Are you currently a salon business owner? Or renting a room somewhere? Looking at new treatments to add to your menu but feeling overwhelmed and at a loose end? Why not try something different and become a tutor! Gain a qualification in teaching, get your courses accredited, and be insured as a teacher. Start teaching the subjects you love, to inspire the next generation of Beauty Therapists.
Business & career advice
Starting out, growing your business and building your beauty career.
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Top Beauty Treatments to Earn BIG in 2023
We’re nearly a month into the new year & time is flying by already. Have you made plans for your beauty business this year already? Have you thought about further treatments you’ll soon be offering?
Maybe you’re not sure what the next big thing is or what more to train in to earn more £££s this year. Well let’s take a look at the latest beauty trends for 2023 and treatments billed to be in HOT demand this year!
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How do you get started in Lash Extensions?
Lash Extensions are still on the of the most popular and lucrative beauty services to be offering right now. While DIY false lashes may have come a long way, there is nothing that can beat a professionally applied set of semi-permanent eyelash extensions for creating the WOW factor to your look. During lockdowns, many turned to stick-on strip lashes but many have learnt to their peril the damage poorly applied lashes can do to your natural lashes. With the festive party season nearly upon us too, there has never been a better time to get into offering eyelash extensions. But how do you get started?
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How to maximise profit within your beauty business
Running a profitable beauty business can be a rewarding yet daunting task! there are so many things to think about when running your own business. This can be challenging when the majority of your day is focussed on delivering treatments. If you’re struggling to find the time to generate new ideas for boosting income you’ve come to the right place! We’ve collated some of our best advice for therapists to maximise profits.
Increase your client base
Whether you are just starting up or have been going a while there may be opportunities to grow your client base. There’s the obvious promotional platforms such as social media/ local magazines, however many marketing experts agree that the networking is an avenue that can be the most beneficial when targeting new clients. For example, there may be the option to have a mutually beneficial partnership with local businesses in your area that compliment the work you do such as Bridal shops or Hairdressers. A ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ scenario of promoting each others businesses can boost both businesses profits. If you already have a loyal client base, you can also enrol the support of these clients to grow. Offering refer a friend rewards or hosting launch events within the salon whereby clients can bring a friend/family member along. These events work well along side the launch of a new treatment or product where you can offer taster treatments/demonstrations/product trials or spread out at various times of the year to mark events i.e Valentines day/Christmas.
Increase spend per visit
If you’re serious about increasing your profit then one clear winning strategy is to encourage your client to spend more when they are with you. Use each treatment booking to your advantage to promote the add on services and retail that you offer within the salon. This doesn’t have to be a hard sell as remember your client is there for a reason, they may have come in to get amazing lashes.. their lashes will stay amazing for longer if they use a lash shampoo between infills! If you’re not retailing product in your salon you’re not only limiting your revenue but you may also be disadvantaging your client by not providing them with a full service which includes education and aftercare on how to maintain their treatment at home.
When up-selling services, consider the treatments that compliment each other the most. This could be adding additional massage onto treatments, adding additional LED therapy onto facials or tinting with Lash extension services. Also consider the benefits of courses of treatments, offering incentives can be an easy way to reward clients for booking courses such as by 6 get one free.
Top tips for retailing product:
- Only recommend products that you genuinely believe will benefit the client, link these back to their main concerns or objectives. For example you may have a facial client concerned with acne so share why you think a spot treatment would work best for them or a Gel polish client who always has dry cuticles, why would this nail oil help?
- Let the client explore the product. Give them the chance to try the product on their skin as most people prefer to try before they buy!
Review your treatment menu
A lot can be said for less is more, its important to focus on what you do and do it well vs offering too many services. Think about your niche and what makes you different, why should your clients come to you? It’s these unique differences that you should be promoting at every available opportunity. It may also be time to consider your pricing, when was the last time you increased your prices? Complete some market research into your local area to ensure you remain competitive and avoid underselling your skills!
