1. PSBI Home
 ›
2. Hot New Businesses
 ›
3. A Mobile Hair Salon

How To
Open A Hair Salon
That's Different

How to open a hair salon is not a unique business. Starting a beauty salon that travels to client homes is unique, especially when the focus is on serving senior women.

Just a few short years ago, who would have thought that you could start a hair salon specializing in providing services to the elderly and others.

Think about it. There are a host of women who are disabled, ill, house bound for any of many reasons or otherwise immobile. And these women exist right in your own community. This is how two friends started a unique business idea in their city: opening a hair salon that is mobile.

The Idea Started

Connie and Jeff both worked in a salon in San Antonio, Texas for five or so years. During the economic down turn they decided to cut their salon working hours to 30 each and try a new venture...open a hair salon in their car and take it to clients.

They came up with the idea for a traveling salon when three of their elderly clients complained about having to visit the salon instead of having the salon come to them.

They conducted market research by chatting with folks from the nonprofit Senior Citizens Council and other nonprofits serving the elderly. They needed to get a sense whether their idea to open a hair salon was viable. They then decided to try out their idea.

Two Powerful Resources

Connie and Jeff relied upon their experiences but supplemented that knowledge using this resource:

Marketing for Hair Salon Owners by Ben Barker. Knowing how to market a salon on the cheap gave Connie and Jeff a huge boost in optimism, as they were trying to decide whether to open a hair salon or not.

Start Marketing

Then, they took the following initial steps to start their business:

They informed their existing elderly clients and asked them to get their senior friends together for a "Senior Beauty Lifestyle Party." (Each who did received a free salon service.)

At each of these parties Connie and Jeff provided hot dogs, fried chicken and fruit and put together a program focusing on keeping senior women beautiful.

They also set up such programs (without food) at public libraries and at various venues (with food) identified by others.

They advertised on Craigslist (free).

They placed a small ad ($138 for 3 months) in the monthly newspaper distributed to seniors.

Long story short; the senior market responded in droves.

The Money Making Results

Nine months later they quit their employer. Seven months later they hired another hairdresser. Today, they contract with four others to provide their services.. They love it! They love it!!

Their business is simple: load their car up with hair care products, a few make-up products and necessary hair care and beauty supplies and off they go. Their cell phones are their office phones.

They have no extra client charges, just the normal fees they charged when they worked at the salon.

Now, they make money three ways:

1. By selling hair care and beauty products to clients (They split the profit with their contractor employees)
2. Their contract employees’ services to clients.
3. Their services to their own clients

Their advice to other salon owners throughout the world is to explore the senior market in their community. They suggest it is large and they know, it is a great profit generator.

Connie and Jeff were willing to think outside the box. It paid off big time for them. It can for you too!

Thank you for visiting How to Open a Hair Salon That’s Different.

Additional Professional Resources

National Hairdressers Federation

Professional Beauty Association

Additional Small Business Ideas