Do you want to start a hair business but you want to go niche and be unique? If YES, here are 50 best hair related business ideas & opportunities.
The hair industry is indeed one of the fastest growing industries in the world today. Over the past two decades, there have been massive changes in the hairstyles people wear, the products they use, and where these products are sourced.
In today’s culture, healthy hair is the one thing that portrays the fact that someone is youthful and this factor strongly influences purchasing decisions among consumers. This is perhaps why hair extensions of all types are sold every day to thousands of everyday women and celebrities.
The hair care market is comprised of thousands of products such as shampoo, conditioners, serums, colorants, sprays, etc., which are composed of both natural and synthetic ingredients in order to maintain healthy, lustrous and well-groomed hair.
Over the past few years, herbal hair care products have been enjoying increased popularity because of consumers’ heightened awareness about the ill effects of harsh chemicals and substances, thus opening up another segment in the hair industry that entrepreneurs gladly latched onto.
With statistics in the hair industry looking up, and with the future looking very bright, now is the time to be part of this industry.
If you had been hitherto thinking of how to approach this industry, and what business to start, here are some very profitable hair related businesses that would help you carve a niche in the industry.
Best Hair Business ideas
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Start a hair styling business
Women would always want to look beautiful especially for those special occasions, and that is why they shell out good money in salons. A hair styling business in any location would be a sure sell as long as you do not position it in an area with too much competition.
With the low barriers to entry in the industry, hair salons keep springing up frequently. To run a successful hair salon, you have to ensure that you are certified and that you are trained enough to give your customers what they want. If you and your workers are really good with hair styling, your business would grow tremendously via word of mouth publicity.
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Become a hair stylist
A hair stylist is someone who has been trained to take care of peoples hair needs. A certified stylist must be able to cut, coif, colour, weave and style people’s hair while taking all the necessary precautions. If you are interested in becoming a hair stylist, you first of all need to get the necessary training and experience.
When you have been trained and certified, you can now decide if you want to open your own salon, or you want o become a personal or mobile stylist. The career options available to a hair stylist are numerous. You just have to know what you want and follow it up with gusto.
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Become a personal hair stylist
A personal hair stylist is someone who styles peoples hair but on a private basis. A personal hair stylist does not have a shop or store front through which he or she operates from. He provides his services whenever he is called up and this is usually done in the client’s home.
Personal hair stylists are usually retained by wealthy people and celebrities to make their hair whenever they want and they are paid above average fees for their troubles.
To become a personal hair stylist, you have to ensure that you can offer exceptional services, and your hairstyles are not just run-off the mill. Indeed you have more burden here than someone who just decides to open a hair salon and offer random services.
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Become a hair massage therapist
A hair massage therapist is someone who massages the head by applying pressure to the skin of the scalp with the fingers and hands.
Hair massage is done in order to increase blood flow to the hair and to combat hair loss. Hair massage performed by a trained massage therapist will increase blood flow to the hair follicles, will condition the scalp, and enhance the strength of the roots.
It will also aid relaxation and reduce feelings of stress. To become a massage therapist, you have to be adequately trained and certified to perform the job because it requires a lot of intricacies. On the average, hair massage therapists earn roughly 51 percent more than hairstylists, so you should not worry about paying your bills.
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men’s and boys’ hair. A barber’s place of work is known as a barber shop. As men would always need to have haircuts, they need to have places to go for this business if they cannot do it on their own.
A barber’s shop is not only a place for hair business, but it has been known to be a place people come for social interactions.
To attract more than the regular crowd of weekly hair cutters and beard carvers, you have to be very adept with the razor and should be able to turn out various styles of haircuts. This business is very easy to start and it is very profitable wherever it is situated.
If you really want to make some good bucks out of this business, you should situate your shop in a highbrow area and make sure it is exquisitely furnished so you can attend to the rich. You should also make yourself available to attend house calls.
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Blog about hair
Blogs are for anything, and why not for the hair business also? In fact, it should be noted that a lot of people have become celebrities just by running hair blogs.
