Leaving beauty job to go self employed

[laurakate]

Who's done this and how did you find it? what was it like? what made you reach the decision to do this? did you always want to go self employed ultimately or did you do it because you didn't want to work for other people anymore?

Soooo many questions there lol but basically this is the stage I'm at now. I've always said that I didn't want to be self employed due to the uncertainty/responsibility/not being able to switch off (as I've mentioned a number of times on here) but I'm amazed and impressed to say that I've had a massive change of mind. I'm tired of working anti social hours and struggling to get time off all for the sake of a smidge above minimum wage. I'm tired of working with product brands that I have no training in due to my current and previous employers taking little interest in the importance of this. I'm going to turn this poop into a positive thing by being my own boss, working my own hours where I offer treatments with products that I am going to become fully trained in.

I will miss the social side of working with other people and working on a vast range of new clients on a day to day basis. I'll miss the holiday pay and the sense of routine but overall, I've now reached a point where I feel ready and I'm immensely amazed by this because I always thought I'd be too scared to go self employed but I'm at that point now where I need to do it in order to honour and respect my own skills and intelligence after having given them so willingly to other people in exchange for a small return over the past few years.

I'm going to be kind to myself by setting realistic goals as a self employed person. I anticipate being quiet and a small business for a good while initially but I guess that comes with the package of starting a business I suppose.

Frankly, I'm feeling a bit anxious but mostly liberated. When I'm getting a bit tetchy (in my head at work) I remind myself that I'm going to work for myself as soon as possible and then it makes me feel really bouncy again. I've already decided what I'm going to call my business, the treatment menu, brands and how I'm going to do the accounting (ish!) lol!

Who else has been in this situation? Talk to me!

 

[bev34dd]

Who's done this and how did you find it? what was it like? what made you reach the decision to do this? did you always want to go self employed ultimately or did you do it because you didn't want to work for other people anymore?

Soooo many questions there lol but basically this is the stage I'm at now. I've always said that I didn't want to be self employed due to the uncertainty/responsibility/not being able to switch off (as I've mentioned a number of times on here) but I'm amazed and impressed to say that I've had a massive change of mind. I'm tired of working anti social hours and struggling to get time off all for the sake of a smidge above minimum wage. I'm tired of working with product brands that I have no training in due to my current and previous employers taking little interest in the importance of this. I'm going to turn this poop into a positive thing by being my own boss, working my own hours where I offer treatments with products that I am going to become fully trained in.

I will miss the social side of working with other people and working on a vast range of new clients on a day to day basis. I'll miss the holiday pay and the sense of routine but overall, I've now reached a point where I feel ready and I'm immensely amazed by this because I always thought I'd be too scared to go self employed but I'm at that point now where I need to do it in order to honour and respect my own skills and intelligence after having given them so willingly to other people in exchange for a small return over the past few years.

I'm going to be kind to myself by setting realistic goals as a self employed person. I anticipate being quiet and a small business for a good while initially but I guess that comes with the package of starting a business I suppose.

Frankly, I'm feeling a bit anxious but mostly liberated. When I'm getting a bit tetchy (in my head at work) I remind myself that I'm going to work for myself as soon as possible and then it makes me feel really bouncy again. I've already decided what I'm going to call my business, the treatment menu, brands and how I'm going to do the accounting (ish!) lol!

Who else has been in this situation? Talk to me!

Omg this is like reading what I'm feeling right now. The difference only is that I don't currently work in the beauty business been out of it for 10 years now but after lots of soul searching and just being plain honest with myself I'm going self employed as soon as possible. I shall remain doing my job ( as a special needs nursery nurse ) and work evening s and weekends and slowly build my business up then I may go part time then hopefully leave altogether ... It's very scary but like u say very liberating at the same time. I too have been working hard with my treatment plan prices etc. I wish u every success with ur new venture. Keep in touch 😊x

 

[laurakate]

Omg this is like reading what I'm feeling right now. The difference only is that I don't currently work in the beauty business been out of it for 10 years now but after lots of soul searching and just being plain honest with myself I'm going self employed as soon as possible. I shall remain doing my job ( as a special needs nursery nurse ) and work evening s and weekends and slowly build my business up then I may go part time then hopefully leave altogether ... It's very scary but like u say very liberating at the same time. I too have been working hard with my treatment plan prices etc. I wish u every success with ur new venture. Keep in touch ��x

Thankyouuuu! I'm so glad you can relate...it's surreal isn't it? Like you finally get to that point where you think "I've got two choices here, I can either take a risk to turn a negative into a positive or I can keep clutching at straws just staying as I am."

