Hair Salons, Spas, Nail Salons & MedSpas
| Low | 1.5× |
| Median | 2.2× |
| High | 3× |
| Low | 2× |
| Median | 3× |
| High | 4.5× |
A well-run full-service hair salon with $250K SDE and strong client retention (75%+ annual) in a suburban market typically sells for $375K–$750K (median 2.2× SDE). MedSpas with recurring injection/laser services command 3.0–4.5× SDE due to higher per-client revenue and longer client lifetime value.
The U.S. beauty and personal care market is $100 billion (IBISWorld 2024). Hair salons are the largest segment ($45B). MedSpas (medical spas offering laser, Botox, filler) have emerged as a high-growth, high-margin sub-segment — medspa revenue averages 3–5× that of traditional salons per square foot. Consumer spending on beauty has proven recession-resistant — beauty is an affordable luxury. The biggest challenge: stylists are independent contractors in many states (1099 model), which creates legal risk but reduces fixed labor costs.
Contact-based value drivers — buyer due diligence essential.
Beauty is a moderate SBA candidate (approval 65–72%). Lenders look for: client retention rate (target >70% annual), revenue per chair/hour, and lease terms. MedSpas with medical director arrangements are harder to finance due to regulatory complexity. Solo chair-rental models have virtually no financeable goodwill — a chair-rental stylist leaves, the revenue leaves with them.
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Open Business Valuation Calculator →Beauty businesses are valued on client retention and revenue-per-chair, not just SDE. A salon generating $800K with 70%+ repeat client rate and high per-client spend (color, treatments, retail) is worth significantly more than one generating the same revenue from one-time visitors. Key metrics: (1) client retention rate (target >75% of clients return within 12 months), (2) revenue per chair per day (target: $400–$700/day for full-service, $600–$1,000/day for medspa), (3) add-on service attach rate (color services with treatment upsells = higher lifetime value). MedSpas are the premium category: recurring injection clients (Botox every 4 months) have $1,500–$5,000 annual value per client.
Key staff dependency is the primary risk. In many salons, 40–60% of revenue is generated by the owner/stylist or 1–2 lead stylists. If those individuals leave post-sale, the revenue goes with them. Verify: (1) which stylists are on booth rental vs W-2 agreements, (2) employment agreements with non-solicitation clauses for key stylists, (3) client relationship ownership — does the business have the client list or do stylists keep personal client lists via their own booking software? Well-run salons have clients booked through the salon's system, not the stylist's personal software.
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