Answering the question of how much does it cost to open a nail salon in the United States is a challenge, because there’s little written on the subject. However, Booksy Ambassador Erica Figueroa, the owner of Lavish Nail Bar and Beauty Lounge offered a host of valuable insights into the costs associated with opening a nail salon.
For those who don’t know Erica, she’s been in the industry for over a decade, even though she just turned 30. And over the past five years, she’s owned and operated a multi-staffer nail salon that employs a closely knit team of artists. Inside her shop, they do more than just stay up to date on trends—they blaze the trail by offering a long list of services, treatments, and designs.
Since Erica first opened her Central Florida based nail salon, she’s weathered a host of ups and downs. Most notably, she’s been able to keep the doors to her salon open throughout the majority of the pandemic, which criplled many businesses. And not only has Erica stayed afloat during COVID-19, she’s been able to thrive through educating. In fact, she’s in the works of opening her own nail school, where Erica plans to inspire the next generation of nail techs.
For all of those reasons and so many more, Erica is the perfect business owner to help industry professionals better understand the costs of opening a nail salon. Hear from this dedicated nail artist who creates unique nail designs with the flick of a wrist, while she runs a business with the prowess of an entrepreneur and a CEO perfectly infused into one.
Although the costs to earn a license will vary from state to state, many nail salon owners are required to have a state-issued cosmetology license, in addition to a general business license. Check your individual state requirements to find out if you’re required to attend an approved beauty school, or if an apprenticeship program will suffice.
Specific requirements for continuing education units and license renewal will also vary. Erica warned that industry professionals should be wary of anything that seems too good to be true. Most nail tech programs cost between $3,000 to $5,000, including textbooks and supplies. But prices will fluctuate dramatically, depending on where you’re located in the country, she said.
“A lot of people also learn based off of YouTube, where they’re learning from nail techs who have only been in the industry for about a year or two. It's becoming a little bit saturated, and everybody wants to get into education. But those online teachers are not always fully educated or experienced enough themselves to educate people,” Erica said.
Erica added that’s a big reason why she started offering one on one classes, in addition to online coaching. She teaches business skills, such as online marketing and creating portfolio photos, in addition to offering technical tips on shaping, filling, acrylic application, and nail art. In less than a year, Erica plans to open her own nail school to help nail techs truly succeed.
Business insurance is another tricky subject when it comes to understanding the cost of opening a nail salon in America. And that’s because insurance prices will most certainly fluctuate depending on where you’re located in the country.
Even though insurance seems like it would have a hefty price tag that’s actually not the case. “I pay about $50 a month for my insurance. But it's always a best practice to shop around for a good insurance company,” said Erica. Insurance should cost less than $1,000 a year. But since it’s a business necessity, simply factor it into your budget early on to help with planning.
Just remember that business insurance is necessary because it helps to cover the costs associated with property damage or liability claims. Without business insurance, business owners could be forced to pay crippling out-of-pocket costs for damages or legal claims.
The location where you choose to own and operate will greatly impact your cost to open a nail salon. And that’s because different states, cities, and regions will have very different price tags, depending on the location of your nail salon.
Erica said leasing a nail salon generally requires paying a security deposit, in addition to a couple months of rent up front. And that price will rise dramatically, if you’re renting space in a busy metropolitan area. But that busy area could also welcome more foot traffic. With leasing, do your research and compare locations while acknowledging that a more secluded spot may mean fewer walk-ins.
“With a lease, typically the rent goes up about 4% every year. But that’s not a big jump. And with a lease in certain places, they do charge for taxes, permits, and some other fees. But again, that's definitely something to shop around for. And you can always get a realtor to help you find the right location,” Erica said.
Erica continued by stating that purchasing property for a salon will dramatically increase your upfront costs. Although that sounds intimidating, it’s possible, as long as you stay on a budget. Expect to set anywhere from $40,000 to $250,000 to purchase an existing salon. And it’s about $100,000 to $500,000 to build a salon from the ground up.
When it comes to calculating the cost to open a nail salon in terms of scheduling software, Booksy offers more useful tools than any other nail salon software, said Erica. And all you pay is one monthly flat fee. It’s great that a salon owner only has to set aside a small amount every month to take advantage of the different in-app features, which are always available 24/7.
After the trial period, the total cost of Booksy depends on the number of staff members on the account. The base cost is $29.99 per month plus $20 per month for each additional staff member. Providers can choose between Booksy Biz Lite and Booksy Biz Pro. The specific functionalities within the two platforms vary to help meet the needs of different businesses.
Nail salon owners who love using Booksy rave about the help it provides with managing their finances. The Stats & Reports feature is available to help with accounting tasks. It lets business owners review a host of financial details, which are broken down into easily accessible graphs or charts. Stats & Reports is great for keeping track of inventory, analyzing business spending, and reviewing data to help manage staffers or VIP clients.
With Booksy, it’s also easy to handle financial transactions using the Booksy Card Reader. It lets clients use contact-free tap payments via mobile wallets, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. The Stripe Reader M2 is for businesses who want to accept payments on the go. And the BBPOS WisePOSTM E processes transactions from a mobile device and from a front desk.
When it comes to the equipment, supplies, and furniture that a salon owner needs to open a nail salon—costs can range just as dramatically as other expenses. “If you want to be the type of salon that uses the top equipment, products, and supplies that are very popular in the industry, it can be very expensive to get everything ready and on hand,” she said.
Manicure stations, for example, can cost anywhere from anywhere $200 to $800 each. But each station will shelve polishes, brushes, and tools for yourself and your staffers. Pedicure chairs are another staple with a hefty price tag ranging from about $2,000 to $7,000.
Although they may seem slightly less essential, drying lamps are important supplies. They prevent smudging or smearing that can occur while clients wait for their nails to air dry naturally. New salon owners should expect to pay somewhere between $25 to $300 for professional UV or LED drying lamps.
In regards to answering the question how much does it cost to open a nail salon—there’s also furniture and design. Costs relating to furniture and design depend largely on the tastes and style of the business owner, Erica said. She added that since she wanted a more upscale aesthetic, her furniture was on the pricier side, as she paid over $30,000. But it was well worth it, because the luxurious furniture and design makes her clients feel more lavish.
