Starting a lash business in Melbourne typically requires an upfront investment covering training, a working kit, insurance, and a workspace — and most new artists underestimate the total by focusing only on the course fee. Realistically, you are looking at somewhere between $3,000 and $8,000 to get from zero to your first paying client, depending on whether you train solo or go with a mobile or salon setup, and whether you buy a premium kit or a starter one.
What Does Training Actually Cost?
Training is usually the first cost people budget for, and often the only one. A solid in-person classic lash course in Melbourne generally runs from $1,500 to $2,000, and an advanced volume course adds another $2,000 to $3,000 if you want to offer full volume sets from day one rather than growing into it.
This is not the place to cut corners. A cheap course that skips proper isolation technique and eye safety training costs you far more later in redo appointments, client complaints, and potential insurance issues than the few hundred dollars you saved upfront.
What Does a Proper Starter Kit Cost?
Beyond the course itself, you need your own kit: adhesive, lash trays in a range of curls and lengths, tweezers, primer, tape, micro-brushes, and a proper light. A functional starter kit runs roughly $500 to $1,000. Some training courses bundle a kit into the course price — worth checking, since buying separately after the fact usually costs more.
What Does Insurance Actually Cost?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance for a lash business in Australia typically runs a few hundred dollars a year, depending on your provider and whether you are mobile, salon-based, or working from home. This is non-negotiable — not because anyone expects something to go wrong, but because one client incident without cover can end a business before it starts.
What Does a Workspace Cost?
This is where the range widens the most. Working from a spare room at home costs almost nothing beyond a proper lash bed or reclining chair, which runs $300 to $800 for something suitable. Renting a chair in an established salon usually costs a weekly or percentage-based fee, giving you lower upfront cost but ongoing overhead. A full standalone studio lease is the most expensive route and the one I would not recommend starting with — not until you have a client base solid enough to justify the fixed cost.
What Gets Missed in Most Cost Breakdowns?
Consumables are the cost new lash artists consistently underestimate. Adhesive, primer, micro-brushes, tape, and disposable wands run out faster than people expect, and if your pricing does not account for consumable cost per set, you are working at a lower margin than you think — sometimes lower than minimum wage once you factor in appointment time.
Marketing and booking software is the other blind spot. A basic booking system and some paid social spend to get your first bookings flowing will cost you something, even if it is only $50 to $100 a month starting out. Budget for it rather than treating it as an afterthought once you have already spent everything on kit.
Is It Worth Financing the Startup Cost?
Whether to finance training and kit through a payment plan, personal savings, or a small loan depends on your own financial situation, and that is not something a blog post can responsibly tell you to do. What I can tell you from running lash businesses for over fifteen years is that undercapitalising at the start — trying to launch on the absolute minimum spend — is one of the more common reasons new lash businesses stall in the first six months. Build in a buffer beyond the bare minimum kit and training cost for the slow first few months while you build a client base.
Where Do You Start?
If you are serious about building a lash business rather than testing the water, start with proper training — it is the one cost on this list that directly determines whether the rest of the investment pays off. We run our Classic and Pro Made Lash Training and Advanced Volume Training out of our Ivanhoe studio at 237 Waterdale Road, and if you are already working as a lash artist and want to formalise your experience, our Recognised Prior Learning pathway is worth a look as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a lash business in Melbourne?
Realistically between $3,000 and $8,000 to cover training, a starter kit, insurance, and initial workspace setup, depending on the training level and workspace model you choose.
Can I start a lash business without renting a salon space?
Yes. Many lash artists start from a home studio with a proper lash bed and reclining chair, which keeps upfront workspace cost low while you build a client base.
Do I need insurance to start a lash business?
Yes. Professional indemnity and public liability insurance is a standard requirement for lash artists in Australia and typically costs a few hundred dollars a year.
What's the biggest cost people forget to budget for?
Consumables and marketing. Adhesive, primer, and disposable supplies run out faster than expected, and most new artists underprice their sets without accounting for true consumable cost per appointment.
Should I do a cheap lash course to save money upfront?
I would not recommend it. A course that skips proper isolation and safety training tends to cost more later in redos, complaints, and potential insurance issues than what you saved on the course fee.
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