The salon industry is customer service-oriented. This means that customer satisfaction should be the core of your business philosophy. Clients who walk through your doors expect to be pampered, but the ambiance of a spa should be set up in order to deliver that luxury. A shabby or chaotic space undermines even the best services, leaving clients underwhelmed. Unless you apply for beauty salon financing, renovating your salon can cost you thousands in out-of-pocket expenses.
Fortunately, you don’t have to remodel your existing salon from scratch to improve customer experience. In this blog, we’ll share practical and proven ways to improve your salon ambiance and attract more clients without breaking the bank:
1. Offer Complimentary Beverages
Salons usually offer water to clients, but you can go the extra mile and provide a selection of beverages your customers will love. Consider offering the following:
- Standard options – Coffee, tea, infused water, or sparkling juice.
- Seasonal specialties – Pumpkin spice lattes in fall, iced herbal teas in summer, or hot chocolate in winter.
- Luxury touches – Alcohol-free “mocktails” (e.g., cucumber-mint spritzers) for a spa-like feel.
- Health-conscious choices – Cold-pressed juices, kombucha, or coconut water for wellness-focused clients.
Expert Tip: Use branded cups or mason jars for a polished look, and ask clients about preferences during booking to personalize their experience.
2. Curate a Special Scent for Your Salon
A thoughtfully chosen scent can transform your salon’s ambiance, making it more inviting and memorable. Research shows that certain fragrances influence mood and productivity — lavender calms nerves, citrus energizes, and peppermint enhances focus. However, overpowering smells can irritate clients, so subtlety is key to a pleasant sensory experience.
Here’s how you can incorporate scents into your salon effectively:
- Essential oil diffusers – A popular, adjustable option (try eucalyptus for freshness or vanilla for warmth).
- Scented candles or reed diffusers – Go for phthalate-free, hypoallergenic options to avoid headaches.
- Light linen sprays – Spritz towels or robes for a subtle, luxurious touch.
- Branded scenting – Choose a signature fragrance that aligns with your salon’s vibe—clients will associate it with your brand.
Expert Tip: Avoid strong floral or musky scents in small spaces and always ensure proper ventilation. A 2024 study found that clients rate scents as a top 3 factor in salon ambiance, so get it right!
3. Add Relaxing Sounds
What would you feel if you walked into a salon and rock music played? This shows how sounds and music can impact a salon’s ambience. The following are some of the ways you can elevate the soundscape in your salon:
- Curated playlists – Choose instrumental, ambient, or nature-inspired tracks (streaming platforms usually have premade spa playlists).
- White noise or water features – Small tabletop fountains or subtle rainforest sounds mask background chatter without distraction.
- Volume control – Keep music low-to-moderate (around 50-60 decibels) to encourage conversation without overpowering.
- Personalized options – At their station, clients can choose between genres via a QR code menu (e.g., “Zen,” “Acoustic,” or “Chill Pop”).
Expert Tip: Update playlists seasonally as clients appreciate fresh vibes, and it prevents staff fatigue from hearing the same tracks daily.
4. Revamp Your Waiting Area
Even with perfect scheduling, occasional waits are inevitable, but they shouldn’t feel like wasted time. No one wants to wait, but if your customers really have to, it’s best to help them feel as comfortable as possible. You can do this by turning your salon’s waiting area into an extension of your brand’s luxury.
While it doesn’t necessarily mean tearing down the entire space, you can make small changes to improve the ambiance. Consider the following waiting area must-haves:
- Seating that blends style and comfort – Plush armchairs, modular sofas, or even massage chairs for quick relaxation.
- Tech-friendly touches – Wireless charging pads, USB ports, and tablet stands for busy professionals.
- Engagement options – Curated coffee table books on beauty/fashion, a digital screen with style inspiration or a salon services menu, or QR codes linking to your social media or loyalty program.
- Refreshment station – A self-serve beverage bar with premium teas, infused waters, and single-serve snacks.
Expert Tip: Implement a “10-minute guarantee.” Clients who wait longer will receive a complimentary add-on (like a scalp massage).
5. Provide Entertainment
Lengthy hair treatments or keratin services don’t have to test your clients’ patience. Most of them expect seamless entertainment options, but you don’t need a big budget to deliver. Here’s how you can provide entertainment on a budget:
- Free High-Speed WiFi – Name your network something fun and display the password creatively.
- Conversation Starters – “Would you Rather” beauty trivia cards or flipbooks of your stylist’s favorite transformations.
- Tablet Stations – Load inexpensive tablets with streaming apps, digital magazines (Allure, Vogue) via free PressReader trials, and your salon’s Instagram feed for style inspiration.
- Headphone Hooks – Install them at each station for private listening. You can also provide disposable earbud covers.
Expert Tip: Consider partnering with other local businesses to swap perks. For instance, a coffee shop might fund your magazine subscriptions in exchange for shelf ads.
