Hair removal is, hands down, the least favorite part of most people’s grooming regimen. That’s why salon hair removal services are so popular—we love outsourcing chores we dislike. It’s also why opening a sugaring business is a savvy investment for the intrepid entrepreneur.
85% of women polled said they hate shaving, and many become frustrated by how quickly their hair grows back. They also don’t appreciate how shaving irritates their skin.
Women are thought to be removing more body hair, but men are getting smooth results from hair removal, too. 34% of men aged 30-59 as part of a Statista survey reported utterly removing the hair on their neck and shoulders.
The Sugaring Business Sweet Spot
Why should an entrepreneur consider a sugaring business over a waxing salon or even laser hair removal?
Sugaring Beats Waxing in many ways:
- Sugar paste is all natural— sugar, water, and lemon juice are the only ingredients. No harmful chemicals at all.
- The paste is applied at skin temperature, unlike wax. There’s zip, zilch, and zero risk of burns.
- Sugaring is less painful than waxing because the paste only adheres to the hair follicle and dead skin cells. Hair is removed without trauma to live skin cells, resulting in less discomfort.
- Sugar paste is pulled in the same direction as hair growth, there are fewer breaks to follicles, meaning there’s less chance for ingrown hairs. It’s a smoother final result than with wax.
Sugaring Outshines Laser Hair Removal too:
- The training to become a sugarist takes much less time to complete. Most sugarists are licensed estheticians. Depending on the state, certification to operate laser hair removal devices may mean medical training.
- The cost to become fully trained and certified in sugaring versus operating a laser is much less as a result.
- The monetary outlay for the sugaring equipment to open a sugaring business is far smaller than the cost of purchasing or leasing a laser hair removal system, some of which can reach well into six figures.
- Sugaring as a service is a simple process to explain to clients, while laser hair removal can require a much more in-depth consultation process.
How to Start a Sugaring Business
Now, let’s see the steps required to open a sugaring business.
Step 1 – Create a business plan. This is the first step in opening any business. This is the roadmap for how the sugaring salon will operate daily, who the target audience will be, how the revenue will be generated, where the expenses will lie, and how profits will be made. Banks also view business plans to determine if they’ll support a business proposal and finance a business loan.
Step 2 – Secure a location. Once you know if you’re buying or leasing, you can determine other costs, such as build-out requirements, where equipment and furniture will go, and what signage you’ll need. Before you can start on any renovations, you’ll have to obtain the proper permits and licensing.
Step 3 – Consider your staffing needs. Are you hiring sugarists to work with you? Are you starting more minor with just yourself and a receptionist and scaling up as the client roster grows? Whichever route you take, begin training so you’ll have your personnel in place for the big opening day.
Step 4 – Begin marketing your new sugaring business to drum up excitement for your grand opening. If you’re planning a membership model, sign up new members to have eager clients ready for appointments the day you open.
Step 5 – Host your grand opening! Create a spectacle around your new sugaring business. Most communities are curious about new local businesses, which can give you networking opportunities. Consider businesses that match well and offer cross-promotion agreements, like beauty salons or barber shops that don’t do hair removal services, clothing stores, or bridal shops.
Given how well sugaring works and how smooth the results are, it shouldn’t be long before you’ve got a loyal customer base who routinely book appointments!
Equipment for a Sugaring Business
The great news is there isn’t much equipment necessary to open a sugaring business! You’ll need the following:
- A room or two for privacy, as some hair removal services can be pretty intimate.
- A comfortable table in each room for clients to lie on during each session.
- Table coverings that can be easily wiped down for sanitization between appointments, and sheets and pillows to make guests more comfortable.
- Of course, the sugar paste itself.
- Nitrile gloves.
- Talcum powder and soothing skin cream for after the sessions are complete.
- A place for your receptionist to greet clients, take calls, make appointments, and take payments.
- Computer equipment, POS software, and accounting software to track the business side of things.
Is a sugaring business profitable? Yes! The minimal equipment, small building footprint, and reasonable daily operating expenses make sugaring businesses very smooth to run.
Franchising Makes the Sugaring Business So Much Smoother
Opening an L.A. Bikini franchise would make opening a sugaring business much more manageable than all of this.
The pain points of starting from scratch aren’t there when you open a franchise like L.A. Bikini. We’ve smoothed the way for our franchise owners with the following:
- Streamlined business model.
- Scalable ownership for multi-unit operation.
- Extensive initial and ongoing training each quarter to stay on top of the latest techniques in sugaring.
- Supplier relationships with the best sugar paste manufacturer in the nation.
- Fully vetted technology tools for a smooth running operation.
Owning a hair removal business can be a great path to a smooth future! Contact L.A. Bikini today to take the next step toward a sweet investment!