Photography: Courtesy of Taya Tkachuk (@taya.hair)
When it comes to boosting your color ticket, it’s not just about charging more—it’s about leveling up your skills, services, and strategy. Whether you're navigating tricky color corrections or fine-tuning your pricing model, there are many simple yet impactful ways to increase your value behind the chair.
Ahead, we tapped stylists and salon owners for their best advice on how to grow your color business with confidence, creativity, and professionalism. Here's how to turn your color expertise into higher earnings—without sacrificing your artistry.
1. Color Wheel Expertise
First and foremost, you'll want to become an expert in color corrections and the color wheel. Stylist and educator Christopher Aaron (@christopheraaronstudio) recommends learning the color wheel inside and out and constantly taking classes on color corrections to sharpen your skills. Accept that inevitable failures may happen from time to time, but remain confident and proud of the hair art you create and learn from any mistakes along the way.
2. Color Technique Versatility
Be versatile in all color techniques. The more color techniques you can offer your clients, the more business you can attract to your salon. Continued color education can help you stay ahead of the latest coloring techniques and trends, according to Christopher Aaron, and help you become a more versatile colorist.
3. Effectively Price Color Corrections
Color corrections are some of the most time-consuming and complex services a stylist can provide. From determining what constitutes as a color correction to ensuring you’re compensated fairly for your time, expertise, and products, pricing these services effectively can make all the difference to your bottom line. Consider these strategic approaches:
Two-Tier Pricing
Amber Maldonado (@amberm_redken), Redken Artist and owner of Mane Story Salon in Bryan, Texas, prefers to use a two-tier strategy to ensure fairness and transparency on both sides. She charges a base price for her corrective color services, which covers the initial steps, then transitions to an hourly rate after two hours. “This model works for me because it compensates for the extra time and the effort required to achieve the desired results while also providing flexibility,” she explains.
Base Price Plus Additional Treatments
Establishing a base price that covers essential services allows for plenty of flexibility when pricing corrective color add-ons. New Jersey-based stylist Aneesha Nichols (@neeshterece) starts with a $200 base price that includes a haircut and blow dry, adding costs for specialized treatments as needed. Nichols finds that this approach helps her maintain control of the service to ensure the best result.
Price Cap
Setting a price cap can make corrective services more accessible while building client loyalty. Lynn Oullette (@theconfidentcolorist_authentic), stylist and owner of The Confidence Factory Salon in Sarasota, Florida, chooses to cap her corrective color fees at $500. "Once I’ve corrected something, I’m likely to keep that client," she explains. This strategy is ideal for encouraging long-term relationships and repeat business.
To learn more, head to the full corrective color pricing guide here: How To Charge for Color Correction.
