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Has the idea of opening a nail salon business been a dream of yours? Maybe you picture a trendy hot spot specializing in nail art or a luxurious space where customers can relax and sip on a drink while getting a pedicure.
Regardless of the specifics of your vision, an actionable plan can put you on the right path to starting a nail salon and share your passion with others. If you’re wondering how to open a nail salon, here are 10 steps you should take, from planning and development to branding and marketing.
1. Get certified
Depending on the role you envision yourself playing in when opening a nail salon business, you might need specific training, licences and certifications.
For example, Manitoba and Saskatchewan require trade certification for nail technicians, through Apprenticeship Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC), respectively. In Nova Scotia, you’ll need to obtain a cosmetologist licence through the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia and in New Brunswick, you’ll have to get a certified nail technician licence through the Cosmetology Association of New Brunswick. While the requirements vary based on the province and program, the certification or licensing process typically involves completing a set number of training hours and passing an exam.
In all other provinces and territories, there is no regulatory body overseeing the work of nail technicians, but, according to the Government of Canada, you typically need to complete high school, college or a beauty school program, or undergo on-the-job training to work in the industry.
But what if you just want to own and operate your business without doing manicures and pedicures yourself? You’ll still have to register your business and get the right permits and licences to open the doors of your salon, as well as make sure that your nail technicians have the relevant certifications to work in your province.
The first step is choosing a legal business structure. Some options for how you can establish your company include:
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
- Corporation
These options come with different tax and liability implications, so consult with a professional to determine what’s best for your business.
You’ll also need to register your business provincially or federally. Provincial registration lets you operate and protect your business name within your province, while federal incorporation gives you those rights across Canada. Once registration is complete, you’ll obtain a Business Number (BN) with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which you’ll use to register for the GST/HST and payroll.
After your business entity is established, you’ll likely need to take care of other licensing, and necessary permits. Use BizPal to search for the exact permits and licences required based on your business type and location.
Finally, don’t forget to look into business insurance for beauty and personal care businesses, which is often required to sign a commercial lease and will safeguard your nail salon and staff from events like property damage, injury or customer lawsuits.
2. Write a business plan
Before opening a nail salon, you should create a plan for the type of salon you plan to operate. A business plan will help you construct a model for your nail salon that is attainable today and allows for future growth.
There are three ways to approach opening a nail salon business:
- Independent nail artist: This stage of a business often starts in your home or as a mobile business where you go to clients.
- Open a storefront or pop-up: With an established clientele, you may move into a small location within another business, such as a spa or hair salon, where clients come to you for services. This minimizes costs and risk, and helps you continue building your clientele alone or with minimal staff.
- Expanded storefront with staffing: As the business grows, you may need more room for your nail salon and hire multiple nail technicians or other staff to keep the business running smoothly.
As you are creating a business plan, you need to think about who your customers will be, also known as your target market. As you define your target market, you’ll want to include where customers will come from, their demographics and what they look for in a nail salon.
Then you’ll want to research other local business competitors to ensure there is room in the marketplace for your business. From there, you can start to consider revenue projections and cash flow needs to operate the business on a monthly and annual basis.
Finally, the last part of your business plan includes logistics about how to handle functions tied to small business ownership, such as:
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Staffing
3. Create a financial plan
Financing a new business can be one of the most challenging things to talk about, but it’s also one of the most important when it comes to planning for your financial future. While your business plan outlines the “why” of your business, the financial plan covers the “how”. Understanding how you’ll finance your salon is key. Your plan should cover:
- Startup costs
- Operating expenses (ongoing costs, including fixed and variable costs)
- Revenue projections (from services and products, as well as pricing strategy and growth plans)
- Break-even analysis
- Cash flow forecast
- Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for tracking success
You’ll also want to make sure you have a good idea of where your startup capital will come from, including sources such as personal savings, loans, or investors. Consulting a financial advisor can help you optimize your plan for growth.
4. Manage procurement and operational costs
An extension of your financial plan is understanding all the operational costs associated with opening a nail salon business. From rent to utilities to equipment, you’ll need to budget for fixed and variable costs.
Fixed operating costs include:
- Insurance
- Rent or lease agreement
- Utilities, including electricity, water and internet service
- Software, such as accounting or payroll
- Equipment (see below for potential nail salon equipment needs)
Variable costs are factors that can change from month-to-month and include:
- Labour and wages
- Products and tools used by the staff (acrylics, nail polish)
- Shipping and delivery for goods used in your nail salon
- Marketing
From a budget perspective, the most expensive startup costs might include all the equipment you need to open a nail salon business. These are generally one-time costs, although you’ll incur them again if you are in business for a long time and they need to be replaced:
- Chairs
- Sinks
- Reception desk
- Magazine racks
- Manicure tables
- Nail drills
- Electric nail files
- Nail dryers
- Washer/dryer for towels
- Lamps, LED/UV
5. Choose the right location (if applicable)
The right location is key to business success and growth. You know your community better than anyone. Look for a location in a high-traffic area that’s easy for potential customers to access.
The location needs to be close to your target market and open at times of day when they will be able to visit your location. Finally, think about how clients will come to your business. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, there should be plenty of available parking or access points from public transportation.
6. Figure out your pricing
Once you have an idea of the costs associated with running your business, you can think about pricing. Bring in revenue higher than costs, or you will be operating at a loss.
