Burdiehouse · City of Edinburgh
Launch a Mobile Hairdressing Business in Burdiehouse
Council licensing, insurance and your first clients -- covering Burdiehouse and the surrounding City of Edinburgh area.
Get the step-by-step Hairdressing Business Launch Kit — £22Before taking your first client as a mobile hairdressing business in Burdiehouse, it's worth checking your specific council's position rather than assuming a blanket national rule applies across City of Edinburgh.
What the rules say
Mobile hairdressing has no single UK-wide licence -- the position is set council by council, with some local authorities keeping their own byelaw registration requirement and others dropping it entirely. Checking your specific council is the only reliable way to know where you stand. Trading without any formal qualification is legally fine, though HABIA-aligned NVQ/SVQ training is what clients and insurers commercially expect, especially for colour work.
Note for Burdiehouse: hairdressing/barbering byelaw registration is decided council by council across Scotland too -- check directly with the local authority covering Burdiehouse rather than assuming either way.
Quick answers
Do I need insurance to start a mobile hairdressing business in Burdiehouse?
It isn't a general legal requirement for a self-employed sole trader in Burdiehouse, but it's near-universal commercial practice and often a condition set by clients such as care homes. Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement once you take on staff.
Can I offer colour and chemical services from the start in Burdiehouse?
Many mobile hairdressers in Burdiehouse build up to colour and chemical services as experience and client trust grow, since these carry higher skill and liability considerations than cuts and styling alone.
Do I need to charge for travel in Burdiehouse?
Many mobile hairdressers in Burdiehouse build a travel or call-out charge into how they structure appointments once they travel beyond their core local area, reflecting the time and mileage involved.
What records should I keep for clients in Burdiehouse?
Keeping consultation and, where relevant, patch test records for clients in Burdiehouse is standard practice and something insurers and professional bodies generally expect to see.