Here is a comprehensive checklist of all the actions you need to take to successfully start your at home lash business, including the essential products, your legal requirements, how to get customers ... basically everything!
Please note: There is a lot more information on this subject, like branding, marketing, technique etc. This list does not include these things and is just the essential elements you have to do to open your at home lash business.
***we have written this blog with lash extensions in mind. However the data can be applied to ANY service from Body Contour'ing to Brows to Lash Lifts etc
If you're looking for an even more comprehensive step by exact step guide on how to open a home salon, then you can download the PDF for free here
Also this blog assumes that you've already done your lash training (however you can get started on a lot of the following points before you do your Locks Lash course).
We have also made a checklist which you can print off and tick each item as you get them done.
➡️ CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST ⬅️
WHY TRAINING MATTERS
Before you invest in products or clients, proper training gives you a foundation for safer application, reliable results, and confident pricing.
Training isn’t just a certificate–it’s the reason some home salons succeed and others struggle.
Locks Lash has been delivering structured training since 2008, continually updated with accurate, proven techniques and clear explanations designed for real results. Our courses combine step-by-step demonstrations with detailed manuals so you can learn at your own pace and revisit concepts as needed.
Our courses go beyond teaching you technique and includes practical guidance on pricing, client expectations, marketing, and business fundamentals — areas that are often missing from standard beauty courses.
If you’re exploring professional training and want to understand how structured education is delivered:
👉 See available courses
👉 Sample training before you buy
MARKET RESEARCH
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Take the time to observe who actually lives in your area. Look at the age groups, lifestyles, and routines of people nearby rather than assuming who your future clients will be. Is it young mothers? Is it middle aged women? Are there a lot of teenagers? All these sort of questions. Don’t assume you know who lives in your area. Go and actually look and count them. These people will be your clients, so you want to know who you are going to be delivering lashes too. Get to know as much about them as you can.
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Find all the local salons and at home businesses in your area that do lashes (for maybe a 10km circumference depending on where you live). Visit some of them as a client. Have a look at their menu’s to see how much they charge, what they are offering, how they treat their customers etc. This is very valuable information.
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Figure out your cost prices - like how much does it cost you to do a set of lashes? This may be a lot of maths! However we have done it for you and as a rough guideline it will cost you approx $12-$18 in product to do a standard set of classic lashes. This is not including things like your rent, power, phone, your wages etc (you will have to figure that out because we don’t know how much rent you pay etc).
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Based on all of the above (including what other salons / home based salons charge), decide how much you are going to charge per set.
IMPORTANT: I can not count how many times technicians complain how hard it to to put their prices up. Soooooo as a solution to this, decide on the price you IDEALLY want to charge. And that is your price.
Initially when you are starting out, you may not feel your work is worth that amount (because you are only going to get better and more skilled) - which is valid. So what we suggest is going a special / discount / sale off the price you want to eventually charge.
For example if you want to eventually charge $150 per set, but currently feel your sets are only worth $100 and also because you want to offer a lower price to attract some customers (chicks love sales) - well then do a special ‘for June only normally $150 per set, discounted for a limited time only $100’. Or something like that.
Another note on this point … don’t charge really low to try and attract customers, you will only attract customers who are price driven and will go somewhere else to seek another better price. These are not the clients you want long term.
SET UP YOUR SPACE
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Don’t go overboard on lots of fancy stuff when you are starting out. Kmart is perfectly acceptable. Spend money once you earn money. A couple of cheap pot plants & a nice blanket go a long way!
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See the list below of the product and equipment you will need. See if you can get some second hand things like a bed etc. You can always buy a nice blanket to cover an old bed.
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Get a phone number.
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Get a professional email address. Using ‘sexythang@hotmail.com' that you opened when you were 16 yrs old isn’t really appropriate, so get a new one just for your business.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
This section looks long, but it’s simply a checklist. You don’t need to do everything at once — this is here so you know what’s required and can work through it step by step.
- Decide on a name for your business.
As a side note - it is recommended that when you start your lash business have a couple of options for the future in mind. For example do you want to potentially open a salon and have staff? If so, you wouldn’t name your business ‘Sarah’s Lashes’ because that then will limit you in the future. So keep this sort of thing in mind when you are naming your business.
It is also a great idea to survey your potential clients / target market and see which name communicates best to them. This could easily be done through social media.