If you think you are well informed about the hair and its needs, the various products and how they are used etc., you can start a blog that is solely dedicated to all things hair.
You can take it up a notch by reviewing various hair equipment and products. If you do this efficiently, you would start garnering followership and soon you would come to the attention of hair product manufacturers who would want to use you as their brand ambassador.
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Start a hair vlog
Similar to starting a hair blog is starting a hair vlog, the only difference is that instead of writing, you get to produce short clip videos that you post on your blog or YouTube channel.
A vlog is actually very beneficial for hair and such related products, because your viewers get to see the products, how you use or apply them and their after effects.
This is especially true if you want to teach them hair styling techniques. You really need to share both the good and bad side of the products with your viewers if you really want to gain their trust.
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Become a hair model
Flicking through magazines, especially beauty and style magazines, you get to see photos of perfectly sculpted hair on radiant looking models. These are hair models.
These models work with photographers, hairstylists, hair care product companies and magazines to physically display the latest products, styles and fashions in hair. They may also model hair on a runway, pose for photographs or be used in live demonstrations.
Hair models get paid to have their hair done by professional stylists, and their payment can be in the form of the styling services performed as well money for their time. If your hair is your best feature, then why not make the most out of it and take a look at becoming a hair model.
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Start an Epilation parlor
Epilation is the removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Methods used can include waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, threading, intense pulsed light or electrology. Hair is also sometimes removed by plucking with tweezers depending on the growth and area of the body.
You cannot start this business without first being trained in the art. There are lots beauty schools where you can learn this art, and you can as well study online.
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Become a professional hair consultant
People have a lot of issues with their hair; from breakages, to thinning ends, to matted hair and balding edges, the list is unending.
Of course there are a lot of hair products in the market promising hair miracles, and consumers most times get spoiled for choice. This is where a hair consultant comes in.
A professional hair consultant is one that advises people on their hair needs, while also helping them resolve their hair problems.
A professional hair consultant must be adequately trained because sometimes you may have to refer your clients to the hospital. You must also be able to adequately publicize your business if you want to get clients on a regular basis.
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Start a body waxing salon
Waxing is a high demand, repeat service that is very profitable, and it can be started with low overhead. People are always on the prowl for a body waxing service that removes hair from all over the face and body.
In fact, IBIS World says that the body hair removal industry revenue was nearly $600 million in 2015, and that it has a three percent annual industry growth rate.
This goes to show the extent of demand for this service. Body waxing companies have been making big bucks in the hair removal business and you too can join it. You only need to get the right training and certifications.
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Produce hair relaxers
Relaxers are big for people with kinky hair because that is the only way the kinks can be straightened out. This is why there are in high and constant demand especially in African countries. If you are looking for a profitable manufacturing business to go into, you can start manufacturing hair relaxers.
If there are no people with kinky hair in your location, you can start exporting your products. If your products are of a decent quality, you would make good profits from it.
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Make and sell hair accessories
For just about as long as the human race had hair, they have been coming up with accessories to adorn it with or simply keep it off their faces.
Hair accessories have been worn by people of all ages and by both genders. They may include headbands, head wraps, fascinators, hair ties, clips, hair rings and hair bands etc. Most of these accessories are not difficult to make and they can be made at home with little cost.
Hair care products are those products that help to control the properties and behavior of the hair so that it can be maintained in a controlled and desirable manner. These products can include hair conditioners, hair sprays, hair straighteners and relaxers, permanent waves, shampoos, rinses, tonics and dressings.
Hair products are the first and most important step to achieving a desired look or hairstyle, and they can be produced for both people with kink and straight hair. You just have to choose your niche, or you can do either. Because hair care products are used on a daily basis, there is usually a good market for it.
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Production of hair wigs and weaves
A hair weave is a human or artificial hair that is utilized for integration with one’s natural hair. Weaves and wigs can alter one’s appearance for long or short periods of time by adding further hair to one’s natural hair or by covering the natural hair all together with human or synthetic hairpieces.
Women always have this desire to look different and that informs the popularity of weaves and wigs. It is even estimated that Africans use more wigs and weaves than every other continent, maybe because of their short kinks. Wigs and weaves have a very big and thriving market now and you can start producing these products if you have the capacity. To gain more market, you can target your products for export.
