How to Start a Beauty Business

Are you obsessed with all things beauty, skincare, hair and makeup? Do your friends come to you when they need a fabulous look for a special day? If you are looking at a career path as a beautician or makeup artist, it’s a rewarding vocation that can bring you great job stability and flexibility along with a good income. The beauty sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK . If you love working with people and being creative, it’s a great career choice. Wondering how to start a beautician business? Find out what skills you need, the different paths you can take, important considerations and how to legally establish your business.

What Is a Beautician?

A beautician, or beauty therapist, is someone who performs several types of services in the beauty realm for their clients. This can include facial treatments and skincare, makeup and hairstyling, nail services like manicures and pedicures, hair removal, massage therapy and anything related to beauty. Beautician is a broad term but often people specialise in one of these key areas after their initial training rather than doing it all, so they can become an expert in their field. A beautician can be someone who works exclusively with hair, but we cover how to start a hairdresser business in another article.

What Qualifications and Skills Do You Need to Be a Beautician?

You need more than just a passion for beauty to make a career out of it. You’ll need a National Vocation Qualification (NVQ) of at least Level 2 or 3 (Beauty Therapy certification) to get hired by most employers. This type of qualification combines learning with hands-on training so you get the practical knowledge you need for success. Or you can do an apprenticeship and do on-the-job training. This can be a great option for those who want to get their foot in the door of the industry immediately. An apprenticeship can lead to full-time employment if you show off your skills.

Since you will work with people in this career, it’s important to have certain attributes and personality traits to be successful. These include having artistic skill and creativity, being friendly, patient and empathetic to your customers’ wants and needs, having the ability to communicate effectively, being a good salesperson who can sell yourself and the services you offer, and being highly organised and hygienic.

What Career Paths Are Available?

Being a beauty specialist is a popular career choice, but you need passion, skills and drive to make a good living and set yourself apart from your competition. Here are five career paths you could consider taking — or maybe you start at number one and go through to number five during your career.

1. Working in a Salon or Spa — This is the easiest way to get started as a beautician and is often the first place to start after you get a certification. You’ll have to start at the bottom and work your way up no matter what salon or spa gives you employment. You may not get a say in how much you can charge for services, but it comes with the perk of the salon/spa acquiring clients for you. The storefront (and online presence) will draw in the clientele naturally so you don’t have to work so hard to get clients booked.
2. Renting a Chair — If you don’t want to work for a salon or spa as an employee, you could “rent a chair” to do many beautician services. This option gives you more freedom to set your schedule and prices. But keep in mind that you will have to do all the marketing and get business directly yourself without the help and convenience of an established business.
3. Mobile Business — You could do a mobile hair business and go to your clients’ homes instead of renting a chair or working in a salon. This is a great option for those people who already have a base of clients so you can just jump right in.
4. Working in Film or Print — This option is what many people dream of doing. It takes not only a lot of skill but also depends largely on “who you know” in the industry. You won’t be able to start working on film sets or with magazines right after certification but it’s something to work toward if it’s your dream.
5. Opening Your Own Place — You can do this in one of two ways, opening a franchise or your own salon. This option is for beauticians who not only have the skills but also the entrepreneurial drive needed to start a business. It’s much harder than working for someone as an employee or renting a chair. A franchise can be slightly easier because you have the recognition of a brand name, but you won’t be able to call all the shots. If you open a salon, keep in mind that start-up costs and expenses will drastically increase as well as administrative work.

How to Start a Beauty Business

If you’ve examined your career path options and decided you want to start a beauty business, you’ll first want a solid business plan before you jump in. Also, research your competition to see what beauty businesses are already near you and find what is lacking in the industry. Could a different part of town use a new salon or spa? If you can fill a need, you will be more successful in starting a beauty business. Also, you need unique selling points (USPs) that make your business different from the rest. If you can’t offer something unique to the beauty industry, it might not be the best idea to start your own business .

If you are ready to jump in, consider these things when creating your business plan:

• Organise a budget with start-up costs and expenses
• How will you price your services?
• What are your business model and legal structure?
• What is your recruitment strategy for hiring employees?
• What rules and regulations must you follow?
• What is your marketing plan and how will you build your online presence?

Ready to Form Your Beauty Business?

If you have your business plan created and are ready to start a beauty business, it’s time to form your company. You can form a limited company or go the sole-trader route. Deciding and completing your company formation is crucial to your business success. Let us help!

Are you ready to start a beauty business? At Mint Formations , we help you form your limited company or self-employed business and take away all the stress that comes with starting a business. We’ll secure your brand name and get your company registered fast so you can start doing what you love.

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