The Blog
Straight answers for beauty pros.
Going independent is a big decision and most of what you read about it is a sales pitch. These are the answers Bex gives on the phone, written down.
What it costs
How much does a bex+Co.® membership cost?
Find out in 10 seconds whether you’d keep more of what you charge than you do today.
The commission math
What’s your commission split really costing you?
Run your own numbers: what your split sends to the salon each week, what you would carry on your own, and the most a membership could cost and still put more in your pocket.
The safe-job question
Is a salon job really safer than being self-employed?
A salon job feels safe because someone else runs the business. Bex on what March 2020 showed Texas stylists, what protects a stylist instead, and when a suite is the better fit.
Before you sign
How much is a salon suite security deposit and move-in cost?
A deposit is rarely the only number due at signing. Real deposit ranges, first-rent-due, refund timing, and every other cost before your first client, all sourced.
The trade-off
Salon suite vs. home studio: which is better for an independent beauty pro?
Two ways to leave a commission chair, priced and compared honestly: Texas licensing rules, HOA and zoning risk, real insurance and tax numbers, and the trade-off nobody prices, community versus working alone.
For newer stylists
Shared Salon Floor vs. Private Suite: Which Is Better for a Newer Stylist?
Both are real businesses. Here is the honest cost and isolation tradeoff for a stylist whose book is still building, and where a suite is genuinely the better call.
Know your contract
Is a Non-Compete Enforceable for a Booth Renter or Salon Suite Renter in Texas?
Texas law does not ban non-competes. It sets rules for when one holds up in court, and a judge can narrow an unfair one instead of throwing it out. Here is the actual statute, in plain words, plus what changed with the federal ban that never took effect.
Before you sign
Does salon suite rent include utilities?
Usually, yes for electric, water and Wi-Fi. Almost never for backbar, insurance, laundry or card fees. Here is what 6 salon suite companies actually publish, checked line by line.
Texas licensing
What license do I need to rent a salon suite or booth in Texas?
A Texas cosmetology or barbering license is the one thing everyone renting a chair needs. Whether you need a second license depends on one thing: does the space have a door.
The category
What is a Shared Workspace Salon™?
We made the term up, so the least we can do is define it properly. Here is the straight answer, plus an honest comparison to salon suites, booth rent and commission.
Start here
How do I go independent as a hairstylist? The 8-step plan.
Half of American hairdressers already work for themselves. Here are the eight steps that get you from a chair you don’t own to a business you do, with the real costs, the license and the exact order Bex teaches her own students.
The comparison
Booth rent or commission: which one actually pays you more?
Two good models, two very different jobs. The real rent numbers, the real splits, the revenue level where the math flips, and the questions that matter more than either.
The real costs
What going independent as a beauty pro really costs.
Four buckets: the space, the supplies, the business, the taxes. Every line priced with a source, so the only surprises left in your first year are the good kind.
The math
How many clients do you actually need to go independent?
The math fits on a receipt: what you need to earn, what the business costs, and your average ticket. Here it is worked all the way through, with real 2026 numbers.
The big fear
Will my clients follow me if I change salons?
It’s the fear that keeps talented pros in chairs they’ve outgrown. The honest numbers on how many clients actually move, what Bex teaches her own students, and the playbook for making it easy for yours.
The tour kit
Is a salon suite right for me? Ask these 10 questions first.
Suites are a good option and plenty of beauty pros are happy in one. Here is how to price the whole thing before you sign, with real numbers, and the 10 questions worth asking on every tour.