nail polish they use on their clients. Other popular offerings include hand and foot care products, cosmetics, fashion accessories, and gift sets.

Your product offerings should stem directly from your available services. Like your list of services, your selection of products will likely evolve over time as you learn the preferences of your clientele.

Pricing your services right is a critical factor in the success of your salon. At the most basic level, price setting is a product of supply and demand. As with each factor in your planning, your market research should be the first place you look for information on how to properly price your salon services.

If you set your prices too high above the average rate in your area, you risk pricing out your target customer base or driving them to your competitors. If there is a great deal of competition in your area, consumers will have enough options to choose a lower price for comparable services. Even if you are the only salon in town, however, your prices can still only go as high as your customers can reasonably afford and are willing to pay.

On the other hand, pricing your services too low also comes with a number of problems. If your services are priced too far below average you risk inviting a higher demand of clients than you can handle, leading to long wait times for appointments or rushed services, both of which will turn people off to your salon. Additionally, low prices can lead to lost revenue or a price war with other salons in your area that can put you out of business.

Your prices will ultimately need to be high enough to cover your expenses and turn at least a modest profit.

Beyond the supply and demand curve, however, there is a strong psychological factor involved in pricing. It has consistently been shown across industries that consumers use the price of products and services to help determine their quality. For this reason, people will very often respond more favorably to higher-priced items, even when identical products are being compared.

If you consider all of these factors, you should be able to establish reasonable prices for your services that can be tweaked up or down as your business develops until you find your sweet spot.

Finding the proper space for your salon will have a big impact on upfront and ongoing expenses as well as the overall success of your business. Because the location of your salon is one of the most important decisions you will make, be sure to set aside enough time to visit many locations and consider all of the following critical factors before settling on a space.

Buy or rent

The decision to buy or rent your space will have lasting implications for your budget and the future of your business. Buying will typically require a larger upfront investment, while renting offers more flexibility. Commercial rental rates can be anywhere from $10 to $200 per square foot per year, or around $10,000 to $200,000 annually. Real estate prices can vary just as widely depending on your location.

Turnkey or remodel

You will also need to decide if you’d prefer to purchase and take over a functioning salon or start from scratch. Buying out an existing business can be much less of a risk, but will not offer as much flexibility when it comes to executing your own vision. The cost to purchase a fully functional nail salon can range anywhere from $40,000 to well into 6-figures depending on where you live and what you’re looking for. Alternatively, industry experts estimate that the cost to build out a nail salon in a commercial space will range from $75,000 to $125,000 for a 1000 square foot salon.

Choosing the right location for your business is essential and will have a big impact on both cost and success. You will need to balance the benefits of a given location with your budget to find a space that is attractive from a business and financial perspective. Things to consider include the other businesses around your space, the level of foot or vehicle traffic past your location, and the population in the area. If you select a residential area you will need to determine how visible your location is from the road or sidewalk and how busy or deserted the area becomes during the workweek. If you select a space within a larger shopping plaza, the other businesses in the plaza will have a dramatic effect on what type of consumer is walking past your salon.

As a service-based business, hiring the right employees is essential. Although you won’t be doing any hiring at this stage, it’s important to start considering what roles need to be filled and how you may go about filling them.

Day One Employees

Unless you are starting a small at-home salon or a one-person mobile salon, you will need to hire at least a handful of employees ready to work from day one. At a minimum your start-up staff should include one or more technicians to perform salon services, a front desk receptionist to greet clients, answer phones, and make appointments, and someone to manage the day to day business functions of the salon. You may choose to take on one or more of these tasks yourself, but will not be able to handle all of them on your own.

To get a rough idea of who you’ll need to hire, think about how many manicure and pedicure stations you hope to have in your salon, what additional services you plan to offer, and how much you can afford to spend on your staff’s wages. You can also begin a preliminary list of qualifications you will seek in prospective employees and how you hope to conduct the interview process. Read our full guide on the hiring process .

This first core group of employees will be a more integral part of your business’ success than future hires. For this reason, hiring the right people and developing a training program that gets them invested not only in their job but in your business as a whole can make all the difference. Start to think about the key skills you’ll look for in your employees and how you can hone these skills through proper training. Consider also, what type of customer service environment you hope to create and how you can instill your values as a business owner in each person you bring into your venture.

