Hair Care Business

6 Hair Care Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 10th, 2024

Thinking about diving into the beauty industry? A hair care business might be your ideal venture. This business involves creating and selling products like shampoos, conditioners, serums, and hair treatments tailored to various hair types and needs.

What sets a hair care business apart is the opportunity to blend creativity with commerce. You can start by learning the basics of formulation and sourcing quality ingredients to make effective products. Building a brand that resonates with consumers requires understanding their preferences and marketing accordingly.

While there's significant competition, a strong brand narrative and high-quality products can carve out a niche in this growing market. To get your business off the ground, you’ll need a solid business plan, effective marketing strategies, and a dedication to research and development.

If you’re passionate about beauty and committed to quality, a hair care business can be both rewarding and profitable.

In this list, you'll find real-world hair care business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a hair care business that makes money.

1. Urban Betty ($6.6M/year)

Chelle Neff, founder of Urban Betty, started her business by opening her own brick and mortar salon after five years of being in her own salon suite. She gradually expanded her team and transitioned from contractors to all commission-based employees. Eight years later, Urban Betty has two locations and over 50 employees, generating $3.3 million in revenue.

How much money it makes: $6.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $69.9K
How many people on the team: 81

How I Went From Hairstylist To Running My Own $3.3M Salon Business

This case study follows the founder of Urban Betty, who started her salon business with only one contractor, and now has two locations with over 50 employees, growing from 1.5 million to 3.4 million in revenue from 2014-2018, and investing around 2% of its gross income every year in Yelp, Google, and Facebook Ads.

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2. Antonio’s Barber Shop ($1.5M/year)

Antonio Camilleri, a seasoned barber with over 18 years of experience, opened his first barbershop in Leister, UK, after working as an apprentice and further improving his skills in the Netherlands. Recognizing a gap in the market for old-school barbering in Malta, Antonio moved back and opened the official Antonio's Barber Shop with 8 chairs, quickly growing to 14 barbers across 2 locations. With an annual turnover of 1.5 million euros, Antonio's Barber Shop offers top-notch customer service, a range of grooming products, and a barbering academy.

How much money it makes: $1.5M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500K
How many people on the team: 25

How I Started A $125K Barber Shop, Beard Grooming Brand And Barbering Academy

Antonio Camilleri built Antonio's Barber Shop from a small two-chair operation to two locations servicing over 250 daily clients and €1.5M in annual revenue with a product line generating a 30% profit.

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3. T is for Tame ($1.44M/year)

Becky had been an ex-ad executive and spent most of her days developing ads for her clients. When she found no good product to tame her twins' hair, she wasn't suprised. She had always dreamt of working on something she believed in.

How much money it makes: $1.44M/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
How many people on the team: 0

How I Tapped On An Emerging Hair Care Market And Built A $90K/Month Business

T Is for Tame's founder developed a safe and clean hair product for babies which generated an 85+% revenue growth for their business when they recently expanded into Target and Walmart, while they remain focused on deepening their relationships with customers through micro-influencers and employing social media tools.

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4. Natural Girl ($360K/year)

The founder's admiration for natural textured wigs led to the idea of posting content about textured hair on her Instagram page. She received inquiries about the availability of the products, which validated her business idea before entering the market.

How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3
How many people on the team: 0

I Turned This Instagram Page Into A 7-Figure Business

Natural Girl Wigs is a 7-figure business, reaching six-figures just six months after launch, by creating Afrocentric extensions and protective styles catering to black women all over the world, with strategies including Instagram and Whatsapp, viral word-of-mouth, and targeted Facebook ads and email marketing.

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5. Hair Fetish ($84K/year)

Diane German, the founder of Hair Fetish LLC, had a passion for hairstyling from a young age. She started styling her friends and family and eventually opened her own salon. In 2011, she launched Hair Fetish and in 2012 added the product line Agape Fetish. Through determination and perseverance, Diane has built a reputable business that has made over 90k in 2020.

How much money it makes: $84K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 1

How I Started A $7K/Month Styling Services Business And A Hair Products Brand

This case study follows Diane German, founder of Hair Fetish LLC, who has built a successful styling service and hair product business with over $90k in revenue, and plans to expand to an organic hair care line, despite experiencing setbacks and failures along the way.

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6. Real Drop Enterprises ($24K/year)

Nabiulla came up with the idea for RealDrop Natural Oil when his mom jokingly suggested it during a phone call. With his mom's expertise as a Hair & Skin Technician and his own experience using natural products, they decided to create a line of organic and natural products for hair, skin, and health. They launched their products in top cosmetic outlets in India and have plans for local availability in major cities and even in Chicago, Illinois.

How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
How many people on the team: 25

How I Created A $2K/Month Natural Oils Brand

RealDrop Natural Oil saw success in educating customers about organic and natural products to improve hair, skin, and overall health, with goals to expand their local reach in India and potentially Chicago, Illinois in the future.

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Read by 5,354 founders