Probably the most exciting thing about starting a business is choosing a salon name! It is the one task everybody can’t wait to get to, and it may even be something that you have always discussed with friends and family, “If ever I have my own business I am going to call it…”

To own your own salon is a wonderful achievement and the name you choose is going to be with you for a very long time – so what do you need to consider when naming your business?

1. Your Salon Image

The name of your hair or beauty salon needs to conjure up the image of the nature of your business in the client’s mind. If you are called Eden, for example, I would expect the ultimate paradise for relaxation and peace in a spa environment. If you were called Pamper Time I would expect a truly pampering beauty experience in more of a high street or home based salon… You see the point? Names and words conjure images in clients’ minds before they have walked through the door or even met you. A name can entice a client to try you, but can equally discourage them without having ever met you.

2. The Competition

What are other salons called nearby? You don’t want to name your business something similar to another salon in your area and cause confusion. I would also go as far as suggesting that you Google any salon names you come up with to see if anyone within your county has the same name.

3. Trade Marks

Following on from the last point, whatever name you do decide on just check with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) that this name is not already trademarked within the industry that you work, or does not have a trademark pending. You don’t want to go to the expense of a shop sign, price lists, websites etc to find that you then can’t use it and have a legal battle ahead of you!

I run Starting In Business workshops and as much as I know that the naming of your hair or beauty salon is the most fun bit, I always tell people to refrain from acting upon a chosen salon name until our session – I had a student who ignored my advice, spent in excess of £1000 on literature and so on with her name on and found she couldn’t use any of it as the name was trademarked. Please don’t make the same costly mistake! Just take a few moments to check. Equally, if you come up with a fantastic name and it isn’t trademarked get it trademarked yourself so as no one can else can ever use it!

4. Be Unique

One of my jobs within the industry was as an Account Executive for a skincare company and in that role I had a massive area to cover consisting of hundreds and hundreds of salons – so many of them had the same name or very similar names, I lost count of how many ‘Beauty Box’, ‘Beauty By…’ and ‘Cloud 9’ named salons that I came across. Not that there is anything wrong with these names but there are millions of them and they aren’t very inventive. As I said back in my second point check the names of other salons for your whole county so as there can never be any confusion as to who you are!

5. Make it Interesting

Whatever salon name you choose, you want it to be interesting but not difficult or confusing. Names with a mixture of letters and numbers can be just that. Things like NVIGR8 and REJUVEN8 catch the clients attention, make no mistake, but not for the right reasons! You can try to be too clever and this can work against you – simplicity is often best.

6. Location

You could name your business after your area, ‘Petersfield Pamper Palace’, or even your specific address, ’52 Broad Street’. This is fine as long as you never plan on relocating!

7. Your Name

You can also name your salon after yourself, which is more effective if you do (and always will) work alone.

8. Trade Specifics

It is fine to call yourself The Nail Angel if nails are all you do, and will ever do. In actual fact, to be specific about what you do is a good thing because the client knows exactly what you do and there can be no confusion – it does what it says on the tin so to speak.

I once had a student who came to me to learn waxing and came up with the great name of The Wax Worx for her business. At the time I did say to her what if you ever start doing other things, and low and behold a year or so later she did and then she had to change her business name.

This is a costly mistake to make because by that point not only have you invested financially in price lists, business cards, websites etc. but you have also spent a whole year establishing yourself and your name to only go and change it and confuse the client as to who you are and whether you are the same person – some clients may think you have gone out of business!

9. Logo

If you are going to have a logo will your business name easily be replicated and demonstrated in a logo?

10. What do you think?

And finally you have to LOVE the salon name. It is a representation of you, your standards, your work, your image and your profession! You are going to have the name for a long time so do take the time to give it some really careful consideration… and enjoy it, owning a business will be hard work but also the very best of fun!

By Marie-Louise Coster

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