Why More Staff Won’t Fix Your Salon’s Profit Problem

 

Salon Owners- have you ever thought, “If I just had more staff, everything would finally fall into place”?

I used to believe that too. Back when I had my own salon, I was convinced a bigger team was the golden ticket to more profit, more freedom, and less stress. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. More staff often just means more headaches – higher wages, more drama, more churn, and still not enough profit in your pocket.

And I know you’re feeling it right now. Finding great staff feels like searching for hen’s teeth. You’re short-staffed, struggling to hire, or managing a team that’s coasting instead of crushing it. Add to that the pressure of keeping wages fair (while keeping the lights on)… it’s no wonder so many salon owners are exhausted.

But here’s the thing: the salons that thrive in the next five years won’t be the ones with the biggest teams. They’ll be the ones with the savviest ones.

In this blog, I’m taking you through the Then, Now & Next of building salon teams. You’ll see what worked in the past (and why it’s breaking down), what’s happening right now, and what the smartest salon owners are doing to grow superstar teams that actually stick around, perform, and help you grow – without burning you out.

 

Then: When Bigger Meant Better

 

Let me take you back for a moment. Back in the day, building a salon team was all about numbers. The more staff you had, the more successful you looked.

A big team sounded impressive… but you could end up constantly putting out fires, managing churn, and dealing with the revolving door of recruitment.

Training back then? Well, it was basically “watch and learn.” That’s how I learned, peering through the mirror at another stylist and copying what I saw. And while that worked in the past, it doesn’t cut it anymore.

Big teams looked flashy, but for most owners it meant stress, inconsistency, and zero real profit.

 

Now: The Harsh Reality of Today

 

Fast forward to today and things have shifted – and not in our favour. Finding and keeping great people is harder than ever. The apprentice pipeline is drying up, and Gen Z? They’re not interested in “just a job.” They want purpose, growth, and flexibility.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: wages. We’re losing people to other industries – mining, corporate admin jobs, even secretarial work – because they simply pay more. Imagine that: competing with secretary wages. It’s not right, and if we don’t create real career pathways, we’ll keep bleeding talent.

Sure, training opportunities have exploded. Micro-credentials, online learning, even VR – the tools are there. But the problem is, most salons are doing “random acts of training.” A mannequin here, a rep session there… without a clear pathway that keeps your team inspired, progressing, and performing.

That’s why so many salons are stuck with a dangerous gap: seniors who flatline at $6K a week and juniors who can’t get past $2K before giving up. And guess who ends up stuck in the middle, holding it all together? Yep, you – the owner.

 

Next: Lean, Luxe, and Future-Proof

 

So where do we go from here?

The future of salon success isn’t about bigger teams. It’s about better teams. Lean, highly skilled, and laser-focused. Every role has purpose, every team member knows exactly how their performance connects to results, and every career pathway is mapped out step by step.

I call this the Lean & Luxe Model:

 

• Lean → a sharper, more efficient team, with clear systems and no wasted time or talent.
  
  
• Luxe → delivering a premium experience for every client, at every stage.
  
  

This isn’t about discounting or “doing more with less.” It’s about doing smarter with less. Imagine being known in your city as the salon where staff earn $100K, where clients receive five-star experiences, and where every team member sees a future worth staying for. That’s what makes you the employer of choice.

And yes, it means flipping the old model on its head. Stop giving brand-new clients to your newest team members (no wonder two-thirds don’t come back!). Put your best people in charge of first impressions. Create visible, aspirational steps for your juniors to climb. And curate your client experience so nothing is left to chance.

 

Build and Buy: Your Dual Strategy

 

Here’s the practical side. As a salon CEO, you need to think in two lanes:

1. Build → Create your own pipeline. Invest in apprenticeships, earn-and-learn programs, and career ladders that unlock pay rises and responsibilities as your juniors progress. Don’t wait for great people to walk in – grow them.
   
   
2. Buy → Attract experienced talent by positioning your salon as the place to be. Showcase culture, training, flexibility, and clear growth pathways in your ads. High performers don’t want just a chair – they want a future.
   
   

When your team can actually see where they’re going, they stay longer, perform better, and lift your business higher.

 

From Surviving to Thriving

 

So here’s the bottom line:

➡️ Then we chased numbers and grew by adding more staff.
➡️ Now we’re struggling to hire and keep them.
➡️ Next we’ll win with fewer, better-trained, better-paid people who deliver Luxe experiences through Lean systems.

Your role as CEO is to design that pathway. Inspire your team, flip the old rules on their head, and build a business that grows without you grinding behind the chair.

And if reading this has you nodding your head, thinking, “Yes – this is what I need, but I don’t know where to start”… then let’s chat.

👉 Click the button below to book your (free) strategy call, and let’s see if Salon Mastery is the right fit to help you step into your CEO role and build your million-dollar salon.