Yes, as part of selling the salon as a going concern. The client records normally transfer to the buyer with the business, but you should only pass on what the buyer needs to keep looking after those clients, and they must use it in the same way you did.
Client records are personal data, so UK data protection law applies. Passing them to a buyer who is taking over the salon and will carry on serving the same clients is a normal part of a business sale. Selling the list on its own, to someone who wants it for marketing, is a very different matter and usually not allowed.
Before you hand anything over
- Share only summary figures, such as the number of active clients and visit frequency, until the buyer is committed. Names and contact details should wait until completion.
- Check what your privacy notice told clients and what they agreed to receive. Marketing permissions do not automatically cover a new owner’s different offers.
- Patch tests, consultation forms and medical notes are sensitive. Transfer them securely and only if the buyer will keep providing the same treatments.
The buyer should tell clients the salon has changed hands. The Information Commissioner’s Office has guidance on sharing data when a business is sold, and a solicitor can add the right wording to the sale contract.
Sources
- Information Commissioner’s Office, Due diligence when sharing data following mergers and acquisitions ico.org.uk