Aspenhollow Business Capital, based in Olympia, WA, answers questions about funding a salon: how to get a business loan for a salon, whether booth rent counts as income, how salon equipment financing works, nail salon specifics, and how to handle a slow month without stacking advances. Thurston County figures show salon size by employee count.
Where does an Olympia, WA salon owner start with a business loan?
Separate what you need into equipment, the space and cash. Equipment (chairs, stations, bowls, dryers, pedicure spas) suits equipment financing. A remodel or move suits a term loan. A short cash gap suits working capital. Then gather card processing and bank statements, the lease, and quotes. A request split this way is easier for a partner to review than one total.
Does booth rent count as income?
Yes, it is business income, but partners may view it differently from service revenue. A booth-rental salon earns steady rent from independent stylists; a commission salon earns service revenue and pays stylists a share. Partners may ask which model you run, how many chairs are rented, and how long renters stay. Bring the rental agreements.
How does salon equipment financing work?
A partner pays the seller; you repay over a term that matches the equipment's working life, and the equipment secures the agreement. New equipment from a salon supplier comes with a clear quote for the partner to review. Used chairs from a closing salon are possible but depend on condition and the partner.
Is a nail salon business loan any different?
Nothing changes in how the funding is built. The equipment differs: pedicure spas need plumbing, and nail work needs ventilation, both of which raise the build-out budget. In Thurston County, WA, nail salons with employees were less likely to be tiny than beauty salons: 44.4% had fewer than five employees, against 73.4% of beauty salons (County Business Patterns 2023).
What about a slow month?
A short gap in a steady business is what a line of credit is for. Merchant cash advances can be offered to card-heavy salons. An advance is not a loan; it buys a share of future card receipts. Taking a second advance on top of a first can take more from daily sales than the salon brings in. Compare options and total every remittance before signing.
When should a salon remodel?
Timing matters. A remodel that closes stations for two weeks removes those weeks of service revenue while rent and some wages continue. One option is to stage the work, closing a few stations at a time, or to schedule it around slower weeks. Whatever the plan, build the lost revenue into the budget, and consider whether a small working capital cushion should sit alongside the remodel funding.
How small are salons around Olympia, WA?
Thurston County, WA had 94 beauty salons and 54 nail salons with employees in 2023 (County Business Patterns 2023); 23 beauty salons had a ZIP 98501 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Separately, the nonemployer program counted 445 beauty salon businesses, 37 nail salons and 72 barber shops with no paid employees in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024); it is a different program and is not compared with the employer counts. For a solo stylist, the funding question may be equipment for a single station rather than a full salon.
Hair salon business loans for an owner with employees and a lease look different from funding for an independent stylist. Both can be requested; the documents differ.
A short list before you call
- Card processing statements for recent months
- Bank statements
- The lease and its remaining term
- Quotes or remodel bids
- Booth rental agreements, if any
- A list of existing advances or loans
More on the salon business is on the salons page, and county figures are on the Olympia, WA page.
By Aspenhollow Business Capital · Updated