Deciding to go solo and open your own business is an exciting time, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed with where to even start. When to go solo depends on several factors, but the general rule of thumb is to have six months of spa rent saved. If you are going solo while currently employed and have a solid book, you’ll have a better chance of having a higher baseline of clients. There is never a guarantee that clients will follow you, but some clients do get attached to their service provider and will. If you’re in this position, be careful how you market yourself and inform your clients when you’re leaving. The beauty industry is notorious for having managers who let aestheticians go the minute they get wind of you going solo. So, unless you are in a position where you don’t necessarily need your current job, be very cautious with letting your clients know you’re going solo.
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Once you’ve decided you’re prepared to go out on your own, brand development starts. Your brand is more than just a logo and business name. It is your color scheme, font types, and overall aesthetic. You want your brand to be cohesive and recognizable. Don’t be afraid to experiment either. If you don’t like something, change it, but change it across the board. Your social media channels, e-mails, and whatever other marketing material you create should always be aligned with any rebranding.
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LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
The next thing, which is where people tend to cut corners, is the legality of everything. If you don’t do this diligently, it will come back to haunt and cost you. Your main focuses should be licensing, insurance, and scope of practice. If you’re going into a corporate salon studio franchise, do your research to see if you operate under their salon license as a tenant. If not, that’s something that you must make sure you have, depending on your state. Liability insurance is next on the list. Depending on what option you go with, your liability insurance covers any issues, such as your client trying to sue you, equipment damage, and theft. Insurance is something too many people put off but always end up regretting. Liability insurance protects you and your business in the long run for such a minimal price.
TREATMENT MENU
You can’t have a skin care business without some type of treatment menu. Developing your menu is the fun part and where you can build your aesthetic. When you’re first starting, it’s easy to get excited about buying all the equipment and tools available, but it’s important to really step back and recognize what will actually make you money. Start with the basics and build up from there. Focus on what you need first operationally. You don’t want to waste money and invest in things that you as the professional are excited about but doesn’t fit with your audience.
If your business will be mostly facial driven, start with a quality product line and maybe one or two add on services, like dermaplaning or microdermabrasion. There’s nothing wrong with starting with a solid, simple foundation and going up. If your bread and butter are facials, the add-ons are what makes you profit. This gives you time to test your market to see what services and add on services will do well and which won’t. Paying attention to what your clientele wants will always be what makes you money. If your business is waxing focused, start with one or two products to retail, and if you have the clientele for it, add on eyebrow tinting or eyelash lifting. As a waxer, your bread and butter are clearly going to be your most popular waxing service, so shape your business around that.
Obviously, if you absolutely hate doing a service, you have every right to take it off your menu – if you can find a treatment that will replace that lost income. A part of menu development that newly solo professionals tend to not dig into is pricing. It’s more than just looking at your competition’s pricing and going from there. You need to figure out how much each service costs you, your break-even point, and your desired profit margins. If you need guidance on determining all of this, ask your accountant. There are also so many resources out there that can assist you in setting your prices and opening your business.
All in all, going solo is an exhilarating experience. You learn so much not only about business, but yourself as well. Nothing is a failure if you look at it as a steppingstone and an opportunity to learn. Failure only leads to success if you learn from your actions. Success will lead to failure if you don’t.
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Taylor Wilson is a licensed aesthetician hailing from the DMV. She’s a graduate of Von Lee International School of Esthetics, founded by the legendary Carole Walderman. She was a wax trainer at a European wax center and eventually transitioned into her own studio, JB Skin Clinic, full time where she provided waxing and skin revision treatments. Realizing she wanted to focus on education and helping other aestheticians reach their goals, she came on board to Starpil as their brand educator.