2. Register your business name with the Government register. Here is the link with a step by step guide in how to do this …
Australia: https://asic.gov.au/for-business/registering-a-business-name/steps-to-register-your-business-name/
New Zealand: https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/help-centre/starting-a-company/how-to-reserve-a-company-name/
Dubai, Iran, Japan, UK, USA and all other countries: Check with your local government to ensure you are meeting all local legal requirements.
3. Get an ABN (Australian Business Number - which is basically a Tax Number) for your business or for yourself (we recommend doing it under your business name not yourself).
In New Zealand register for an IRD number.
4. Call your local council and see what requirements you had to abide by legally. Each council is different and can have slightly different requirements. Get those requirements done and yourself registered with your local council.
5. Open a bank account in your business name (you need your business registration and ABN / IRD number) usually to do this (its so much easier later if your business and personal transactions are separated)
6. Open a Paypal account in your business name. You want as many ways as possible to take payments to make it easy for your clients. However we don’t recommend to initially have the costs of an Eftpos machine (get to that later once you earn some money) and instead try something like ‘PayPal Here’ or ‘Square’. Research different options. Square is a little device you can take card payments on.
7. Research different online booking systems and decide which one you want to use. CLICK HERE for our recommendations.
8. Decide on how you are going to keep a record of your accounts. There are online ones you can use too.
It is very simple - you want to keep track of what you spend (keep your receipts for tax purposes too) and what you receive.
At tax time, you can easily pay an accountant or book keeper to do your return, but they will love you a lot more if you have an easy system to record everything in. You can even do it on a spreadsheet. Just two columns - money spent - money earned.
9. In Australia, GST registration is not required until turnover reaches $75,000 per year (or $60,000 in New Zealand). If you expect to exceed this, early registration may be appropriate. Check local requirements for your country.
(Please note this blog is written with Australia and New Zealand in mind. The laws and requirements may be different in other countries. However this will give you a good general idea on how it usually works regardless of where you live.)
MARKETING
Marketing doesn’t need to be complicated when you’re starting out. Focus on a few proven channels and build consistency before trying everything at once.
Print advertising generally performs poorly compared to online marketing. The only print method worth considering early on is a local letterbox drop to nearby homes, simply letting people know you’re open.
Set up dedicated Facebook and Instagram accounts for your business. Social media can be effective when used intentionally, and learning how to use it properly is worth the effort.
Encourage referrals through a simple “Refer a Friend” approach, and let friends and family know you’ve opened your business.
We’ve also written a separate blog with practical tips on how to market yourself and attract clients, which you can read here.
We have an online course which goes over how to get clients which you can view here
PRODUCTS & EQUIPMENT (essentials only)
When starting out, you don’t need an extensive setup. This list is a basic reference, not a shopping checklist.
Additionally the kit you receive when you sign up for one of Locks Lash courses - in it you'll receive everything you initially need to get started.
Many technicians choose specific products after completing training, once they understand technique, conditions, and client needs.
The goal early on is simple: spend conservatively, earn first, upgrade later.
Lash types
Stock only what is most commonly requested in your area. For many salons, this will be volume lashes, but it’s worth confirming with your target clients before buying extensively.
Product & Tools
Cleanser and application tools
Eye pads
Disposable applicators (micro sticks, mascara wands)
Lash adhesive (start with smaller bottles)
Tweezers (with backups)
Debonder
Tape and basic tools
Treatment space
Bed or treatment chair
Pillow and blanket
Stool
Lighting
Small side table
As your business grows, you can expand your range of products, equipment, and lash types based on demand and experience.
Final thoughts
Starting a home-based beauty business doesn’t require perfection or a large upfront investment. It requires a clear plan, realistic expectations, and the right foundations in place.
Many technicians struggle not because they lack motivation, but because they try to do everything at once — buying too much, following conflicting advice, or skipping essential fundamentals.
If you focus on understanding your clients, setting up properly, and building your skills step by step, your business becomes far easier to manage and grow.
In ALL of our courses we include more detailed sections on all we have gone over in this blog all for free.
What to do next
If you’re ready to take the next step, professional training helps remove guesswork and gives you the confidence to apply techniques safely, price your services correctly, and achieve consistent results.
If you’re not ready to commit yet, exploring course previews can help you understand what’s involved before deciding.
👉 View training options
👉 Try a course preview
