If you’ve only ever set foot in a nail salon as a customer, consider putting your dream on hold and getting a job at an established salon. Becoming a technician yourself will give you a better understanding of the unique skills and demands of the profession. In time, this expertise will play directly into your success as an entrepreneur in the field of beauty.  Even a part-time job can serve as a valuable learning experience while you’re gathering your resources. As you’re working your way up the ladder, pay close attention to the administrative side of the business. This is the role you’ll be stepping into once you become a full-fledged salon owner. Begin by formulating a vision for your business. Do you imagine it as an urban oasis where tired clients can come to be pampered, or an in-and-out cash cow that caters to a hectic professional crowd? Once you have some idea of what you want to achieve, you’ll be better prepared to plan accordingly. The goals you lay out for your salon may have an impact on your location, spatial requirements, or the number and type of services you provide. Licensing criteria will differ depending on where you live, but at the very least you’ll need to be able to show proof of your cosmetology certification and apply for a standard operator’s license to conduct business. Additionally, some U.S. states require that salon owners carry a seller’s permit in order to be recognized as a legal vendor of specialty products.  If you haven't already, start researching cosmetology programs in your area. These courses typically take 1-2 years to complete. At the end of this time, you'll be awarded the credentials you need to operate your own salon.  You can file for your operator’s license, along with other licenses like different classes of seller’s permits, through the central business licensing association for your state or territory. For more information on licensing and local laws, contact your city’s business affairs board or visit your county clerk’s office. Start setting aside as much money as you can to finance your upcoming business venture. If necessary, you can apply for a business loan to supplement the money you’ve saved up. There's also the option of seeking contributions from your friends and loved ones.  Consider opening a savings account to keep your startup money separate from the rest of your finances. While you're in the planning stages of opening your nail salon, cut down on unnecessary spending as much as possible. Every cent you save will bring you closer to realizing your dream. Identify all the places your money will be going to get your salon off the ground. Along with the regular cost of operation once you’re up and running, there will be expenses associated with leasing, licensing and property inspection, taxes and basic equipment and supplies. There will also be the matter of payroll once you begin hiring employees to work under you.  Consult with a professional business adviser or talk to the owner of the salon you frequent to get an idea of how much it will take to open your own. Starting your own business is never cheap. Fortunately, nail salons tends to be less expensive enterprises, as they don’t require any sophisticated technology. All that's left to do now is to complete the paperwork needed for your salon to be recognized as a business entity. These forms should be filed with the office of the Secretary of State in your locality. When this is done, you'll need to register for your Employee Identification Number (EIN), which will be used to identify your business and place you within the appropriate tax bracket as owner.  Your salon can be set up as a sole proprietorship if you're going into business for yourself, or as a general partnership or LLC (limited liability company) if you're bringing another person in with you. Joint ownership is a great way to split labor and expenses, but it also means your profits will be shared.  If you live in the U.S., you can apply for your EIN by filling out a form on the IRS website.

Summary: Get some experience working in a salon. Decide what sort of salon you want to open. Obtain all necessary licenses. Build up your capital. Estimate your total startup costs. Establish your business legally.


If an author is listed for the article, type their last name first, followed by a comma and their first name. Place a period after the author's name.  Example: Kent, Clark. If no author is listed, start with the name of the newspaper in italics, followed by a comma. For example: The Daily Planet, Using title-case, capitalize all nouns and verbs in the title. Include any sub-title by placing a colon after the title and then typing the sub-title. Place a period or other punctuation mark at the end of the title, inside the quotation marks. Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The name of the newspaper that published the article follows immediately after the title. Place a period at the end of the name of the newspaper. Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet. Start with the full name of the month, then the day followed by a comma. End with the year the article was published, then place a period after the year. Just provide the year if the month and day aren't given. For online articles, include the date the article was most recently updated, if applicable. Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet. July 17, 2017. If you accessed the article online, include a full permalink for the article. After the link, open parentheses and type the word "accessed" followed by the month, day, and year you accessed the article. Place a period after the closing parentheses. Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet. July 17, 2017. www.dailyplanet.com/superman_spurns_gotham (accessed July 19, 2017). Chicago Style normally requires you to place a footnote in your text when you paraphrase or directly quote a source. The format is similar to the bibliographic format, except you type the author's name with their first name first. You also place commas rather than periods between the elements of the citation.  Example: Clark Kent, "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away," The Daily Planet, July 17, 2017. www.dailyplanet.com/superman_spurns_gotham (accessed July 19, 2017). After citing the article in a footnote once in your paper, use a shortened form in subsequent footnotes. The shortened form is the author's last name followed by a shortened version of the title in quotation marks. For example: Kent, "Villains Take Over."

Summary: Start your bibliography entry with the name of the author. Provide the title of the article in quotation marks. Include the name of the newspaper in italics. List the date the article was published. Copy the URL and date of access for online newspapers. Reverse the order of the author's name and use commas for footnotes.


Let's face it — sometimes, cheeks just refuse to be cooperative. If you can't get pinker cheeks with the tricks above, try using a little blush to give your cheeks a boost! Start light by adding just a little blush. Remember, you can easily add more, but it can be a pain to remove your blush and start over if you add too much.  There's no single "right" type of makeup to use — what looks good on one person may not look good on another. However, if you're a makeup beginner, it's generally a good idea to start with a mild pink blush, which can contain hints of gold or peach if you like. These shades are a good general choice because they complement nearly all skin tones. See our blush article for tips on applying your makeup.
Summary: Apply light blush for a subtle glow.