Bookkeeping

Running a salon isn’t just about scissors, style, and stunning makeovers. Behind the scenes, there’s an unsung hero keeping things running smoothly – the salon accountant. It might not be the most glamorous part of the business, but managing payroll is also a vital task. Here’s where the accountant truly shines.

Why does a salon need an accountant?

Most hairdressers didn’t enter the business because they love spreadsheets and tax codes. However, when you’ve got a team of stylists, colourists, and front-of-house staff, you need to pay them on time. Now, someone needs to make sure everyone gets paid on time and correctly. Here’s where accountants for hairdressers come into foray.

The role of the hairstyling accountants for the salary process is rather important. We discuss the important points here for your reference.

It’s more than just numbers

A salon accountant does more than just crunch numbers. They understand the ebb and flow of the salon business. They account for tips, commissions, hourly wages, and sometimes even freelancers or self-employed stylists. It’s a unique setup, and it requires someone who understands it fully.

Smooth salary disbursement every time

One of the biggest tasks of a salon accountant is to ensure salary disbursement goes off without a hitch. Here’s how they do it:

Tracking hours and shifts: Many salons have staff working irregular hours. A salon accountant keeps track of timesheets or integrates payroll software that does it automatically.

Calculating commissions: Stylists often earn a base pay plus commission. The accountant ensures every snip, blow dry, and balayage has been added to the account.

Managing deductions: From pensions to student loans, the accountant handles all deductions. It ensures all employees get accurate payslips.

Ensuring compliance: UK employment laws can be tricky. A qualified accountant makes sure everything’s above board with HMRC. This helps them avoid fines or awkward audits.

With the help of a professional accountant for hairdressers, you can simplify the money matters of your venture. They are at the helm of payroll management, tax payment and other necessary tasks. If you need efficient assistance from a trusted source, contact The Salon Expert Accountants. We offer regular bookkeeping, reporting, and check-in services that efficiently ease your salon’s economic operations.

When running a beauty salon, pricing is a guessing game. How much should you charge for a haircut, a facial, or a full pampering package? Too high, and you risk losing clients to competitors. Too low, and your expenses will not be met. The secret to striking the right balance? Hire professionals for the beauty salon’s bookkeeping.

Bookkeeping isn’t just about tracking receipts and balancing numbers at the end of the month; it can help shape your entire salon pricing strategy. 

Here’s how you can use bookkeeping to your advantage. 

Bookkeeping for salon pricing strategy – Know in detail 

Know your costs and know your salon’s worth

Before you consider pricing your services, you need to know what it actually costs to run your salon. We’re not just talking about rent and product stock. Consider other expenses like utilities, staff wages, insurance, software subscriptions, towels, and cleaning products.

A good bookkeeping system gives you a clear, real-time picture of these expenses. When you understand your overheads, you can make sure your pricing covers not only your costs but also the overhead costs, thereby bringing profit to your salon business. 

Profit margins matter

Suppose you’re charging for a blow dry. Without accurate bookkeeping, you might assume you’re making a good return. However, when you break it down between staff time, product use, and overhead allocation, your spending will be higher per appointment, while you might be making a low profit. Bookkeeping helps you calculate profit margins for each service, so you can adjust pricing where necessary and rethink the prices you want to make for your offerings.

Identify strategies that are working

Another reason bookkeeping is key to pricing? It helps you track performance over time. Which services are selling well? Which ones barely cover costs? With this insight, you can tweak your pricing to highlight your best sellers, introduce promotions strategically, or discontinue unprofitable services.

You might even uncover patterns in seasonal demand, like more hair colour appointments in spring or a surge in waxing services before holidays, which can inform limited-time offers or premium pricing during peak times.

Using bookkeeping to plan for growth

If you plan to expand—hiring another stylist, investing in new equipment, or opening a second location—your prices must support those goals. Bookkeeping helps you see if you’re charging enough to reinvest in the business.

On the flip side, if your books show clients are dropping off after a price rise, it might be time to reassess. It’s not the price, but how you communicate your value. Either way, the numbers will guide you.

Bookkeeping isn’t just a back-office chore. It’s a powerful tool that can shape how you price your salon services, protect your profit, and grow your business confidently. So, if you’re still making pricing decisions based on your competitors’ pricing strategies, it’s time to turn to the professionals and examine your books of accounts. 

Do you need help with your salon’s bookkeeping? Speak to a specialist from Salon Expert Accountants who understands the beauty industry, and let the numbers start working in your favour.