6 Steps in Starting a Profitable Waxing Business

Waxing is a beauty procedure in which unwanted hair is removed from the part of the body using equipment and tools that will make it less painful to the client and easier for the esthetician (cosmetic skin treatment professional).

It is a profitable business in countries where ladies place priority on their bodies and beauty. No wonder the number of specialists in body hair removal in the United Kingdom and the US is growing every day.

For instance, there are 360,963 Personal Waxing & Nail Salons businesses in the United States as of 2022. The figure when compared with what the country had in 2021, there is an increase of 6.3%.

The data from IBIS World also reveals that there is an increase by 6.3% per year on average between 2017 to 2022 in the number of personal waxing and nail salon industry.

Regarding how much you can make, there are reports that a body waxing specialist makes on average $18.96 USD per hour in the United States. This article covers:

• Precautions to take before undergoing a waxing procedure
• The challenges and benefits of starting a waxing business
• The equipment and tools you need to set up a body waxing salon
• Steps to take to setup a waxing business
• The promotional strategies to get customers

Precautions:

When starting a highly delicate body beauty procedure like hair removal, the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) advises that both the client and the waxing specialist must take precautions to avoid skin damage, especially for those who undergo the procedure at home.

These include:

1) Avoid waxing sensitive skin or sunburned part of the body

2) Someone who has taken isotretinoin in the last six months should not wax. Also known as 13-cis-retinoic acid, Isotretinoin is a capsule that is used to treat severe acne e.g nodular acne, says WebMD

3) It is also advisable to leave Brazilian waxes to professionals because of the delicate skin area.

Katie Miles who is a lecturer in Beauty Therapy at Stockport College and also a salon CEO at Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, advises that someone who undertook a waxing procedure should:

• avoid moisturizers for 24 hours after the session
• avoid deodorants
• avoid heat treatment
• They must also avoid false tan after 24 hours

Especially, if you want to undergo at-home waxing, pay attention to the aforementioned precautions and if don’t hesitate to see a certified dermatologist if you notice redness or swelling skin for more than 48 hours.

The Price of Waxing Tools and Equipment

Some of the basic equipment you need for the body waxing business is:

Tools	Price in the US	Price in the UK
Comforting wax bed	$64 to $280
Spatulas	$5.95 to $12	£3.99 to £6.86
Cotton wool	$8 to $12	£4 to £5.99
Waxing strips	$8.99 to $10	£2.99 to £8.75
Pre wax cleanser	$9 to $12	£10 to £14.95
After the wax soothing gel	$8.49 to $12	£13.98 to £17
Tweezers	$9.99 to $23	£5.95 to £12.50
Disposable gloves	$10.85	UK: £11.99

How to Setup a Waxing Business In 6 Steps

The price above is based on prices on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. There may be a slight difference in price in your location. Take the steps below to get started:

Get Esthetic License

The first thing to do is to register your business and obtain a license for your business after undergoing appropriate waxing training. If you aim to sit back and have workers work for you at the salon, you can easily employ a certified waxing technician.

If you are opting for the latter option, be sure the professional waxer you are working with has satisfied all legal requirements.

In the state of Texas, a waxing salon/business falls under an esthetic license. You can get the license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

There are two exams to be taken: 1) written, 2) practical exam. The written exam cost $55 while the practical cost $78.

However, you may pay more if you prefer to get a Full-time Esthetician Certificate at Lone Star College in Texas, costing not less than $7,000 USD. The advantage of this is that the fee covers all required classes, books and necessary equipment.

Location and Target Market

This is a robust industry. You need to identify an appropriate business location and a target market where you can flourish without big competition. Carefully choose your business location.

Today, there are several options available to choose from. You can opt for renting space at a full-service beauty salon or even create a structure whereby you can offer home service to your clients as they book your services from the comfort of their own homes.

If you are going to offer home service where clients can book your service, you need to have a website for your business as we pointed out as one of the marketing strategies to reach hundreds of potential customers in your locality or state.