Permits/Licensing/Insurance

Before you get started, be sure you understand what permits, licenses, and insurance are required to keep your business compliant with state and local regulations.

In general, most states require that businesses be registered. This involves forming your business entity, be it a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation, through the state government where you plan to do business. Learn how to form a business in 6 easy steps.

Business and professional licensing requirements vary by state, but it is common for nail salons to require both a business license and a cosmetology establishment license before beginning operations. All states require that nail technicians complete a certain number of hours in cosmetology school to be eligible for work in a salon. Your state government’s website can direct you to exactly what is required.

Finally, insurance is critical to protect yourself and your business and is required by most states. To start, it is recommended that you purchase at a minimum, general liability, professional liability, worker’s compensation, and property insurance.

At this point, you should feel confident about your business goals, your target customer, and where your business is likely to fit in the overall industry and marketplace. With these things in mind, you should be well equipped to begin considering a marketing strategy . To do so, there are a few things to consider.

How will you position yourself in the market?

With all of the information above in mind you should now be well equipped to understand where your business will fit in the market. Some questions to answer at this phase include:

The answers to these questions should be the jumping-off point to developing a broader marketing strategy to effectively reach your target customer base.

How will you get new customers?

Attracting customers is the most basic goal of a successful marketing strategy. As a direct business-to-consumer industry, your marketing will directly target your customers. To do so you’ll need to know where your customers are and how to reach them.

To start, think about which major marketing devices will work best for your business. These include:

Social media

Which of these tools you use and how you use them will depend on the results of your market research. Consider some of the following questions:

The answers to these questions will depend significantly on the demographics of your target customer. Finding accurate answers will save you a tremendous amount of time and money and get your business off the ground much more quickly.

Return Customers

Although new customer acquisition is an essential part of any business plan, understanding customer retention is absolutely critical to your success. No amount of effective ads can replace the value of building a loyal customer base that will return again and again. Return customers are also likely to provide you with word-of-mouth marketing, giving your business an additional cost-free boost and allowing you to scale back on your overall marketing expenses over time.

Customer retention is often a natural product of doing good business, but that doesn’t mean you should take it for granted. Consider your entire business plan and how each facet of it can help you build effective communication and strong connections with your clients. Staying active on social media, reaching out with new product offerings or promotions, streamlining your appointment system, and simply providing stellar customer service can all keep your clients coming back for more.

Budget/Money

Planning ahead is critical to any business, but these plans will not come to fruition unless you have the funds to put them in motion. Before you can begin to fund your business you’ll need to have a clear picture of what you need to get started. Potential lenders and investors will want to see a solid and realistic budget before committing funds to your project.

Initial Investment

Although not exhaustive, the list and estimated cost of the items below should serve as a guide to help you write up a financial plan for your business. Speaking with other salon owners and local business owners in your area will help you expand upon this list and more accurately price each item.

Start-up Costs

The first thing to begin calculating is your start-up costs . This includes everything you’ll need to have before opening your doors on day one.

Equipment and supplies

Your initial purchase of equipment and supplies should include everything you need to set up and stock your salon. This will include:

You will also need to budget for your initial salon inventory. This includes all of the nail polish, lotions, cleaning and sanitation products, and other consumable items you will need on day one.

The cost of these items will depend on both the size of your salon and the style you’re looking to create. Manicure and pedicure stations, for example, can range anywhere from $200 to well over $1000.

Certifications and licenses

If you plan to personally provide salon services, you will need a cosmetology license. This requires completion of a cosmetology program, which typically costs anywhere from $6,500-$10,000

Salon insurance

To get the best price on business insurance, shop around for bundle options that include all of the policies you’ll need for your business. While business insurance costs vary significantly based on industry, you should expect to spend a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to get your policies up and running. CW Insurance offers a broad range of business insurance options. Request a quote .

The cost of your marketing will depend on the nature and scope of your strategy and whether you do your marketing in-house or outsource it to a professional marketing service. You will also need to consider the cost of building your salon’s website. If you hire a professional to build your site, you should expect to spend a few thousand dollars to get it up and running. GoDaddy’s free website builder can help you get started on your own.

While not required, many entrepreneurs seek out legal advice when starting a business. If you choose to do so, be sure to include a line in your budget for legal fees. This can be anywhere from a one-time fee of a few hundred dollars to well into the thousands if you retain an attorney at an hourly rate during your start-up phase.

