How Much Does It Cost To Start A Salon Business In Kenya?
Starting a salon business in Kenya costs Sh.20,000-Sh.500,000 on average. The cost of opening a small salon is Sh.20,000-Sh.50,000 on average. The cost of starting a salon varies depending on which county you intend to set up your business.
Starting a salon business in Nairobi costs Sh.70,000-Sh.500,000 on average. Starting a salon business in Mombasa costs Sh.30,000-Sh.200,000 on average. In small towns, the average cost of starting a salon business is Sh.20,000-Sh.100,000. We will explain in detail why starting a salon business in major towns is more expensive compared to small towns and rural areas.
The cost of opening a salon business highly depends on the size of your salon. A large size salon business will need more money to set up. Size is just one factor determining the cost of opening a salon business. There are many more factors that we will take you through.
How much do you need to open a salon business and have it running? To answer this question, you must know the cost of all the basic requirements of opening a salon business. Below are these requirements and what they cost.
Process & Requirements Of Starting A Salon Business In Kenya
1. Legal requirements
A single business permit costs Sh.8,000-Sh.15,000 per year on average. The cost varies depending on your county of residence. The cost of a single business permit in small towns and rural areas is Sh.8,000-Sh.10,000 per year on average.
The cost of a business permit in major towns is Sh.10,000-Sh.15,000 per year on average. These are towns like Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru. In Nairobi County, a business permit costs Sh.15,000 per year on average.
2. Rental For A Salon Business
On average, the cost of renting a room for a salon business is Sh.5,000-Sh.250,000 per month. In Kenya, rent charges differ from town to town.
Renting a room for business in Nairobi CBD is Sh.40,000-Sh.250,000 per month. In the outskirts of Nairobi, rent charges are a bit lower. On average, you can rent a room that costs Sh.15,000 to Sh.50,000 per month. This proves that the closer your salon business is to a major town, the more rent you will pay.
In Mombasa and Kisumu, renting a room for a saloon business is Sh.10,000-Sh.100,000 per month on average. On average, rental costs in rural areas and small towns are Sh.5,000-Sh.30,000 per month. Your budget plan will determine where you set up a salon business in Kenya.
3. Salon Equipment
When starting a salon business, you need basic salon equipment to get started. The cost of salon equipment depends on the quality of equipment you intend to buy. We have prepared a table with basic salon equipment and their costs in Kenya.
Salon Equipment And Cost In Kenya
| Salon Equipment | Cost |
| Hair blow-dryer | Sh.1,700-Sh10,000 |
| Salon hair-dryer equator | Sh.12,000-Sh.40,000 |
| Set of combs | Sh.400-Sh.1,000 |
| Salon seat | Sh.15,000-Sh.30,000 |
| Salon sink | Sh.3,500-Sh.35,000 |
| Set of towels | Sh.300-Sh.2,000 |
| Electric kettle | Sh.900-Sh.5,000 |
4. Cost of hiring labor
The salary of hiring a salon hair stylist is Sh.10,000-Sh.100,000 per month on average. The level of experience of a salon hair stylist determines the amount of pay they will demand.
A salon business owner should hire a stylist that the establishment’s budget can afford. A small salon business has a low budget and will not afford an extremely skilled stylist. In this case, a salon business owner should employ someone who has the basic skills and train them as they help with extra duties like washing clients’ hair. This will save a small establishment good money.
5. Marketing Your Salon
The cost of marketing a saloon business depends on the means of marketing you intend to use. Regardless, you should have a budget of Sh.10,000-Sh.300,000 for marketing. These are some platforms you can use to market a saloon business.
- Television advertisements.
- Social media ads.
- Newspaper ads.
- Website ads.
- Printing posters.
The means of advertisement you choose is determined by how many people you desire to reach. Tv advertisements, for example, will reach more people compared to posters. This will be the best choice for a large salon. A small salon can still use posters to earn enough profit to grow the business further.
How To Make A Salon Business Successful In Kenya
1. Only do hairstyles that you are perfect in
When styling a customer, always do your level best. To achieve this, you should ensure that you only do hairstyles that you are perfect in. When a customer asks for a hair-do you are not good at, be polite and tell them you cannot do that.
