The New Owner's Handbook

Opening a salon is a big decision, and most of the mistakes happen before the first client sits down.

New owners make the same mistakes in the same order. They sign a lease they did not understand, buy equipment they did not need, pick a pay model by accident, and open with no systems and no plan. Then they spend years fixing decisions they made in the first three months.

I wrote The New Owner's Handbook so you make those decisions on purpose, and in the right order. It is free. Download it, read it with a pen, and bring it to your attorney and your CPA before you sign anything.

Download The New Owner's Handbook (PDF)

Who this is for

  • You are thinking about opening your own salon and want to know what it really takes.
  • You just signed a lease, or you are about to, and want to get the build-out, legal setup and first hires right.
  • You are a stylist deciding between booth rent, a suite, or opening a salon with a team.

What is inside

Seven parts, in the order you will face them:

  1. Decide first. Are you ready to own, which pay model fits you, and what you will be known for.
  2. The numbers before you open. Your startup budget, how much cash to have in the bank, and your break-even.
  3. The space. Choosing a location, reading the lease, the build-out, and your opening inventory.
  4. Make it legal. Business setup, licenses, insurance, and keeping your money clean from day one.
  5. Build the team. Finding your first team, your first hire, and the interview and offer.
  6. Open. The 90 days before you open, a countdown checklist, and your first 90 days after.
  7. The owner's reference. The questions to ask before you sign anything, and a plain-English glossary.

The numbers I teach every owner

  • 20% profit after you pay yourself. Break-even is the floor, not the goal.
  • Rent near 10% of the revenue you can really reach in year one.
  • 85% prebook. Out of every 100 clients who leave, 85 have their next visit on the books.
  • Retail at 20% of your service sales.
  • Six months of runway in the bank before you open: rent, payroll and your own living costs.
  • Reply to every inquiry within five minutes. A lead that waits an hour books somewhere else.

One important note

This book teaches you how to think and gives you smart starting points. It is not legal, tax or real estate advice. Learn it here. Sign it with professionals.

After you open

This handbook gets you through opening day and your first 90 days. It is one book in The Salon Operating Library, the set of handbooks inside The Salon CEO Operating System. Where it points to another book, the key idea is explained right there, so you can use it on its own. After your first 90 days, The Salon CEO Operating System takes over. It walks you through four sprints that take you from a new salon to one that runs without you.

See The Salon CEO Operating System

Not ready for that yet? Start with the 30 Day Free Challenge.