Natural/human hair extensions are the rave now. Women have discovered that synthetic hair goes bad very quickly and they are limited in styling. This is why human hair extensions have been embraced aggressively. Their allure goes beyond the fact that they stay years in active usage, but that the person who wears it gets to have some bragging rights.
Africans are usually the highest consumers of human hair extensions, and they buy them regardless of the price. The hairs usually come from Asian countries where some people are known to give up their hair either for a price or for religious reasons.
Once these hairs have been gathered together, there are sorted and processed, ready for export. This is where the middleman now comes in. Most African entrepreneurs in the human hair business feature at this level.
These middlemen and entrepreneurs often travel to China and india to buy human hair and import them back to the various African countries. The biggest human hair importers are Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Congo, Angola and East Africa. And most of the cargo is imported to Africa by air and sea. This business is very legal and viable and you too can also start it.
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Open an online hair extension shop
The fact that hair extensions are good business is no disputable. If you have where you can get steady and reliable stock, but you do not have money for a brick and mortar stall, then you can comfortably start an online shop. The key to profit in this business is publicity.
You should endeavor to make use of your social media handles as well as your offline connections. If you get steady customers, then your business has come to stay.
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Organize hair exhibitions
A hair exhibition or expo is an event that combines hair exhibitions, celebrity demonstrations, hair awards and talents at the cutting edge of style, trends and fashion. Salons often conduct hair shows to introduce their products, cutting methods and expertise to the general public and sometimes offer styling sessions free-of-charge.
Hair shows may also offer basic education on how to take care of different types of hair in addition to introducing new hair trends. A successful hair show requires preparation, advertising and the right location. Having proper network and business connections with beauty industry professionals, one can start this as a business.
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Hair products affiliate marketing
This is excellent home-based online hair business one can start. This business can be done as a side business and as full time also.
Creating your own blog, reviewing the products and selling the products from there through an affiliate program is a relaxed way to generate income. The most interesting part of this business is that you can sell enormous types of products without having any inventory.
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Sell DIY Appliances
Hair curlers, straighteners, dryers, sprayers, thongs are some DIY appliances you can start selling to people. It would serve you well to start this business online because you may not have much stock to warrant getting a storefront. You can as well start an affiliate marketing program for it.
Know that to make good success out of this business, you would need to know how to repair some of the appliances in case they are returned to you because of simple defects.
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Retail Hair Dye
People always like to experiment with hair color, and some others want to cover up the premature appearance of grey hairs. Whatever the reason, it just shows that hair dyes are an accepted hair product. To start retailing hair dye, you have to set up a storefront and stock it with different colors and brand of dyes.
Starting this business may be a little capital intensive, but in the long run it would become profitable. One thing you have to guard against in this business is stocking substandard products. To do better in this business, you can go around to the various hair salons and supply them this product.
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Open a hair styling training center
A hair styling training school is an official designation that trains people on hair styling. If you are a professional hair stylist who has years of experience, you can start a hair styling school where you get to train up comers on the business of hair styling.
If you are not a professional, you can hire professional hairstylists to take up the training while you handle the business aspect of the school. You can also start giving your training online to maximize costs.
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Start a hair lice removal business
Getting head lice is almost seen as a rite of passage for most schoolchildren. In the US alone, as many as 12 million kids per year get an infestation, according to the federal public health body, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another survey found that one third of under-16s in the uk had caught head lice in the previous 12 months. Head lice infestation is mostly dealt with using over the counter pesticides, but it has been discovered over the past few decades that many of the insects have built up a resistance to many of the available pesticide treatments.
The only remedy is to visit professional hair lice removal businesses, which use various techniques to tackle the infestation. If you have gotten this training, you can set up your own hair lice removal business and make profits from helping out pre-teens and teens with this problem.
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Mobile hair salon
If you are a hairdresser who is tired of working in a salon, and want to work for yourself, then mobile hairdressing can be a good way to start up a new business.