The bottom line

Generally speaking, those looking to build out a commercial space should expect an upfront start-up cost anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000. For those looking to purchase an existing salon, your start-up budget will likely fall between $50,000 and $300,000.

Ongoing expenses

Once you’ve gotten your salon up and running, you will face a number of ongoing expenses. You should not, however, wait until that point to plan for these costs. Your salon’s revenue will ideally cover your expenses moving forward, but you should be prepared to cover at least part of your ongoing costs over the first few months as you get your business off the ground.

Employee wages will be your biggest ongoing expense. The total cost will depend on the size of your staff and the expected wages in your area. On average you can expect to pay a manicurist or pedicurist anywhere from $16,000 to $36,000 per year. A receptionist will typically make around $23,000 per year, and managers or supervisors can make up to $39,000 annually. You should also consider what salary you hope to take for yourself initially and in the long-term.

The taxes you owe will depend, in part, on your business structure, the number and type of employees you hire, and your annual revenue. You will be responsible for both federal and state income taxes on your salon’s profits and payroll taxes for your employees. The federal payroll tax rate is 15.3%. As the employer, you must cover half of this amount, while the other half is deducted from your employees’ paychecks each pay period. You are responsible for paying the full amount to the federal government, often on a quarterly basis. If you own your salon space, you will also owe property taxes. Check out our tax affiliate for more information.

Rent and utility bills

Your electric, gas, and water bills will depend on the scale of your business, the type of equipment you use, and where your business is located. Unless you operate a large-scale salon with the highest-tech equipment, your utility expenses should not exceed a few hundred dollars per month.

Ongoing inventory

After your initial inventory purchase, you will need to restock your supplies on a regular basis. If you are starting your salon from scratch, it may take a few months to determine how quickly you run through your supplies, so it is important to have extra money set aside initially for this expense.

Once open, you’ll need to maintain a budget for continued marketing. This does not need to be a large expense , especially once you’ve established a solid client base and word of mouth advertising. However, it is important to budget anywhere from $500 to a few thousand dollars annually for ongoing marketing expenses.

Financial Projections

Although you are only in the planning phase of your business right now, it is important to spend some time putting together the most realistic financial projections you can manage. These projections will be especially important when you begin seeking out funding from investors and lenders. They will also help you understand how your business can meet its financial obligations while maintaining a positive cash flow.

If you have not prepared any financial information at this point, you can start by researching industry statistics to develop estimates of what the profits and costs will be for your company. If you still need assistance you can contact a local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or SCORE , two of SBA's resource partners, through the SBA.gov Local Assistance tool. They are located across the country and provide free business counseling and answers.

Your financial projections should include the following:

Complete your business plan

If you’ve made it this far and are ready to get moving on making your business a reality, keep your momentum going by continuing on to our guide to developing a nail salon business .

Next Step: Developing a Nail Salon

Launching a Nail Salon

Form An LLC

Choosing a Location for a Nail Salon

How to write a successful nail salon business plan

Key takeaways

Beautiful nails are a luxury that inspire thousands to indulge in specialty manicures and regular self-care. The nail salon industry generates over $8 billion each year, with manicures and pedicures among the top five beauty services that women spend money on.

If you want to tap into this growing client base, a nail salon business plan will help you seize the opportunity without the guesswork.

In the business planning process, you will flesh out every aspect of your new business—from your services to financing. The resulting document will not only serve as a roadmap for you and your team, but it will also demonstrate your company’s potential to lenders and investors.

Learn how to write a formal business plan for your nail salon, which research shows will make your business 16% more likely to succeed .

Executive summary

Nail salon business plans begin with an executive summary: a one-page overview of your nail salon and what makes it special. You want to keep your audience interested, so open with strengths that set you apart from the competition: impressive financial projections, a unique business model, and/or any other engaging details about your nail salon.

As with an introduction to an essay, it’s easier to write your executive summary last. With the key elements of your business plan already established, you can quickly pull the standout details for this section to capture investor interest.

Business description

Once you’ve got your audience hooked, help them get to know you better. Introduce your company with a business description that expands on your competitive advantage. What’s the thing that sets you apart from other nail salons? Maybe it’s your customer service, freestyle nail art, or your easy online booking. Include that value proposition here as well as these other crucial details:

Since nail salons can follow a variety of business models, explain how you make money (and how your team members are paid). For example, you can employ nail technicians and earn from services provided, or you can profit solely from booth rentals. For lenders, your business model is crucial for evaluating your business stability, growth potential, and more.

