Table of contents
Turning your dream of starting a barbershop into a reality begins with understanding the landscape and setting up the right foundation to succeed. According to Data Insights Market, the hair salon industry in Canada is undergoing changes, including the influence of social media and influencer culture which is driving the demand for unique and stylish hairstyles.
If you’re opening your first barbershop or thinking about opening a second or third location, this guide walks you through all the steps you need to get started.
Step 1: Perform market research to learn how to stand out from the competition
You could be a barber fresh out of school and starting from scratch or leaving your clients behind with your previous barbershop to open a new shop yourself. Whatever the case, it’s critical to do market research to determine your target audience, whether it’s men, women, kids, families, or simply anyone with hair. What’s trending in the beauty space right now? Depending on your location, an understanding of your audience can help you find clients faster.
Next, you’ll want to research other local barbers and businesses. Find out what other barbers charge in your area, which services they offer and where their shops are located. What makes your barbershop different? Do you bring something new and fresh to your community, like Cait and Sam at Good Fortune Barbershop in Winnipeg? You want to stand out from your competition and avoid opening a location too close to another well-established barbershop.
When looking for a location and thinking about your marketing strategy, find a niche you can serve. To really stand out, look for underserved niches (both client- and service-wise) in the area. Do you want to market to high-end clientele? Families? Only to children? Offer services most barbershops don’t? Whatever niche it might be, ensure it’s in line with the market and competitor research you’ve done to set yourself up for success.
Step 2: Decide on your business’s legal structure
Now for the crucial part of opening a barbershop: the legal structure. If this is your first location, determine whether you want to operate as a sole proprietorship, corporation or partnership with another owner. Review the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website or ask a trusted accountant about the tax implications of each structure and how they can benefit your business.
On the CRA website, register for a My Business Account. Once you register your business with the CRA, you’ll get a business number (BN), which you’ll need to sign up for the GST/HST and payroll programs. The CRA requires businesses to obtain a GST/HST number and properly charge and remit the GST/HST once they exceed the small supplier threshold.
As with any business, you also need to obtain insurance and the necessary licences to operate your barbershop, like general liability insurance to cover injuries or property damage, and professional liability insurance in case a customer alleges that your services caused harm. To be certain of your requirements and responsibilities, contact a trusted attorney and a licensed insurance agent in your area to help you get started on both.
Keep in mind that Canada doesn’t have a federal regulatory body for barbershops and barbering is regulated on a provincial or territorial level so rules may vary. For example, starting a business in Ontario is a little different than other provinces or territories, as trade certification is mandatory to legally work as a barber.
Step 3: Figure out your finances and expenses
How much does it cost to open a barbershop? Setup costs can begin to pile up when figuring out licences and policies for a new business, so be sure to budget for all operating costs. If you haven’t established a budget, this is an important step in understanding how much you’ll need to bring in each month and how low you’ll need to keep overhead for your barbershop to be successful. If you process payments with Square, you may qualify for Square Loans. A customized offer based on your card sales through Square will appear in your dashboard if you qualify.
You’ll want to:
- Choose whether to buy or rent the property for your barbershop.
- Estimate how much you can expect to bring in per year.
- Find out how much you can charge for services based on your market research.
- Figure out the cost of all physical tools needed to perform those services (i.e., scissors, razors, etc.).
- Estimate marketing costs to acquire or retain clientele.
Once you establish your budget, open a business chequing account to keep business finances and responsibilities separate from your personal finances. If you don’t have a trusted accountant to work with, it’s important to do extensive research about the financial accounting for your small business and what your financing options are. If you’re looking into loans, lines of credit, or even dipping into your savings, be sure to account for each of those scenarios and the fees or interest rates associated with each.
To keep track of incoming payments and revenue accurately and efficiently, you’ll want to have the point-of-sale system that best suits your business in place. With the extensive product options at Square, you can have all your bookings, data, earnings, sales, and team performance reports in one place. There’s no need to integrate any additional subscriptions since everything with Square is already integrated. With products such as Square Appointments, Square Shifts (if you’ll have employees), and Square Loans, your business can be up and running smoothly in no time.
