Taking your salon to the next level is a typical business goal among salon owners. Expanding your salon can mean a number of things – adding to the space you’re already in, moving to a new, bigger location, or opening a second location. No matter which way you choose to go, expanding your salon is a lot of work. So how do you know when it’s time to make the big move?

When I first started Be Inspired Salon, I had two employees and a 750 square foot salon. That soon grew to five employees, then eight employees, which then led to a small expansion which grew our same salon to  1,150 square feet. I now have over 20 employees in that same space, and needless to say, the writing was on the wall that it was time to expand. So, we decided to do it! This summer, Be Inspired Salon will be expanding with a relocation to a brand-new 2,500 square foot salon. We couldn’t be more excited!

Having recently gone through the process of expanding my salon, I have learned some valuable lessons along the way, and I’m going to share those with you! Here are three signs it’s time to expand your salon.

1. Your stations are always full.

One sign it’s time for a change is if you’re struggling to give new hires enough time behind the chair. For example, maybe you can’t give your new stylist Wednesday afternoons because those days are already fully booked. If this is happening, it may be time to look for a new location.

2. You have maximized your revenue per square foot.

This is the most important sign it’s time to move. Think about how many stations you have, then think about the possible earnings per station, per hour that your salon is open. Are you currently reaching that maximum revenue? Now ask yourself, have you really maximized that time? For example, could you extend your hours per day? Or open on a day that your salon is typically closed? If you’ve reached a point where you’ve exhausted all options to get the most revenue out of each station in your salon, then it’s time to consider expanding.

3. Lack of space.

Do you find that your salon feels smaller and smaller each day? For example, when you are double booking, do you have issues finding a spot for your other guest to sit? Does it ever happen that while a color client is processing, you’re going to do a haircut, but you don’t have a nice place for your guest to sit because every good spot is full? Or maybe you’re running out of room for your retail? Or your back bar products? At my old salon, we had a tiny 115 square foot back room that served as a break room, laundry room, office and storage space! It was definitely time to find a new home!

Having to find a new location or expand at your current location is always a good problem to have! I hope this list helps you feel confident with your decision to expand our salon. Good luck!

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