Looking to start your own beauty business this year? Call our team on freephone 0800 999 2277 (option 1) to tailor a beauty training package for your business start-up. Already trained in beauty and need more business know-how? Our Online Starting a Business in Beauty Course is the ideal starting point to plan, market, brand and launch your own beauty business.
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How to start a side hustle Beauty Business along side your existing job
Research suggests that 35% of people in the UK now run their own side hustle business. Many side businesses start out as hobbies along side your current job, eventually becoming your main source of income! With Beauty services surviving recessions, it makes them the ideal option to kick start something on the side. Becoming a Therapist or Technician is ideal if you’re looking for something to fit around your current life, work and family.
We’ve collated our top tips to support you in making your first steps to starting your side hustle business!
Find your passion
The first thing to consider when starting a side beauty business is what area of beauty interests you. It can be easy to jump in and want to offer all services, the pitfall of this is becoming a ‘jack of all trades’. We would always recommend starting off with the treatments you feel most passionate about, whether it’s Lashes, Nails or Make Up, finding your passion will mean you’ll be excited to put the time and energy into practicing your skills and offer amazing treatments to your new clients!
Training
In order to get started with offering treatments to clients you will need to gain insurance. For insurance providers to cover you, you will need to have relevant qualifications in the treatments you are providing. Our Accredited Online or 1 day Diploma courses are ideal to get started alongside your current job. Online courses allow you to study conveniently, while managing your current commitments. Accessible 24/7 through our online student portal, learn in your own time, at your own pace. Alternatively you may prefer to have a tutor on site to guide you through face to face, making the 1 day Diploma courses the ideal option as they are fast track, available 6 days per week all year round and offered across our 10 training centre locations across the UK. Both online and classroom based training provide an accredited certificate that is recognised to gain insurance to work freelance!
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Which nail system is right for my business?
Nail treatments are one of the most profitable services you can offer as a therapist, with year round demand and regular client appointments but whether you’re just starting out as a Nail Technician or you’re wanting to increase the services you offer there is so much variety on the market it can be a confusing landscape to navigate. Keep reading to discover the key pros and cons behind popular nail system on the market to support you with making the best decision for your business. Which Nail system is right for me?
Extensions or Natural Nails?
A question we receive regularly from therapists starting their careers in Nail Technology is should I invest in extensions or focus on the natural nail? The plus side of training in extension systems is that a lot of systems can now be used with and without traditional tips. With many products providing the option of forms to extend the nail or a simple overlay on the clients natural length. Extensions are a profitable treatment if you have the clientele, with treatments ranging between £25-£50 a service, they also need regular maintenance so a good option if you’re looking for ways to increase client return footfall.
Acrylics
One of the more traditional methods for nail extensions, Acrylics are still regarded a well loved favourite of Nail technicians. Hard wearing and long lasting they reign supreme in the longevity category, although they loose on the odour front! It’s essential to remove Acrylics correctly, educating clients on the need to revisit the salon for remove is vital for the health of the nails. Acrylics can be used with tips or forms to extend the natural nail. Average cost £25-£50 per set depending on the type of finish the client is requesting.
UV Gel Extensions
Many favour the ease of UV Gel Extensions, quick to apply and self levelling, UV Gel extensions are a great alternative to Acrylics if you want durable nails without the odour. Although they’re not as hard wearing as Acrylics you will still get a couple of weeks out of a set of Gels. Again they can be used with tips or forms. Costings are comparable to Acrylics between £25-£50 a set.
Other options that have gained a huge following from clients and therapists a like is Builder Gel in a bottle and Polygel systems, you may have seen multiple posts on socials promoting the benefits of these treatments and there is good reason for this.. They’re amazing! Easy to use, versatile and offer a natural look with the benefit of lengthening natural nails they are definitely worth the hype.The advantage of Gel in a bottle over traditional tub based gel products is the speed and ease at which they can be applied to give additional strength to natural nails. They are a soak-off product so much easier to remove than traditional buff off builder gel products. The Average price for a set is £35.
