Continued from part 1
I MAKE MISTAKES
No business venture would be complete without a load of mistakes to learn from. The new salon I was working from rented about a space to a spray tan girl, then she left and I decided to learn spray tanning and take on her space. I find a girl to help me out, give her some training on lashes and get her trained in spray tanning too. I didnt enjoy spray tanning, the girl I took on was a natural but unfortunately too young and didnt turn up to work much, so she eventually went.
Then I decide that teeth whitening would be a good idea. Get trained, do a load of my clients, then nothing. Unfortunately as I learnt the hard way its something you only need done once. So once Id gone through my clients who wanted it done it was no longer worth me renting the machine, so I returned it.
There was one week where I was quiet so decide to buy and get trained on a Nu Skin machine. Then I got too busy with lashes again to use it.
I got trained in lash tinting too which does come in handy sometimes when someone has got really fair lashes. I dont offer it as a service though, just do it when I really need to.
So now when I have a money making idea, of which I have many but Im sure most of them are crazy, I dont act on it straight away but have a really good think about it because I dont want to waste my money.
MY OWN SALON
Its hard renting a room. At first its ok, but then little cracks might show up somewhere. One of the reasons why I left my first room, and I decide its time to move again. But this time it needs to be my own place and my own rules. So on an absolute shoestring budget, and doing a lot of the decorating myself with help from my wonderful boyfriend and friends, I open my own little shop. Yeah!
At first I had 2 of us doing lashes, but I soon realised it was really busy for both of us, just me, so I let the girl go. Then December was really busy, January whizzed by, and now I need to focus on building my salon.
One of my clients is fantastic at waxing so now she does the waxing at my shop.
I found a mobile tech who does bio sculpture, got her to do my nails and LOVE THEM! So Im going to get her to start doing nails at my shop.
As I dont have the money to pay these girls theyll both be working on a percentage basis.
So a part of me feels Im back to square one, I need to start the process of promoting, flyering, getting hairdressers to spread the word again. Although its nowhere near as scary now.
So tomorrow me and the waxing lady will go flyering.
PRICING
I feel this will partly dictate how busy youll be in this recession. Ive done full sets for £75, £60, £45 and £30. I was definitely busiest at £30, but could only do this as a special offer to get the ladies hooked when I had my speed up. I think your price should really depend on how many sets you want to do a week. If you offer lots of other services and that keeps you busy then keep your lash price high. At £85 / £95 the lashes will be out of a lot of peoples price range, so you wont get a large number of people unless youre in the right area.
Ive picked up even more speed. It now takes me 45 mins to do a full set, not 1.5 hr. I allow an hour, this gives me some time between clients. A little break, or allowing clients to be slightly late without me getting too worried.
I now charge £45 for a full set because Ive found its a price that keeps a good number of new people coming in. I do lose clients along the way so its good to have new ones.
I allow an hour for top ups and charge £30, although I do think I could get away with £35 and will slowly start edging my prices up.
I put 45 lashes in each eye for a full set, this probably isnt a great amount to a lot of other techs. But Ive found this is enough to maintain a large client base and it works for me.
So in reality if someone wants 70 lashes per eye I charge £70. So even though I may seem cheaper to the customer, Im not. Hope that makes sense, not sure if I do :-s
INTERNET
I never utilised the internet to promote myself, and when it came to renewing my site I didnt bother. Reading through the threads Ive found an online booking system I want to use and am starting to build another site with www.mrsite.com. I hope Ill utilise the internet more this time round to promote my shop.
PICTURES OF MY WORK
The pics Ive got r huge and havent got a program to resize them. So Ive put some up on the website Im in the process of making www.lashb.co.uk I did these about a year ago.
COMPETITIONS
One promo idea I might explore is trying to put a competition box in as many places as possible. Shops, reception desks, changing rooms etc. Thered be a few people winning free treatments, but I should then hopefully have quite a few people to text with a discount offer.
MORE TRAINING
Im doing a manicure, pedicure, minx course next month and am looking forward to that, hopefully it wont be another one of my fads!
After reading the threads Ive decided to give threading ago. Im Chinese and my gran learnt to thread as a child because she came from a little village in china where they did it. Wished Id learnt off her as a child. Shes shown me how to do it, also got a dvd and if I pick it up Ill go on a threading course.
Im loving all the different posts on nails and the fab things the girls on here can do with them. Minx, poppits, biosculpture, glitter, foils, nail art, acrygel, sculpting. Its made me really want to learn nails!!! But I have to stop myself, rome wasnt built in a day. For now my priority is to promote the shop and get the other 2 girls busy, then Ill allow myself to do nails. And will also have to get a lash girl if I want to free up my lash time to do nails.
REFERAL SCHEME
Ive started my referral scheme up again but a little differently this time. Ive got a load of discount flyers. On the back its got a space for my client to put their name and it says they get £5 off their next treatment for each one handed in. Just a way to get my clients to help me flyer.
MY SUPPLIER
Im not here to promote products just share what I know, which is why I havent posted this is in my previous posts. But Ive had quite a few pm asking what I use so its just easier to say it here. I use The Eyelash Empourium lashes, eyepads and glue. I love their ultra glue, some clients dont get on with it so I stock their medium glue too and use this instead.
THE END
Oh my god, if youve made it to the end, well done and thank you! Sorry its such a long post, hope Ive been of some help. This is why I try and stay away from forums, I get way too hooked and end up spending way too much time on them.
Ok, Im a little scared Im going to get slated in some way. This is my first thread Ive started so please try and be nice.
Mummy, Im scared, yikes!
