KEY TAKEAWAYS: Summer is here, and you know what that means – it's summer beauty side hustles season. Whether you want to make extra cash for the season, try something new, or just see what's possible when expanding your cosmetologist career, here are our must-consider summer beauty side hustle add-ons.
Updated: June 17, 2026
The sun is out, the warm air is here, and it’s time to take a vacation day and get to those travel plans you’ve been pining for all through the long winter. Summer is also the time to take your beauty pro skills to the next level.
We know what you’re thinking—how can I possibly invest in summer travel plans when I’m trying to bust my butt and boost my beauty biz?
We live in a world full of opportunity, friends.
Translation? We live in a world full of creative side-hustles that can lend themselves to both your travel plans and your business.
Luckily, you’ve invested yourself in a career that’s easily transferable to all sorts of creative side-hustles. Being a modern-day cosmetologist doesn’t mean being stuck inside a salon or spa all day anymore—there are so many different ways to take your business on the road, profit while you travel, and craft a career that makes the most sense for you and your goals.
If you’re looking to be on the go this summer while making money, it’s time to get creative.
We’ve laid out a few of our favorite side-hustle plans here—take a look, get inspired, and try them all this summer (hopefully while taking time to lay out on a beach somewhere drinking a tropical cocktail out of a coconut).
Our List of Must-Consider Summer Beauty Side Hustles for All Cosmetologists
Rent Out Your Chair
Planning to get your travel on this summer but you’re worried about losing out on money? Rent out your chair!
There are tons of mobile apps and services out there that help you connect with local stylists who are looking to rent out a spot in a salon or suite space. Try out apps like ShearShare that let you sign up and rent out your booth (they also let you rent a booth somewhere else, but we’ll get to that in a minute).
By doing this—and possibly investing in a few different apps and services—you can ensure your booth is always rented out, making sure that you’re cashing in on some passive income while you’re making your travel dreams come true.
Spray Tan Services are Hot
Spray tans are always a booming biz, but especially when the summer season rolls around. People want to look tan without having to deal with managing the sun's harmful rays – when spray tanning becomes an option, it's a wildly popular service.
The best part about it? You don't even need a studio or salon for this. Setting up a fully mobile spray tan service is all the rage. And because you can meet your clients where you're at, you can double down on summer vacation by offering your services wherever you actually want to be for the summer.
Wedding Makeup & Glam Squad on the Weekends
Summer is the time for events – that means it's the time for folks wanting to look and feel their best. Weddings, conferences, parties, and all kinds of big events are happening during the summer season, which means you can capitalize on it.
In other words, your weekends can be packed with styling, MUA, hair, and other beauty services. Even if you're working a solid 9-5 style job in your local salon, you can always create a wedding stylist or glam squad freelancing schedule on the weekend (when the events are happening).
These gigs can pay big money, give you the chance to check out new areas, and are totally mobile– giving you the flexibility you probably want for the summer, too!
Sign Up For On-Demand Services
We talked about ShearShare a little bit above, but we want to dive a little deeper in this app thing—and similar platforms like Artist On Go.
This is a real thing in our modern-day society and it’s gaining huge popularity.
Mobile stylists operate in a ton of different ways—they work on-call and arrive at client’s homes, they go to work-places, and more. If you’re really craving an opportunity to work on-the-go, consider investing your time and efforts into establishing a mobile brand—that way, you can travel and work from anywhere while offering your services and making great money!
"Mobile stylists operate in a ton of different ways – they work on-call at client homes, go to different salons every week, and work on the go in other ways – you can travel and work from anywhere while making great money."
Summer plans don’t have to take a backseat to business—you can truly do both!
If you're looking to be truly independent this summer and not tied down to one location look into exclusively on-demand service apps, like beGlammed.
beGlammed is the leading on-demand hair and makeup company, recently introducing nail services, in more than 23 cities across North America that delivers cosmetology services directly to our clients’ homes, hotels, offices, and weddings.
Rent a Booth, Work Freelance
These digital services are awesome because they link you up with salons and spas all over the world to help fill unused suites, stations, and more. Obviously, you’ll need to be licensed (which, we’re sure you are already!)
You’re solving a few problems all at once—you’re traveling where you want to, you’re helping salon and spa owners fill their chairs, and you’re making money while you’re living your best life.
There are always well-known salons, hotels, spas, and malls that will need licensed beauty pros—especially during busy seasons like summer. If you have travel plans in a specific area, look into the local hot-spots and see if they’re looking for a temporary stylist to help them out with the summer-time rush!
Pro Tip: If you're performing beauty services outside of your salon or suite, through a mobile service, or just freelance you NEED to protect your license. Learn more about professional liability insurance, why you need it, and what additional benefits there are!
P.S. don't forget to add those new salons or work spaces as Additional Insureds on your policy for extra protection.
Social Media + Summer Specials
This is a new-age beauty pro thing, but it’s an awesome side-hustle for stylists who want to constantly be on-the-go, traveling, and living their best lives.
If you don’t have a YouTube Channel or a social media presence for your business yet, we definitely think you should consider creating one. We even have your complete guide to social media success here.
Even if you don’t want to monetize these efforts to bring in income (so you can travel more!), ensuring that you’ve got an online presence is huge for your brand.
If you do want to utilize these platforms to create a passive income, then establishing yourself is going to be vital. There are tons of stylists out there who run popular YouTube channels and Instagram pages who are monetizing their efforts. There are plenty of creative ways to do this, and it doesn’t require that you’re stuck in a salon all day.
If you’re interested in monetizing your brand, traveling the world, making a profit, and providing lasting and valuable information to the beauty community, this could be the perfect side hustle for you!
New Summer Beauty Side Hustle? Make Sure You're Covered
No matter what you're planning to add to your summer beauty side hustle schedule, there's one rule you must follow – you have to be covered with the right insurance!
We're not sure if anyone told you or not, but not all cosmetology liability insurance is created equal – and sometimes, just because you're covered for one service doesn't mean you're covered for another.
When you start adding side hustles to your service menu, it's a must to make sure you've got quality coverage that has your back.
The good news? Elite Beauty Society always does! Peep our services, see what we cover (over 500+ beauty and wellness services, by the way!), and learn how we can help you get peace of mind and killer coverage while you grow your career this summer!
Cosmetology Liability Insurance
Two Year
Lock in a rate of $150 per year by purchasing our two year policy, with all the same benefits.
$
299
/2 years
One Year
Protect your career for a single year. Get comprehensive coverage at the most affordable rate.
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Meet Hanna Marcus, the Founder and Head Copy Gal behind Boundless Copy, a one-of-a-kind copywriting agency that specializes in big, bold brand voice and industry-disrupting copy that’s all about resonating with the right audience.
Hanna has proudly teamed up with Elite Beauty Society for several years as their go-to copywriter on all things beauty, small biz marketing, and brand voice development. She’s big on feeling-first writing–her personal soapbox is that the best copy starts with telling a story.
When she’s not writing cheeky, converting copy for clients, she’s mentoring other aspiring copywriters and creating digital copywriting resources designed for service pros and focused on taking the stress out of DIY copywriting.