6. Check Your Salon’s Setup
Are your salon chairs properly spaced out? Do your clients have enough privacy when getting their hair done? The setup of your beauty or hair salon is another critical factor to consider in improving the ambiance. When your clients get their hair and nails done, they want to relax in their own space. They shouldn’t worry about nosy and noisy customers. Be sure to give enough room for clients to enjoy and be more relaxed.
Remember, clients won’t stop booking just because your space is small, but they will if it feels cramped. If you don’t have enough space, you can still offer privacy and promote relaxation by adding partitions or curtains. You can also add spaces between stations to help your clients feel more at ease in your salon.
Expert Tip: Conduct a “client walkthrough” by sitting in each of your salon chairs to sightline check mirrors and ensure no one feels exposed. Additionally, you can offer “private hours” for self-conscious clients (bridal, parties, teens, etc.) during off-peak times.
7. Invest in High-Quality Products and Equipment
You want your salon to feel clean, fresh, and luxurious at all times. That is why it’s crucial to invest in high-quality products and equipment. Your towels and blankets should be nice and soft, and your space should be clean and tidy. To improve the feel of your salon, you can offer salon robes and slippers for a full spa experience.
Your complimentary skincare products should also be of high quality. Make sure that the massage oils and lotions you use are suitable for all skin types. If you’re also running a hair salon, make sure your hair products are safe and high quality. Your clients should leave your salon feeling relaxed, recharged, and beautiful.
Expert Tip: Partner with local aestheticians to create a private-label product line. This way, you’re splitting costs while boosting exclusivity.
8. Exhibit at a Hair & Beauty Show
Most people have surely heard of, or perhaps attended, hair and beauty show events. Salon owners often set up an exhibit at a hair show to increase the salon’s brand awareness and get their name out to potential clients.
Hair and beauty shows give your salon’s stylists a chance to showcase their skills in front of an audience that truly values the craft. These events are also a great place to connect with other salon owners and build relationships that can lead to future opportunities.
Having plenty of pictures and videos of your hair salon operations at the exhibit to upload to your website or social media will also help position you as an industry leader in your community.
Expert Tip: Follow up within 48 hours with personalized reels showcasing how you created an attendee’s favorite look from the event. Combining physical demos with digital engagement can yield up to 3x more leads.
9. Have your Own YouTube Channel
While everyone is busy with their social media channels, don’t forget about the goldmine that is YouTube! It can be time-consuming to create video content, but YouTube is still profitable for many salons. After all, YouTube reaches nearly 122 million active users every single day.
Try posting videos of your hairstylists working on popular hairstyles, or take it a step further by making it a step-by-step tutorial so that your content reaches a broader audience (tutorials are always popular!).
Don’t worry too much about your video skills, either. People appreciate it when a video looks authentic compared to over-edited content. Just remember that lighting is super-important! Videos are much more effective than still images in attracting audience engagement.
Expert Tip: Film “day-in-the-life” booth footage for TikTok/Reels. These behind-the-scenes prep clips can get you 3x more engagement than staged posts.
10. Partner with Local Businesses for Hyper-Targeted Exposure
While print materials still have niche value, the most effective local marketing currently happens through digital collaborations. Modern co-marketing delivers better reach, tracking, and ROI than static posters. Here’s how you can leverage those partnerships:
- Instagram Takeovers
- Swap accounts for a day with a boutique/yoga studio
- Film “Get Ready With Me” collabs showing their team using your salon
- Google Local Service Ads
- Split ad costs with a neighboring spa to target “self-care day” searches
- Share negative keyword lists to avoid wasted spend
- Digital Loyalty Swaps
- Offer 10% off to clients who show receipts from partner businesses
- Create bundled deals (e.g., blowout + lash lift packages)
Expert Tip: Digital partnerships drive up to 5x more engagement than print materials. Use Canva’s Brand Collab Kit to maintain professional branding across all partner content.
11. Sponsor a Charity Event
One of the most rewarding moves you can make as a salon is to find a way to give back to your community. It will help those in need and make your salon stand out to potential new clients.
There are various ways to give back, and you’ll have to find one you’re most comfortable with. Every community is unique, so you might want to talk to local organizations and ask around to see where you can help most.
One example would be to team up with the local unemployment office and offer free haircuts to people searching for employment. A fresh haircut is a great confidence booster and can make a difference in a job interview.
Expert Tip: Track the results of your community involvement efforts. For example, note how many new paying clients were acquired (e.g., “50 haircuts donated = 12 new paying clients”). Purpose-driven salons see 31% higher client retention.
12. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
As “salons near me” searches continue to rise, make sure you’re showing up when people try to find local salons in their area. When people search for your business on Google, whether to check opening hours, make an appointment, or find your address, reviews connected to your GBP show up alongside the search results.
Make sure your location and contact details are correct. Link your most popular products and services through your GBP listing. Load it up with glowing reviews from your clients. After all, five-star reviews are powerful social proof. So, get in the habit of asking happy and loyal customers to leave a positive review. Send an automatic follow-up SMS or email to clients and request a review. Include the GMB page link in your message.
