In any situation, from dating and socializing to working, people’s appearance affects how they feel. If a person feels good about their appearance, they feel ready to take on the world, but a day where they have low self-esteem can dampen their mood. As a budding beauty professional, you have the power to give people that mood boost and make them feel great about their appearance.
Aside from making people feel good about themselves, the beauty market is a thriving market to get in on. Recent statistics published by the British Beauty Council show that the beauty industry is worth £28.4 billion to the UK economy – contributing more to the UK’s GDP than traditional sectors such as vehicle manufacturing.
Like many things in life, getting started is often the hardest part, so if you’re looking to turn your passion into a profession or leave a salon to set up your own beauty business, here are some key factors to think about.
Services
The first step in starting your own beauty business is to decide what services you plan to offer. Some essential questions that you should ask yourself to help you decide are as follows: do I have a range of skills I can use straight away? Are there other specialties I want to develop? What else is available in the local area?
Conducting some initial market research will help you decide on the services you will provide as well as help you establish your brand and price point. You’ll also need to think about whether you’ll have a permanent location or if you will be mobile as this will affect what you can offer your clients.
Qualifications
Securing the right professional qualifications is essential to reassure your clients that their appearance is safe in your hands. At the minimum you will need to complete an NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Beauty Therapy to become fully licensed. You can do this at a college on a full-time or part-time basis if you haven’t already, or you can train privately for an additional cost.
Equipment
Despite the phrase “a poor worker blames their tools”, the equipment and products you use play a huge part in your standard of service. From hair clippers to UV lamps and other essential specialist equipment, quality items don’t come cheap, but they are necessary for maintaining a high standard of service. You may need to spread your spend to help you get set up, but the cost will be well worth it in the end.
Promotion
Word of mouth goes a long way in the beauty industry, and while you may have friends and family you can rely on up to a point, you’re unlikely to be able to sit back and wait for clients to come to you when you are first starting out.
Getting the word out on social media is a no-brainer, and you may also want to introduce loyalty schemes and create your own website to manage bookings and collect reviews once you start getting busier.
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