Business Center

How to Start a Salon: 12-Month Roadmap

Licensing, location, build-out, hiring, software, and launch — step by step.

14 min read

Months 12–9: foundation

LLC formation, EIN, state cosmetology establishment license

Business plan and projections

Funding (SBA loan, personal, or revenue-share with stylists)

Months 9–6: lease & build-out

Lease (negotiate TI allowance, free rent during build)

Architect/contractor, permits, plumbing for chairs and bowls

Months 6–3: systems & hiring

Booking software (this is Beautifyx — start your free account)

POS, payment processor, payroll

Recruit 3–6 stylists; commission vs. booth rent decision

Months 3–0: launch

Soft open with friends and family

Press release, Google Business Profile, local press

Grand opening day with bookings already on the books

Built for every beauty pro — solo, booth renter, mobile, or salon

Take bookings, build a website, and get paid — free to start, card required.

Create Free Booking Page

Online scheduling in 2 min

Create Free Beauty Website

Mobile-ready, no code

Accept Online Bookings

Deposits + Stripe payouts

Manage Clients

Profiles, notes, history

Grow Your Business

Reviews, SMS, marketing

Ready to grow your beauty business?

Whether you rent a booth, work from home, run a mobile business, or own a multi-chair salon — join thousands of beauty pros using Beautifyx to take bookings and get paid.

Everything Beautifyx actually does

One place to run bookings, payments, clients, staff and marketing — built for beauty, wellness and birth professionals.

Online booking

A booking page clients can use 24/7, with deposits, reminders and no double-bookings.

Payments & checkout

Take cards, cash, tap to pay and payment links, with receipts sent automatically.

Client records

Visit history, notes, photos, consent forms and intake forms in one client file.

Marketing & reminders

Automatic appointment reminders, review requests and campaigns to past clients.

Inventory & costs

Track product use per service so you can see the real profit on every appointment.

Your own website

A booking-ready site and public profile that gets you found by new clients.

Start free, grow into the full platform

Pick the door that fits where you are today. All three lead to the same place: a business that books itself.

Claim your free profile

Free profile: add your services, photos and hours so clients can find and book you.

Price your services properly

Free calculators for pricing, profit, no-shows and commission — no account needed.

Run the whole business

Bookings, payments, clients, staff, marketing and reports. 14-day free trial, then $29.99/month with unlimited staff.

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