How to Provide a Great Salon Experience While Working Offsite

After securing permits and licensing to provide salon house calls and mobile services, it’s time to design the salon experience for offsite clients. How will you make your house call clients feel pampered outside of the salon setting? Follow these steps and check out these resources to create a relaxing at-home experience for your clients!  

Prepare for House Calls with Vagaro Forms

• Where are you performing the service?

• Are there children or pets in the home?

• Will other family members be working?

• Do you have access to running water and electrical outlets?

• Is there adequate ventilation and lighting?

• Is there anything about the household or workspace that you need to know?

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Lay the Groundwork

The information you collect helps set realistic expectations for a house call, preventing disappointed clients – and unexpected surprises! After all, it’s easier to pack extension cords and power strips than to discover after arriving that there aren’t enough sockets. Here’s how to set expectations and lay the groundwork for house calls.  

• Review your pre-service disinfection routine

• Request a cleared area with counter space for the appointment, and that pets are kept out of the work area

• If they have children, suggest that the kids are set up with snacks and a movie before you get there, to minimize interruption

• If you’re performing a color or chemical service, remind clients to wear appropriate clothing and drape surfaces they don’t want stained

• If you don’t have a way to shampoo, ask haircut or blowout clients to have freshly washed hair when you arrive

The Challenge: Shampooing Offsite

Every client will tell you: one of the best parts of going to the salon is having someone else shampoo your hair. In the salon, you’ve got chairs that lean back, and a sink that’s specifically designed to wash hair. So, the challenge is: how do you deliver that salon perk in someone’s home?  

Vagaro’s Top Picks

• Portable Shampoo Sprayer with Sink Attachment and Inflatable Neck Rest and Rinse Basin  
• All-in-One Portable Standing Shampoo Bowl  
• Portable Deep Basin Shampoo Sink with Drain
• Adjustable Portable Shampoo Sink  

The Challenge: Cutting Hair at Home

At the salon, your stylist chair makes it easy to get a full 360° view of someone’s head, without asking them to move – or straining your muscles to get the right angle. So, the challenge is: how do you give a great haircut at home, without discomfort for you or your client?  

Vagaro’s Top Picks

• Pro Beauty Stool
• Adjustable Height Stool
• Extra High Cutting Stool

• Hydraulic Saddle Stool

The Challenge: Creating a Relaxing Salon Atmosphere

In the salon, your client has a dedicated space for self-care and relaxation. While they’re in your chair, they can disconnect from the stress of work, family, and life in general. At their home, they may be literally surrounded by those things. So, the challenge is: how do you re-create the salon’s atmosphere of relaxation and “me-time” in the home?  

Equip Your Mobile Salon Like A Pro

Here’s a list of what to pack before appointments and replenish at the end of the day, as well as websites to equip your mobile salon like the pro you are!

• EMV chip card reader and Vagaro Pro App  
• COVID-19 sanitation equipment: Barbicide, disinfecting wipes, portable sanitizers, infrared thermometers, disposable masks, salon PPE,  gloves

• Shears, razors, styling brushes, cutting combs

• Clippers, edgers, guards

• Hot tools: hairdryer, flat iron, curling iron, etc.

• Capes, aprons, color remover for surfaces

• Color and chemical service products, bowls and brushes for mixing

• Salon towels and laundry receptacle

• Styling products

• Extension cords and surge protectors  

• First aid kit and travel fire extinguisher

Where to Find Mobile Salon Equipment

Now that you’re on the go, you’re going to need some mobile furniture! Here are some of our favorite websites to shop.

• Buy-Rite Salon & Spa Equipment
• Minerva Beauty
• Spa & Equipment
• Wayfair
• Salon Furniture Warehouse

Pro Tip: If you’re self-employed, equipment is a tax-deductible business expense – so save those receipts!

Header Image and Body Images: Giorgio Trovato via Vagaro

Icon: Mia Montemayor via Vagaro