Pricing also has other considerations to ensure you are operating in concert with your market and target audience. Before you set prices, look at three key elements to make sure your model is aligned with what people are willing to pay:
- Your costs (labor, products, rent)
- Competitors’ pricing
- Your profit margins
- Demographics of your customers and local market
7. Establish your brand
Branding is a big part of your business identity and will help connect you with customers. While some nail salon owners create their own brand, others work with small agencies or marketing freelancers to get started.
Keep these aspects in mind while establishing your brand:
- Salon name and logo
- Consistent color palette and decor
- A memorable client experience (ambience, customer service)
- Showcasing your specialty (nail art, eco-friendly products, etc.)
Nail art and fashion are a prominent part of pop culture and you can leverage that as part of your business. If your brand includes trending nail design, showcase this on social media platforms with popular hashtags and connect with nail influencers if you can. The additional element of branding can help you grow your nail salon business online and help make your brand more of a household name by expanding your reach, strengthening your brand recognition and building trust. If customers see your signature style online over and over again or notice an influencer they follow talking about your salon, they’ll be more likely to remember you the next time they want to book a nail appointment.
8. Get the right booking and scheduling software
Scheduling software can help you run your business more smoothly. This will become more important as the salon grows and you add staff. Choose a scheduling system that’s built specifically for nail salons, allows clients to book online, and integrates with your point-of-sale (POS) system.
Square Appointments, for example, enables seamless booking, payment processing, appointment reminders, and inventory and staff management. The right tool helps you avoid double bookings, enhance operations, and level up your customer experience.
9. Build your online presence
A website is a vital part of your business presence. Potential clients will look for you online and a website provides credibility for your business. Your digital presence should include:
- Online booking options
- Service menu and pricing
- Gallery of your work
- Client testimonials and reviews
- Contact information and location
Over half of Canadian consumers enjoy interacting with features like automated appointment reminders (62%) and automated appointment scheduling (52%), according to the Square Future of Beauty 2025 report. Tools like Square Appointments offer a free online booking website that’s simple to set up and customize. Clients can book appointments directly from your website 24/7, and you can send automated appointment reminders, sell products and services, ship orders, and even offer pickup all from your website.
After you set up your website, connect your Google Business Profile, which serves as an online directory for your business that shows up in Google Search and provides business information, hours and a link to your website. Consider registering your nail salon in other online directories as well, such as Yelp and Yellow Pages.
10. Market your nail salon
Once you’ve put all this together, it’s essential for people to know about your nail salon. If you have an established clientele, they will help get the word out through word-of-mouth, but marketing online and in-person through more formal channels can help bring in new customers as well.
Marketing is a combination of online and in-person tactics to generate interest in – and engagement with – your nail salon. Activities you might consider include:
- Use local search engine optimization to ensure that people looking for nail salons in your area know about your business – this includes having a website and online presence.
- Post and interact on social media to drive traffic and attention. Photos of beautiful nails make great posts on social media. Create a plan to post regularly and ask your clients to share.
- Engage with review sites and ask clients to leave good reviews. Google Business Profile is one of the top review channels, making it easy for clients to leave reviews and find them online.
- Utilize email marketing or SMS to continue to engage with clients. With Square Marketing, you can ask for email addresses and phone numbers at checkout and have customers opt in to receive updates right from your POS device. You can then target them with campaigns that foster loyalty, like sending birthday discounts or inviting customers to a special event.
- Hand out or post flyers in the community to help generate awareness about your nail salon and location.
- Send direct mail. It’s a good option for sharing information with a highly targeted audience or postal code. Mailers are a valuable tool for a grand opening or to offer a coupon or discount for visiting your salon during a certain time.
With a strong plan and the right technology, you can turn your dream of opening a nail salon into a reality and create a loyal customer base. Square Appointments is the all-in-one tool that will make business operations flow more smoothly, help you elevate the customer experience and deepen relationships with your community. With streamlined appointment scheduling and online bookings that sync to your calendar, you can save time, avoid double bookings and give customers the tech-friendly experience that they desire.
How to open a nail salon FAQs
How profitable is a nail business?
According to Statistics Canada, the average revenue for a business in the haircare and aesthetics category, which includes nail salons, is $172,600 a year, and 80% of those businesses are profitable.
How much does it cost to open a nail salon?
According to Dongpin Beauty Furniture, it costs $25,000 – $59,000 to open a lean studio with two to three stations and $58,000 – $124,000+ for a mid-range nail salon with four to six stations.
With intentional planning and the right tools, you can reduce startup costs without compromising the customer experience. For example, Square Online, which is free with the Square POS, lets you build a professional, mobile-friendly website in minutes, complete with online booking and an online store.
Do I need a licence to open a nail salon?
As a minimum, you need a business licence to open a nail salon in Canada. You or your staff members performing nail care services will also require a trade certification or cosmetology licence in places such as Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
What do I need to open a nail salon?
To open a nail salon business in Canada, you’ll first need to get certified if you plan on performing nail care services and are based in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba or Saskatchewan.
Regardless of your location, you’ll need to register your business. It’s a good idea to write a business plan and map out financials, including all your operational costs, such as buying equipment and hiring a team to get started. Unless you plan on delivering mobile services, you’ll need to find a location that will attract foot traffic and fits within your budget.
Giving your pricing strategy some thought is also important, whether you target a higher-end, curated clientele or aim for cheaper prices and higher volume. Building a strong brand and marketing your nail salon can help achieve your revenue goals. A salon POS like Square for Beauty supports your growth by streamlining operations and equipping you with tools to build your online presence and grow your reach, from appointment scheduling to email marketing.
