How to start a mobile hair and barber services business in Galway

A good fit if you're a stylist or barber who wants your own clients

A mobile stylist or barber brings the salon to the client: busy parents, seniors who can't travel, offices and wedding parties. You skip chair rent and set your own hours. In most US states and some other places you'll need a hairdressing or barber license first, and some places have extra rules for working outside a salon.

From €535 to start

Start lean with the essentials and upgrade as customers come, or set up fully from day one.

Once you're running: about €45 a month, plus about 10% of what you earn. Insurance, a booking app and your license renewal every month, plus products, fuel and card fees for each client.

Work out your own numbers

Move the sliders to match your plans. The chart shows a first year that builds up as word gets around.

12 steps to your first customers

Each step says what it costs and how long it takes. Most owners get through them in a few weeks.

1. 1

   Get licensed, or check your license

   Months, if you're not licensed yet €45–16k

   If you're already licensed, check that your license lets you work outside a salon in Galway. If you're not, cosmetology or barber school and an exam come first. The low end is a license fee; the high end is school.

   • Training hours and exam
   • License application
   • Renewal dates
2. 2

   Check the rules for home visits

   1–2 days Up to €130

   Places differ. Some need a mobile or personal service permit, some only allow certain services at a client's home, and some only allow home visits for clients who are ill or at events.

   • Which services you can do at home
   • Any mobile permit
   • Records and receipts you must keep
3. 3

   Choose your name

   1 day Free

   Pick a name that says what you do and that you come to them. Make sure no one in Galway has it.

   • 3–5 name ideas
   • Check no one else uses it
   • Check the domain

   Get name ideas for your businessFind a name
4. 4

   Register your business in Galway

   1 day to 2 weeks €0–€50

   Most owners start as a sole trader with Revenue, and register a business name if they trade under another name; a company with the CRO keeps business debts separate.

   • Register as a sole trader: free
   • Register your business name: €20
   • Form a company: €50
5. 5

   Get your Tax Reference Number (TRN)

   1–5 days Free

   Your business's tax number from Revenue, for taxes and banking.

   • Register with Revenue
   • Open a business bank account
6. 6

   Sort out VAT

   1–3 days Free

   You must register for VAT once your sales pass €42,500 a year. The rate is 23%.

   • Know when to register for VAT
   • Keep records of income and costs
   • Set money aside for income tax
7. 7

   Get insured

   1–2 days Quotes are free

   Insurance protects you if something goes wrong on a job. Get quotes from two or three insurers.

   • Professional liability
   • General liability
   • Business use on your car insurance
8. 8

   Build your mobile kit

   1 week €400–1.2k

   Start with cordless clippers, good shears, capes and a disinfectant. Add a portable basin and chair once you know what your clients book.

   • Cordless clippers and trimmer
   • Shears, capes and disinfectant
   • A case that rolls
9. 9

   Set your prices and area

   1 day Free

   Set a price for each service and a travel area. Charge a travel fee, or a minimum, beyond it. See the prices below.

   • Cut, wash and event prices
   • Your travel area
   • A minimum or travel fee
10. 10

    Put your business online

    1 day Included

    Clients want to see your prices, your work and when you're free. Online booking lets them pick a time while you plan your route.

    • Website with your prices
    • Online booking
    • Google Business Profile

    PressUp websites can take free online bookingsBuild your website
11. 11

    Get your first 10 clients

    1–4 weeks Free

    Start with past clients, friends and neighbors, then senior communities, offices and wedding planners.

    • Tell past clients you're mobile
    • Visit senior communities
    • Ask every client for a review

    Ask your customers for reviews by email with PressUpSee how
12. 12

    Keep track as you grow

    Ongoing Included

    Know who your clients are, what they had done and when they're due back.

    • Client list and notes
    • Invoices and receipts
    • Rebooking reminders

    Keep your customers and invoices in one place with PressUpSee how

What Galway asks for

Registering, taxes, and what this business needs. Check the details with each authority: rules change.

What to buy first

Buy the "must haves" to start. Add the rest when customers pay for them.

3 packages that sell

Simple choices make it easy to say yes. Most customers pick the middle one.

How to get your first customers

You don't need an ad budget. These work for new owners almost everywhere.

A month from now, you could be open

Common questions