How much does your own eyelash salon cost? Learn about TCO and plan your success
Opening your own salon is a milestone in the career of every stylist. It is not only convenience and prestige, but above all a reflection of professional ambition. However, to ensure that this dream does not turn into financial disappointment, solid substantive preparation is essential.
The foundation of a profitable beauty business is understanding the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) indicator, which means the total cost of owning and maintaining a salon. Learn how to estimate real expenses and avoid financial pitfalls.
How to divide costs?
The easiest way is to calculate expenses by dividing them into fixed costs – expenses that do not depend on the number of clients and that you pay every month regardless of whether you are on vacation or working hard. The second group of expenses are variable costs, which increase as your business grows.
Fixed costs – the foundation of your business
Premises
- Rent and administrative fees
- Utilities and internet
Employees and administration
Depending on whether you plan to work alone or with a team, the budget for salaries will vary.
- Salaries: take care of your employees but don’t forget about yourself!
- Social security contributions
Management and marketing
It is worth using booking systems such as booksy. For full professionalism, it is also worth investing in a website, so include hosting and CRM in your costs.
The support of an accountant as well as insurance for your equipment and the salon itself will give you a sense of security. Remember to include these when calculating your costs.
Hidden costs
Costs, that most of us do not think about on a daily basis but are worth considering include equipment depreciation. Remember that the lamp, bed, mattress and all equipment wear out over time. It is worth setting aside part of your income into a separate “piggy bank” that will allow you to replace equipment when needed.
Variable costs – grow along with your success
Costs that increase directly with the number of treatments performed. The more treatments you perform, the greater the profits of course, but it is worth taking higher costs into account.
Work materials
Whether you style eyelashes or eyebrows, quality is the most important factor here. As a professional, this is not a cost you can afford to cut. It will translate into your clients’ satisfaction.
Disposable products
Hygiene and safety come first! Therefore, include disposable materials in the price of your treatment, such as applicators, mascara brushes, disinfectants and other everyday-use materials.
Fees and commissions
- You will pay commissions for online bookings, terminal transactions and commissions for employees performing treatments.
- Consider whether you want to invest in paid online promotions.
Planning to open a salon? Make sure you have the right salon equipment!
How to calculate the real cost of one treatment step by step?
Knowing and understanding your TCO (Total Cost Of Ownership) allows you to precisely determine the prices of treatments in your salon. Do it step by step!
- Add up your fixed monthly costs.
- Determine your capacity – think about how many treatments you are able to perform on average each month.
- Divide the total fixed expenses by the number of treatments. This will show you how much of the cost should be covered by each treatment.
- Materials used for one client – calculate how many treatments one bottle of glue, one lash palette or auxiliary products will last for.
- Add your margin and working time – yours or your employees’.
REMEMBER: The efficiency and quality of products are particularly important. Lower-quality products may be cheaper, but glue that does not properly bond and lashes that do not form fans will ultimately increase your TCO. Choose professional, high-quality products from Noble Lashes.