Beauty Industry - how to avoid jack of all trades master of none!

[Perkalicious]

Hi All

I have just completed an itec in beauty specialist level 2. My future goal is to open a beauty salon within the next 7 years, in the meantime I will be a mobile therapist and carry on working in salons...I am now quite concerned and feel i should specialise in a particular area instead of trying to do it all! i.e.I would like to do either eyelash extenstions, massage or makeup artist. I think all 3 of these are within its own right but I enjoy all of them. Which ever I choose I will further my education within.

But nowadays people want everything done in the same place!

Any advice???:idea:

Thankyou

 

[tiggerlady]

I think that perhaps you should look at the areas on your course you really enjoyed doing and investigate these further..I know what you are saying about people want it all in one place, but I think this is only reasonable if you have a salon..carting around loads of different equipment in your car for 6 or 7 different things isnt practical really...
I went down the holistic route first, then added tanning and waxing and found I loved them..next stop is facials, BUT I have no desire to use electrical machinery with facials, and certainly dont fancy manicure and pedicure or eyelash stuff! Clients have asked me if I do them, the answer is no, but I know someone who can. Mostly they say 'dont worry'..and I dont beat myself up over it, as I dont think I would put my heart into stuff I dont want to do anyway!
There will always be something that you don't 'do' and unless you have unlimited time and money to train in absolutely everything, consider focusing on what you love to do, as this passion will be what keeps you clients coming back!:Love:
If you are mobile, I think a few core skills are better than focusing on one, as one alone is unlikely to make you a wage..may be wrong though..wonder what the other geeks think..

 

[Perkalicious]

I think that perhaps you should look at the areas on your course you really enjoyed doing and investigate these further..I know what you are saying about people want it all in one place, but I think this is only reasonable if you have a salon..carting around loads of different equipment in your car for 6 or 7 different things isnt practical really...
I went down the holistic route first, then added tanning and waxing and found I loved them..next stop is facials, BUT I have no desire to use electrical machinery with facials, and certainly dont fancy manicure and pedicure or eyelash stuff! Clients have asked me if I do them, the answer is no, but I know someone who can. Mostly they say 'dont worry'..and I dont beat myself up over it, as I dont think I would put my heart into stuff I dont want to do anyway!
There will always be something that you don't 'do' and unless you have unlimited time and money to train in absolutely everything, consider focusing on what you love to do, as this passion will be what keeps you clients coming back!:Love:
If you are mobile, I think a few core skills are better than focusing on one, as one alone is unlikely to make you a wage..may be wrong though..wonder what the other geeks think..

Thanks, thats a good point actually, re:carrying around equipment for different treatments! Thats something I need to look at when decideing what kind of treatments will be easier to offer when mobile! Im quite interested in makeup and massage! They are totally different. I was told if I want to own a salon I need to study as many as I can!

 

[Perkalicious]

So do you do massage???

 

[bevi]

i do lots of different treatments, i dont carry all my kits round, clients phone and book and you take the kits that you need. There is no way all my equpment & kits would fit in my car at one time and then there are treatments that cant be carried out the same day anyway
Bea:biggrin:

 

[Bombalurina]

i do lots of different treatments, i dont carry all my kits round, clients phone and book and you take the kits that you need. There is no way all my equpment & kits would fit in my car at one time and then there are treatments that cant be carried out the same day anyway
Bea:biggrin:

Exactly what I was going to write!!! I offer everything I trained at in Level 2, plus Aromatherapy, Electrical Facials, Threading, Spray Tanning...!! My clients love that I offer everything they need and I don't often need to refer to anyone else.

From a business point of view, if you offer everything you're "hedging your bets" and have the most chance of gaining clients...if you specialise you may be doing yourself out of clients and money! Having said that there are loads of geeks on here who specialise and are doing amazingly...so just my opinion.

 

[tiggerlady]

Yes, I do massage..and love it!
Bevi has a point about carting stuff around..it may be an idea (if possible) to book the same sort of treatments on the same day, or you could be potentially doing 8 different treatments on 8 clients in one day!
Im trying (not very well at mo) to get tanners in at the end of the week, and clients who need the bed up at the beginning, but all plans go to pot when the phone rings..bed down, tent up..tent down..bed up etc! lol!
1

 

[shedunlop]

To be honest your businesses will settle down and you will grow into them and the treatments you offer.

I started with a few treatments and added to them as I went along until I had too many really but it all settles down, you realise what you make money from and what you enjoy and what you are great at. Some of these treatments will cover all 3 categories and those are the ones that you will end up with.

I think the majority of us are new treatment junkies, we love to learn and offer something new. Some work out well and others don't. As long as you are making a living and keeping yourself safe and healthy then it doesn't matter what you are doing really.:biggrin:

 

[sara x]

I agree, I am just as passionate about my holistic treatments, which I love, as my more aesthetic treatments like NSFL and MD. I wouldn't like to actually specialise as i would miss the treatments I wasnt doing!

Been in the business for 25 years but still love the new stuff. Does when you think everything possible has been created something new hits the market! Thats what I love about our industry.

My advice would be don't narrow your options, once you stop doing something you get out of practice and lose confidence.

Learn as much as possible I say!!

