Salon Equipment: When Buying Used Is Best

Owning and operating a salon can be quite an investment. If you're lucky, you start to make profit fairly rapidly, but for many, making money on a salon is going to take some time. Many salons take years to break even before making profit after investing in a building, salon equipment, and paying their overhead costs, including paying their staff.

One way you can make owning a salon more profitable to you, or more quickly profitable to you, is this: buying used salon equipment. While it's not always best to invest in used items, there are many situations in which buying used and refurbished salon equipment items is actually in your favor. You can buy used salon equipment at your local salon supplier, at an auction house featuring salon items, or even online. Some companies even feature refurbished or gently used salon equipment items for a great discount over buying new.

Here are situations when buying used is best. This way, you get to put more money back in your salon budget and can keep your business growing strong.

When you can buy in bulk

If you want all your salon equipment to match and you have the opportunity to buy used models in bulk at a great price, then go for it. For example, hair drying stations and salon chairs may look best in your salon if they all match, so if you happen to see a group sale of a liquidated model or something similar, grab the discounted items, or as many as you need. This way, you can keep the streamlined and cohesive appeal of your salon without spending big bucks on brand-new salon equipment.

When you can negotiate a price

Seeking salons that are going out of business to buy your used salon equipment can be a great idea. Why? Because many of the salon owners want to sell their equipment if they cannot sell the entire business and are often more likely to be in a negotiation mode. If you have cash on hand and can smell a bargain, buy the used salon equipment you need to furnish your own salon without breaking the bank or taking out loans.

When you can buy used instead of new for the same thing

Do you have a specific type of salon equipment in mind and you have the opportunity to buy a refurbished or used model over a new one? If you can get the used model for considerably less, this is your better deal. This way, the savings you get can be put back into your salon budget to be used for other things.