It is also necessary to carefully conduct market research to identify your target market and know what to focus on. Look for a particular unpopular audience demographic and make them your customer.

Have an Irresistible Business Plan

Once you have taken the time to establish your location and target audience, then you should create a formidable business plan. A business plan gives you good clarity and acts as a guide to what you will be doing without distractions.

Your business plan won’t only include your business name as well as the structure, it also provides in-depth details about the business, including your team members and what you will charge for your services.

At this stage, you won’t have to complete your business plan yet since you will always have to update the document as you proceed on your enterprising journey. Nevertheless, you should be sure of your budget, knowing the amount of money required to start and operate the business.

It is expected that you should be aware of the things you will need for your waxing salon business – such as wax warmers, waxing tables, lotions, hard wax, etc. The cost of these things must be included in your business plan.

Business Registration

Every legal business must be duly and appropriately registered with the necessary agency. Depending on where you are operating your business, you can even get this done online. Registering your waxing salon will even avail you of several opportunities like grants, and even a lot of people will be comfortable with doing business with you.

Small businesses in some territories are allowed to launch out before registering the business with the state agency. Nevertheless, in an industry of this sort, it is legally advisable to operate as a legal entity, where your personal assets are separated from the business.

It doesn’t matter what part of the USA your business is being operated from; it is necessary to apply for an employer identification number (EIN) with the IRS. If you want to open a bank account for your business, the bankers will demand this before they can attend to you.

Protecting Your Business

While a waxing session is ongoing, anything can happen, due to the delicate nature of the process. Even if you are an expert when it comes to waxing, the fact remains that you can still indulge in an error that can be damaging. Therefore, it is a great and wise thing to get business insurance beforehand.

Experts have advised waxers to have in place a release of liability waiver for their clients to agree with before the session. The aim is to prevent the client from suing you should something go wrong while being waxed.

You can even get your customers informed of some of the issues that can be witnessed after the waxing appointment – such as bleeding, the potential for rash, and so on. This will protect you from the serious headaches that can come with running this sort of business.

Marketing

Now that you are ready to be a formidable player in this industry (after putting in place the right and necessary things), you can proceed with marketing and promotional strategies to ensure your target market is aware of your brand and services. This is something that can determine the success or failure of the business. Hence, you must be very tactical and smart.

While you can utilize certain traditional methods like using direct mail to inform potential clients of grand opening discounts, it is very advisable to focus more on digital marketing. In today’s business world, digital marketing is not only effective but also very efficient. It is helpful but affordable.

You can start with creating a Yelp Business Page, and even invest in Yelp Ads (or the likes of Google Ads and Facebook Ads). These platforms allow you to reach a targeted audience in line with your budget, and you only pay when an interested user clicks on the ad.

You can also hire the services of a social media manager or take up the role yourself to save costs. The goal is to have a good presence on prominent social media platforms, where you can always engage potential clients every day.

How profitable is the waxing business?

The waxing business comes with a lot of advantages. One is turning you to become financially independent. For instance, you can make between $3,500 to $4,500 per month or more depending on your experience and how popular you’ve become in your location.

This doesn’t come without some challenges before and after setting up your waxing salon. One such is paying self-employment taxes. Self-employment tax can be high depending on the state you live in in the US.

Another challenge you face is being responsible and accountable for every decision, meaning you would be answerable for any bad or great business decision.

Conclusion

The waxing industry in the US, UK, and Canada is a large one with a lot of growth potential. There are a lot of people eager to undergo a waxing session to remove unwanted hair, and the opportunity to invest in a waxing salon is still available.

These six steps as described in this article revolve around how you can start a profitable waxing business and will prove very helpful for you if you are ready to become your own boss.

References

1. Katie Miles (October 14, 2014). “How To – Basic Waxing Tutorial by salon professional – Step by Step Guide”.  youtu.be
2. American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Hair removal: How to wax”. aad.org
3. WEBMD. “Isotretinoin Capsule – Uses, Side Effects, and More”. webmd.com