Business structure and management team

Manicurist showing customer gel color options

A great team can help you reach viability faster, so your readers need to know how your small business operates and who’s running the salon. Start this section by stating your legal business structure, such as an LLC or a sole proprietorship , so potential investors and lenders can take your tax obligations and liabilities into account.

Then, introduce yourself and any other owners of your nail salon, along with details about your experience, nail tech licenses or certifications, and past awards. This is your chance to tell readers why they should trust you to run your own business. If you don’t have direct experience working in a nail salon, you can mention business or cosmetology degrees, as well as other achievements relevant to your role.

If you’ve hired any management team members, highlight their roles and experience as well.

Nail salon services

Nail salons offer a wide array of services, from gel manicures to nail repair. While your readers may already have some idea of what you offer, explaining your full range of nail services clarifies how you compare to competitors.

In this section, list every service you offer, along with a price list, time estimates, and any included services (such as a brief massage after a pedicure). Explain what happens during each service, as well as the products your nail techs use—for example, the types of polish available for a standard pedicure.

If you offer any packages, sell products on a regular basis, or provide services that no other local salons do, include those here.

Market analysis

As a nail salon owner, you should demonstrate expertise in market and industry trends. Include insights from your research here, including:

After this analysis, explain how you’ll take advantage of these untapped opportunities and overcome any challenges. For example, you could be the only local business with social media-famous manicurists, or you might target a rising segment of health-conscious consumers seeking nail salons that use non-toxic or organic products.

Marketing plan

Nail salon business plan: Woman getting her nails done

Your salon marketing strategy can make or break your business. Even if your salon primarily earns from booth rentals, you need a consistent flow of new clients and loyal customers coming through your doors. Use this section to describe the channels and strategies you’ll use to reach your target market. For each strategy, explain your key performance indicators (KPIs), or the metrics you’ll track to ensure you’re meeting your marketing goals.

For example, consider the following nail salon marketing strategies:

Your marketing plan should also outline your marketing budget, including how much you want to spend on marketing collateral, ad campaigns, contract labor, and more.

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Financial plan

As the final section, your financial plan serves two important purposes: helping potential investors gauge your business viability and helping you make sound financial decisions for the next five years.

Start your financial plan with a detailed breakdown of your expected costs. If you’re opening a new nail salon, list one-time startup costs, like nail salon equipment, furniture, business licenses, and down payments. Then list monthly operational expenses, such as rent, wages, salon software subscriptions, supplies, and marketing expenses. Include a budget for miscellaneous and unexpected costs, like shop repairs or equipment upgrades.

Once you’ve outlined your costs, show your readers how your salon will stay in the green and grow over time. With the help of a financial analyst or accountant, mock up realistic cash flow statements, income statements, balance sheets, and other financial projections that show your potential.

Polishing up your nail salon business plan

A nail salon business plan sets you up for success and helps you unlock new opportunities—from outside funding to professional partnerships. Taking the time to hone your competitive advantage, research your market, and create a financial plan will also prepare you for any obstacles as you move toward a grand opening.

Ahead of the big day, take the next crucial step: selecting a pricing strategy for your nail services.

The information above is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice and may not be suitable for your circumstances. Unless stated otherwise, references to third-party links, services, or products do not constitute endorsement by Yelp.

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How To Write The Perfect Nail Salon Business Plan (Free Template Inside)

A woman painting a client’s nails at a nail salon

When one decides to start a business venture, the first thing one focuses on is potential income. And a little birdie told us you were considering opening a nail salon.

Right off the bat, we must say you have great taste, going by your choice of industry and our blog. Let us provide you with an all-essential fact – The average nail salon industry earnings were estimated to gross $287,000 in revenues , with a 17% profit margin . So opening a nail salon might be a lucrative venture for you after all.

But how do you make sure your salon turns a profit consistently? The answer is – by writing a solid nail salon business plan.

Not only will such a plan make your nail salon easier to establish, but it will also equip you with the right tools to succeed in the industry. And the best part? Our step-by-step guide with a free downloadable template will make your job even easier!

We sincerely hope you keep making great choices and read on!