Poly Gel is a revolutionary invention in the nail industry for those of you looking for a product with literally no heat spikes, practically odourless and with significantly less dust during removal. There are no monomers, no mixing, and no ratios needed! It’s extremely mouldable and easy to use, great to speed up treatment timings. The average price for Polygel around £50 a set
Gel Polish
Due to the longevity and high-gloss finish, this treatment is particularly popular all-year round. A perfect option if you’re starting out and are looking for a system to work on the clients natural nail. Since Gel polish started it’s boom in the industry most salons have turned their backs on traditional nail polish for their manicure and pedicure services and have instead opted for this longer lasting instant drying alternative! Treatments on average are £25-£30.
What now?
All that’s left to do now is getting learning! Enrol for our Accredited Online Nail Courses from only £99 or book a classroom course from only £199 for live training with our expert tutors.
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Marketing your new business on social media
In this week’s blog we’re sharing our top tips when it comes to promoting your new beauty business on Social media. In todays modern world the traditional ways of advertising have gone out of the window, with more and more companies relying on word of mouth and visual representations online to ensure their success. Without social media accounts your business is invisible as the majority of clients admit to checking businesses socials out before they book treatments.
What are the benefits of social media? Think of social media platforms as your virtual shop window, it represents everything you want your business to be know for. They’re also a great way of staying connected with clients, building relationships and a loyal client base as well as networking with other businesses.
Here are our top tips for promoting your business online.
1. Target your market audience
The social media platform you choose to use should depend on your client demographic. Younger users are choosing platforms TikTok and Snap chat over Instagram and Facebook. Instagram is a very popular choice for millennials and has an incredible 2 billion person user base! Making it a great choice for a new business. Whilst Facebook still maintains a large 25-35 demographic their largest growing demographic is the 65+ group. Something to consider when starting your socials is the best option for connecting with your target audience.
2. Promoting your work
Ensure that your business account is a representation of the work you carry out within the business, this should be separate from any personal accounts. When people search for your business they want to see images of your nails/lashes instead of your dog!
You only have a split second to grab someones attention when scrolling through their socials. You need to make your posts as impactful as possible, whether it be through images of your work or video clips. To get the best images you may want to invest in equipment such a good quality camera, a ring light and for videos a sturdy camera stand for smooth footage.
Before and after images work incredibly well to showcase the work you do, these are found to get more interaction from users.
3. Schedule your posts
It can be busy work starting a business and finding the time to update your accounts may become a challenge. Aim to set some time each week to preschedule and plan your posts for the week to save on any last minute panic posts! Facebook and Instagram are connected through Meta and have useful integrated systems to allow you to schedule posts in advance. There are also companies such as Hootsuite which can do this for you using an app.
Research the times of day that are the best to post on your chosen platform, for example the most used time on instagram is 10am-1pm, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays being the most popular days.
Aim to post once a day and keep your follows engaged by regularly posting stories.
4. Connect with your audience
Make sure to take the time to reply to comments and messages on your accounts. By connecting with your followers your building an online community and loyal client base ready to book their next appointment!
5. Use #hashtags
Hashtags are a way of getting your posts seen by more people so great for growing your following! You can use unto 30 hashtags per post, however posts with excessive amounts of hashtags are seen as spam so avoid using too many! Creating your own hashtag such as #lashesbygrace can allow clients to follow your work directly! Encourage your clients to use your hashtag to gain a momentum.
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Start a Career in Aesthetics
The Facial and Aesthetics Industry has boomed over the last decade, with net growth expanding year on year. However there are some challenges with this ever expanding industry. With a lack of regulation and standards comes an increase in unregulated training and clinics lacking the essential knowledge, qualifications and insurance to perform effective treatments.
If you are just starting out it can be hard to navigate where to go for the right training essential to gain insurance. Here is our guide for getting started with Aesthetics.
