Before you sign a lease
- Decide your business structure and register it (most owners form an LLC through the Georgia Secretary of State).
- Confirm the specific individual license(s) you and any team members need from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers — or the relevant board for your specialty (massage, medical).
- Build a first-year budget, including a cash cushion for the slower ramp-up most new businesses experience.
Confirm your specific licensing requirements with the relevant official board before signing a lease or ordering equipment — requirements vary by service type and can change.
Setting up your space
- Confirm zoning and any local business license requirements with your city or county.
- Apply for your salon/shop license (if applicable) once your space is ready for inspection.
- Set up basic utilities, sanitation supplies, and safety equipment — see OSHA's small business resources for general workplace safety basics.
Getting ready to open
- Choose and set up booking/POS software (browse the software directory).
- Build your opening service menu and pricing — the Service Pricing Calculator helps you avoid underpricing out of the gate.
- Set up a Georgia Department of Revenue tax account and, if hiring, register with the Georgia Department of Labor.
- Order initial inventory and backbar/retail product.
Open with a smaller, tighter menu than you're tempted to. It's much easier to add services once you have real client demand than to walk back an overextended opening menu.
Marketing before day one
- Set up your Google Business Profile — do this weeks before opening, not the morning of.
- Create your OnlineListing profile so you're discoverable from day one.
- Plan a simple opening promotion or referral offer using our Promotion Planner.
Use the full startup checklist template
For a more detailed, printable version of everything above, see our Business Startup Checklist template.
Frequently asked questions
What's the single most common mistake new owners make? Underestimating the cash needed to cover the first few slow months — build a real cushion into your budget rather than assuming you'll be at capacity immediately.
Do I need a lawyer or accountant to get started? Not necessarily for every step, but a short consultation with each — especially around your business structure and initial tax setup — is often worth the cost to avoid mistakes that are expensive to unwind later.
