Beauty Salon Feasibility Study in Idaho

Small tickets in Idaho salon lending

Idaho salons take the smallest loans in this group of states. The median loan is $100,000, matching the national median for the class at 1.00x, and the central band of loans spans $25,000 up to $261,000. Across FY2017 to FY2026 the state shows 69 approvals totaling $14.4 million, a position of 31 of 54 among states, while salons rank 11 of 39 among Idaho asset types. At 0.78x, the location quotient says beauty services are a slightly thinner part of Idaho SBA lending than the national pattern would give them. The cell is ordinary in size and unremarkable in outcomes, and no measure separates it from the state or the class.

A thin lender field and one big county

Salon lending in Idaho is a 7(a) business: 60 of the loans came through that program and 9 through 504, and franchise use reaches 15.9% of loans. Zions Bancorporation, National Association leads with 13 loans totaling $1.0 million, a modest average that fits chair rental and equipment financings. U.S. Bank, National Association follows with 8 loans for $409,600, and Idaho Central CU holds 6 loans for $2.4 million, a much larger average that suggests build-outs or purchases of existing salons. Ada County alone holds 34 loans, Kootenai County 7, Canyon County 6 and Bonneville County 4. The annual count dipped to 3 loans in each of FY2020, FY2021 and FY2022, then climbed to 11 in FY2024 and 10 in FY2025.

Cancellation erased at least 12.0% of Idaho approvals over the earlier years, and the ceiling is that same 12.0%, so that count is final. No Idaho charge-off rate appears on this page. The early disbursed cohort holds under 30 loans, so any percentage would swing on one default, and silence there must never be read as zero losses. With tickets this small, a lender will weigh personal guarantees and equipment collateral closely.

What an Idaho salon study should test

Begin with the stylist, not the building. A salon's revenue follows the chairs that are full, and a study should show how many stylists the space supports, whether they rent chairs or work on commission, and what share of clients follow them from a previous location. Local demand matters, too: Boise and the Treasure Valley behave differently from Coeur d'Alene or Idaho Falls, and a rural town cannot borrow Ada County evidence. On cost, the typical ticket near $100,000 sets a benchmark for finish-out, plumbing and fixtures. Coverage of the loan payment has to survive a lean opening year and the departure of a lead stylist. Appraisal evidence is thin for small salons, since goodwill is personal, so the study should document leases, books and client counts with unusual care.