Don’t have a GBP set up? Don’t worry – this salon SEO guide has got you covered.
Expert Tip: Highlight what makes your salon unique, like being locally owned or offering vegan products—these details help customers find you through search filters.
13. Promote a Lunch Time Package
Your clients are busy people, and a visit to the salon can be a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of a workday. Create and promote a course of express service packages that can be completed in 30-45 minutes, are affordable, and simple enough for anyone to enjoy on their lunch break.
Approach any nearby business and drop off flyers to market your new package. After all, what’s better than sneaking in a quick pamper session between meetings? Your clients will love this service, and so will your salon’s bottom line.
Expert Tip: Utilize Square Appointments to block off “express only” time slots automatically, send pre-service forms via text, which saves over five minutes, and sell add-ons beforehand, such as offering a five-minute scalp massage for an additional $10.
14. Run Paid Search Ads
Be present at the moment your prospective clients are searching for you. Make sure your salon features at the top of Google’s search results. How, you ask? Open up your line of credit and run a paid search campaign.
When you set up your search campaign, be specific. After all, you’ll pay every time someone clicks your link, so you’ll want to only show your ad to people likely to book with you. For example, target people within walking distance of your salon.
You can also define a person’s specific words when searching. This could include the services you offer in your salon. By being targeted with your ad copy, you’ll increase the chance that the visitor will decide to book with you when people click your ad (and you pay).
Expert Tip: Check out Google’s Ad guide to get started with targeted ads for your salon.
15. Create an Insta-Friendly Space in Your Salon
In the world of social media, sharing is caring. Want a sure-fire way to bring in new business? Having people share pictures from your salon is the best form of social proof you can get.
Set up a space in your salon for people to snap selfies after their appointment. Invest in a ring light to ensure your clients feel picture-perfect when snapping their new ‘do’. Incentivize your clients to share their post-service selfies. Offer clients who share their selfies a discount on their next service. Make sure your beauty salon has a check-in point for Facebook and Instagram. If you’re unsure how to set this up, check out Facebook’s handy guide.
When people share, ask them to @mention your salon’s Instagram handle, use any hashtags you’ve created for your salon, and check in to the location. A selfie station generates free, word-of-mouth marketing—think of it as a modern-day testimonial.
Expert Tip: Track which styles/looks get shared most, then promote those services as “Most Instagrammed” to capitalize on popular trends and social proof.
16. Tap Into Modern Audio Marketing
While traditional radio still reaches some audiences, 2025’s most cost-effective audio marketing happens through digital channels. Almost half of the people who buy beauty products monthly listen to podcasts. Plus, the number of people using voice search to find salon services has doubled in the last year. Here’s how your salon can take advantage of these trends:
- Sponsor hyper-local podcasts like city lifestyle shows or beauty roundups—many charge under $100/episode for host-read ads.
- Optimize for voice search by adding natural-language phrases like “best blowout near [neighborhood]” to your online site.
Expert Tip: You can repurpose your 30-second salon audio ad for various modern marketing channels, including podcast pre-roll spots, TikTok voiceovers for visual content, and an Alexa Skill to answer frequently asked questions, maximizing its reach and impact across different platforms.
Beauty Salon Financing for You
You can improve your salon’s ambiance and ultimately attract more customers by following these tips and tricks. Beauty salon loans, like a business line of credit, term loans, equipment financing, and others, can and do help cover the costs of salon renovations and improvements. You can use the hair salon business loan for any business expense, including operational costs and payroll, to renovations and expansions.
First-time borrower? Our beauty industry financing experts simplify the process—from credit score checks to cash flow planning—so you can focus on creating unforgettable experiences for your clients. Get pre-approved in minutes or talk with our financing specialists to learn more about your options today!
FAQs
What are the three types of financing for small businesses?
Businesses like hair salons have three forms of financing to choose from should the need for additional funding arise. They can obtain debt financing from banks and alternative lenders in the form of loans, while equity financing involves selling stocks or equity.
While plenty of small business loans is available for salon business owners, the top three beauty and hair salon financing options business owners usually opt for are: SBA loans for real estate purchases or business acquisitions; a business line of credit in case the business needs quick access to cash; and equipment loans for essential equipment needs.
Is it profitable to own a beauty salon?
The salon and barbershop industry continues to thrive, with over 265,000 establishments generating $72 billion in annual revenue. The average salon now brings in $271,000 in gross revenue yearly, reflecting steady growth as consumers prioritize self-care and maintenance treatments post-pandemic. After expenses, salon owners typically take home $22,500 in net profit—a healthy 9.1% profit margin that outperforms the general small business average of 8.3%.
How do you make money running a salon?
As mentioned above, improving salon ambiance can significantly boost your business’s profitability. But aside from giving the vibe of your salon a lift, you can also increase your profits by creating a streamlined booking process, reducing salon overhead costs, and identifying niches that stand out from your competitors’ offerings. You can also promote loyalty plans through gifts and certificates to make your customers feel appreciated.
