The eyelash business is quite a lucrative space for anyone who loves everything about eyelashes. It can give you a great income and an opportunity to showcase your creative side. The best part about starting your own lash business is that you will be your own boss. If you have lashes on your mind all the time, take this as a sign and jump in. But how to start an eyelash business? We have all the answers for you.
From Lash business plan to various lash business ideas, there is a lot to do in this niche. If you have the creativity combined with good business acumen you can take your lash business to another level. Lash extensions are a great business opportunity, given the fact how many people love and depend on them. Beauty experts know how lash extensions can uplift any makeup and the overall look.
The beauty industry is a tough place to be in but if you do things correctly, nobody can stop you. Start a lash business that caters to people’s demands and it will surely succeed. The clients expect trust and honesty in the lash business like any other business. There are many questions that come up when you ask yourself how to start your own lash business like do I need a lot of funds or how to make clients keep coming back to you and more. There are various aspects to it that need to be studied and understood before you can start an eyelash business.
Without wasting much time let us look at how to start an eyelash business and make it a huge success. We have some tips and ideas you can look into before starting your own business. Even before that let us look at what exactly are eyelash extensions.
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What Are Lash Extensions?
Lash extensions are extensions made of faux mink, silk fibers, or synthetic mink and applied one strand at a time to your natural lashes. These lash extensions are semi-permanent. These lash extensions are glued onto natural lashes with glue that is specially formulated for this purpose. It does not damage or irritate the natural lashes.
Lash extensions are not fake lashes with a glue strip that are directly glued to the skin. Extensions are carefully applied to the lashes making them look more dense and lush.
Checkout Actionable 11 Tips to Start an Eyelash Business
As mentioned earlier, there are various things you need to do along with knowing how to start an eyelash business. Here are some tips, you can check out that will help you chalk out a decent lash business plan.
Research The Market and Demographics
Research is the initial step before starting any business. Before you start a lash business you need to do some research about the eyelash extension industry. You should be well aware of who you will be serving. But how do you find that out? As simple as going to the local park or area where you wish to set up your business and noting what kind of crowd visits that area.
If you are not comfortable observing people up close in person, you can also look for statistics of the crowd of a particular area online. Figure out a niche as an eyelash extension artist to cater to this particular crowd. If you observe there is no eyelash extension artist in that area, take it as a sign and start your eyelash business there. Try to have a clear picture of your ideal clientele in your mind always so you know who you are catering to.
Research & Register Your Brand Name
After research, your brand name is quite important to your business. Choose a brand name that resonates with your ideal audience. Your brand name should be the one that impresses your target audience.
Once you have settled on the name, describe your goals, visions, and missions. Find out what unique qualities your business has.
Register your brand with local authorities after doing all of the above. Every state has different requirements that the local authorities can help you with.
Check Out Your Competitors
It is always good to know what your competitors are doing. You can visit some of your competitors posing as a client and see what services they offer and how well along with the prices.
A competitors’ menu is great to take some inspiration for your own menu. You can also search for your competitors online and observe how they maintain client relations.
Rent an Office for Your Lash Business
You can rent out an office for your lash business if you are not financially stable or test out the market. Once you have enough funds, you can purchase one. You require less capital to start with a rental space as opposed to a permanently bought space.
If you are thinking about a home-based salon, it still requires a capital not as big as a professional space but for purchasing lash supplies and equipment to start with. You can decide about insurance and security as per your choice.
Another option is to set up a mobile lash station, probably at each client’s house. This can be a little difficult to work with as it might get uncomfortable or cramped up.
Get Required License
Licensing is very much important if you wish to set up your own lash business in any area. Every state has different rules regarding the licensing of lash businesses. Get in touch with the local authorities to find out more about licenses required in your area and apply accordingly with the appropriate documents. Having the required business license guarantees trust from clients and proves that your business is legit.
Create A Menu and Outsource Quality Products
As you complete all your research and set up the brand name align with a plan. You need to work on your menu. Avoid charging higher for people to notice you. Higher prices for a new business may not always work. Try to even it out with the competition with competitive prices.
Generally, a lash salon will have various services like Initial Set, Removal, Filling, Gift Cards, and more. If you know any other aesthetician services, you can even add that to your menu to make it more appealing.
Another unique idea is to add new services based on lash type, curl, or volume too. You can also segregate your menu into packages for a single person, group, or even friends. Some other services that you can think about adding to your menu are eyebrow filing or lash perm along with refiling, shaping, and tinting.
You can outsource quality products and maintain the standard of your services without any adjustments.
Sell an Experience
More than anything else, people come to lash extension artists for a different and exclusive experience. It is said that instead of selling a service or product, focus on selling an experience. How to make your target client feel good. For example, the ambiance of a spa is more appreciated than the services it offers. In a similar way, give something unique and extra to your clients without them asking for it.
As a newbie, you can incorporate rewards or points to build brand recognition and to offer something extra to your customers. Keeping your workstations clean and tidy is also part of the experience. Your tools for sanitization should be kept near at all times. Welcoming clients with warmth and being a good host is essential, making the whole experience about them will certainly make anybody feel special and important. This wonderful experience will make them come back to you.
Be Unique
After all, if you have no unique services or ideas, your clients will sense it and might never come back to you. Think of ways in which you are different and unique from the other lash extension artists. Create a unique identity for yourself in this business.
Individuality and a unique factor are what will help you lead the race of this business. Unique can be in your rewards system, your creativity related to lash extensions or the overall experience for your target clients.
Make A New Official Email Id
Once you have your brand name ready, start working on a new official email ID that has your brand name. Never have a personal email ID for your business, that is simply unprofessional. Get yourself a professional email ID on Gmail or Hotmail, whichever suits you. But make sure it has your brand name included in the email address.
When you offer your business card to anyone, make sure your official email address is mentioned on it. Along with that, you should also forward official mails to your personal email address to never miss out on important mails. You should make it a point to check your office emails 4 to 5 times at least during the week.
Build a Stylish & Professional Website & Sell Online
Every business requires the right amount of exposure. A website can give you the right exposure and bring more work to you. A stylish and professional website will bring exposure, credibility, and fame to your business. The first thing people do before coming to you is they will check your official website. If your business has no website, it lacks credibility and certainly, people will not trust you to hire your services.
You can hire a good website developer and build a strong yet stylish website that will attract customers. With a talented content writer, you can promote your business online and showcase your skills and talents to the world.
With this kind of exposure, you can increase your profits as you are not limited to one area and set of people but many people get access to you and your services.
Open A Bank Account/ Paypal in Your Brand Name
Once you have set up your business, the next step is to set up an official bank account and PayPal account business account. You will need your business registration number for setting up a new bank account. Many people are comfortable using PayPal, setting that up will be helpful for your business.
Select A Good Booking System
Forget the old pen and paper system and get a new technologically advanced booking system for your lash business. A decent booking system keeps the clients happy and updates you about the client without any hassles. Nobody likes to reschedule their appointments, a good booking system will keep this worry away and aid the growth of your lash business.
Conclusion
We hope this article clears all your queries related to how to start an eyelash business. Keeping in mind all these above-mentioned tips are going to save you a lot of trouble while setting up your eyelash business. Using these tips mindfully will make your lash business grow and bring you success and recognition.
