The success of a salon business depends on it location

Location plays an important role in the making or breaking of a salon and spa business. The success of a
salon business depends on how much easy it is to reach it. It is ideal to choose an area that has a lot of
offices and other commercial establishments as that, more often than not, ensures a steady stream of
customers.

Vandana Bhardwaj, Director, Marie Claire Paris Salon, Nails, Wellness and Academy in India, said,
Location is the most important thing. It can be considered as the Father of a successful salon and spa
business.

Ensuring High Footfall

One must always keep in mind to choose a location which has high footfall and can be reached easily.
The location should be popular and well connected with the local areas to allow customers to find it
without any trouble.

Environment and Surrounding

It is important to choose a location which is situated in a proper surrounding.

Vibha Khanna Rastogi, Director of Sawadhee Traditional Thai Spa, said, Most of the Spas in Delhi (apart
from 5-star hotels) are situated in busy markets, malls or by-lanes with cramped up rooms and do not
give a sense of peace and tranquillity, which is so essential for a good spa.

Prateek Singh, Business Development Officer, Gallantry Salon, said, In this business, the ratio of male
and female is equal, so location matters a lot to garner customers of both genders. One should check
whether theres a wine or alcohol shop nearby. It should be located on the ground floor for easy access.
The store should be visible and in a pleasant location.
In Sync with your theme

Make your choice of location and theme wisely. The two must fit together. In this industry, reputation
and word of mouth will prevail. A successful blending of the appropriate elements will bring repeat
customers, and those steady customers will bring their friends. The bottom line is, it must be the right
location for you.

you’ve done your research around opening a salon and are now ready to turn your dream into a reality,
then the next step is a crucial one for your business – finding the perfect location for it!

Without doubt, this is one of the most important decisions you have to make, and even though it might
not seem it, it can be quite challenging. It’s vital that you do plenty of research about every location and
find one that will work well for both you and your clients. There are many factors to consider and we’ve
pulled together our top tips on what to look for when choosing a location for your salon.

Make your salon easy to find

When selecting a location, it’s important that the store is visible and easily accessible by car, passersby
and public transport. If you have a dedicated client base that will be continuing to visit you for
treatments, it’s vital you are situated somewhere they can actually reach you without too much hassle.

If you want to grab people’s attention, try and make sure that you are located on a main road or in a
busy area so they can easily see your business and pop in for treatments. Being situated in a well-known
place will also help new customers easily locate you. It’s simple – If people can see you, then you are
more likely to attract business rather than tucked away losing it!

We’d also suggest looking at the lighting outside of the salon to make sure it’s well lit. Many hair and
beauty appointments often take place in out of work hours, such as evenings and weekends, so make
sure the area is well lit to ensure clients feel safe and welcome at all times. Check to see if there are
street lights around or where it’s possible to light up your salon if lighting is limited.

If you’re not looking to locate within a town or city centre, ensure that your salon has a car park. Free
parking will appeal to clients as they won’t have to worry about where to leave their car when visiting
you for treatments. Even if you can only offer limited spacing, there’s a relatively fast turnover of clients
so spaces will continue to free up quickly throughout the day.

Know the local clientele

Before launching your salon, carry out market research around your chosen location to consider the
type of people that live within the area. You should already have in mind what type of client you’d like
to attract so consider whether your products and services will appeal to them.

Once you understand your audience, you can style your salon and target it towards them. If you are
looking to open a fresh, fun and creative salon then you might be best setting up close to a town or city,
whereas if you’re looking at offering services to an older audience, then the suburbs may be a much
better place to locate. One of the vital things to take away – understand your local audience.

Research competitors

When discovering different locations for your salon, take the time to consider the other salons within
the area. What services are they offering for clients? What are the costs of the treatments? What do
they specialise in?

Make sure that there’s a gap within the market for you to set up close by. There would be no point in
setting up a beauty salon that offers the same treatments as one down the road. You’ll only find yourself
in direct competition with them and may struggle to attract new clients, as many customers will remain
loyal to their current salon.

Set up close to other relevant businesses

To retain a successful business, it’s a good idea to set up your salon close to other businesses, as this can
actually attract new clients for you. If you open near a set of small shops, there’s a higher chance that
people might pop in and book an appointment.

Ensure these businesses are relevant, however, and attract customers similar to your own.

The cost of setting up a salon

When considering the location of your salon, think about how much it’s going to cost you. If you have
your sights set on being in a town or city centre, then you should expect to pay much higher costs
compared with an outer suburb salon. You might be keen on a particular area, and it might be really
accessible for clients but you must be sure the salon is within your means and budget. In quieter
periods, will you still be able to comfortably pay rent on top of bills and wages? If not, you’ll need to
consider a different location.

Consider the size of the salon

Although the outside of the salon might look great and tick all the right boxes – one of the other factors
to consider is both the layout and sizing of the salon.

If this is your first business, you may think you need to buy a big salon with the intention of expanding in
the future. However, do you actually need all this space right now? You might need more space if you’ll
be renting out a chair to a freelance makeup artist or other therapist, but if not, you might be forking
out for unnecessary rent and utilities that are simply not needed.

On the other hand, avoid choosing a salon that’s too small as you and your customers need adequate
space to move around without it feeling tight and confined. Carefully plan everything you need to fit
within the space, including product displays, chairs, mirrors, equipment and waiting area.