The Road to Salon Ownership

At the recent Style & Success: Career Readiness & Salon Hiring Event, panelists Karris Reeves Robinson (owner of The Collective Salon Atlanta) and Gerthy Agard (owner of Salons by JC Sandy Springs) broke down the ideal, real-world path to salon ownership—what to learn first, when a suite makes sense, and what it actually takes to run an independent salon.

Step 1: Learn Inside a Salon

Cosmetology school teaches technique; a working salon teaches the business. Early in your career, focus on mentorship, service standards, and building a client base by watching how an operation runs day to day. As Karris recalled learning from her own mentor: “Stop being afraid to serve. This is the service industry.”

Step 2: Suites as Private, “Micro-Ownership”

Before opening a storefront, renting a suite can be a powerful stepping stone. Suites provide you with a private, branded space, letting you control the client experience while keeping overhead focused on rent and marketing. At Salons by JC Sandy Springs, Gerthy frames suites this way: “Salon suites are salon ownership on a micro level… We’re an incubator for small businesses whose goal is to eventually open their own larger space.”

Step 3: Independent Salon Ownership (The Full Scale)

Owning a standalone salon (outside a suites community) is a bigger leap in scale and responsibility—managing a team, carrying higher overhead, and setting the culture. At The Collective Salon Atlanta, Karris focuses on leadership and developing others: “I’m no longer trying to grasp every client who walks in. I’m in a role of leadership, matching clients with my team members.”

A practical readiness check Karris shared: reach overflow—consistent demand beyond your personal book—so you can confidently build other stylists’ books: “If you’re not at a place of overflow… you probably are not at a place where you need to be in salon ownership.”

Step 4: Financial Readiness Is Non-Negotiable

Systems precede scaling. Have a business bank account, engage bookkeeping, and develop a weekly rhythm for reviewing numbers—ideally with a CPA on retainer. As Karris put it, “If you’re not at a place where you really can look at where your money is and where it’s going, you’re probably still not ready to do a full-fledged salon.”

The Takeaway: Two Levels of Ownership, Two Levels of Responsibility

Suites—like at Salons by JC Sandy Springs—offer private, independent micro-ownership with manageable overhead. Stepping into being an independent salon owner, like Karris has done, demands leadership, financial discipline, and a commitment to mentoring a team.

Ready to Take Your Next Step?

Gerthy’s invitation: “If you’re looking for a salon suite in Sandy Springs in a community that is collaborative and supportive, then come and see us.”Style and Success Fall 2025 dis…

Karris’ invitation: “If you are looking for a salon team where we are here to truly build you up, figure out what your superpower is and continue to grow that, you should come and check us out.”

---

The next Style & Success event (Winter 2025) is coming soon! Date and location will be announced on anhcpro.org/events.