I hope it works for you too

 

[bev34dd]

Thankyouuuu! I'm so glad you can relate...it's surreal isn't it? Like you finally get to that point where you think "I've got two choices here, I can either take a risk to turn a negative into a positive or I can keep clutching at straws just staying as I am."

I hope it works for you too

Yes I know what u mean... I'm not sleeping at the moment every spare minute I'm either researching planning my business or going through my texts books . I've had 5 weeks off work as I work in a school I go back tomorrow and I could cry I just want to plan and train and get cracking with this. Ill try not to be impatient. I'm waiting for my certificates to come to me as my originals my ex husband burnt ( but hey that's another story!!) so until I get them back in my hand I can't really do anything then it's all systems go. Just hope there's no problem getting them as I qualified over twenty years ago. Lol😳x

 

[siana]

I did it and love it and have NEVER looked back! I worked in a school too and slowly did my training and built up a small client base until I was ready to go it alone. Yes holidays can be problematic and sick pay and not having colleagues - these are the downsides for me but are pretty much eclipsed by being your own boss, seeing all my lovely ladies and seeing how happy they are with their treatments - earning decent money, choosing your hours, brands and products, what treatments you offer etc. I am sure you will love it and I wish you all the very best with your new venture.

 

[bev34dd]

I did it and love it and have NEVER looked back! I worked in a school too and slowly did my training and built up a small client base until I was ready to go it alone. Yes holidays can be problematic and sick pay and not having colleagues - these are the downsides for me but are pretty much eclipsed by being your own boss, seeing all my lovely ladies and seeing how happy they are with their treatments - earning decent money, choosing your hours, brands and products, what treatments you offer etc. I am sure you will love it and I wish you all the very best with your new venture.

Thanku... I have lots of friends and work friends who would like treatments from me so hoping ill get a small clientele base and word of mouth and Facebook page and flyers will help boost my business. Wish these darn certificates would come through the post feel paralysed without them. It's great to know that it's worked for you it's fantastic. Thanku again can't wait to be my own boss. I'm so nice to work for lol ☺x

 

[laurakate]

Yes I know what u mean... I'm not sleeping at the moment every spare minute I'm either researching planning my business or going through my texts books . I've had 5 weeks off work as I work in a school I go back tomorrow and I could cry I just want to plan and train and get cracking with this. Ill try not to be impatient. I'm waiting for my certificates to come to me as my originals my ex husband burnt ( but hey that's another story!!) so until I get them back in my hand I can't really do anything then it's all systems go. Just hope there's no problem getting them as I qualified over twenty years ago. Lol��x

Sorry to hear that, if not already definitely get on the phone to the exam boards that awarded your certificates so they can send replacements asap.

 

[laurakate]

I did it and love it and have NEVER looked back! I worked in a school too and slowly did my training and built up a small client base until I was ready to go it alone. Yes holidays can be problematic and sick pay and not having colleagues - these are the downsides for me but are pretty much eclipsed by being your own boss, seeing all my lovely ladies and seeing how happy they are with their treatments - earning decent money, choosing your hours, brands and products, what treatments you offer etc. I am sure you will love it and I wish you all the very best with your new venture.

Thank you I don't anticipate making much money (like I think I can earn more in an hour but it's a question of how many of those hours will be spent on clients once I'm self employed) but I think the freedom is enough to make me want to take that risk.

Within reason, I'm hoping to create my dream treatment menu and if I want to add something considered to be more obscure then if I can afford it, nobody can tell me otherwise

 

[bev34dd]

Sorry to hear that, if not already definitely get on the phone to the exam boards that awarded your certificates so they can send replacements asap.

It was IHBC beauty therapy diploma. I've sent of for replacement. Like I say it was a long time ago. But I went to college for three years and are fully qualified.. Just worried they will say its been too long ago and the exam board has changed so therefore u can't have them. I will be totally devastated 😂x

 

[LolliDolli]

Who's done this and how did you find it? what was it like? what made you reach the decision to do this? did you always want to go self employed ultimately or did you do it because you didn't want to work for other people anymore?

