If you are in the business of starting up your hair salon or perhaps looking for a side business besides your day job.
There are a variety of different types of salons you can choose to open for yourself or a family member to operate on your behalf. However, if this is not you and you are simply looking for a place where you can frequent to for a haircut or getting rid of those pesky greys, we’ve got you covered.
In North Carolina, the modernized hair industry has shot up, especially since a lot of startups couldn’t make it through the COVID pandemic and lost a lot of businesses.
But the good news is, many new and upcoming hairstylists are venturing out towards their establishments or branching out to opening new and improvised state of the art salons.
This article will cover the different types of barbershops and beauty shops that you could get a good idea from if you are looking to expand.
The Spa Salon Kind
The majority of us have heard of Spas, where you would go to get an assortment of different treatments, from massages to facials and thermal experiences, and there are many to choose from including a day spa, hotel, resort or destination spa. Click here to find out what each one entails.
However, did you know that there are also salon spas? Typically hidden inside of existing establishments and retreats, these are self-contained and can be set up either at a country club, hotel or resort.
These offer exclusive services related to your hair. Included in their services are haircuts, hair treatments, coloring, styling and more. The difference between these and your typical high street businesses is that with these the emphasis is on ‘luxury’.
Needless to say, it is a specific clientele that goes here, and one that can afford their services. Similar to your retreats, everything is done in the owner’s power to help make the client feel at home, well taken care of and luxurious, from the moment they enter this type of salon.
They would also offer complementary services such as beauty treatments and also healthy offerings like tea, and cookies as part of the unique advantage of the business.
So if you are looking to open something that leans towards a specific customer base, more so, the high-end ones, this could be a great offering for you to open.
The High Street Kind
We have all seen these. Placed in corners of streets or high streets, these types of businesses offer almost anything from haircuts to cuts and coloring, perms, wash and dry services, and more.
They would commonly have their advertisements stuck on their large shop windows in the form of a big bold poster featuring a good-looking person with great hair and oftentimes, their price cards too.
When setting these types of services, you will need a good location as well as good advertising and bold colors to attract passersby’s your business hours would also be different from the others like the spa varieties.
Sometimes it may be longer than the next guy, but sometimes you can choose to keep it between typical business hours.
According to statistics, the busiest day of the week would be on a Friday for most customers coming to get their hair done. In North Carolina, the most popular cities, such as Charlotte or Raleigh, have between 400 – 900 different salons.
Suffice to say, you will have your work cut out for you if you add you to the list, but with good advertising and promotional activities, you could be one of the best.
Some helpful strategies can be found here: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/abrams/2015/09/18/strategies-7-small-business-marketing-tricks/72350974/
The Mobile Business Kind
There is also the option of the mobile business that is worth considering, and many have done so and been successful.
This is one of the best and most low-cost services you can offer. It is also geared at a particular niche of clients, for example, those who have mobility issues and cannot drive or walk to the salon, or you can offer these services to a healthcare facility or care home for the elderly.
Everyone wants to look good no matter what age they are and everyone deserves a bit of pampering now and then. Sometimes families with the mom, dad and children call a mobile hairdresser to service the entire family.
There is one disadvantage which is traveling, but if you budget it correctly, you can include the cost of your transport in the services you offer without having to hike up the prices too much.
When You Are a Customer
If, however, you’re not looking to start a business but rather looking for a place to frequent to get your hair done, some of the best cities in North Carolina include Charlotte.
The best way to find them is to do an online search 1 or 2 miles radius in your local area, and most often the Google or Safari search engine will spit out some of the best places listed under haircut near me if they are good, they will be on that list, and who knows, perhaps they can become your barbershop for the next few years.
When doing your search, there is often a ton of information on the business website related to the services, and also images of before and after at times. Go through these, and if you are happy, give them a call.
The most popular salons, include services such as haircuts for all lengths and styles, such as the long cut or the short cut, highlights if you’re feeling adventurous, color, and if you are lucky you may find a good deal at your local shops such as getting a free haircut if you refer the establishment to friends or a certain percentage off on your birthday or next visit.
There are tons of well-established and friendly places you can go to, but always make sure the hairdressers are professionals and can give you the best advice.