Here at SkinBase, we work with thousands of beauty businesses who have all been in the same position; they’ve all been a new business starting out.
We asked them;
“What piece of advice would you give yourself starting out, knowing what you do now?”
The replies came in thick and fast and there is some great advice we’d like to share with you. If you have any more questions please get in touch, our SkinBase therapists are a helpful bunch and between them, they pretty much know all there is to know about running a successful beauty business. Here’s what they had to say:
Don’t be too hasty!
- Don’t get sucked into paying to advertise all over the place, word of mouth is the best advertising you can get. – Charley Selvey, Beauty with Charley
This is great advice and so true. Although advertising can be really good for your business, your clients are your most powerful marketing tools. Happy clients will happily recommend you to their friends with the right incentive. You could offer a £10 gift card for any new client recommendations. If you are providing an excellent service and treatment your clients will be happy to do this for you. It will also work out a lot cheaper than conventional advertising.
Work out what you’re worth
- Take time to work out the prices for your treatments that fully cover your costs and make you a profit and above all do not offer friends and family freebies (always charge for your services, make sure your costs are covered at all times). – Nikki Stapleton Watson, Simply Beauty
- Don’t start too cheap! It’s soo hard to put them up – Lily West
Excellent advice here. Pricing is so important. Pricing should be worked out to cover all your overheads. A great way to see if your business is running at a profit is to work out how much you need to take each day to cover the outgoings (including paying yourself a decent wage!). Once you have figured out a daily rate you can see how much your columns need to generate to run at a profit.
Who are you?
Find what it is you are going to do to make you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
- Concentrate on being a master of your trade rather than Jack of all. That way you can limit the products needed. Know who your target market is….advertise by word of mouth giving discounts when clients refer someone to you. Be professional at all times, wear a uniform. – Michala Couldrey, Lovelier than Lovely Beauty Therapy
- Find your USP and use it to your advantage! Clients are now more savvy than ever and will seek out professionals who excel in their profession. After 20 years of doing all things beauty, nails & tanning I’ve rebranded to skincare only, I’m passionate about this part of the industry and it comes across to my clients. – Rachel Marie
Remember to prioritise some time away from your business
“To always remember not to burn yourself out. Having the right work/life balance is important or you can’t sustain the long-term energy levels needed to become a successful business.”- Theresa Bloor, Moorlands Beauty Salon
Stand Your Ground
“Don’t be a push over, whether it’s discounts, cancellations, deposits or working out of hours. It’s your business. It is much easier to set the ground rules from the very beginning and stick to them.” – Emily Pitman
Mystery shopping will give you some perspective
“Go to other salons for treatments within your area and see how you may do things differently, perhaps you could add value to some treatments. Never discount your treatments people don’t want to pay a higher price further down the line, your treatments are worth the price tag.” – Elizabeth Stephenson, Browns Beauty
Look at the bigger picture
“Look at longevity when entering your first year, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t be disheartened, keep doing things right and the business will build. Take the quiet days along with the busy days. Plan promotions ahead as much as you can, it can take up to 5 years to build a new business, just enjoy the progression and work on establishing yourself as the salon to go to in your area.” – Gail Berry, Mi Tiempo
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