How to earn money as a hairdresser in Bordeaux

Where paying customers in Bordeaux look for hairdressers

Customers find hairdressers through several routes. Word of mouth is still the strongest - people ask friends, family and colleagues for recommendations. If you already have a small network in Bordeaux or nearby, tell them you are offering hairdressing and ask them to recommend you.

Online search brings customers too. People search Google and local platforms for hairdressers in their area and nearby. A profile on Websta puts you in that search results: people in Bordeaux searching for hairdressing services can find your page, see your prices, view photos of your work, and book you directly.

Workplaces, gyms, beauty salons, student residences, and community centres in Bordeaux are places where people notice services and ask around. Some hairdressers build their first customers this way.

Social media and messaging apps - Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger - work as booking channels once you tell people you are available. They do not bring cold customers, but they make it easy for people who know you to book and pay.

Setting a price that works in Bordeaux

Pricing for hairdressing in a city like Bordeaux sits somewhere in the middle. Bordeaux is not Paris, and price expectations are different in each neighbourhood and among different customer groups. You are competing not just with independent hairdressers but also with chain salons and smaller studios.

Start by looking at what others charge in Bordeaux for the same work. Visit or call a few salons and independent providers. Ask friends in the trade. This gives you a realistic range - not a target, but a reference point.

Your price should cover your time, materials, travel if you go to the customer, and leave you with actual money after expenses. A common mistake is pricing too low because you want customers quickly. That backfires: you earn little per hour, burn out, and attract customers who are price-sensitive rather than loyal.

You can start at a modest price while you build reviews and reputation, then raise it. Or price fairly from the start. Both work. What matters is that your price covers your costs and time, and you can sustain the work.

Handling money and taxes as an independent hairdresser

In France, if you work as an independent person - even alongside a job - you must declare your income and register your activity. The exact rules depend on whether you work occasionally, regularly, or full-time, and what form of business you choose. Check with the Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat Nouvelle-Aquitaine (the trade chamber for your region) or your local tax office for the current requirements for your situation.

One simple option is an auto-entrepreneur (now called micro-entrepreneur) status, which has lower paperwork than some other business forms. Again, confirm the rules that apply to you with the official bodies.

For payments, a profile on Websta lets customers pay you by card. The money is paid out to your own bank account through Stripe (Websta's payment processor). You receive the money minus a small transaction fee. This means you do not handle cash, customers have a record, and the payment is secure.

What your first ten customers usually look like

Your first customers usually come from people who already know you - friends, family, colleagues, or people they have told. They are usually forgiving about the fact that you are new to independent work. They care that the haircut or service is good, and that you are reliable.

A few early customers might find you through online search or a recommendation from someone who was already your customer. Word of mouth grows slowly at first, then picks up.

Many new providers expect their first ten customers to appear quickly. In reality, building a small customer base takes weeks or months of telling people, following up, and being reliable. Do not expect overnight demand, but expect that if you deliver good work, people will mention you to others.

What tends to go wrong in the first months

New independent hairdressers often underestimate how much time administration takes - answering messages, managing bookings, discussing prices, chasing late payments if you take cash. A profile with online booking and a contact form cuts down on back-and-forth.

Pricing too low is another common trap. It sounds like a way to get customers, but it leaves you exhausted and poor. Raise your price if you find yourself booked solid but earning too little.

Not telling people you are available is another slow start. If your network does not know you offer hairdressing services, they cannot recommend you or book you. Tell everyone who might care - in person, in messages, on social media.

Taking payment in cash and not keeping records is tempting, but it puts you at risk with taxes and gives customers no proof of payment. Use a proper payment method like card payments through a profile.

How a Websta profile fits into building your income

A profile on Websta gives you a page that looks like a small website. You add your services, set your own prices, upload photos of your work, add a contact form, and enable online booking. Customers in Bordeaux searching for hairdressing services on Websta can find you, see what you offer, and book a time or send you a task.

It solves several problems at once: customers see your prices before contacting you (so fewer price-haggling conversations); they can book without back-and-forth messages; payments go through a secure system to your bank account; and you have a professional page to share with anyone - a link to send to people who ask how to book you.

You still need to tell people you exist - that part does not change. But once they know, having a booking page makes it easier for them to book and easier for you to manage the work.

Building sustainable income over time

Earning steady money from hairdressing in Bordeaux is possible, but it takes work and time. You need reliable customers, fair pricing, proper administration, and a way to take payments and manage bookings without it eating all your time.

Start small if you are doing this alongside a job. Tell people you are available, ask them to recommend you, set fair prices, and deliver good work consistently. Slowly, a customer base builds. Some hairdressers in Bordeaux do this as a side income for years. Others grow it into their main work.

The key is honesty: about what you can do, what you charge, and what time it takes to build. There is no shortcut, but there is a real path if you work steadily and manage it professionally.