Crunching some numbers, it has been estimated that the beauty industry in the UK was worth £27 billion just three years ago. Yes, the pandemic struck, but the industry is on the rise again. Why? Because men, women and children will always need haircuts alongside pampering themselves with a pedicure, a manicure or a spa treatment.
If beauty has always been a passion of yours and you’ve always thought about opening a beauty salon, now is the perfect time. But partnering with a franchise partner means getting all the necessary support and resources you need to get started.
So, to find out more about what it takes to get started, take a look below.
Table of contents:
- What does a beauty salon do?
- Why consider running this type of franchise?
- What skills do you need to have?
- How to open a beauty salon
- Step 1: Prior preparation
- Step 2: Align your objectives with the right franchisor
- Step 3: Consider the costs involved
- Step 4: Getting started
- Beauty salon opportunities
- Concluding thoughts
What does a beauty salon do?
From the barber shops in our communities to the more high-end beauty salons, these establishments offer a whole lot more than complete hair care. They can delve into manicures and pedicures, aesthetics and beauty, spa treatments, unisex services and all this while using natural and ecological products.
But apart from the services beauty salons provide, there’s a varied need for a wide range of tasks to ensure that a salon is run smoothly. Some daily tasks you could find yourself doing include back room and front store operations such as:
- Processing invoices, staff records, etc.
- Communicating with suppliers
- Ensuring smooth business operations
- Performing actual services (depending on how hands-on you’d like to be)
- Recruiting team members
- Marketing and social media management
- Growing your knowledge base
Why consider running this type of franchise?
Running a beauty salon franchise comes with a whole lot of perks. So, why should you consider running this type of franchise business? Here are a couple of things to consider:
- Customer demand is constant and growing. And with continued innovation in the industry, you’ll always have clients looking for your services.
- Beauty salon franchises are quite easy to get to market. Especially if you have the right franchisor at your side guiding you all the way through.
- It can be personally rewarding as you can put your skills to great use and be as hands-on or hands-off as you like.
- The entry costs can be competitively low. This means not requiring a fortune to get started. As such, investment opportunities in this sector are quite lucrative and affordable.
- The daily life of a beauty salon owner will always be dynamic and exciting. No two clients will ever be the same and this can be encouraging whilst you also enjoy flexibility in running your own business.
- There’s great room to grow your business and expand your franchise over time.
What skills do you need to have?

Starting a beauty business doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to have experience in hairdressing, aesthetics or personal care and hygiene. What will be of an advantage to you is if you have a penchant for organisation, a strong eye for detail and talent in recruitment and staffing.
Other good skills that are nice to have include that you’re capable of managing a team, you have good business acumen and strong communication skills and you can work well under pressure.
Technological know-how for operating certain beauty equipment and products, and some minimum safety and competency qualifications, which your franchisor can help you with can also be beneficial.
How to open a beauty salon
Opening your beauty salon franchise business will require prior preparation, as with any business venture you could embark on. However, we’ve narrowed it down to four simple steps, which should help you along the way. Take a look.
Step 1: Prior preparation
This is where you start doing your research. Firstly, you’ll need to think about the niche that you’d like to get involved in. There’s so much on offer in the beauty industry and you’re unlikely to be able to specialise in everything. However, choosing a niche that you feel confident in is a great starting point.
Once you’ve narrowed this down, you must also study the market. Here are some questions that are worth thinking about:
- What sort of demand is there for the services you’d like to offer?
- Which geographical area will you be serving?
- What types of customer demographics is this area defined by?
- Will you offer high-end or middle-range treatments and services?
Step 2: Align your objectives with the right franchisor
Having asked yourself some of these difficult questions posed above, it’s time to research the right franchisor to align with your needs. Choosing a franchise partner can seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. With our franchise portal, you’ve got an entire franchisor directory at your fingertips.
When you’ve selected one or a few potential franchisors to speak with, it’s time to get as much information from them as possible. This will mean initial meetings and get-to-know-you’s. It will mean attending discovery days.
At the end of it all, you’ll need to select one and then when ready, sign the franchise agreement.
Step 3: Consider the costs involved
Finances are not a small detail to be overlooked. They play a critical role in determining whether you can get access to the financing required to get your beauty salon franchise business up and running. Therefore, it’s important to understand the franchise costs and fees, as well as the hidden costs associated with buying a franchise.
Luckily, there are various investment levels that are on offer by multiple different franchisors. It’s a matter of finding the right match to suit your needs and financial ability.
The good news is that in many cases, your franchisor will either be able to put you in touch with a lender who they’ve established a business relationship with or because of the attractiveness and better probability of success a franchise business offers – you’ll be able to approach a lender directly and then seek out their assistance in helping you finance your business operations.
Step 4: Getting started
Your franchisor will be able to offer you both training and support to help your business get off the ground. But they’ll do much more than this.
Franchisors also offer you continuous support so that your business truly thrives. Whether it’s allocating a specially designated business development manager to you or offering you courses and knowledge hubs along the way, you’ll never feel stuck, alone or confused about the next steps.
When you get started, you’ll have to work on finding the right premises, working on the shop design and build, securing customers, charging appropriate fees and providing an exceptional customer service experience.
There’s also marketing that goes along with your responsibilities. But in many cases once again, the franchisor you’ve chosen will be able to assist you with this task.
Beauty salon opportunities
And now for the all-important part: looking for the right franchise beauty salon opportunities.
Wondering where to start? Fear not. We’ve got you covered. Our franchise portal is easy to navigate and you can quickly and at a glance see a range of franchise opportunities in the health and beauty industry. Some top picks we have selected from our portal include the following:
Concluding thoughts
Are you ready to open your own beauty franchise in the UK? If yes, that’s great news! And you’ve come to the right place. Remember that the industry is highly lucrative and there’s space to really niche out and offer combinations of unique services.
Set yourself apart from the rest and make the right decision for yourself by choosing a franchisor to partner with. It’s a worthwhile investment that will see you getting support all the way through your business relationship. And if you need professional guidance, Franchise Fame is here to help you throughout the process of developing your franchise business.