What should I check before buying a hair extension business?

An extension studio is a narrower business than a full salon. It may have a few chairs, a small team and a very specific set of skills. That makes it easier to understand and easier to damage if someone important leaves. When you read the listing, ask what the business does that a general salon does not, and then test each part of the answer against the books.

Artists and methods

Clients often book a particular artist for a particular method, and some artists hold training in a method that others in the studio do not. Ask who does the work, how long each has been there, and whether they work as employees or on some other arrangement. Your lawyer can explain what that arrangement means for you as a buyer.

Hair stock and colour matching

Stock is one of the things to count carefully. Ask for a count by type, length and shade, and compare it with what is on the shelves. Colour-match stock that no longer suits current demand is hard to move. Ask how the studio orders more, and whether the supplier gives it any special terms.

Move-ups, maintenance and online sales

Extensions need regular appointments to be moved up or maintained. Ask for records that show how often clients return. If the studio sells products online, ask who owns the website, the social accounts, the customer list and the supplier arrangements, and whether they are part of the sale.

Reading the profit

Whether a studio does well is a matter for its financial statements, not for what people say about the trade. Ask your accountant to look at the books with you. See buying a salon in Canada for the wider salon checks.