Going back to the basics

Before we delve into the planning, let us first discuss what a business plan truly is. Don’t think of it as a ton of documentation headache to get over with. Rather, think of it as a blueprint. In the hands of a talented architect such as yourself, that blueprint builds the foundation of your business.

A nail salon business plan lays down a roadmap for your salon from marketing, business development, and operational standpoints , by defining its various aspects in detail. It also includes a business summary, talking about the aims and objectives of the nail salon for the future.

So why do YOU need it?

Now that we understand what a business plan truly is, let us establish why it is important. This documentation is essentially a doorway between the past, present, and future.

Sounds far-fetched? Give us a chance to explain.

Did our extensive reasoning convince you?

Essentially, by creating a detailed business plan for your nail salon, you are capitalizing on your strengths and giving yourself a competitive edge . So it is imperative to business success, for a salon or any other enterprise.

And this entire blog is structured to be a business plan template for a nail salon. Maybe, made just for you!

What to include in a business plan

So what goes into this big plan we keep talking about? Listed below are the elusive parts. Read on to find out!

Getting started with market research

Getting down to business planning, getting a marketing plan underway.

Getting to operations planning

Creating an appendix

Compiling your detailed business plan.

Understanding your market is an essential part of starting and maintaining a successful business.

You have already begun your market research, you just didn’t know it (or maybe you did?). By looking up your prospective income, and even settling on the idea of creating a business plan for your future nail salon, you’re on the right track.

In this section, we will talk about conducting market research a bit more systematically.

Before we begin, let us introduce you to a fictional nail salon – ‘ ABC’s Nails ’. It will serve as our case study, to follow their journey of creating a business plan.

So far, for our convenience, they have finalized just their name. In the course of this blog, ABC’s Nails will go on to become a full-fledged nail parlor (on paper, of course). So let us write this nail salon business plan example together.

Customer selecting nail polish from sample

Analyzing the industry

Keep in mind that we’re writing for ABC’s Nails right now. The first step for us in analyzing the industry is looking up the market trends. According to marketresearch.com –

This information collected for ABC’s Nails will help us understand opportunities for growth as well as prepare us for any slow days.

We quickly document all this information under the industry analysis of our nail salon business plan and move to the next step.

Defining the target customer (base)

Now that we’re armed with the data about the market for ABC’s Nails, we look for possible customer segments.

An excellent way to approach this step is to create a profile or a persona of your customers. A customer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer(s). They’re usually created by interviewing various potential customers, and charting their information together.

To build a persona, consider their –

The below listed persona is from the nail salon business plan sample pdf that we’ve been creating for ABC’s Nails.

Description of target customer of nail salon

By creating multiple such personas, you ensure that you design your nail salon keeping all your customers in mind. This will be helpful in drawing up a marketing plan in later stages as well.

Again, we will add these customer insights in the respective tab in our business plan.

Doing the competitor research

Now ABC’s Nails may be prepared to accommodate their future customers’ wishes but how will they contend with their existing competitors?

By doing competitive research, of course! The answers to these questions can be filed directly in our report –

The answers to most of these questions can be found by looking at their websites online, or even physical directories.

To compile all this information, ABC’s Nails plans on using a table to add clarity to their information, as shown below, but you can choose to use paragraph formats as well.

Nail salon business plan competitor research example

Our nail salon’s business plan is well and truly underway. The next part will help us sculpt the structure of our future business.

Writing a mission statement

The first and foremost task for ABC’s Nails is defining our aims and goals for the business. A simple yet precise way to do so is by –

Nail salon business plan mission statement example

Once the mission statement is complete, be sure to append it to the growing, new nail technician business plan.

Selecting the products and services to offer

Once a general idea of the nail salon is created in the mission statement, the next step is to create lucrative services and select the right products to offer.

Tip: Make sure while selecting products you cater to both – your customer as well as your own values.

ABC’s Nails is planning on offering a few basic selections as follows –

This newly created list goes straight into the business description for a nail salon.

Nail polish displayed on shelf of nail salon

Setting the right prices

Now that the products and services are decided, we focus on setting the right pricing for the salon. Before setting the exact prices, we check –

Of course, certain personal factors are in play as well. Let’s say you plan on taking only a few customers per week and providing them the highest quality service. Also, take into consideration that you will be working only from 11am – 7pm on weekdays.

In such a scenario, we imagine your nail menu charges would be leaning more towards the higher end of the spectrum, such that your business turns a profit in the limited time you have available.