 

[soriminah]

I started off with reiki and massage. Then onto nails. Then spray tan and waxing. Then eyelash extensions.

I don't do nails - once I did the training I found I didn't really like it.

I haven't done much with my EE training either. I find it very fiddly. Just haven't really got into doing lots of practice yet.

I have no interest in facials, pedicures - I'm quite happy just doing massage, waxing and spray tan now.

 

[Petit Basque]

I started off with reiki and massage. Then onto nails. Then spray tan and waxing. Then eyelash extensions.

I don't do nails - once I did the training I found I didn't really like it.

I haven't done much with my EE training either. I find it very fiddly. Just haven't really got into doing lots of practice yet.

I have no interest in facials, pedicures - I'm quite happy just doing massage, waxing and spray tan now.

It's really good to hear that people feel the same as me! I have recently qualified at Level 2 and will be doing Level 3 in September. I know that deep down in my heart of hearts it's the sort of "serious" stuff that interests me.....facial electricals, electrolysis, microdermabrasion, galvanics...basically needles, probes and all things advanced and results driven!!

Don't get me wrong, I won't be turning my nose up at waxing or lash tinting or whatever and I do really enjoy massage but manicures in particular really turn me off and I can't see my wanting to give up my Saturdays to do wedding make up or evenings to do pamper parties.....absolutely not my thing!!

I agree that it's a good strategy to train in as much as possible and then see what you actually enjoy doing and can make money from and then perhaps tailor your treatment list

PB
x

 

[soriminah]

It's really good to hear that people feel the same as me! I have recently qualified at Level 2 and will be doing Level 3 in September. I know that deep down in my heart of hearts it's the sort of "serious" stuff that interests me.....facial electricals, electrolysis, microdermabrasion, galvanics...basically needles, probes and all things advanced and results driven!!

Don't get me wrong, I won't be turning my nose up at waxing or lash tinting or whatever and I do really enjoy massage but manicures in particular really turn me off and I can't see my wanting to give up my Saturdays to do wedding make up or evenings to do pamper parties.....absolutely not my thing!!

I agree that it's a good strategy to train in as much as possible and then see what you actually enjoy doing and can make money from and then perhaps tailor your treatment list

PB
x

I figure why do something that I don't like and risk not giving 100% at it. I'm a perfectionist by nature and am very hard on myself so if I don't think I'm up to scratch, then I don't expect a client to pay for a botch job.

Training is the quickest way to find out you don't like performing a particular treatment.....lol

 

[tiggerlady]

Thank you Soriminah..thats exactly what I meant to say, but it didnt come out as good!!:wink2:

 

[jackie b]

Hi, I think this tip could make life easier for fellow mobile therapist.
Ive just read a post regarding limiting services offered because of the difficulty in transporting kit as a mobile, so i thought I'd share my way around it and maybe fellow geeks will have some 'gems' to offer.

Stanley Tool Carrier Crate (box) x 2 appro £19... it has good size pockets surrounding the inner and outer side of the crate and has a sturdy metal bar handle that can be pushed down fully to the back of the crate.

Crate One is for waxing, my dual digital hive heater stands on a cereal box (minus cereal but stuffed with foam to stop it sagging under weight) this stands the heater at the perfect height for waxing FROM THE CRATE i just stand the crate on my fold up metal table -5 kilos (EQU/328 £87.50 hofbeauty.co.uk).
Crate Two is facials.

Dewalt Tool Carrier £29....for mani/pedi, i chose this crate because the carry bar is solid, static and supports my bendy clip on 'daylight' lamp. Whilst working on feet i can popsition the crate next feet and position the lamp over my working area.
Stanley Tool Carrier Tray with sturdy handle £14.......holds all of my polishes, about 70.
I usually manage to squeeze necessary towels/blankets into the crates.

3 x large clear plastic storage boxes about £4 from most supermarkets.....Just about all my facial clients have electrotherapy, i have had small holes cut into the back of the boxes so that machines sit in their boxes connected and ready to plug in and go.

Of course there was an initial outlay but i work from all of the crates and unpack very little therefore SERIOUSLY REDUCING my setup and packup time which keeps both myself and my clients happy. I always pack a plastic bag to chuck my dirty towels /wets into, this saves unpacking time when i get home in the evening. I can fit the crates side by side in a micra boot with my couch and table across the back seat.

Sorry i havent been able to provide links for products, im just not that clever (short of time after typing this lol). Hope this has been of some use. :biggrin:

 

[tiggerlady]

Now that is what I call SERIOUSLY organised!! Well done!

 

[hippy-chick]

you can go either way, specialise in one thing and do lots of training to make you the best that their is or do varied treatments.

I suppose my speciality is massage, but I do lots of different styles of massage, swedish, aromatherapy, hot stone, bamboo, Indonesian, thai-style, honey, seashell, crystal, lomi lomi, hands free, deep tissue, ayurvedic, seated Thai, seated Bamboo, Indian head, Tibetan head.

I also love to learn, get bored easily so like to learn new aspects of massage, and have undertaken more than one course in the same subject to see different ways of doing it.

I used to be a chef and I could have specialised in one area ie patisserie or become a fully operational chef, ie cook all types of meals. You wouldn't say to a chef that because they can cook you a starter, main course and dessert that they were a jack of all trades would you?