What advice would you give someone starting off in this industry?

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123alina

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Hiya! Hope you are all keeping well during this strange time.

I will be a level 2 qualified beautician in the next coming months so I am extremely keen to get some tips from all you pro’s about this industry!

Salon Geek is full of individuals who have amazing experience and have been in this industry for a long long time. I want to know what experience you would give someone just starting out, or even so, what advice would you give yourself after qualifying and diving into the industry?
 
My advice is this:

Before you do anything, make sure your create the environment around you into a clean and hygienic place, your body included.

This may require you to get on your hands and feet to scrub the floor. However, its extremely important that you do all of this.

A clean environment will put your mind at ease. And a mind at ease will absorb information better and it will allow you to think clearer.

Therefore, it is the most important thing of all.

I have been in many different industries, from nails to food and just life experience overall. Being unorganized and dirty will cause many problems inside the mind, like being stressed out and words going in one ear and out the other.

So, always strive to be clean while you are working. That is the best advice I can give you. Nails is a very dirty business because you are always touching people and these people can bring in harmful germs to you. The byproducts from the nail products can also make you sick. Its therefore very important you learn and work cleanly and safely.
 
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Read, read, read all you can about products and ingredients.
Avoid harmful ingredients especially in nail products.
Never pay anyone to do something you can do yourself !
Keep to a budget.
Accept you may need to have a paid part time job while you build up your clients.
Study lots of other salon websites to understand pricing structures.
👍
 
Welcome 123alina,

Super advice from above geeks...... I'd like to add a few things:-

My boss always told me to imagine the client is going on a journey when they come into the salon. Study your whole salon experience from walking through the door , to receiving the consultation and going on to have their first session with you. Aftercare and planning the treatments what you recommend will also be discussed on the first visit.

Always ask before they leave " Would you like to book your next appointment, so that you aren't disappointed if I become busy? " Recommending the most suitable gaps between the treatments chosen. I book about 3 months in advance usually, well, before covid I did.

Your client wants you to think that they are the only client that you treat, it's so important that you value them....no matter what they spend. The eyebrow shape client (minimum spend ) may well go on to have a course of facials one day (maximum spend)

If the client forgets to pay- Learn to say " Would you like to pay now please? " Solves a lot of problems and awkwardness.

NEVER Gossip ! Most unprofessional, It could ruin you or the salon you are employed at.

Manners cost nothing so be caring and courteous which I am sure has been instilled in you at college.

Are you hoping to be self employed or get salon work?

Looking forward to hearing from you in later posts, so best wishes.
 
Some amazing advice here - and welcome. Beauty is an amazing profession there are so many opportunities to develop your career around your life, interests and strengths.

I would say don’t expect to know everything even though you’ve completed your qualification. You’ll be learning and training in new things for the rest of your life.

Your qualification is the foundation not the end point. Don’t be surprised if the methodology in salon is different to your training routine. Training routines help you demonstrate you’ve achieved the learning points. There are ways to add extra value/reduce costs and to save your back. For my assessments I felt stressed doing once, something that I had to learn to do over and over again, to an even higher standard, without any mental preparation beforehand. At first it seemed impossible, now it’s relaxing!
 
I'm not myself a beauty professional, but would like to share one important learning - it can be easy to start but very challenging to stay. Not to discourage you, but the most important external (not depending fully on you) challenge is how many customers you can get, how quickly and at what price. There was an advice above to be ready for part time job, and I fully agree with that one.
 
Avoid non professional products at all costs in order to maintain a professional, thriving business, which will bring in the regular customer that you do want and not the ones that you don’t.

Always price your service accordingly, and never, ever, ever put your prices down in the instance that someone calls or emails you for price lists or group quote, and once you share them they then tell you they could “get it cheaper elsewhere” and then waited for your response. It’s a trick. Even in the case that they don’t wait for your response - let them go. This is not a loss.

Do not rent a booth, space or room in a purpose built shop front or with another business if you know straight away it’s not right for you on viewing and meeting the owner - even if they offer you a free month or whatever.

Do sanitise. Strict sanitation. Sanitize everything always, and these days that’s even more important.

Don’t feel that you have to put up with anyone’s crap.

Do feel that you are providing a valuable skilled service to the general public, and feel brilliantly confident in what you are doing because you got yourself a fantastic education which you will maintain over the years, and a gorgeous, professional, regularly updated product range that you love using and that your clients are excited to hear about.

Remember that you have the right to refuse any client, if somethings not right don’t book them.

How exciting ! Wishing you all the best on your new journey x
 
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Everyone has given good advice and I commend you on wanting to understand the industry more. I started at 18 and I am in my 50's now but overwhelmingly would agree with Alex the King's post. Beauty can be fickle and depends a lot on where you are placed and how business minded you are. I have known so many who dropped out of beauty due to lack of clients or low income. I had to learn business over the years but I wished I had known more in the beginning. Some girls coming out of college see it as a nice job doing what they love, becoming a different matter when you have to support yourself from it! It is not true that every motivated/passionate person makes it but I think (aside from Covid) it has been better in the last decade because social media and the internet has made it easier to be seen, network and show off work. The other factor is of course Covid, despite vaccinations this will be difficult for some time to come so be prepared for that. I am truly not trying to put you off but be honest. Ask yourself what do you want to earn and how can you get there. I admire anyone who can circumnavigate through it all and be successful. xx
 
I'm also in thr process of starting in thr industry however I have run several very profitable businesses over the years and have business management qualifications so here's my advice.

What everyone above has said above is great but I'd go fruther. When looking at the guest experience it starts well before walking through the door. If your self employed then this starts when booking. Consider key words on your website that others locally may not have as it can get you higher on a Google search. Make sure your booking system is seamless, send confirmations by email 48 hours before if the guest booked in advance as a friendly reminder.
Clean clean clean is right, as is what you offer in terms of refreshments. You'd be surprised how much the quality of the coffee you serve affects guests views on the overall experience.
If you can find a niche then use it, anything to standout.
Be prepared not to make a profit for the 1st year, gaining the regular client base can take time and is key for success.
Make friends with people in the industry but offering different services, friends promote each others offer and a recommendation from someone giving a great service go's a long way. Just make sure what they offer is at just a high a standard as yours.
Put money aside for incidentals, when your making a profit remember covid and what you'd need to get through something similar and start putting aside so you won't have to worry if anything happens.

Good luck, it's gonna be a fun ride and don't be afraid to show off what you do on social media.
 
I'm also in thr process of starting in thr industry however I have run several very profitable businesses over the years and have business management qualifications so here's my advice.

What everyone above has said above is great but I'd go fruther. When looking at the guest experience it starts well before walking through the door. If your self employed then this starts when booking. Consider key words on your website that others locally may not have as it can get you higher on a Google search. Make sure your booking system is seamless, send confirmations by email 48 hours before if the guest booked in advance as a friendly reminder.
Clean clean clean is right, as is what you offer in terms of refreshments. You'd be surprised how much the quality of the coffee you serve affects guests views on the overall experience.
If you can find a niche then use it, anything to standout.
Be prepared not to make a profit for the 1st year, gaining the regular client base can take time and is key for success.
Make friends with people in the industry but offering different services, friends promote each others offer and a recommendation from someone giving a great service go's a long way. Just make sure what they offer is at just a high a standard as yours.
Put money aside for incidentals, when your making a profit remember covid and what you'd need to get through something similar and start putting aside so you won't have to worry if anything happens.

Good luck, it's gonna be a fun ride and don't be afraid to show off what you do on social media.

I will also add, establishing and maintaining relationships is also key. It is one of the main underlying concept of Marketing.
 

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