Why not start with a smaller step and rent a chair in another salon first, to build up your own clientele and learn the basics of running your own small independent business?
How will you set your prices for your services? If you just assumed you‘d charge the same as you were doing in your old salon without thinking about your marketing budget, profit margins etc., you’re probably not ready to open a salon just yet as running a salon requires a very different skill set to hairdressing and you really need a good business head to make it successful. That’s not to say you shouldn’t consider it, but as you’re working experience is limited to just one salon, you might benefit from gaining further experience elsewhere and attending some additional small business related training courses, before taking the plunge to open a salon. One of the biggest issues is being confident enough to tackle difficult issues head on. If someone is being argumentative, can you deal calmly with the confrontation and find solutions or would you want someone else to step in and take over?
Re: being taken to court for poaching clients.
Do you have a written contract of employment and does it include a ‘non compete’ clause?
It’s rare for salon owners to take court action as they have to weigh up the costs of taking legal action against how much business they lose when you leave, but it’s not unheard of.
If you rent a chair in another local salon and advertise your services through social media, it’s likely that some of your clients will follow you anyway.
However, definitely think about your longer term plans and start setting goals to help you achieve them. Good luck!