Once a catalog is prepared, it is also stored in the business plan we are compiling for ABC’s Nails.

(Sorry, no photo here. We don’t want to give away all our secrets after all 😉)

Choosing a location

The space we select for the salon will have a big impact on the overall business. Not only will it affect the spending but also the business goals and aesthetics.

Initially for our pride and joy, ABC’s Nails, we consider the following options –

Additionally, we have to keep in mind various factors that can affect our choices –

With these factors in mind, we went ahead with scoping out possible (albeit imaginary) locations and adding them to the plan.

Getting the licenses and insurance

Registering your business is considered to be an essential step in business activities. It requires forming the business entity and registering the business through the state government.

Below we compare the various types of businesses you can register as:

Table of comparison for the different types of businesses

Source – sba.gov

Along with a business license, it is common for nail salons to require a cosmetology establishment license before beginning operations .

Once you have acquired your licenses, make sure to store them safely. If you wish, you could add a copy to your business plan doc as well.

Calculating the startup cost

Now that the business processes have been dispensed with, it is now time to plan the budget for your nail salon. You can refer to the below estimate table we have prepared for ABC’s Nails.

Thus, an estimated minimum cost of $3,690 is found for ABC’s Nails . Depending on your location and other factors, your costs might be higher or lower.

Creating financial projections

A crucial part of any business plan is its financial projections. It shows the tentative spending as well as the estimated growth for the nail establishment.

Now that we have prepared both the revenue (or pricing) sheet and our spending (or startup cost) sheets, we analyze them together to be included as the nail salon financial plan.

Many small businesses close within the first couple of years of opening , as their spending is higher than their income.

We are preparing to avoid such a situation for our nail parlor, by creating the following charts to be included in the free sample business plan for ABC’s Nail salon-

This brings us to the end of our business planning section. Next, we tackle our marketing plan for ABC’s Nails.

This plan of ours is shaping up nicely. Good job, us! Now we move on to planning the marketing aspect to round up our plan.

Defining the market positioning

From ABC’s Nails mission statement and customer personas, we are clear on who we wish to cater to in terms of the customers. So now we define where we stand in the market.

Once we pen down the answers, we will be well equipped to understand where our business will fit in the market, and develop a marketing strategy effectively. Of course, we will be adding our answers to the business plan doc.

Brainstorming strategies to attract customers

Attracting customers is the most basic goal of a successful marketing strategy. As we start our business, our aim is to draw the attention of potential customers to our business and bring them in.

A few examples of such strategies are:

If you want to read more, take a gander at our other informative blog – nail salon marketing ideas .

Deciding the platforms to advertise on

As a direct business-to-consumer industry, your marketing will directly target your customers. You need to know who your customers are (the personas you created, remember?) and how you can reach them.

Before choosing our advertisement channels, we ask the following questions:

Based on these questions, and matching the answers with our customer personas, ABC’s Nails arrives at the conclusion that we will choose to advertise on –

As per usual, we make sure this has gone into our business plan.

Customer retention planning

Now, attracting customers is one thing, but retaining them requires building effective communication and strong connections.

Our favorite Nail Salon – ABC’s is planning on following this motto –

Loyal customers = Ambassadors

This means we’re going to be offering loyalty programs – a discount for customers who refer other customers. (We will quickly go and tweak our marketing budget now.)

Along with this, methods to retain customers can be

which can keep your clients coming back for more.

How do you streamline appointments, you ask? Well, simply by using a nail salon scheduling software such as Appointy , especially built to cater to the needs of a nail tech such as you. By investing in such an affordable software option you :

What’s more, is that you can integrate with RwG and provide a ‘book now’ button to nudge viewers of your salon’s page to take action and become your clients!

So what are you waiting for? Explore our nail salon software today .

Getting to operations planning

Yay! This is the second to last part of the business plan that you need to complete. Keep going.

Joyful nail techs servicing happy customers

Hiring employees

Unless you plan on operating a mobile nail parlor, you will need to hire a couple of employees. (However, our template still stands valid as a mobile nail salon business plan, if you wish to keep following it)

The hiring for ABC’s Nails will be done on the basis of these questions –

Based on this, we require at least 2 more nail technicians, who we will be able to pay well.

