Thatcham · West Berkshire
Mobile Hairdressing Business Start-Up Guide for Thatcham
What your council actually requires before you start working in Thatcham and West Berkshire.
Open the Hairdressing Business Launch Kit to see everything included — £22A mobile hairdressing business means bringing the salon to the client -- and the rules around that vary more by council than almost any other trade in this guide, Thatcham included. Here's the honest picture before your first appointment in West Berkshire.
What the rules say
There's no blanket national licence covering mobile hairdressing -- each council decides for itself, and some still require byelaw registration while others have scrapped it. The only way to know for certain is to check with the specific local authority you're working under. No qualification is a legal precondition to trade, but HABIA-aligned NVQ/SVQ training is the industry's commercial benchmark, particularly where colour and chemical services are involved.
Quick answers
Can I offer colour and chemical services from the start in Thatcham?
Many mobile hairdressers in Thatcham 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 Thatcham?
Many mobile hairdressers in Thatcham 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 Thatcham?
Keeping consultation and, where relevant, patch test records for clients in Thatcham is standard practice and something insurers and professional bodies generally expect to see.
Do I need a council licence to be a mobile hairdresser in Thatcham?
There's no single national licence. Some local authorities retain their own hairdressing/barbering byelaws requiring registration; others have deregulated entirely. Check directly with the council covering Thatcham before you start trading.