Step 4: Build your brand and marketing plan
While this is step four in our guide, the branding of your barbershop should be top of mind throughout the entire process. Depending on how you structure your business, you’ll need to provide the name of your barbershop to apply for your ‘My Business Account’, business number, insurance and licences. Once your business name has been approved, it can be a challenge to change it, so be thorough when deciding on a name.
Once you choose a name, it’s time to kick your creative side into high gear. You can choose to design a logo yourself with free accessible tools such as Canva (you might even find it worthwhile to upgrade to Canva Pro). Or, if you aren’t the artistic type, you can hire a freelance illustrator to design one for you. Remember, your name and logo will be your clients’ first impression of your business.
Your branding should be approachable to your target client and used in all marketing materials from business cards to your barbershop website.
Build a website
According to the Square Future of Commerce 2025 report, 72% of Canadian consumers are likely to use or engage with an informative business website. A professional site helps you stand out, especially if you offer features like automated appointment scheduling, which 54% of Canadian consumers are likely to use, according to the same data.
Your site should include an about us page, contact information, opening hours and a service list with prices. Give potential clients an idea of your style with photos of your work, from fresh fades and beard styles to before-and-after transformations. An easy-to-find booking link is a must to encourage people to take the next step and visit your barbershop. Reviews and testimonials can also help build trust and credibility, so include them if you have them.
Building your website is also an opportunity to lay the groundwork for search engine optimization (SEO), which helps people actually find it. Mobile-friendliness is key, as about seven in 10 Canadians use smartphones to access the internet. To increase your chances of popping up in local search results, you can also include keywords like “barbershop in [your city]” on your homepage. If you have the time, adding a blog section to cover topics people are likely searching for – think, beard maintenance tips or hairstyle trends for men – can boost your authority and visibility.
With Square Online, you can get a professional, mobile-friendly website up and running in minutes. It syncs with Square Appointments so that when customers book your services online, their appointments get automatically added to your calendar to save time and prevent double bookings.
Create a Google Business Profile
Setting up a free Google Business Profile, which gives people a quick overview of your business when they search for barbershops in their area, can improve your visibility too. To set up your Google Business Profile, you’ll first need to create a Google Account. Once that’s done, sign in to get started on developing your business profile. You’ll be prompted to add your business name and primary category (barbershop), as well as your business address and contact details. Google will then give you instructions to verify your profile. Once your profile is verified, you can update and optimize it to maximize your chances of being found through Google and Google Maps. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Fill out every section of your profile: According to Google, customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable and 70% more likely to visit it if they find a complete Business Profile on Google Search and Maps. Don’t forget to add all your contact details, like your address, phone number, business hours and website. You also have the option to list your services and group them in subcategories, like haircuts and facial hair and beard services.
- Keep your hours up-to-date: Imagine your customers Googling your business, seeing your opening hours and deciding to pay you a visit only to find out that you’re closed. Inaccurate opening hours can frustrate customers and lead them straight to your competition, so make sure your hours are always up-to-date.
- Add high-quality photos: High-quality photos of your barbershop and work can entice people to book an appointment and increase your reach in search results. It’s worth getting a few professional photos of your shop taken. As for pictures of hairstyles, good lighting and a smartphone are often enough to showcase your skills.
- Encourage customers to leave reviews: Positive reviews boost your search rankings and help attract customers, especially when starting out with your first barbershop. Be proactive about encouraging customers to leave you Google reviews. A tool like Square Marketing can help you automate the process by prompting customers to leave reviews after their visit.
- Respond to all reviews: Responding to reviews is important to foster trust — it sends the message that you care about customer satisfaction, whether you’re thanking someone for leaving you glowing feedback or addressing a concern in a negative comment.
- Leverage features like posts and Q&As: Your Google Business Profile comes with features like posts, where you can share updates such as a limited-time promotion, and questions and answers, which you can use to answer common customer questions. Google looks at this extra content to determine whether a profile is active and up-to-date. Plus, it makes it easier for customers to choose your business.
Managing your profile doesn’t have to be overwhelming when opening a barbershop. You can sync your Google Business Profile with Square to update it from your Square Dashboard, which is convenient when you want to make quick changes, like temporarily updating your hours ahead of a holiday.
