Even when she was three years old, cutting her baby doll's hair in her hometown of Hickory, NC, Frances London DuBose knew that styling hair was her life.

Don't have the budget to hire a marketing or public relations expert to promote your salon? Do it yourself by tapping into your creativity instead of your savings account, says Debbi Kickham, co-author of the best-selling business book Off-the-Wall Marketing Ideas: Jumpstart Your Sales Without Busting Your Budget (Adams Media, 2000). Here, she shares a few inexpensive or free strategies you can use to get the word out.

"It's all about the customer." You've probably heard this phrase many times. In fact, you may have centered your entire business philosophy on these words—but can the same be said about your Web site?

California-based makeup artist and hairstylist Armando Sarabia recently updated his business cards to better reflect his services. Sarabia, who specializes in weddings, came up with the concept for his card, which features removable bobby pins, at a drugstore.

One of the best ways to attain a devoted clientele is to start a loyalty or membership program to reward clients for purchasing retail products, completing service visits, referring new clients, or buying gift certificates. With salon software, it's a breeze to set up and maintain a program that's perfectly suited to each salon's needs.

Beauty and style expert Christopher Hopkins, aka "The Makeover Guy," has just written a book that could help you offer advice to baby boomers concerned about looking their best.

When it comes to designing a salon, picking the color scheme and furniture is the exciting part, but it's still important to remember the bottom line, according to Kristin Chou, vice president of environmentally friendly salon furniture manufacturer Etopa. "At the end of the day, this has to be a functioning business that produces revenue," Chou says. Here, she shares four financial considerations salon owners should keep in mind when planning a build-out.

Injecting a shot of glamour into Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood, the new flagship home of the Eva Scrivo Salon opened in April, boasting a 3,500-square-foot ground floor and a 2,000-square-foot lower level. Owner Eva Scrivo designed the space to reflect the prestigious image the business has attained.

Customers from all over the West Coast are heading to TEN PACHI SALON in Seattle to get a Digital Perm, a cousin of Japanese thermal reconditioning.