Pre requisites for study
As Aesthetic treatments are advanced treatments that can impact the skin on a molecular level, you will need to have the skills and knowledge to safely deliver these services to your clients. To gain the most from these advanced courses, before undertaking our Aesthetic training courses, we set the minimum pre requirement as:
- Accredited training within Facial skincare such as our 1 Day Facial Massage & Skincare Course
Do check with your future insurance provider for these treatments prior to booking as the pre requirements for insurance can vary significantly between providers with some being happy to accept simply an accredited diploma in Facial Skincare, whereas others set the minimum standard as VTCT qualifications at Level 2 and/or Level 3, depending on the specific treatments you wish to be insured for.
Where Level 2 and/or 3 is required, we recommend the following qualification courses which allow you to gain knowledge of a range of treatments for a good all-round beauty skill set. These can be booked and studied alongside our Aesthetics courses to fast-track your studies:
OR
Or for those want to specialise purely in skincare and aesthetics, to fast track your career, save you money on training costs (and as accepted by your insurer), we highly recommend simply taking these courses alongside our Aesthetics courses:
- VTCT Level 2 Award in Facials
- VTCT Level 3 Award in Anatomical & Physiological Knowledge of Body Systems
Choosing the right treatment for your business
There are a variety of treatments available and these are expanding regularly. Here are some examples of current popular treatments.
- Dermaplaning offers deep exfoliation removing dead skin cells, blockages, make up and vellus hair from the upper layer of the surface of the skin using a surgical scalpel to refine skin.
- Microneedling also known as dermarolling or collagen induction therapy is administered using a dermaroller or automated pen applicator to stimulate collagen growth and repairing of skin.
- Skin Peels, often known also as ‘chemical’ peels work using natural acids to exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells using specialised products applied topically to the skin.
- LED Light Therapy works to soothe the skin, boosting natural skin healing following more invasive treatments and is hugely rejuvenating for the skin.
Accreditation and Insurance
In order to gain insurance you will be required to present your insurance company with an accredited certificate. Beware of courses out there which only provide a CPD registered certificate as these are not widely accepted for insurance, as many do not involve hands-on practical as part of the course. An accredited certificate proves that you have completed training with a reputable training provider that meets the standards of the industry and demonstrated practical competence as part of the course. It is important to do your research when decided on which courses to undertake. Here at The Beauty Academy, all of our Classroom based courses are accredited by Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT) and are fully insurable.
Marketing your treatments
Now is the time to start promoting the treatments to your clients. Your current Facial clients are the ideal place to start, these treatments will also attract new clients more interested in instant results! Below are a few ways to get started with promoting the new treatments.
Existing Facial clients:
- Send out e-blast messages sharing the benefits of the new treatments
- Hold a launch event, offer mini treatment tasters and demonstrations, these could be themed around the festive season or ‘new year new you’
- Run an introductory offer for your loyal clients
- Change your answering phone message to highlight ‘what’s new’
- Link to your retail products as a way of maintaining their skin and increasing retail/treatment sales, i.e. ‘book a course of treatments and receive a free mini kit’
Target potential new clients:
- Grow your social media presence, videos tend to receive more interaction than photos. Why not vlog your training journey?
- Connect with local businesses, do you have a local bridal shop? Hairdressers? Why not team up to promote each others business, you could throw in a treatment to sweeten the deal!
Take your career further…
Once you are working in the aesthetics industry or offering these treatments within your own beauty business, you may decide you want to take your career further and begin offering courses or teaching aesthetics treatments to other aspiring therapists and aestheticians. You might like to consider the VTCT Level 3 in Education & Training, which is the gold standard sought by insurers and accrediting bodies to allow you to teach or offer training within these courses. This can be studied on a flexible, fast track basis entirely online from home so is ideal for a busy therapist!
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New year, New Career.. considerations for starting a beauty business.
Know your niche
What is your unique selling point?
The Beauty industry is one of the most competitive out there, finding your niche will help you stand out from the crowd and build loyal client base. When you first start out it one of the biggest challenges can be deciding on the treatments you offer within the treatment room. It’s easy to get carried away with the excitement and end up offering too much.
The easiest way to find your niche is to focus on the treatments that you love to perform, chances are these are the treatments you will succeed in because you’re passionate about them.