Soooo many questions there lol but basically this is the stage I'm at now. I've always said that I didn't want to be self employed due to the uncertainty/responsibility/not being able to switch off (as I've mentioned a number of times on here) but I'm amazed and impressed to say that I've had a massive change of mind. I'm tired of working anti social hours and struggling to get time off all for the sake of a smidge above minimum wage. I'm tired of working with product brands that I have no training in due to my current and previous employers taking little interest in the importance of this. I'm going to turn this poop into a positive thing by being my own boss, working my own hours where I offer treatments with products that I am going to become fully trained in.

I will miss the social side of working with other people and working on a vast range of new clients on a day to day basis. I'll miss the holiday pay and the sense of routine but overall, I've now reached a point where I feel ready and I'm immensely amazed by this because I always thought I'd be too scared to go self employed but I'm at that point now where I need to do it in order to honour and respect my own skills and intelligence after having given them so willingly to other people in exchange for a small return over the past few years.

I'm going to be kind to myself by setting realistic goals as a self employed person. I anticipate being quiet and a small business for a good while initially but I guess that comes with the package of starting a business I suppose.

Frankly, I'm feeling a bit anxious but mostly liberated. When I'm getting a bit tetchy (in my head at work) I remind myself that I'm going to work for myself as soon as possible and then it makes me feel really bouncy again. I've already decided what I'm going to call my business, the treatment menu, brands and how I'm going to do the accounting (ish!) lol!

Who else has been in this situation? Talk to me!

This is EXACTLY me!!!
I get sooooo down about having to go into work. Every treatment I do / hours work I think 'I've just earnt them £xxx and I don't even get £7.00 for it!!'

I've done so much research and planning. It's all I think about.
But all I get from family / husband is 'its not the right time'

Is it ever going to be the right time?!
I'm getting so stresses and down about it I'm just so fed up of working my ass off for other people. Getting a rubbish wage. And putting up with a lot of crap from colleges and manager.

I don't know what I should do!



Laura💋

 

[EmJ]

I was in the exact same position. Do it. And never look back x

 

[beccanailstan]

This is a situation I'm in at the moment, being made redundant from my current job at the end of the year, qualified as a beauty therapist 7 years ago so am now starting up a beauty business from home! Need help and advice about becoming self employed!!! x

 

[stace7]

I was really nervous at first but so glad I did it. I was unhappy with my previous salon and manager and was getting fed up of work but I've found my passion again and am so happy I took that step.

Don't get me wrong it's a lot of hard work and dedication and you'll be skint for a while but the feeling of getting up and looking forward to going to work is fab! I'm just over a year self employed and am just about earning the same as I was employed but I'm so much happier and that's what matters. If you can afford to do it then go for it you'll not regret it!

Stace x

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[mariapostma]

I worked in a salon and loved the social side but hours and money weren't great. In may I decided to follow my dream and go self employed, freelance, and never looked back!
You need to believe in yourself, And you need to push your business to make it work.
Make sure every treatment you do is the best one yet.
I do a lot of leaflet dropping and adversing on social media websites.
It may take time to build up, but believe me when it does, it's amazing!

Good luck xx

 

[rosielilian]

I left my job end of June this year to go self employed, i decided to do it because of a lot of problems at my old job & not being appreciated. I had anti social hours and a horrible boss that only cared about money. Got to the point that i was losing passion for my job..

Now i do mobile beauty aswell as temping with a beauty agency & i love my job so much more again. I choose when i work and i dont have to answer to anyone else. I miss the social side of it like when you work with a team of people but you get to know your clients a lot better and the temping helps because you experience other salons and the teams there.

Id say go for it, you just have to make sure its the best thing for you. I took the risk because i still live at home with my parents and i only pay out for my car and rent.

Good luck!

