Ladies, please help me come up with a home salon price list...

[alibi]

I've been doing a few of my friends' hair out of my house for the last few months, and it's really started to take off. They've been referring all their friends to me lately, so I need to come up with a price list ASAP. I don't do color or super short haircuts, but everything else is fair game. Everyone LOVES my ceramic flat iron results (puts Dominican blowouts to shame!), and I'm about to purchase a steamer for deep conditioning. I already have every hot tools marcel curling iron know to man, several pressing combs, a golden hot hooded dryer, a hot tools ionic hooded dryer, a bonnet dryer, magnetic rollers in every size, flexirods, satin rollers, etc., so you know they're getting the real deal! Please help me come up with a price list that's reasonable, given the fact that I'm not licensed and I'm working from home, but I'm giving very professional services/results. Thanks.

Relaxer

Touchup

Trim

Deep Conditioning w/ steam

Wash and Set (Doobie)

Wash and Flat iron

Wash and press

Twist out

Eyebrow shaping (pluck or wax)

Underarm waxing

 

[Champagne_Wishes]

The way I would break it down is how much of the products are you using and how much would you like to make an hour. I hope this makes sense. You also have to factor in the price of water that you use and electricity that you use up when doing folks hair.

 

[alibi]

Hmmm, I hear you, but how the heck do you figure up things like water or electricity???

 

[deedabug]

what have you already been charging?? i think champagne is right too...i'll give u what i think for base prices and i think u should factor in a certain percentange for each service for ulitilites and products you are using

since ur bootleg lol....lets see...

relaxer 25.00 Im assuming you are styling it too

touchup...uh im not sure...i havent had a perm in so long...whats the difference in that and a relaxer lol...oh i remember now 20.00

trim...5 or 7 bucks

deep conditioning with steam...15.00

wash and set doobie...i dont know what that is...bout 12.00

wash and flat iron...15.00

wash and press....15.00...some old women around here will do it for 5.00

twistout...18.00

so how much r u willing to pay off ur neighbors who may get jealous and rat u out?? hey it happens...i feel that when you use chemicals you should charge more...

good luck girl!!

 

[bocagirl]

So how come you didn't tell us about this? I'm coming for a twist out. Let me know when you're open.

I've been doing a few of my friends' hair out of my house for the last few months, and it's really started to take off. They've been referring all their friends to me lately, so I need to come up with a price list ASAP. I don't do color or super short haircuts, but everything else is fair game. Everyone LOVES my ceramic flat iron results (puts Dominican blowouts to shame!), and I'm about to purchase a steamer for deep conditioning. I already have every hot tools marcel curling iron know to man, several pressing combs, a golden hot hooded dryer, a hot tools ionic hooded dryer, a bonnet dryer, magnetic rollers in every size, flexirods, satin rollers, etc., so you know they're getting the real deal! Please help me come up with a price list that's reasonable, given the fact that I'm not licensed and I'm working from home, but I'm giving very professional services/results. Thanks.

Relaxer

Touchup

Trim

Deep Conditioning w/ steam

Wash and Set (Doobie)

Wash and Flat iron

Wash and press

Twist out

Eyebrow shaping (pluck or wax)

Underarm waxing

 

[msniq]

good for you but be careful. keep it on the low and don't flaunt you new found money. ok. now you need to get a start up budget. you need to have capes and towels. get white ones that you can throw in the washer and bleach.
you also need to make sure you have quality products and let them see that you use the good stuff not stuff from the 99 store.
now the prices above sound good for an at home salon. you may want to try and get more than one hood dryer. I know I have seen some on ebay. the ones that you just have to put a chair under and the ones that are all in one. You may want to get a heat cap for the deep conditioners as well.
just be carefful and you should be fine! Good luck!

 

[msniq]

one more thing are you the only one working? you need to make sure you don't have too many people waiting. if i were you i would stick to eyebrows on the waxing.

 

[star]

I would find out what the going rate is out there and marked your prices about $10.00 less you make it up in volume. People love a good deal. Just check a salon in your area. Call them for their prices and then adjust yours accordlingly.

 

[alibi]

Thanks for the advice ladies. I know you want me to "be careful" and trust me, I am, and I will. Right now I'm still very small, about 6 steady people or so. I never have more than one person at my house at a time, so waiting is not a problem. So far I've only done people that I know personally, so everything's been fine. But they keep getting so many compliments that they want to refer their friends, moms, aunts, cousins, etc. That's where the price list thing is coming in, b/c I want to be consistent. In the past I've just done my friends' hair and let them pay me what they want, or pay me back in drinks when we go out. But now I need to know what to charge other people if I agree to do it. Hair/beauty is my passion, I'm not even doing it for $$$ right now. i just like to make black women feel good about their hair, and show them that it can be long and beautiful. The items that I have were amassed over the years from personal use, not to open up shop. (I do have a cape and white towels, btw. ) Anyways, if I ever got too big, trust me, I'd set things up the right way. But I don't know, it may be more hastle than it's worth to open up to others right now.

 

[RabiaElaine]

Good for you!!! I too do people's hair on occasion, sometimes I charge sometimes I don't. Anyway here are the prices I would charge if I were you.

