The 30th Annual SALON TODAY 200!
This year, the industry's landmark business competition is celebrating its 30th year, and it's better than ever. As we continue to examine revenue growth and best business practices, we're excited to introduce a new best-practice competition category: Talent Acquisition and Retention. It addresses a pain point that today's owners of salons, spas, and barbershops struggle with, and we're looking forward to sharing owner's success strategies.
In the data collection portion of the SALON TODAY 200, we ask everyone to enter their total sales revenue for 2024 and 2025. This information will be used to collect aggregate data about those two years. If you wish to compete in the Growth category of the competition and check that box, we will print your sales information and growth rate in the SALON TODAY 200 issue and post it online if you are selected as an honoree. If you didn't experience growth in 2025 OR you don't wish to make your sales information public, we encourage you to NOT check the Growth category box, and simply compete in the Best Practice Category part of the competition.
Everyone who is entering must complete two essays:
The first is an overall essay, "Successes and Challenges," which encourages you to detail the progress you and your team have made in growing your beauty-based business over the last year and to share some of the unique challenges you are facing. To be fair, we are not judging you on your challenges section of this essay, but your honest responses and lessons learned help us determine what content to focus on this year in our editorial coverage, as well as help shape the content for our Data-Driven Salon Summit, which will be held in San Diego, May 15-17..
For your second essay, select ONE of the best business practices in which you believe your business excels, and complete the corresponding essay. ALL SALONS MUST COMPLETE THE APPLICANT INFORMATION SECTION. THEN, EACH APPLICANT MUST COMPLETE THE "SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES" ESSAY AND ONE BEST PRACTICE ESSAY.SALON TODAY 200 Processing Fee: To be friendlier to the environment and simplify processing, we are only accepting online applications. The processing fee is $75 when you submit your application. The deadline for entry is October 31, at midnight (Pacific Standard Time).
Once you begin your application, this system will email you a link that allows you to access it at any time. If you can't find that email, don't start the application over; please email Stacey.Soble@bobit.com and/or Nicole.Johnson@bobit.com, and we can retrieve it for you. Include your name and your salon name in the email.
The SALON TODAY 200 will be posted online February 2027 and published in the Spring 2027 issue of SALON TODAY! Good luck!
Eligibility & Criteria
- Your salon opened on or before January 1, 2024.
- Your salon has generated annual service and product sales revenues of at least $100,000 per year since 2024.
- Your business is primarily a provider of professional services, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: hair care, nail care, grooming, skin care, body care, and spa treatments.
- You completely fill out the Applicant Information portion of this form.
- You completely fill out the "Successes and Challenges" Essay.
- You select and completely fill out ONE Best Practice Category Essay.
- You pay the non-refundable $75 processing fee for the online application.
- You electronically sign and date the Owner Statement.
DEADLINES AND PROCESSING
The official deadline is October 31st at midnight (Pacific Standard Time).
*Your mobile number will be held strictly confidential, and will only be used to verify information on your application, or to contact you about stories related to your application in SALON TODAY.
*We use email to communicate news about the ST200 or if we have a question about your application. Please use an address that is frequently checked by the owner/manager. This question requires a valid email address.