A mobile hair salon offers all, or most of the services provided at a traditional hair salon, but instead of having customers come into your salon storefront for appointments with you, you have to go to them. Pack up your shears, combs and a rolling sink, and you are ready to go make some cash.
When stylists start a mobile hair salon business, it allows them to tap into a whole new market. You can provide services to patrons who are too tired to visit a salon and individuals with short-term or permanent disabilities, for whom traveling to a traditional hair salon is inconvenient, difficult or impossible.
The beauty industry is composed of numerous wholesale manufacturers that produce everything from specialty shampoo and hair conditioners to hair accessories, makeup and styling tools.
Become a representative for a company that is a good match for your existing clientele’s preferences and price range, and sell its products through your hair salon. Not only does this have the potential to increase your income, it also provides a way to offer your customers a wider range of products and services in one location.
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Launch your own hair product line
Maybe you have come up with a few trade secrets during the course of your hair career. You can put this knowledge to use and start manufacturing your very own hair product line. Whether you have a secret recipe for an ultra-rich hair repair system or even a simple way to detangle curling iron cords, you can manufacture and distribute your product through your own salon, as well as others.
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Offer wedding consulting services
Build on your hairdressing knowledge and years of experience by becoming a bridal consultant. Coordinate efforts with wedding planners and stylists and create a portfolio of formal hairstyles appropriate for weddings. Offer packages in which you style the bride and wedding party’s hair on-site prior to a wedding. Participate in bridal fairs and expos as a way to meet potential clients and promote your services.
Are you certified hair removal personnel? You can start giving hair removal services to people in their homes. This can also be called a mobile hair removal service.
To start this business, you have to put together your tools and equipment, and endavour to have a vehicle to ferry you to your client’s homes. Because you do not have a storefront, you have to device clever ways to market your services so that you do not lack customers at any point in time
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Manufacture organic hair care products
These days, people are usually quite conscious of what they apply on their bodies, especially their hair. This is because of personal leanings and body sensitivities. Because certain people usually react to synthetic hair products, they usually prefer organic, all natural hair products.
This market is still emerging, and to take full advantage of it, you can start manufacturing organic, all-natural hair products for sale.
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Hair product marketing consultant
A hair marketing consultant is a very skilled professional who understands hair product analysis, what motivates consumers and how to put strategies in place to improve business.
A hair product marketing consultant works with hair product manufacturers to create and implement marketing strategies. If you are very versatile with the hair product market, you can decide to be a hair product consultant to help manufacturers sell their products.
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Become a hair salon promoter
A business promoter is a person, agency, or software tool used to publicize or promote goods and services. If you are well-versed in the functioning of hair salons, you can attach yourself to a hair salon to help them promote their services, for a fee.
This business would be very beneficial to newly-opened hair salons that are still looking for publicity, so you should do well to follow this niche.
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Become a YouTube hair stylist
YouTube can be a very lucrative business if you know how to put it to good use. If you are a hair stylist, you can do well to open a YouTube channel where you get to share hair care and styling tips to your fans. If you get to be popular, people would always consult your page when they are stuck styling their hair.
So many YouTubers even get paid to review the free hair products they’ve received. You can equally get the attention of product manufacturers so you can become their ambassador.
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Sell private label hair products
Private-label products also known as “phantom brands”, are those products manufactured by one company and offered under another company’s brand. Private-label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries, including hair.
Private label hair care products are a great way for salons to increase their margins and gain an edge in the competitive market. Because these products are usually cheaper, they get to appeal to a certain segment of the market. If you need a niche in hair styling products, you can start marketing private label products.
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Review human hair
It is a fact that a lot of human hair in the market now are not gotten from human beings but from goats and other animals, but marketers still rip people off by calling them authentic human hair. If you can differentiate between human and animal or synthetic hair, you can start giving a review of the various human hair brands in the market to ensure that your fans get to buy the original ones.
You also teach them how to style these hairs, preserve it and make the most out of it. You would soon enough get brands who would want to you to review and promote their human hair products.
