How to Start a Hair Braiding Business
Is hair braiding perhaps the only thing you know about hairdressing and you don’t know what to do with it? Rest assured it is enough to make money in these days and age. All you need to know about starting a hair braiding business will be explained in this article.
People pay an average of $70 to get their hair braided and many other hair braiding specialists and business owners make a lot more money depending on different factors including the location. You can start your hair braiding business from home or offer your clients home services before you finally get a proper salon- this shows how relatively easy it can be.
Factors to consider before starting a hair braiding business
As you move closer to setting up your business, there are a few things you must consider which would help you make the right decisions, they include:
Demography
One of the first things to remember as far as making hair is concerned is that hair braiding is not common among people who are part of some certain cultures. If you are setting up your hair braiding business without understanding the demography, your business will not see the light of day. Hair braiding appeals to some cultures, while there are other cultures that do not fancy hair braiding much.
As far as culture is concerned, hair braiding is very common among the African people especially due to the texture of their hair which means that people of African descent should be your number one target. Hair braiding has been the premier hair styling technique among the African people since the beginning of time and more hair braiding styles are being invented by people of this culture to meet the fashion standards of today.
On the other hand, hair braiding is not common among Europeans and very unpopular among Asians mostly due to the texture of their hair. The majority of people of European descent usually wear their hair long and straight. However, on few occasions, like weddings, some people choose to braid a few portions of their hair- usually a few large rows. In most cases, people who are not of African ancestry who braid their hair usually do not need to go to a hairdresser to make their hair.
Having realized this, you will make sure that the location of your business and the customers you are targeting will be people of African descent, therefore, you r focus should go towards setting up your shop in a location where the majority are these sorts of people. Even if you live in Europe or Asia, you must make sure you consider the heritage of the people in that location before you start your business because failure to do this would mean that you are robbing your business of income.
Potential for expansion
Before you open your business, you must consider its potential for expansion and sometimes create it yourself. You have to take an honest look at the plan and ask some very important questions. Starting a hair braiding business is usually easier than maintain it and keeping it alive.
As long as you have the money, get a big space for your salon. This is one of the biggest ways of ensuring that your business has potential for expansion. With enough space, more ideas will come even if you do not have all the necessary equipment to fill up the place at the start.
As far as the actual location where you wish to site the business goes, have a thorough look around to see how the level of competition will provide room for you to do more. If you are in a neighborhood where the other hair braiding salon only offers a few services in a small shop, you can take advantage of the situation and plan better for the future of your own business. In this case, even if you can only start small, you know that the moment you add more services to what you already offer and if you get a larger space, then you will automatically trump the competition.
Your members of staff should also be carefully selected if you want to have a chance to expand your business in the future. Before you hire a stylist, make sure they have other skills that your business can use in the future so that whenever you are ready to do more, there would be no need to worry about getting extra help or paying for extra training for your staff. The quality of your employees will determine your hair braiding business’s potential for expansion.
Who would be a good fit
Even though anyone who loves hair braiding and is skilled in the field can start the business, running this business will suit persons with these qualities better.
A Hair enthusiast
The first thing on the mind of anyone who is hoping to start a hair braiding business must be hair. You should eat hair (not literally though), sleep hair, dream hair, wake up to the smell of hair products, have a catalog of hair magazines and follow hair trends. Your love for hair should be unparalleled and that should be the first thing that drives you in this business, not money.
A hair enthusiast will know the latest hair products and some will go as far as purchasing these products to have an actual experience of what using the product feels like. They watch every hair product commercial and they even make reviews and comment on their experience with using the product. This quality will help you confidently advice your clients on what products to buy and what not to buy.
Hair enthusiasts also follow hair models and buy or subscribe to hair magazines where they can get new ideas on new styles while keeping up with their favorite hair celebrities. They follow top hair celebrities, hair braiding salons and hair care companies online. Everything about hair is their cup of tea and that is an attribute of someone who will run a successful hair business.
