Buying a salon or barbershop in Treasure Coast

Treasure Coast has 47 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, 45% have been in business 20 years or more. Most will never be listed for sale, and many of their owners have never been asked.

established companies

45%

built over 20+ years

$89k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

15%

built over 30+ years

What it takes to own one

Salons and barbershops in Treasure Coast 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: $50,000 a year
Price about: $121,000
Your cash: $17,000
Could pay you: up to $29,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Treasure Coast

Earns about: $89,000 a year
Price about: $214,000
Your cash: $30,000
Could pay you: up to $50,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Treasure Coast

Earns about: $325,000 a year
Price about: $780,000
Your cash: $109,000
Could pay you: up to $184,000 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	26
20 to 29 years	14
30 to 39 years	7
40 years or more	0

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	20
$2M to $4M	3

County	Companies
Highlands	14
Martin	13
St. Lucie	12
Indian River	8

Town	Companies
Vero Beach	7
Lake Placid	6
Sebring	6
Stuart	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 Treasure Coast

The local economy

This region covers Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties on the Atlantic coast and Okeechobee and Highlands counties inland: Stuart, Palm City, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sebastian, Okeechobee, Sebring and Avon Park. Port St. Lucie is the largest city and has grown quickly as a suburb within reach of Palm Beach County to the south.

The coast draws retirees and winter residents, and health care, construction, real estate, boating and sport fishing are big parts of the economy. The coast lies in the Indian River citrus district, named for the lagoon. Inland, Okeechobee and Highlands are cattle, dairy and citrus country around Lake Okeechobee and along the ridge near Sebring, with many retirees of their own. Home service companies, the building trades, marine businesses and medical practices find steady customers here.

What's different about owning a company here

The coast is seasonal, with winter residents filling restaurants, golf courses and service schedules, and summer is quieter. Hurricane Nicole came ashore near Vero Beach in November 2022, and the region has a long history of storms, so check insurance, flood zones and how a business came through recent ones.

Water quality in the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon is a recurring problem, and in a bad year it can hurt fishing, boating and tourism businesses. Inland, distances are longer and the labor pool thinner. A company in Sebring or Okeechobee may be one of very few of its kind nearby, which can mean loyal customers and little competition, but also few people to hire. Most new homes on the coast are going up in and around Port St. Lucie.