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Give wig making tutorials
Hair wigs are expensive, especially the good quality ones. If you are an expert at making wigs, you can start a blog or open a youtube channel where you get to teach people how to make their own wigs. You can also teach them how to wash, oil, comb and preserve the wigs for long usage.
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Become a celebrity hair stylist
Celebrity hair stylists work exclusively with movie stars, political figures, musicians and others in the public eye to style their hair for their numerous public engagements. If you enjoy a fast paced environment and have a tough skin, you might have what it takes to be a celebrity hair stylist. This is a very profitable business and it is well worth the stress.
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Start a natural/kinky hair salon
As most Africans prefer to wear their hair in the natural fashion, they also deserve a salon to style it. In fact, most people with kinky hair who had previously relaxed their hair are now shaving them off to allow for the growth of their natural kinky hair.
As this has become almost a fashion fad, a natural/kinky hair salon would be very welcome. You can start your natural/kinky hair salon in places where people have taken to this fad, and you must source and use products that suit this hair type. If you are good at what you do, your customers would bring their friends.
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Create hair products for natural/kinky hair
Do you know what it takes to make natural kinky hair full, shiny and bouncy? Are you familiar with the natural herbs, spices, roots and leaves to use? Then maybe you should start manufacturing chemical free hair products for natural/kinky hair.
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Start a hair recycling business
Yes, it is possible to recycle hair. Hair recycling is perhaps the newest addition to recycling. Recycled hair is turned into a special product that soaks up oil spills in the ocean while the best bits are turned into wigs or weaves. You can start a hair recycling business by going to salons and collecting hair after the working day.
Some hair recyclers claim that they collect bags of hair each day. Hair recycling would help to keep hair away from garbage dumps and sites while turning them into sustainable products.
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Start a hair braiding business
Another business that has to do with hair is the hair braiding business. If you are skilled at braiding, you can start a hair braiding business where you braid peoples hair for a fee. To be successful in this business, ensure you can handle both kinky and straight hair.
You also have to be able to twist hair into various styles and designs and ensure you stay up to date with local trends in the market.
Ensure you get registered with the local authorities so that your business doesn’t get interrupted. You may have to position your business where there is an abundance of the African population as this set of people would be your faithful clients.
The world is a dynamic place this is filled with different kinds of people. It is a fact that some mothers wish that their baby girls were less bald. They usually go to the extent of getting baby wigs for their babies.
If you want to make a business out of this niche, you can start making and selling hair replacements and wigs that are suitable for baby girls. You must ensure that your wigs and hair replacements are of the highest quality so that it can be suitable for baby’s tender skin.
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Open kiddie’s hair salon
Another hair related business a professional hair stylist can successfully start is a kid’s salon. Here, you would be dedicated to only making and taking care of children’s hair.
One good thing about this type of business is that if it is strategically located in a place with the right demography, then you are not going to struggle to attract customers. If you are running a kids salon, then you must be a patient person, because it is often difficult to get children to corporate with you.
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Start a hair tools repair business
Starting a hair salon tools and equipment repair business is yet another highly profitable and thriving hair related one can successfully start. The fact that tools and equipment such as hair dryers, hair steamers, hair straightener, and clippers et al are usually subjected to wear and tear due to regular usage means that they would need to be repaired when they stop working.
If you intend starting this type of business, then you should ensure that your workshop is strategically located and you must be ready to go to work outside your workshop because some hair salons would want you to fix their tools and equipment right in their shops.
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Produce style guides
Another thing that you may consider going into is producing style guides. A style guide provides advice on the optimal use of hair styling tools and equipment, and industry practices. You can also use it to showcase the different hairstyles you have put on people.
People will be encouraged to buy these guides to use them to decide what style will suit them the most. You may consider doing a photo shoot of the many styles that you can come up with. This is so that it can be printed in the magazine.
If you are a prolific writer and have a creative hang of it, then you can start a hair and beauty magazine publishing business.
This type of magazine may not only be centered around hair and beauty alone, but also on health. For you to be able to start this trade, you should first of all carry out some exhaustive research on what the business is all about, the major players in the industry, how much you would be needing to start it, and lots more.