Buying a salon or barbershop in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida has 109 established salons and barbershops by our count: companies in business at least 15 years that still file with the state every year and aren't part of a larger group. Of those, 58% have been in business 20 years or more. Most will never be listed for sale, and many of their owners have never been asked.

109

established companies

58%

built over 20+ years

$156k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

12%

built over 30+ years

What it takes to own one

Salons and barbershops in Southwest Florida come in every size. Here's what owning one could look like at three levels, from a solid company to one of the leaders, with a small business loan covering most of the price.

A solid company

Earns about: $51,000 a year
Price about: $122,000
Your cash: $17,000
Could pay you: up to $29,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Southwest Florida

Earns about: $156,000 a year
Price about: $373,000
Your cash: $52,000
Could pay you: up to $88,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Southwest Florida

Earns about: $545,000 a year
Price about: $1.3 million
Your cash: $183,000
Could pay you: up to $309,000 a year

Earnings are owner earnings: profit plus what the owner pays themselves, before loan payments and taxes. They and the prices are our estimates from public records, not the owners' figures, and we value companies like these at about 2.4 times a year's owner earnings. Your cash covers the down payment and closing costs, and what the business could pay you is what's left after the loan payments and the cushion lenders require. The more cash you bring, the further up you can go.

Age, size and location

Revenue is our estimate from public records, grouped into wide ranges.

In business	Companies
Under 20 years	46
20 to 29 years	50
30 to 39 years	9
40 years or more	4

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	44
$1M to $2M	4
$2M to $4M	5
$4M to $8M	3
Over $8M	1

County	Companies
Sarasota	36
Lee	32
Collier	23
Manatee	13
Other counties	5

Town	Companies
Sarasota	31
Naples	22
Fort Myers	13
Cape Coral	7
Bradenton	6

What the best salons and barbershops have in common

A large, loyal client base with high rebooking rates, and client records kept in the salon's own booking system rather than on stylists' phones.
Stylists who have been there for years and aren't likely to leave with their clients. In this business, clients follow the person who does their hair.
New clients arriving steadily from walk-ins, online booking and referrals, not only from stylists' own followings.
A good lease in a visible spot with parking, and years left to run.
Retail sales that add margin without a pile of unsold stock.
Revenue spread across many providers, so one stylist leaving doesn't sink it.
For spas, memberships or packages that bring clients back on a schedule.
A manager who runs the floor without the owner.

What to check before you buy

Client counts and rebooking rates, and who owns the client records and booking data.
Each provider's arrangement: employee, commission or booth renter. Treating employees as renters creates tax risk, so ask your accountant.
Revenue by provider, and how much the top few produce.
Agreements that keep departing stylists from soliciting clients, where they exist, and realistic plans to keep key people.
The lease: rent, term, renewal options and landlord consent to a sale.
Equipment, furniture and the condition of the buildout.
Gift cards and prepaid packages: services you'll owe but won't be paid for.
DBPR and Department of Health inspection history.
Retail inventory: how much is on the shelves, how old it is, and any minimum orders required by product companies.

Questions to ask the owner

How many active clients do you have, and how often do they come back?
Are your providers employees, commission staff or booth renters?
Which providers bring in the most revenue, and how long have they been with you?
Do you work behind the chair yourself, and how many clients are yours personally?
How much of your revenue is retail?
What's left on the lease, and has the landlord agreed to a transfer?
How much do you have out in unused gift cards and prepaid packages?

To learn what these companies do, which licenses they need and how ownership works, read our full guide to buying a salon or barbershop in Florida.

Owning a company in Southwest Florida

The local economy

This region covers Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties on the Gulf coast and Hendry, Glades and DeSoto inland: Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton, LaBelle, Clewiston, Moore Haven and Arcadia. The coastal economy runs on people who choose to live or spend the winter here: retirees, seasonal residents, and the construction, real estate, health care, financial and home services that follow them. Tourism, golf and boating add to it.

Inland, the economy is agricultural: sugarcane around Clewiston, citrus, cattle and vegetables, with Immokalee in Collier County a center for farm work. The building trades, pool, landscaping and pest control companies, property managers, medical and dental practices, and marine businesses tend to do well along the coast.

What's different about owning a company here

This is one of Florida's most seasonal markets. From roughly January through April, restaurants, shops and service companies run at full speed. Summers are slower, so look at monthly revenue, not only the yearly total. The coast has taken two major hurricanes in recent years: Ian came ashore at Cayo Costa in Lee County in September 2022, and Milton at Siesta Key in Sarasota County in October 2024. Rebuilding brought a wave of work for contractors that won't last forever, so ask how much recent revenue came from storm repairs. Insurance costs and flood zones weigh on every property.

Housing costs near the coast make hiring hard, especially around Naples. New communities east of Interstate 75 in Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Manatee keep service companies busy.