While interviewing, you can

Setting up a training plan

This will be an integral part of your nail salon’s success, as your employees will interact with your customers on a daily basis. What can we do to make sure that our service is on point? These steps –

Having a plan in place well ahead of time will help you train your employees properly, even in the busiest of times.

Linking the tech

In the 21st century, it is imperative that you fulfill the demands of all your customers – including Gen Zers. And they want the latest technology.

Setting up an Appointy booking page is very easy. As you can see in the below example, Covered Nail Bar is offering its customers a wide variety of services to choose from.

Preparing an expense report

When you are running a business, you are in charge of paying all the bills –

Filing away all these and then manually adding them to your balance sheets can be a laborious task. So using a fixed template each time will ease your burden greatly. You can choose to create your own spreadsheet or use one of these example templates .

Once you have your expenses entered, you can use the inbuilt functions of your spreadsheet to import them to your final balance sheet.

You are nearly at the end of creating your nail salon business plan.

Now what’s left is linking relevant supporting documents such as-

and any overhead costs or documents to your main business plan.

Essentially, by attaching such documents, you are solidifying your business venture and its proposal and showing that your business is indeed ready to be launched!

The end of this section marks the end of four main parts of the nail salon business plan.

Now that the grunt work has been dispensed with, it is smooth sailing ahead. Just one small, but rather important task and a shiny, new nail salon business plan will be ready.

Writing an executive summary

We are armed with all the information we could need about the nail salon we are establishing. What better time to write an executive summary than now?

In the summary, briefly tell your reader

If you were planning on submitting this report to secure funding, you should also include financial information and high-level growth plans. Just make sure that the summary does not exceed more than 1-2 pages!

Attach it at the very front of your business plan and you are all set.

Download the free nail salon business plan template!

Detailed and yet aesthetically pleasing, type in or print out to write in our professional business plan template today.

Hearty congratulations are in order! After all, if you were working along with us, you are now the proud writer of a shiny new nail salon business plan . And even if you were not writing, we are sure you can go back to the beginning and follow along the next time.

We covered the basics of writing a business plan for a nail salon in this blog. If you want more information on the basics of opening a nail establishment, we recommend you go through our other blog – How to Open a Nail Salon .

We wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor!

About Appointy We at Appointy, help business owners grow and run their businesses with our online scheduling software. This blog was a part of our ‘Manage your Business’ category, where we provide expert tips, and resources, or simply talk about the challenges that small and medium businesses face every day. If you have any thoughts on this blog or would like to chat about your business struggles and achievements, let us know in the comments below. We love a good talk!

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Table of Contents

What is a Nail Salon Business Plan?

Document Info

Nail Salon Business Plan

Nail salon business plan form.

A nail salon business plan form helps you write out how you plan to start, run, and market your business. It is a roadmap to your success. If you plan to seek out funding for your nail salon, you'll want to ensure that you complete the financial portion, the marketing portion, and clearly explain the services you'll provide and how you'll stand out from the competition.

Nail Salon Business Plan: What Is It?

Download a PDF or Word Template

Business Proposal

Business plan, sample nail salon business plan.

IMAGES

Salon Business Plan Templates
Ultimate Nail Salon Business plan for 2021 + Tips for success
Nail Salon Business Plan Template Package
a good day spa layout
Ultimate Nail Salon Business plan for 2021 + Tips for success
😀 Free salon business plan template. A Sample Nail Salon Business Plan Template. 2019-02-12

VIDEO

A beginner's guide to at-home manicures
Mani of the Month, March 2023
Fashion manicure/Stylish manicure
🔥🔥🔥Review Beauté Secrets Manicure Set Nail Clippers, Grooming Kit, Peeling Knife, Acne, Blackhead
Salon's Tour// Best Interior Design// Pedicure Station// Manicure Station #almalickbeautyparlour
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COMMENTS