Yolanda x
I MAKE MISTAKES
No business venture would be complete without a load of mistakes to learn from. The new salon I was working from rented about a space to a spray tan girl, then she left and I decided to learn spray tanning and take on her space. I find a girl to help me out, give her some training on lashes and get her trained in spray tanning too. I didnt enjoy spray tanning, the girl I took on was a natural but unfortunately too young and didnt turn up to work much, so she eventually went.
Then I decide that teeth whitening would be a good idea. Get trained, do a load of my clients, then nothing. Unfortunately as I learnt the hard way its something you only need done once. So once Id gone through my clients who wanted it done it was no longer worth me renting the machine, so I returned it.
There was one week where I was quiet so decide to buy and get trained on a Nu Skin machine. Then I got too busy with lashes again to use it.
I got trained in lash tinting too which does come in handy sometimes when someone has got really fair lashes. I dont offer it as a service though, just do it when I really need to.
So now when I have a money making idea, of which I have many but Im sure most of them are crazy, I dont act on it straight away but have a really good think about it because I dont want to waste my money.
MY OWN SALON
Its hard renting a room. At first its ok, but then little cracks might show up somewhere. One of the reasons why I left my first room, and I decide its time to move again. But this time it needs to be my own place and my own rules. So on an absolute shoestring budget, and doing a lot of the decorating myself with help from my wonderful boyfriend and friends, I open my own little shop. Yeah!
At first I had 2 of us doing lashes, but I soon realised it was really busy for both of us, just me, so I let the girl go. Then December was really busy, January whizzed by, and now I need to focus on building my salon.
One of my clients is fantastic at waxing so now she does the waxing at my shop.
I found a mobile tech who does bio sculpture, got her to do my nails and LOVE THEM! So Im going to get her to start doing nails at my shop.
As I dont have the money to pay these girls theyll both be working on a percentage basis.
So a part of me feels Im back to square one, I need to start the process of promoting, flyering, getting hairdressers to spread the word again. Although its nowhere near as scary now.
So tomorrow me and the waxing lady will go flyering.
PRICING
I feel this will partly dictate how busy youll be in this recession. Ive done full sets for £75, £60, £45 and £30. I was definitely busiest at £30, but could only do this as a special offer to get the ladies hooked when I had my speed up. I think your price should really depend on how many sets you want to do a week. If you offer lots of other services and that keeps you busy then keep your lash price high. At £85 / £95 the lashes will be out of a lot of peoples price range, so you wont get a large number of people unless youre in the right area.
Ive picked up even more speed. It now takes me 45 mins to do a full set, not 1.5 hr. I allow an hour, this gives me some time between clients. A little break, or allowing clients to be slightly late without me getting too worried.
I now charge £45 for a full set because Ive found its a price that keeps a good number of new people coming in. I do lose clients along the way so its good to have new ones.
I allow an hour for top ups and charge £30, although I do think I could get away with £35 and will slowly start edging my prices up.
I put 45 lashes in each eye for a full set, this probably isnt a great amount to a lot of other techs. But Ive found this is enough to maintain a large client base and it works for me.
So in reality if someone wants 70 lashes per eye I charge £70. So even though I may seem cheaper to the customer, Im not. Hope that makes sense, not sure if I do :-s
INTERNET
I never utilised the internet to promote myself, and when it came to renewing my site I didnt bother. Reading through the threads Ive found an online booking system I want to use and am starting to build another site with www.mrsite.com. I hope Ill utilise the internet more this time round to promote my shop.
PICTURES OF MY WORK
The pics Ive got r huge and havent got a program to resize them. So Ive put some up on the website Im in the process of making www.lashb.co.uk I did these about a year ago.
COMPETITIONS
One promo idea I might explore is trying to put a competition box in as many places as possible. Shops, reception desks, changing rooms etc. Thered be a few people winning free treatments, but I should then hopefully have quite a few people to text with a discount offer.
MORE TRAINING
Im doing a manicure, pedicure, minx course next month and am looking forward to that, hopefully it wont be another one of my fads!
After reading the threads Ive decided to give threading ago. Im Chinese and my gran learnt to thread as a child because she came from a little village in china where they did it. Wished Id learnt off her as a child. Shes shown me how to do it, also got a dvd and if I pick it up Ill go on a threading course.
Im loving all the different posts on nails and the fab things the girls on here can do with them. Minx, poppits, biosculpture, glitter, foils, nail art, acrygel, sculpting. Its made me really want to learn nails!!! But I have to stop myself, rome wasnt built in a day. For now my priority is to promote the shop and get the other 2 girls busy, then Ill allow myself to do nails. And will also have to get a lash girl if I want to free up my lash time to do nails.
REFERAL SCHEME
Ive started my referral scheme up again but a little differently this time. Ive got a load of discount flyers. On the back its got a space for my client to put their name and it says they get £5 off their next treatment for each one handed in. Just a way to get my clients to help me flyer.
MY SUPPLIER
Im not here to promote products just share what I know, which is why I havent posted this is in my previous posts. But Ive had quite a few pm asking what I use so its just easier to say it here. I use The Eyelash Empourium lashes, eyepads and glue. I love their ultra glue, some clients dont get on with it so I stock their medium glue too and use this instead.
THE END
Oh my god, if youve made it to the end, well done and thank you! Sorry its such a long post, hope Ive been of some help. This is why I try and stay away from forums, I get way too hooked and end up spending way too much time on them.
Ok, Im a little scared Im going to get slated in some way. This is my first thread Ive started so please try and be nice.
Mummy, Im scared, yikes!
Yolanda x