Try offering a hair-do that you are sure you can style perfectly. In salons, styling your customer’s hair and leaving them unsatisfied will kill your business quickly. Make sure you leave a customer looking more beautiful when you are done.
2. Always do as your customer requests
When a customer is giving you instructions on how they want their hair to be styled, listen very carefully. Whether you agree with how they want it done or not, do it as requested. The customer knows best what hairstyle will make them look beautiful. When you challenge the customer, they feel insulted and may never return.
3. Keep your salon environment clean at all times
A salon business’ target market is women. Women are naturally clean and appreciate being in a clean environment. Make sure that you keep your salon business clean at all times.
If the establishment is too large, hire a janitor who cleans regularly. Nothing brings customers back to the salon like a clean environment. Some hairstyles take hours to be done. Customers would prefer to spend these hours in a clean place.
4. Pick a strategic location to set up your salon business
When starting your salon business, ensure you get a strategic location to attract your target market. When looking for a location to set up a salon, ensure your target market frequents these areas. The entrance of your salon business should also be visible.
Do not choose a room that is difficult to locate. This will catch the attention of your target market very fast, and you will start earning profits in no time.
5. Learn new hair-do styles
Be open to learning new hairstyles. Times change, and even the most loyal customers want to try new hairstyles. Make time and learn new styles to the point of perfection.
New hairstyles are charged highly because most salons have not yet learned how to go around it or choose not to. Be the kind of hair stylist that gets to explore all the new styles and surprise your customers.
6. Create a welcoming environment for your customers
A salon might be a business to the owner, but to women, it’s where they style their hair as they share one or two things. Do not criticize what women discuss in your salon business. The best thing to do is keep silent and only respond when asked for your opinion.
Make your customers feel safe to share anything without discrimination. This will make your customers feel at home, and they will market your business to their family and friends.
7. Pick a good brand for your salon and market it
Choose a name for your salon business that says this is a salon. When making the logo for your salon business, use attractive fonts and colors to attract your target market.
Open social media accounts for your business and regularly post the hairstyles you do as you tag your customers. Run social media ads that are affordable to you.
Once your business grows, you can advertise your salon business in newspapers or even on television.
Frequent Questions About Salon Business In Kenya
Sh.5,000-Sh.30,000 on average. With a low budget for a salon business, you can minimize the hairstyles to the equipment at your disposal. You can start by only plaiting, and as you get more money, you add more styles to your catalog. You can also set your salon in the open air to save on rental costs. This has been proven possible by saloons in Kariobangi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Step 1: Choose a brand name for your salon business.
Step 2: Estimate the rental costs around your area of residence and pick the one you can afford.
Step 3: Add the cost of a business permit to allow operating your business legally.
Step 4: Write down the equipment you can afford and their prices.
Step 5: Add the cost of hiring a hair stylist if you need one.
Step 6: Finally add the marketing costs that are affordable to you.
Sh.50,000-Sh.250,000 on average. The cost of starting a barbershop includes the cost of rent, business permits, hiring labor, barbershop equipment, and marketing, among others. The size and location of your barbershop will determine how much you will spend to start a barbershop.
Sh.5,000-Sh.50,000 per month on average. The amount of profit a salon business earns is determined by the size of your salon. Bigger salons make more money. Setting up your salon in high-traffic areas will earn you more profit compared to scarcely populated areas.
Sh.20,000-Sh.500,000 on average. This much capital is needed for renting a room for your salon business. A salon also needs basic equipment to start operating. You must spend some of your capital on marketing to reach more customers. The capital costs will depend on the size of your salon business and the location of the set-up.
A budget for a salon includes:
1. Cost of renting a room for your salon.
2. Cost of hiring a hairstylist.
3. Cost of a business permit.
4. Cost of marketing.
5. Cost of salon equipment.
Sh.100,000-Sh.500,000. A spa business needs high-end equipment for the comfort of its customers. Before you open a spa, you must get a business permit that allows you to operate legally. Spas are not popular, therefore you will also incur marketing costs.