Nail Salon Business Plan Example + Template (2023)
Sample Business Plan For a Nail Salon The links below provide an example of each essential component of a business plan for a nail salon: 1. Executive Summary 2. Company Overview 3. Industry Analysis 4. Customer Analysis 5. Competitive Analysis 6. Marketing Plan 7. Operations Plan 8. Management Team 9. Financial Plan
Nail Salon Business Plan Template & Guide [Updated 2023]
Below are links to each section of your nail salon business plan template: 1. Executive Summary 2. Company Overview 3. Industry Analysis 4. Customer Analysis 5. Competitive Analysis 6. Marketing Plan 7. Operations Plan 8. Management Team 9. Financial Plan 10. Appendix Next Section: Executive Summary > Nail Salon Business Plan FAQs
Salon Business Plan Template & Guide [Updated 2023]
For a salon business plan, your marketing plan should include the following: Product: in the product section you should reiterate the type of salon that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific services you will be offering. Price: Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors.
How to Write a Nail Salon Business Plan in 2023?
What Is a Nail Salon Business Plan? Your nail salon business plan does a lot more than track day to day operations. It's a competitive analysis of your own business, complete with market research, a financial plan, mission statement and long term strategy for promoting and growing your company.
Nail Salon Business Plan [Free Template]
This is the standard nail salon business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan. Executive Summary Mission statement Vision statement Customer Focus Management Team Success Factors Financial Summary 3 Year profit forecast Company Summary History Products and Services Salon Design
How to Start a Nail Salon Business 12 Simple Steps [2023]
A business plan will help your nail salon business in many ways. It will help you map out the start-up costs, overhead, and expected profits of your salon. But, It is important to be realistic in your estimates and to have a solid plan for marketing and advertising your salon.
Salon Business Plan Sample [2023 Updated]
Beauty salon business plan for starting your own salon service People like feeling good about themselves, and a salon business can help them to achieve that. The Professional Association estimates the salon and spa industry contributes approximately $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy
Nail Salon Business Plan Sample 2023
Here is a sample business plan for a nail salon of Glamor Studio. It will address all your questions regarding how to start your own nail salon. 3.3 How the nail salon business will be started Step1: Plan Everything The first step before starting a business is to develop a business plan.
Free Hair and Beauty Salon Sample Business Plan
Your hair and beauty salon business plan doesn't need to be hundreds of pages—keep it as short and concise as you can. You'll probably want to include each of these sections: executive summary, company summary and funding needs, products and services, marketing plan, management team, financial plan, and appendix.
THE BEST 10 Nail Salons in Santa Clara, CA
Best Nail Salons in Santa Clara, CA - Sassy Nail, Elite Nails , Kitchen Nail Bar - Sunnyvale, Angel Lovely Nail, QT Nails, Elite Nails And Spa 2, Charisma Nails & Waxing, Hi Nail Salon, T Nail Salon, Kitchen Nail Bar - Coleman
Beauty Salon Business Plan Template
This hair salon business plan template will help you structure the key components of your business plan document including an executive summary with a financial plan, a marketing plan, the products and services you intend to offer, an operations plan, and finally, details on the management team.
Nail Salon Business Plan [Sample Template for 2022]
A Sample Nail Salon Business Plan Template 1. Industry Overview A nails salon or nails bar as some people like to call it, is a specialty beauty salon trade that primarily offers nail care services such as manicures, pedicures, and nail enhancements. It is also needed to know that in most cases, nail salons also offer skin care services.
Top 10 Best Nail Salons in Santa Clara, CA
3. Kitchen Nail Bar - Sunnyvale. "I have been getting my nails done for years and was a very loyal customer to a nail salon for years." more. 4. Angel Lovely Nail. "Angel is truly the best nail salon in Santa Clara! I was struggling to find a good nail salon, and I..." more. 5. QT Nails.
Nail Salon Business Plan
During the first phase of your business planning, you spent some time considering what type of salon you hope to open and who it will cater to. At this phase, it is time to deal with the specifics. An excellent way to approach this step is to create a profile or persona of your ideal customer.
How to write a successful nail salon business plan
A nail salon business plan sets you up for success and helps you unlock new opportunities—from outside funding to professional partnerships. Taking the time to hone your competitive advantage, research your market, and create a financial plan will also prepare you for any obstacles as you move toward a grand opening.
How To Write The Perfect Nail Salon Business Plan
A nail salon business plan lays down a roadmap for your salon from marketing, business development, and operational standpoints, by defining its various aspects in detail. It also includes a business summary, talking about the aims and objectives of the nail salon for the future. So why do YOU need it?
Free Sample Nail Salon Business Plan Template
A nail salon business plan form helps you write out how you plan to start, run, and market your business. It is a roadmap to your success. If you plan to seek out funding for your nail salon, you'll want to ensure that you complete the financial portion, the marketing portion, and clearly explain the services you'll provide and how you'll stand out from the competition.
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