The best way to make money as a cosmetologist in Arizona is to open your own hair salon. Not only do you make money through the clients you service, but you also get a cut from the employees that work for you. While there are many steps involved, you can have your own shop or business with a little perseverance.
Instructions
1. Get your license as a cosmetologist in the state of Arizona. Before you can begin cutting hair and providing other salon services in your own business, you will need to have a cosmetology license. This can be obtained through the Arizona Board of Cosmetology.
2. Register the name of your salon with the Arizona Secretary of State Office. Since it oversees the Board of Cosmetology in Arizona, the office of the Secretary of State oversees actual salons. You are required to register your salon name with this office before being allowed to open your doors.
3. Find a location for your salon. The location of your salon will most likely be dependent upon where you live and what commercial properties are available. Ideally you should try to find a property that has already housed a salon, since chances are it is physically set up much like you would want.
4. Secure funding to launch your salon. It takes a lot of initial cash to start a salon, and it is important that you have it on hand to make your business a success. The cost of the location, supplies, marketing, advertising, licensing and more are all things to consider. In addition, you should have enough cash on hand to pay all expenses for at least six months as it often takes time to make money with a new business. If you don't have the funds via yourself, you can apply for a business loan through your local bank or the Small Business Administration.
5. Order any supplies you may need. Starting off, chances are you don't have a lot of the supplies you need to run a salon. Hair dryers, shampoos, conditions, rollers and scissors are just some of the things you will need. You should also remember that you need other supplies such as a cash register, broom, dustpan, pens, tape and other office supplies to run your business efficiently.
6. Register your business with the State Department of Commerce for tax purposes. As a business in Arizona you are required to collect sales tax and employee withholding tax for the state. You can access the forms you need to do this by contacting the Arizona Department of Commerce.
7. Complete necessary registration at the local city or county level if needed. Some cities and counties in Arizona require their businesses to be registered with the local form of government. You can determine if this applies to you by contacting the city or county government that has authority in the location of your primary business. You can also check with the chamber of commerce as they can provide helpful insight into this matter as well.
8. Establish cleaning and sanitizing procedures for equipment. The Arizona Board of Cosmetology has certain requirements and specifications regarding the cleanliness of equipment in a salon. This is a public health matter as they don't want certain diseases transferred from one person to another. Failure to comply with their requirements will result in your salon being shut down.
9. Hire employees and ensure that they are licensed. All employees working in your salon providing services to clients must be licensed by the Board of Cosmetology, but others working as receptionists or secretaries do not. It is your job to check to ensure everyone has their license and keeps it current.
10. Market and advertise your business to customers. Finally, after handling all the paperwork and preparing for opening day, the last thing you have to do is market and advertise your salon to draw clients in. There are a number of different ways to do this although many salon owners find word-of-mouth to be most effective. You can accomplish this by providing free haircuts and styles for people on opening day.
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