Get discovered on social media
Take some time to craft a strategy for how to begin your marketing efforts and how to scale up once you start to grow. Social media is a very cost-effective way to get your name out there, with 80% of Canadian beauty leaders reporting that it’s extremely or very important for generating sales and interest, according to the Square Future of Beauty 2025 report. But this doesn’t mean you have to have a presence on every social media platform when starting a barbershop. Find the platform where your target audience is and focus heavily on the strategy there first.
For example, according to Made In CA, Canadians aged 25-34 represent 30% of Instagram users in Canada, which means that if you’re targeting Gen Z or millennials, it’s a good idea to focus on growing your audience on the platform. From Reels that show off barbers in action to carousel posts highlighting customer transformations, make the most of the opportunity to share visuals of your work. You can also share DIY tips, like how to trim your beard between visits – 79% of Canadian beauty business owners say that creating educational initiatives to inform clients about at-home practices is extremely or very important for their business, according to the Square Future of Beauty 2025 report.
Leveraging local hashtags can also help you get discovered by customers in your area so you can turn your reach into actual sales. Whether you focus on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or other platforms, set up Square Appointments on your website and include a link in your bio so your clients can book directly from your social media accounts.
Once you have your marketing tactics in place, you can expand your efforts with promotions, print advertisements and even a loyalty program to reward your best clients.
Create the customer experience
Branding isn’t just about a name, logo or an online presence. Sure, your website should be fast and SEO-optimized but it has to function well. A welcoming and unique customer experience can lend to the development of your brand, such as if you plan to sell branded products in your shop’s retail space. Your branding can also make its way into the physical layout of your barbershop.
When thinking about how to open a barbershop, consider the way your shop looks from the outside. What do people see when they walk by? If there are big windows, you might want to place a station right by the entrance to catch the attention of passersby.
Once inside, what is the flow like for both customers and staffers? Are walkways unobstructed? Can barbers work comfortably? Will customers feel like they have enough personal space to enjoy their visit? According to Keller International, leaving three to four feet between chairs is ideal.
What happens at the end of a visit matters too. For example, placing a display shelf with products behind your checkout counter can encourage customers to go home with a new pomade or beard oil that will help maintain their new style.
Step 5: Invest in barbershop equipment
An investment in high-quality clippers, shears, razors and other barbershop equipment can go a long way to support building a brand for your business, as they are part of the visual identity of your barbershop and also deliver the best results. When you evaluate barber tools, be sure to pick the right ones for your business and your budget. For example, if you do a lot of fades, clippers with high-precision blades are crucial. For longer cuts, you’ll need stainless steel shears with ergonomic handles, which are comfortable to hold and rust-resistant. These are tools you’ll use every day, so investing in higher-quality brands such as Wahl or Andis could make all the difference for your client experience – and they tend to be easier to clean too.
Equipment isn’t just what you cut and style hair with. Your POS system also shapes the customer experience, whether you go with a countertop setup or a portable POS that allows customers to pay right at the chair.
If you want to create a clean and sophisticated look, Square Stand transforms your iPad into a sleek and stylish POS system. Complete with tap and chip reader capabilities, you can take care of appointments, rebooking and checkout all in one place without extra cords or clunky chargers. With less clutter, you can keep your space minimalistic or create more space for upsells at checkout.
If efficiency and convenience are your game, Square Reader allows you to take payments while the client is still finishing up, giving them a more seamless experience before they walk out the door. You can even turn your smartphone into a POS with Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android.
Step 6: Choose the right location
When looking for the perfect location for starting a barbershop, there are a few things you’ll want to consider. Especially when you’re first opening up, you’ll want to consider the amount of foot traffic near the location. Is the storefront hidden, or will people see it as they walk by? Is it in a busy area with other businesses? The more foot traffic and the busier the area, the more potential there is to get walk-ins.
Is your storefront conveniently located? Is the parking area accessible with enough parking spaces, or is it hard to park? Is the entrance to the door easily accessible? The convenience and accessibility of a business can often make or break it, especially if it’s your first location.
It’s important to understand what you need or expect from your location before you buy or rent your storefront. Remember, it’s all about your target client and their interests. If you want your barbershop to be a local hangout, situate yourself in a location that lends itself to that dynamic. If you are relying on walk-in business to kickstart your clientele growth, be sure to choose a location where your business sign is visible and the atmosphere is welcoming.