 

[ProjectPretty]

It seems that you already know the answers to your own questions but it's common to often question a new journey you're about to embark upon. I went into self employment roughly 18 months ago and never looked back since. I had EXACTLY the same questions and fears but once you get started you learn to cross those bridges IF you ever face a difficulty. self employment in the first year is a massive learning curb then you will eventually get into a routine and find yourself becoming more and more organised. You've hit the nail on the head with setting goals. It's very important to set goals and give yourself a date to reach certain goals by. I'm lucky to have a friend who is a business coach (I could give you her details if you wanted any advice). When discussing my business with her over a coffee and a cake she unlocked my own thoughts, unlocked all the answers to my own questions and we talked about realistic goals. She works on a 90 day period meaning you basically write down your goals (marketing material, advertising, social media, financing, event fares etc) and to have 90 days to reach each goal you have set. it worked wonders for me so definitely keep yourself a Business Sketchbook or notepad and start writing all of your thoughts, aspirations, ambitions and goals down. You will find yourself looking back on them in 6 months time and thinking WOWSERS I've almost completed these I need some more! Never stop expanding, improving, educating etc. there is LOTS of help out there for business startups too. Try and contact your local Chamber of Commerce for free business advice.

Running my own business is my biggest achievement so far. I have to admit, it's not easy. You have to be prepared to graft hard for the first couple of years. Lots of organising paper work, finances, marketing stuff etc business might be slow at first but don't let that sway you. When you feel negative, stressed, downbeat or even feel like giving up, try and tap into what keeps you motivated and positive. even ask yourself what would your biggest inspiration do when they are feeling rubbish, to get their motivation back up! It does get lonely sometimes being your own boss and you do have to sacrifice some things to put business first for the first few months but it's definitely all worth it in the end and I couldn't imagine working for anyone else now.

Good luck with your new business adventure. Hope it all goes well!


xProjectPrettyx

 

[laurakate]

Wow! I'm so pleased that my post struck a chord with so many of you! Being frustrated with how an employer is treating you isn't nice but hopefully it will be a catalyst for change. I'd much rather use it as a catalyst for change rather than letting the bad feelings manifest themselves by staying as I am.

I've always worked for other people in beauty where there have been a lot of hours available to work which is why I anticipate earning less money as a self employed person but the point is, even if I earn less money overall as a self employed person I would hope to earn more per hour (even if there aren't many of those hours) and be happier overall and I think looking at it intelligently, there is a massive dignity in that <3

I'm going to try and stay in my current job for a bit longer because I don't want to look like a job hopper and shoot myself in the foot for if I ever wanted to return to working for someone else and it's also an opportunity to earn some money before going it alone.

I'm glad that I have acquired experience of working for other people because post college I think that experience and the way in which your treatment quality improves is massively valuable but once the learning curve has grinded to a halt that's when the frustrations start to kick in don't you think?

Also, I don't think looking for a new job as an employee is the answer to this kind of thing because ultimately although some employed beauty jobs are better than others, at the end of the day, maybe you just get to a point where the only person who can give you what you want is you. I can give myself so much more training opportunities working for myself and I won't have the awkwardness of being told to talk about products just from reading what it says on the bottles (sod that! lol). I can do more than that and I'm flipping well going to

 

[MrsHBeauty]

As an employer I am very wary of applicants for jobs who have been self employed. I see it as a threat and a negative.

Just thought is mention it as you have said previously that you worry about what your CV looks like.

You have to do what you want to do and what's best for you. Good luck


Jemima

 

[persianista]

As an employer I am very wary of applicants for jobs who have been self employed. I see it as a threat and a negative.

Just thought is mention it as you have said previously that you worry about what your CV looks like.

You have to do what you want to do and what's best for you. Good luck


Jemima

Totally agree with this statement. I won't even interview people who have been self employed within the industry, regardless of circumstances.

 

[sallyyummymummy]

Can I ask why you see it as a threat and a negative? Just out of interest

I went self employed based in a new saon in may and already I'm starting to build up a good client base. Still a long way to go but I'm getting there. I left my employed job as they made it very difficult when I went back after maternity leave. Said I could work part time around 20 hrs a week over 3 set days which I had childcare in place then cut it to 12 hrs. Expected me to work flexibly as in they would text me the day before asking me to work & weren't happy when I said I couldn't if I couldn't get any childcare. They were constantly telling us it was uncertain if the salon was going to stay open. Always taking shortcuts with products & buying cheap nasty stuff. Complaining that we weren't doing any advertising or getting people in on quiet days. I could go on but won't.

Anyway took the risk and so far so good its paying off.
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