Once you’ve chosen your treatments consider what makes your treatments stand out, is it your nail art? Perhaps you’re a master at lash mapping or it could be the extra little touches in your customer service. Dedicate your time perfecting those treatments and marketing your unique selling points!
Who is your target audience?
It would be great to say everyone… however, the most successful businesses know that in order to have repeat custom you need to know the customer you are targeting. This will allow you to market your business in the correct way. For example, did you know the largest growing group on Facebook is grandparents? Consider the type of client you want coming through your door and research the best ways to advise to them. Asking those clients directly via surveys and ask what they look for from their treatments will also allow you to customise your treatments to meet those needs.
Premises
Are you looking to rent a salon or buy a premise, perhaps you want to work from home? Each option will have a variety of considerations. Where your business is based will determine the licences and insurance you will need to acquire. You may also consider mobile work, one consideration for this has its own implications for example setting boundaries on how far you are willing to travel.
Costings
The initial outlay for starting a business can soon add up. Will you require a loan to get started? Creating a business plan with a lay out of costings and a plan for paying back loans will help you keep on top of the business finances.
Another consideration for costings is working out your pricelists, the best way to do this is to work out how much it costs you to do the service, from disposables, product usage and what your hourly rate is. Most professional product brands will give you an approximant usage of a product to make it easier to work costings out.
Laws and regulations
There are various laws and regulations impacting the beauty industry, it’s important that these laws are adhered to as it may affect your insurance.
The majority of these laws relate to health and safety practices in the workplace, such as storing products and chemicals we use. Recent GDPR laws focus more on how we process our client’s data.
There are also new laws relating to covid-19 so it is important to regularly review the latest government policies on implementation of regulations.
For a full breakdown visit the gov.org website.
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Ways to elevate manicure and pedicure services
With manicure and pedicure services being staple treatments within our salons and spas, it can be easy to fall into robot mode. Going through the motions, client after client, file paint repeat! Are you looking for ways to change it up? Here are our top 3 ways to increase the client experience, increase bookings and client retention.
Luxury additions to the treatment
Luxury additions can be added to your standard manicure or pedicure treatments for an additional fee. These additions can help the health of the skin and nails as well as increase client relaxation and stress relief.
Paraffin wax– a natural moisturiser, paraffin wax leaves the skin smooth and supple. It can be used in conjunction with other hand/food masks to increase skin hydration. When applied the warming wax increases circulation, making it an ideal addition for client that suffer with cold hands and feet!
Heated mitts/booties- increase penetration of skin nourishing masks leading to softer smoother skin and nails.
Additional massage- an additional massage can escalation the clients experience and their desire to want to return. The time it takes for the paraffin wax or heated mitts/booties provides the ideal time to offer a neck and shoulder or scalp massage. Reflexology can elevate your pedicure services to a new level. If you’re trained in reflexology, why not start integrating elements of your practice into your pedicure treatments for an extra treat!
Elevating the client experience
In addition to the previous tools, it’s also important to reflect on the overall client experience can elevate their treatment to new luxury heights! These experiences can start the moment the client walks through the door, consider the smells they are experience. Essential oil diffusers are a great way to set the tone of a treatment and can be changed regularly. Also consider drinks on offer, is it time to change up the menu?
Adding essential oils, crystals or petals to your manicure/pedicure bowl can increase the luxurious feel to the treatment.
Lighting is also an important consideration, although needed for certain stages of the treatment there maybe times where dimming the lights can increase their relaxation.
‘freebies’ creating packages between retail and services can increase client retention and retail sales. Examples may include a free nail oil or polish mini with a luxury manicure service.
Themed treatments
Themed treatments work well when linked to special events or holidays, running them for a shorter period of time makes them more exclusive and desirable for clients, leading to increased treatment bookings and sales. When creating a theme consistency is key, layering links to the theme throughout.
Example of a themed manicure/pedicure treatment:
Indulgent chocolate manicure/pedicure
A chocolate related arrival treat of chocolates, biscuits or sweets.
Swap out usual products (scrubs, mask and moisturisers) for chocolate scented products.
