How to Start a Nail Salon

Many people want their nails to look beautiful and better than they can make them look at home. A nail salon provides manicures, pedicures and other nail treatments to make customers’ nails look great. Customers may come to have their nails done on a regular basis or for a special occasion.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start a nail salon by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Nail Salon
  2. Form your Nail Salon into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Nail Salon for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Nail Salon
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Nail Salon
  7. Get Nail Salon Insurance
  8. Define your Nail Salon Brand
  9. Create your Nail Salon Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your nail salon. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Nail Salon Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a nail salon?

Most nail salons are at least 1,000 square feet, and building out a salon typically costs between $75 and $125 per square foot. This comes to a total build-out cost of $75,000 to $125,000 for a 1,000-square-foot salon.

Business owners who are looking to reduce the startup costs for a nail salon may be able to purchase used equipment from a previous salon owner, or even lease space that has previously housed a salon. Finding a location where a salon closed will greatly reduce buildout costs.

Alternatively, business owners might be able to find a location where a property owner will build to suit. In build-to-suit agreements, property owners usually build a facility to the tenant’s specifications, and the tenants agree to a lease.

What are the ongoing expenses for a nail salon?

The ongoing expenses for a nail salon business include supply costs, employee’s wages (whether salaries or commissions), taxes, rent, maintenance on equipment and insurance. Supply costs are usually between 2 and 8 percent of sales.

Who is the target market?

A nail salon business’ ideal customer is someone who cares about their appearance, appreciates fashion and has some discretionary income. Such a person is likely able and willing to spend money to make their nails look good. Most salons’ customers are primarily women, but salons also serve men.

How does a nail salon make money?

A nail salon makes money by charging customers for manicures, pedicures and similar treatments. Some also sell premium nail care products.

How much can you charge customers?

Nail salon businesses offer a number of different nail services. Manicures typically range between $15 and $25, and pedicures are usually between $25 and $45. Other major treatments include:

  • Full gel sets ($45 to $75)
  • Full acrylic sets ($30 to $60)
  • Silk nails ($10 to $15)

Fillers, polishes and repairs are needed between full sets. These kinds of services range from $3 (for some repairs) to $30 (for gel polishes).

How much profit can a nail salon make?

A single nail salon business might bring the owner between $40,000 and $75,000 each year. The business model is easily scalable, though. Some nail salon owners have lots of locations and are millionaires.

How can you make your business more profitable?

A nail salon business can increase its revenue by upselling customers with additional services and selling premium nail care products. Since salons already use high-end products, it’s easy to sell these to customers who want to take better care of their nails at home.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your nail salon is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your nail salon were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a nail salon. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

In particular, most states require retail businesses to obtain a seller’s permit. A seller’s permit allows states to record and collect taxes from goods (and sometimes service) sales.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Music Licensing

In order to play music in a business setting, permission must be acquired from the composer or license holder. Typically, it is possible to obtain a “blanket” license allowing businesses to play music owned by a large catalog of artists and recording studios. Such licenses can be obtained from Performance Rights Organizations, such as ASCAP or BMI.

Certificate of Occupancy

A nail salon is generally run out of a small retail location. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

  • If you plan to lease a retail location:
  • If you plan to purchase or build a nail salon:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your nail salon business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Nail Salon needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Nail Salon.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a nail salon

Because nail salons primarily serve a local area, marketing efforts should focus on reaching residents and workers in the nearby community. Discounted services are one way to get customers in the door initially, but this strategy may only attract one-time customers who are looking for a bargain.

Another way to get customers in is by partnering with another local business, such as a DJ or new caterer, to host a little party. Customers may be willing to pay for a treatment during a special event that includes music and light refreshments.

One of the best ways to consistently grow a nail salon’s business is through word-of-mouth advertising. For this reason, it’s important to provide excellent service so that people will mention your salon to friends and family. Encouraging customers to leave online reviews can also help draw people to the salon.

How to keep customers coming back

Nail salons can develop loyal customers by consistently providing excellent service and following proper hygiene protocols. Offering loyalty cards that give customers a free treatment after a certain number of services is a way to keep customers coming back more frequently.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

The ideal nail salon owner is someone who appreciates fashion and beauty. In addition, a nail salon owner must be personable and friendly, as providing customers with a comfortable, pleasant atmosphere assures that they will return in the future and increases the chance that they will recommend your salon to those in their social sphere. It is very helpful for business owners to either possess prior business knowledge/experience or the willingness to educate themselves about business practices. 

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a nail salon?

A nail salon business owner may spend a portion of their time providing services for customers, which involves:

  • Scheduling appointments for customers
  • Giving customers manicures, pedicures and other treatments
  • Restocking supplies as they’re used
  • Cleaning equipment between customers

Most salons, however, employ nail technicians who also perform these tasks. Having technicians gives business owners time to focus on other tasks, such as:

  • Forecasting sales and scheduling technicians as appropriate
  • Recruiting and training new technicians as needed
  • Managing all technicians employed by the salon
  • Marketing and growing the business
  • Ordering supplies as they’re used
  • Overseeing the operations of the nail salon

Even when performing tasks like these, owners still have chances to (and should) connect with customers. Many of these behind-the-scenes activities are still done within the salon, so owners regularly see their salon’s customers. Talking with customers both builds connections with them and helps owners know their salon better.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful nail salon?

A nail salon business owner should be knowledgeable in nail care and treatments. There are many courses available for nail technicians that cover topics such as infections, infection control, pedicures, manicures and nail art. The New York Institute of Beauty offers one program, but there are schools throughout the country. The Professional Beauty Association also offers courses. How to Start a Nail Salon Business is a useful book for those who don’t want to take a class.

What is the growth potential for a nail salon?

A nail salon business can be as small as a single location, or it can be as large as a national chain. Successful salons sometimes open multiple locations within a single city or geographic region.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

How and when to build a team

Most nail salons have several nail technicians on staff when they open. Multiple technicians are needed so salons can be open every day (or almost every day) and throughout most of the day. Technicians typically make between $22,000 and $43,000 annually, with their compensation being largely commission based. Technicians often make between 35 and 60 percent of the value of the treatments they perform.

As a salon grows, it may become expedient to hire the following additional staff:

  • Receptionist(s) (with a salary of $17,000 to $29,000 annually)
  • Salon manager (with a salary of $21,000 to $47,000 annually)
  • Aesthetician (with a salary of $23,000 to $56,000 annually)
  • Manicurist (with a salary of $20,000 to $50,000 annually)

Useful Links

TRUiC Resources

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading