The path to your own salon – business understanding and chair rental
Employed, booth rental, or own salon – three different career paths
The hairdressing trade offers unusually many different ways to pursue a career. Some are employed for the rest of their working lives, others become self-employed as chair renters in someone else's salon, and others start and run their own salon with employees. No model is 'right' — but they place different demands on business understanding, and it is a good idea to know the differences long before you face the decision.
§Three models three responsibilities
| Model | What characterises the | Business responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Employed hairdresser | Fixed wage, employer provides premises, tools, and products. | Limited — employer bears the business risk |
| Stall rental (self-employed) | Leases a chair in a salon for fixed rent or share of revenue, own customers, own prices and work hours | Own CVR, own accounting, own responsibility for customer base. |
| Own salon. | Owner or operator of the salon, possibly with employees or chair renters. | Full business responsibility: premises, staff, operations and finances |
§CVR and basic accounting
As soon as you work as self-employed — whether as a salon renter or salon owner — you must register a business with a CVR number and keep track of income expenses and VAT. It doesn't require you to be a trained accountant but you must be able to document your turnover keep receipts for purchases of products and tools and settle VAT and tax on time. Many newly self-employed hairdressers choose to get help from an accountant for the first accounting years while they learn the routines.
§The stall rental agreement — what should be included
Food industry
§Customer base and non-compete clauses
If you switch from being employed to becoming self-employed or starting on your own, your previous employment contract may contain a non-compete or customer clause that limits which customers you can take with you, and in what geographic area you can work for a period. Read such clauses carefully, and have them reviewed before you plan a switch – the consequences can be expensive if you breach a valid clause.
- 01Investigate the difference between being employed being a booth renter and being a salon owner before choosing your path.
- 02Record CVR and keep track of receipts, VAT and tax from day one as self-employed.
- 03Get a written stall rental agreement describing rent, termination, and customer data.
- 04Check for any non-compete clauses from previous employment before switching
“You learn the craftsmanship at school and in practice — you build up business understanding long before you need it.”