Mobile Salon: a modern take on grooming services

The main difference is usually that hairstyling covers more techniques and skills than barbering, especially regarding color and chemical services. And most in most US states hair stylists hold a Cosmetology diploma that goes beyond hair care, they are trained for skin care and nails. So a mobile salon usually includes a wider range of beauty beyond grooming services. And mobile salon professionals travel to customers and pamper them in the comfort of their home, instead of serving them in a traditional salon. They offer a slightly reduced array of services because some equipment you can find in a salon are not easy to move.

Mobile salon services: have a hair stylist come to you

Mobile salons offer a broader range of services than mobile barbershops, including hairstyling, coloring, manicures, pedicures, facials, and sometimes even massages. However, some services that require specific equipment or a wide array of options might be challenging to provide outside a traditional salon.

Most mobile beauty professionals work independently, booking clients at various locations such as homes, hotels, or workplaces. They drive their own car, carrying a kit with various tools and products needed for their services, transporting their equipment to provide services typically done in salons.

Being an at-home hair stylist can be very fulfilling, more than in a shop you bring to people a service that help them feel good about themselves. And since mobile hair stylists usually travels only 15-20 miles, it means you serve people in your community.

But a mobile salon can also be a salon set up in a vehicle

A mobile salon can also designate a converted vehicles like a van or a trailer, equipped with all the necessary tools and equipment for haircuts, styling, nails and other beauty services. In a mobile salon, you can typically find amenities similar to a traditional salon. Mobile salons in vans are convenient for individuals who have difficulty reaching a physical shop. But they also are used at events, festivals, movie sets, etc

Mobile salon : a new thing but a growing trend

Having your hair styled or receiving beauty treatments at home by a mobile salon professional is not as common in the US as it is in other parts of the world. In Western Europe, at-home beauty services represent a significant portion of the market. For instance, in France, haircuts provided at home account for about 20% of the total market, compared to less than 5% in the US.

So while this is a new concept in the US, on-demand services are increasingly popular, and mobile salons are becoming more prevalent as people seek convenience and personalized services and as aging in place at home is the #1 option for older adults.

What does a typical day look like for a mobile hairdresser ?

You may have asked yourself what does a mobile hairstylist do everyday ? Or what is a typical day for a mobile hairdresser. Being a mobile stylist comes with many different benefits. One of those being the flexibility, every day can be different or look pretty much the same, it depends only on yourself. A day in this life can look different depending on that particular day, but most days go a little similar to this.

As a Mobile barber or a mobile hair stylist you are in charge of your schedule, starting each day or week for that matter with a plan/ schedule for all your appointments will help keep you organized and your day/ week going much smoother. Having a planner or physical calendar can be useful for this or there are plenty of applications on your phone which you can use also.

Today is pretty busy day, you have 4 clients, one at 7:30am, two at noon and one more at 4pm. You should have your mobile kit which consists of all the tools, styling products and sanitation items you may need for the day clean ready and organized either the night before or morning of.

7:30AM : The first appointment of the day is at 7:30am so having your kit prepped the night before will help greatly. Also you may not have time for breakfast before hand but the second client isn't until 12pm so that should give you time to grab something in between. You will need to know how far apart these appointments are so you can plan how much travel time you need in between. You have your kit ready, and you may want to check the type of services you will be providing, the kit might be slightly different if you have only haircuts scheduled, a straightening or a straight-razor cut. You know the address and the appointment has been confirmed so off you go to start your day. You arrive at your first client location, perform that service to their satisfaction, clean your area and tools throughly before you leave and get ready to prep for the next appointment.

9:30AM : Given you have some free time now you can grab breakfast, coffee or more coffee (lol), if you have any emails or texts messages from clients to respond to now is the time you can do that as well as running any quick errands ex. post office and such. It is almost time for the next appointments so prepare to do it all over again.
12PM : You arrive at the second location, service the two clients , gather your things and get ready for your last client of the day. Because there were two clients instead of one you may not have much time before the next client. We always want to try to provide great customer service and being punctual is part of that so it maybe a good idea to head to your next client if it that means being a little early and waiting in your vehicle until the appointment time.
4PM : When appointment time comes head in the location, perform the service and get ready to head home. You are done for the day, time to go home, have dinner, relax and plan for the upcoming days ahead.

Some days you will have one client others you may have eight. Getting a good routine and remaining focused on delivering great results along with great customer service will make be a mobile stylist both a fun and fulfilling work.

For more info about Mobile Barbershop (and understand differences)