Virgin Relaxer- $35

Touchup- $25-30

Trim- $5

Deep Conditioning w/ steam- $5 (depends on the how expensive the conditioner you are using costs)

Wash and Set (Doobie)- $10-15 (salons in NY usually charge $20 for dominican wash and set)

Wash and Flat iron- $10-15

Wash and press- $10-15

Twist out- $15

Eyebrow shaping (pluck or wax)- $4

Underarm waxing (no idea on this one)

 

[star]

Just be aware that it is hard to make price changes to regular customers. You may have to continue giving the 6 people discount but let them know about your upcoming plans to your business and the price changes for new clients. I think these 6 people can very well help you build your company. If your regular clients refer others this could be a incentive to continue to give them a discount.

Thanks for the advice ladies. I know you want me to "be careful" and trust me, I am, and I will. Right now I'm still very small, about 6 steady people or so. I never have more than one person at my house at a time, so waiting is not a problem. So far I've only done people that I know personally, so everything's been fine. But they keep getting so many compliments that they want to refer their friends, moms, aunts, cousins, etc. That's where the price list thing is coming in, b/c I want to be consistent. In the past I've just done my friends' hair and let them pay me what they want, or pay me back in drinks when we go out. But now I need to know what to charge other people if I agree to do it. Hair/beauty is my passion, I'm not even doing it for $$$ right now. i just like to make black women feel good about their hair, and show them that it can be long and beautiful. The items that I have were amassed over the years from personal use, not to open up shop. (I do have a cape and white towels, btw. ) Anyways, if I ever got too big, trust me, I'd set things up the right way. But I don't know, it may be more hastle than it's worth to open up to others right now.

 

[bocagirl]

I agree in looking at prices that a regular salon charges and taking $10 off for a relaxer and $5 off everything else.

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

I did this one time in my life and it yielded some pretty good money.

My price list was as follows:

Relaxer touchup $25

Trim: included with relaxer

Rollerset or wrap: $15

Wash and flatiron: $15

Wash and press: $15

This was about 8 years ago so I think that the prices probably should go up slighty on certain items. My suggestions:

Relaxer if virgin: $35

Touchup: $28

Trim: $5

Deep Conditioning w/ steam: $5

Wash and Set (Doobie): $15

Wash and Flat iron: $15

Wash and press: $18

Twist out:$16

Eyebrow shaping (pluck or wax): $5

Underarm waxing: not worth doing !yuck!



Try to keep your cost down by buying in larger quantities if you can. Always make sure to have enough money on hand to restock for the week. Offer more than one type of relaxer and have mild and regular on hand. Be prepared to have some strange one's come through. Be prepared for a lot of regulars. They will keep coming back because the price is right. Good Luck!!

 

[Cxshortie]

I think the prices everyone listed are reasonable. If you decide to do underarm waxing, I think you would want to make sure you have a room where the clients can lay down and have it done in privacy since I know when I get mine waxes I got to take off my shirt and all that good stuff.

 

[confused_one]

When i used to go to the dominicans:
Perm : $30-35, more depending on the lenght of your hair (don't know why
since its only the new growth being done)
Wash & Set/wrap - $15

Deep conditioner under steam - $3, $5, $7, $8 - depends on how expensive the conditioner was.

Trim - $5

I never did the other stuff you listed, i only colored my hair (semi-permanent rinse) that was $15.00 incase u do decide to do that service.

 

[alibi]

Thanks for the help ladies! I am going to take the underarm waxing off the list, I was still in the mindset of doing my friends, but now that I think about it, I definitely don't want to be fooling around w/ some stranger's armpits! Anyways, your suggestions have really helped, and anything else from someone who's done this on the side before would be greatly appreciated.

 

[miss_brown]

This is an excellent biz, ayana. I would be super careful with the chemical services, though. You're a lawyer, so you know how liable you could be if - and God forbid - anything bad were to happen (i.e. weird reactions, serious scalp burns, etc).

That being said though, I saw you go for the gusto. Like starian said, you can either charge $10 less than the salon prices (you may even be able to discount further the more expensive the service becomes).

Relaxer: $40

Touchup: $30

Trim: $10

Deep Conditioning w/ steam: $5-10 (depending on the product)

Wash and Set (Doobie): $20

Wash and Flat iron: $25 (depending on length )

Wash and press: $25 (depending on length )

Twist out: $20

Eyebrow shaping (pluck or wax): $5-8

Underarm waxing: $10

Good luck, man! Let us know how it goes

 

[Keen]

I don't mean to be a party pooper but please be careful. It is illegal in the state of Florida to charge for hair services except shampooing if you are not licenced. It is also illegal to operate a salon inside your home whether you are licenced or not unless the space you are operating at is separate from your living area and has its own main entrence.

 

[ThursdayGirl]

I think it may be the same in Indiana... separate living space and entrance.

Good luck Ayanna

 

[SUPER SWEET]

Relaxer-30

Touchup-27

Trim-5

Deep Conditioning w/ steam-10

Wash and Set (Doobie) -20

Wash and Flat iron-20

Wash and press-25

Twist out-20

Eyebrow shaping (pluck or wax)5

Underarm waxing-8
And a 10% discount to LHCF family

 

[karezone]

Be careful of nosey neighbors. The guy back home who used to do my hair (bootleg) was reported for running a business out of his home. I guess the neighbors got hip to the women coming in looking a mess and coming out looking hot.

 

[Kalani]

Be careful of nosey neighbors. The guy back home who used to do my hair (bootleg) was reported for running a business out of his home. I guess the neighbors got hip to the women coming in looking a mess and coming out looking hot.

This happened to my hair dresser! She was doing hair out of her home, though in a seperate room which was set up like a small salon and I think it even had its own entrance if I recall.
Anyway, she had to shut down. Not sure if she was fined or anything like that. She didn't share it with me. All I knew is I had to go elsewhere.