Discreet
A hair braiding salon, just like most hair and beauty salons, has become a place where people feel free to bare their souls and communicate freely with like-minded individuals. People sometimes spend hours waiting in line before they finally get their hair braided and in order to lighten up the mood the business owner usually engages them in light conversations. These conversations can evolve from general topics like weather, politics, education and hair care to more personal issues like relationships, parenting, and even health-related issues. The gravity of some of these topics means that a hair braiding salon must be a place where discretion is a policy. Maintain a business where everyone feels that both they and their secrets are safe.
As the owner of a hair braiding business, you must be tactful and encourage tactfulness in your place of business as well because confidential information gets out in the open by accident while sometimes a client deliberately asks you for advice or an opinion on a matter. You must also educate your staff on the importance of tactfulness and strongly forbid them from discussing people’s issues outside of work- what happens in the shop stays in the shop.
Not all paying customers go to hair braiding salons to get their hair done, some clients have no friends to share pressing concerns with and with time, they will make you their confidant. Some would schedule appointments just so that they can have a conversation with you or be in an environment where they can have healthy conversations and then pay for your services. If secrets keep flying out of your shop, your business will lose its reputation.
A People person
Running a hair braiding business involves interaction with people on a regular basis and this is where your people skills come in. Most people value their hair and many of them treat their hair like a temple which means that anyone who would be in charge of their valuable asset must prove that they care about their hair just as much as they care about them. It takes some skill to be able to get people to trust you especially when they must have previously had a bad experience.
From the moment a customer walks through the door, you should show a degree of care for the person and their hair by complimenting them and asking them about their hair history. Talk about their preferred hair products and look for a way to share similar stories with them so that they can feel that you understand them. This will make it easier for you to recommend products, especially if you also sell hair products, and other new braids you think they should try.
A people person will easily build a good relationship with their clients and this quality will also help you understand the importance of maintaining a discreet hair braiding environment as failure to do so could give you a bad reputation.
An Artist
Hair braiding is more than just a vocation, it is an art. There are lots of photos of beautiful braids and fresher ways of making cornrows among other hair braiding styles on the internet that are considered a work of art and these can only be done by artists. Anyone who wishes to start a hair braiding business must be an artist. There is already a plethora of hair braiding styles to choose from, however, you can improve on them and add your own unique touch to them to make them stand out.
And artist is also known for originality, thus, you should be someone who imagines, sketches and finds ways of practicing the new styles before pulling them off. You should be a person who understands colors; the right blend, the right amount and other little details that will make you offer more quality services to your clients.
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Practical steps to starting a hair braiding business
Starting a hair braiding business involves some know-hows and processes to take it from conception to completion. They include the following:
Learn the trade
In order to run a successful hair braiding business, you must know about what hair braiding entails- this is the first step to starting your business. A lot of people who have had success in running a hair braiding business have all developed the interest since when they were younger and with that, they learned more about the craft until they became very good at it. Learn how to braid hair, get more familiar with hair care products and if you can, get some work experience at a hair braiding salon so that overseeing this type of business will not seem new to you.
Plan your hair braiding business
Every business needs a solid plan- a hair braiding business is no exception. Important details about your business and the shape you want it to take must be properly documented. A proper business plan points out various areas that will affect the business like the business name, the location you are considering, the target customer, means of reaching out to your target customer, pros and cons of starting the business as well as your realistic expectations in the long run. A business plan will make it easier for you to get investors on board and also get a loan if need be. When you are done planning your business, have it registered by the appropriate authorities, depending on the location of your business, and then insure your business.
Open your business
This is the fun part where everything you’ve planned and dreamed of finally comes to fruition before your eyes. As soon as you secure the necessary permits and have the law on your side, get a place and open your business. You will have to make people aware that you’d be opening before the day you intend to open and then the necessary equipment and manpower must have already been carefully selected. Start with something fun, let people love the place- and you- then offer services at a reduced rate to get people coming in in the early stages. Make sure all the activities are captured and posted to your social media accounts.
