Since handling brides and bridal parties can require specific skills, staffing, and extras such as bubbly drinks or bridal gift baskets, it’s best to plan to cater to brides if you’d like to specialize in how to open a salon suite business for brides and wedding parties. If you simply take on more clients who are brides and bridal parties, it might not be enough to stand out from the crowd and attract the type of clientele you wish to build as a client base. Great businesses that find the right clients let their marketing and expertise do the work for them.
This means that as a salon suite business for bridges, you will want to make everything from your business name to the signage outside your salon to the business cards you produce to the layout of your salon scream “built for bridal parties.” If your business seems like it wouldn’t have enough space for brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and even grooms and groomsmen to spread out comfortably, you may miss out on business opportunities that would come to you if you just had enough space for it. You may also have to turn down bridal parties if they’re too large for your salon to handle in terms of the number of staff members you have working on any given day.
If you insist on making your salon business perfect for suiting the needs of brides and bridal parties, your best bet will be planning this change around the wedding season. While weddings can happen all year round, some times of year are more popular for spouses-to-be to schedule their nuptial celebrations than other seasons of the year. Although some regions in the United States and across the globe may experience an uptick in weddings at times of year that are outside of the norm, wedding season generally falls between May and October in most parts of the United States.
As curatedevents.com shares, “The wedding season usually falls between May to October, with the peak months being May, June, September, and October. These months provide warm and sunny weather, making it an ideal time for outdoor ceremonies and receptions. Knowing when the wedding season is can be crucial for guests and couples.”
We could speculate that these months are popular for weddings because they are not too cold and also not too hot in most parts of the U.S. Of course, if you live in a region of the U.S. with extreme temperatures during some of those months, you may find that wedding season shifts to accommodate the nicer weather. If you live in a small town with limited venues, you may also find that weddings are more spread out throughout the year since some venues and caterers may be swamped during the more popular months for weddings to be held in that area. Regardless of when wedding season is in your area, it’s never too early to think about how to open a salon suite business.
Remodel Your Space
When you want to know how to open a salon suite business, one of the first things you should do is envision how your space will look once it’s ready to start taking on customers and bridal parties. If you plan on renovating the place yourself, you should look into equipment rentals and make sure to purchase a reliable set of hand tools. If you’re bringing contractors in to do the job, you can call multiple contractors to compare their rates to find the one that will fit into your budget. You may also want to see if you can find contractors and construction companies who have built salons before. They’ll be up to date on the regulations of the industry and the needs of the average salon. They may also be more comfortable performing advanced renovations related to building a salon that general contractors may have reservations about before completing the job.
Replace Your Roof
For your home, you need to keep a safe, secure roof over your head that isn’t damaged or ready to fall apart at any moment. When you consider how to open a salon suite business, you need to call in a roofing contractor if your business’s roof is in disrepair. A roof with missing shingles or other noticeable problems can turn customers away and make them worry about trusting you on their wedding day. This is why it’s important to maintain every aspect of the building that houses your business from the roof to the siding to the interior.
Have Beautiful Lighting Installed
To brighten up the process of how to open a salon suite business, you should schedule a light installation with lighting that will highlight your handiwork as a hairstylist and makeup artist for brides. While most brides are beaming enough on their wedding day to glow in any picture conditions, having beautiful lighting will highlight their gorgeous hairdo and makeup look for pictures and more. They’ll also be able to see any issues or imperfections with the practice makeup and hair so you can correct those problems early in the planning process. You can also choose aesthetically pleasing light fixtures that fit the bridal theme of your salon.
Get the Latest Technology
As you research how to open a salon suite business, you may be surprised at how important it could be to hire an IT support service to handle all of your IT needs. With the new waves of technology hitting the market every year, it pays to have cutting-edge tech to help you run your business efficiently in the 21st century. Gone are the days when you could maintain a store’s records, client book, and more with nothing but paper and pens. Nowadays, you’ll want a system that manages your business’ tax records, appointments, and more so you don’t fall behind the times. Many brides would prefer to work with someone who has modern sensibilities rather than someone who seems to be stuck in several decades ago. Even if you think that you may not need an IT support staff, you will still want to look into it in case it becomes relevant as your business expands and advances.