Step 7: Build your team
Once your business and location are established, it’s time to build your team. If you’ve been in the industry for a while, recruit barbers who you know will have your business’s success in mind. If they have the motivation to grow, they’ll want to support the growth of your business as well.
If you’re deciding whether to hire employees or to rent or lease chair space in your barbershop, there are a few things you’ll want to consider:
- Will you hire less experienced barbers with the expectation of training them?
- Will you accept payment up front for rented or leased chairs, or will you take a percentage of each cut?
- Will you promote your barbers or empower them to promote themselves?
You may want to hire a receptionist to help with scheduling and to welcome clients when they walk in, an accountant to help with the finances and other supportive part-time employees to help stock or clean the barbershop throughout the day.
Motivated and passionate staff are essential to opening a barbershop with a welcoming atmosphere. One way you can incentivize staff members is by offering commission if they sell more services or products. Square Appointments is a great tool to keep track of these upsells and can be customized into tiers based on a barber’s seniority or tenure.
As your team grows, Square will grow with you. Square Shifts is an all-in-one solution to manage your team. It allows you to schedule, manage and pay your employees right from your POS.
Step 8: Manage your clientele
When it comes to word-of-mouth marketing for your business, it’s all about a positive client experience. Your customers want to feel welcome from the moment they walk in the door to the moment they leave, but their experience with your barbershop doesn’t end there.
Managing your clientele and their preferences can make all the difference when it comes to providing an extraordinary experience and setting your business apart from competitors. With a strong management and scheduling system, you can save all the preferences for each client (as well as their contact details and loyalty points) and be ready to greet them before they walk in the door. You can know what cut or style they received on their last visit and when their last visit was, allowing you to provide a more personalized visit for them every time.
Square for Barbershops can help anyone and everyone open a barbershop. It is an all-in-one solution designed with the unique needs of your business in mind. It combines flexible hardware options with barbershop management software that makes scheduling a breeze and helps you deliver seamless service. It also comes with an ecosystem of tools that you can leverage as you grow, from shift scheduling to inventory management.
Starting a barbershop FAQs
How much does it cost to open a barbershop?
The costs of opening a barbershop in Canada vary based on your location and the real estate prices in your area, whether you lease or buy your space, if extensive renovations are involved as well as the size and concept of your business. To give you an idea of the possible costs involved of investing in an existing barbershop franchise, an MVP Modern Barbers franchise costs between $180,000 to $250,000.
How profitable is a barbershop?
Several factors influence how profitable a barbershop can be, from the cost of real estate to the size of your team and the number of customers you serve every month. You’ll need a solid business plan to maximize your profit potential, from doing market research so you can differentiate yourself to fleshing out a brand and marketing strategy. Investing in the right technology can also have an impact on your profitability, and tools like Square for Barbershops can help you work smarter while increasing brand visibility.
What do I need to start a barbershop?
To start a barbershop, you need great cutting skills and a passion for the industry as well as a strong business plan. Start with market research to analyze the competition in your area and find your niche. For example, if you decide to target Gen Z, set up shop next to a university and specialize in TikTok-inspired styles.
Look into different legal structures for your business as sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations have different tax implications. Map out a financial plan and budget: How much will your initial equipment cost? Will you hire team members or lease out chair spaces? These decisions can impact how much you spend – and bring in – every month. You’ll also want to put a brand and marketing plan in place to get discovered by customers, which includes steps like building your website, setting up your Google Business Profile and promoting your brand on social media.
Finally, you’ll need to think about how you’ll manage your clientele as your business grows. The right technology can help elevate the customer experience and save time and money. With a barbershop POS system like Square, you can streamline appointment scheduling, create customer profiles to track visit history and preferences, nurture relationships with your community by email or SMS and much more.
Can you open a barbershop without a licence?
You need licences and permits to operate a barbershop in Canada, but the exact requirements vary depending on your province or territory. For instance, while there is no federal body regulating barbers, formal trade certification is mandatory in Ontario. The best way to find the permits and licences required for your barbershop is to use the BizPal online service.