Join a hair braiding business owners’ association
Every legit business (and even some illegal businesses) has different associations that guide their members in their respective industries. After you have your business registered and have set up your shop, another way to secure your business is to join a relevant association. Start by checking the area for local associations for hair braiding business owners and join at least one of them; with time, you can join more. Being a member of an association of this nature will keep you informed on recent developments in the industry, give you an extra platform to market your business and make friends in the industry.
Create a strong online presence
There is a lot a hair braiding business has to show to the world, especially on social media. Hair braiding salons take pictures of freshly braided hair and post them online for people to see. Many businesses have attracted new customers just by uploading great pictures online. If you must, then ask a professional photographer to take side view, back view, and top view pictures of your clients, including before and after shots, to highlight the transformation. Make sure you create time to interact with people online when they ask questions or need to make an appointment.
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Other ways to make money in this business include:
Teaching hair braiding
Anyone who is really good at something and has achieved success in that area should pass the knowledge on to others and make money in the process. This is very common among hair braiding business owners. Many of them host seminars and workshops to train other people on how to develop the skill while others even go as far as making manuals to help people who are new to this line. You can as well make extra income by teaching people how to braid hair.
Set up a workshop in the vicinity of your business and seek the help of influential people in the location to sponsor the training so it can be more affordable for those interested in going for the training. Get all the necessary materials you will need for the training and invite another specialist, if need be, so that they can also teach people more about hair braiding. This training can be done virtually as well with software like Zoom to help people communicate regardless of how far apart they are from each other.
Many hair braiding business owners and specialists have social media accounts and channels like YouTube, where they don’t just advertise their businesses but teach people how to make braids on these platforms. Open various accounts online for your business, especially YouTube, and teach people how to braid hair, with more followership, “likes” and views, you will be making lots of extra income.
Not only will you teach people how to braid hair, you will also teach them how to make braided wigs as well. Provide the materials or ask each person to come with theirs and practice together. Let all these activities be captured and recorded on camera so that they can be used for future adverts and social media marketing.
Making wigs
A good means of making more money in the hair braiding business is through making wigs. Wigs come in many forms; some are defined by their color, some are straight, some are curly while some are braids. Most women wear wigs, and women who do use at least two or three wigs per year because wigs fade and lose elasticity with time depending on their quality and how frequently they are used. More women crave wigs these days, especially the ones with busy schedules, and this opens up an opportunity to make money seeing that there is demand for it.
Get the necessary tools you need for the wig; the cap you will weave the braids on to, the synthetic or real hair you wish to use, the mannequin that will serve as your model and others. Braid the hair neatly on to the cap and put it up for sale. The quality of the wig, the neatness and the style will increase its value.
Selling hair products
The average hair braiding business owner sells other hair products like conditioner, wigs and hair extensions to make extra money because they have a big chance of selling them to their clients and in some cases the money they make from braiding hair alone is not enough. In order to sell hair products, you must first be well informed on the product, including how it was made, how to use it and the best way to store it. You might need a license or permit to sell some hair products like conditioners and shampoos which have chemicals in them.
To be on the right side of the law, make your findings and see if there will be a need to get a permit in order to sell other products in your salon. If you need one, don’t hesitate to meet the necessary requirements and get the permit but if not then get the extra knowledge you need about the products and start selling them.
Renting out extra space
This is common among people who own hair care businesses and salons; they tend to either share a space and split the rent initially or find someone to use and pay for the extra space they have available later on. When you find out that you are using too much space for a handful of staff and equipment, you should consider sharing your space with some other business owner who would not be a direct competition. This move will ensure that your net profit increases by spending less. You would have to find out from either the landlord or anyone (or firm) in charge of the building to see if that would not be a violation of your agreement, and if you are sure it isn’t then you can start looking for a partner right away.
Read Also: Starting a Hair Care and Beauty Salon Business
Conclusion
Hair braiding is an art and your creativity will make you stand out. Understanding that your reputation can precede you will make you work towards having a good one. The right time to start is now as there are many ways to get paid.