As a Licensed cosmetologist of 35 years, that has moved several times across the nation and even owned salons a few times, I know the hard path of building a clientele and RE-building a clientele. It takes years as a minimum doing it the old fashioned way of waiting for the phone to ring.... putting out ads in newspapers.... posting hair pics on IG with hundreds of others doing the same thing. This way take a lot of hard work and a loooong friggin time to build.
Narrowing it down, make sure when you're starting out, you got hired at a place that gives you Hourly PLUS commission! That way you have a paycheck while you build. And don't forget to reach your goal on selling retail. If you are in the Knoxville Tn area, Ross the Boss Salons is a great place not only to start but to grown and retire. They have 401K options as well as paid vacations which is unheard of in this industry.
Get linked up with SHM subscriptions and nail every cut and be 'In the know' on how to post exactly, to build fast!