Adding a couple of drops of orange essential oil to products, diffusers and water can add to their sensory experience. Orange compliments chocolate scents.
An addition of chocolate paraffin wax will increase the luxury of the service.
Finish with a hot chocolate with all the trimmings while their nails are drying.
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Facials, how to stand out against the competition.
With a current market value worth £560 million, the skincare industry is as popular now as it has ever been. Gone are the days of the monthly facial and on your way. In recent years clients are demanding more from their skin treatments and their skin therapists. With so much available on the market, here’s our top tips to stay relevant and stand out against the competition.
Bespoke treatments
Personalisation is the key to building a loyal clientele. Clients have their own individual skin concerns, lifestyles and their own preferences when it comes to their treatment. By completing a comprehensive consultation, you will be equipped with all the information you need to design their experience for them.
Don’t feel pressured to sticking to a concrete routine, your facial routine can be flexible. By focussing on the treatment steps that will benefit the client the most, you will get more of a targeted result. For example, a client that complains of dull, rough skin would benefit most from the exfoliation and masking stages, whereas for a highly sensitised skin you may choose to omit exfoliation altogether.
Combining stages can speed up steps, have a more targeted results and allow you more time elsewhere in the treatment. Talk to your skin care provider on how you can mix up your products! Common combos include power cleansing and masking by adding an exfoliant to a cleanser or mask, massaging over a mask or combining retail serums into moisturisers in the treatment room.
Tools
The world is becoming more technological, your treatments can be too! Using machines within your treatments can increase the results you can achieve. Microcurrent, Microdermabrasion, LED and more are favoured with professional therapists worldwide for their easy use and quick results.
Manual tools are also becoming more popular, whether it’s a Guava stone for cleansing or a Derma roller for increasing product efficiency they offer you further ways to customise the clients treatment.
Multisensory experiences
Elevate your treatments by customising your client’s full sensory experiences. By customising these experiences, the client will not only leave with great skin but an overall sense of relaxation and well-being specifically designed for them. Ask your client how they would like to feel after their treatment: relaxed or uplifted there are various ways to target this form them.
Taste: consider what you serve your client prior to their treatment. Herbal teas and fruit waters can be a great place to start. Certain blends such as lavender and chamomiles would suit the client looking for relaxation, whereas citrus fruits are the go-to for invigoration
Smell: Smell and taste go hand in hand, complement the drinks you offer with diffuser smells in the treatment room. Beginning and ending your treatments with some inhalations using essential oils can help transition your client in and out of their treatment.
Sight: lighting can be a great way to set the mood for the treatment, some therapists will use changeable mood lamps. Also consider the colour of your treatment space, it’s been proven that colours affect moods. For example blues, purples and greens can stimulate feelings of calm, yellow can increase anxiety and reds can be very stimulating.
Sound: not everyone relaxes to the same music, try asking your client what they prefer to listen to during their treatments, they might just surprise you! Some clients may prefer not to listen to any music at all, they may find it distracts them from completely switching off. Ensure background noises, sounds that we become accustom too such as the squeaky chair, phone ringing or dripping tap are all new for our clients!
Touch: don’t save the relaxation for the massage, increase touch throughout the treatment to relax your client. Begin with some pressure points or shoulder rocks to introduce your touch this can increase the clients comfort in their surroundings.
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How to succeed as a beauty blogger
There has never been a better time to set up a beauty blog with more people online everyday than ever before, whether that is working from home, taking this time to learn or seeking entertainment. The home beauty market is set to be bigger than ever before this year as more people take to pampering themselves while salons are temporarily closed and many are out of their depth in picking beauty products to suit their needs. And so many turn to beauty blogs… Setting up a successful beauty blog, especially if it something you are already passionate about (and so probably already spending considerable hours each week keeping up with the latest treatments, products and trends) can be easier than you think. With determination and commitment, you can even begin to earn money (mostly through advertising), build a reputation or brand online with a large following or start enjoying a steady supply of free products and services to try to win the supplier a review on your blog. We give you the know-how so you can perhaps consider using this time during lockdown to get your own beauty blog started!