Install a New Door
To stand out from the rest of the salons in the area as you look into how to open a salon suite business, you should consider whether a custom door is right for your business. Having a handle that reflects your business’ style or customized lettering on the glass can add an extra level of professionalism to the appearance of your business for those who are walking casually past your storefront or coming into your business for the first time. With a custom door, you’ll be able to leave a strong first impression with community members and clients alike. Every part of your salon plays a key role in marketing your business so you should take advantage of opportunities like building a custom door to make your business memorable for those who might want to book you for a wedding now or in the future.
Purchase Chic Furniture
While furniture stores may not be the first place you think to go when you’re planning your bridal salon suite business, having furniture that looks and feels elegant can make brides and bridal parties feel extra pampered on their wedding day. Even though you could have standard furniture that one would expect in a salon like salon chairs, basic benches for waiting customers, or simple foldout chairs in the waiting area, most bridal parties will appreciate it if it’s clear that you put some effort into selecting furniture that is functional from a comfort perspective and fashionable from an aesthetic perspective. If you have frumpy, uncomfortable furniture, it may turn potential customers away.
Unattractive furniture can also hurt your business by giving the impression that you don’t care about customers’ experience in your salon. When you have furniture in your waiting area, that’s often the first place where clients assess whether they feel comfortable and at ease in your salon. The last thing you want folks who visit your salon to do is leave because they can’t stand to be in your ugly waiting area anymore.
Investing in some beautiful pieces of furniture will also give those who visit your salon and use your services a nice place to snap some pictures before the big day. When they post those pictures on social media, it’s a form of word-of-mouth marketing that can be more effective than any staged marketing materials you put out into the world. If you have chic furniture in the background, it will give the impression that you own a high-end salon where high-end clients will feel at home. This will be beneficial for you as a business owner since you’ll attract clients who can afford to pay your worth. You also may have an easier time growing your business if clients let other potential clients know that they felt comfortable and elevated as they sat in your salon chairs and waiting area.
Partner With Local Vendors
When you think about how to open a salon suite business, you should draw up a list of vendors who could be good places to find referrals for wedding business when you’re just getting started such as a local restaurant that frequently caters for weddings and receptions. You can also partner with businesses that are directly tied to the local wedding industry such as an engagement ring service or jewelry store that’s known for selling engagement and wedding jewelry. To network with other wedding vendors in your area, there are a few ways you can meet them or connect with them virtually.
As markelinsurance.com explains, “Social media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat are powerful platforms for connecting with wedding planning professionals. Search for wedding event planners, event venues, photographers, florists, musicians, and caterers, among other related wedding planning categories, and follow the accounts. Leave comments on posts, videos, and images. Reach out to the top businesses that interest you and invite them to meet so you can learn about their offerings and vice versa. Facebook typically has local groups where wedding event planners can connect with other planners and industry professionals, as well.”
If you feel more comfortable meeting with other wedding professionals and businesses in the industry, you can seek them out in person. Try dropping your business card in restaurants that cater to the same crowd or spas that host bachelorette parties. Additionally, you can simply make friends with other wedding business owners for support and let your friendship blossom into a networking opportunity over time.
Repair Your Parking Lot
Since wedding parties may have multiple vehicles that need to park or fancy limousines that could be delicate, you should have ample parking space. You should also offer a parking lot that has clear lines and designations for any special situations. If you let your employees park in specific spots, you should have that noted. You could also give brides a special parking space in the lot that makes them feel pampered on their wedding day. On top of the aesthetics and layout of the parking lot, you should call a commercial paving company if the parking lot needs maintenance such as filling in potholes or smoothing out rough areas.
For their big day, many brides want to look and feel as beautiful as possible. This can mean having perfect professional make-up and an updo that looks effortless after taking hours to finesse in the salon. Those who work in the hairstyling and cosmetology industries may feel a pull towards working with brides and wedding parties if they have experience doing hair and makeup for those types of events.
It can be exciting to be at the center of the action on someone’s wedding day and ensure that they look picturesque before the wedding photographer starts snapping photos. What’s more, it’s a huge honor for someone to choose your salon out of all the available options to make their hair, makeup, and other aspects of appearance match their fairytale dream wedding look. After all, they’ve probably fantasized about it for months or even years before they ended up in your salon chair.