According to the United States Labor Bureau of Statistics, a career as a hair stylist offers excellent prospects, as well as being expected to increase substantially over the coming decade. This makes the current time a great time to become a hair stylist.
If you have a passion for hair, feel that you are on top of the latest trends in the industry and dream of becoming a master stylist, or perhaps already have some experience and are considering starting up a salon, read on to find out the necessary steps to fulfill your dream.
Initial Choices
Having completed your basic training and obtained your license, you have several options of advancement. One choice is to continue your studies and obtain an Associate Degree. These courses last around two years and will include classes such as, for instance:
- Skin care
- Manicure/ Pedicure
- Make-up application
- Styling wigs
- Working with hair pieces
- Attaching and maintaining hair extensions
In addition, subjects such as:
- Sanitation and sterilization procedures
- Anatomy/ physiology
- Hair/ scalp properties
- Business law
- Salon management
- Health and Safety regulations
will also be covered. These subjects - especially the latter three - are of particular importance if your aim is to eventually set up your own business.
Alternatively, you may wish to set up an apprenticeship and become an employee at an established salon. Another option is to rent a booth at a salon and gain your working experience while essentially working for yourself. Finally, you may consider starting up a salon. So what are the differences between these options?
Setting up an Apprenticeship
Many well known salons - such as, for example, Carmen!Carmen!, Juut or Van Michael - in major cities and metropolitan areas offer programs providing recent cosmetology graduates an opportunity to learn from master stylists, while being paid a slightly reduced wage.
Duties given to apprentices may include some not quite so exciting tasks, like sweeping up hair or cleaning stations, but as they move up, they will be given the opportunity to work on clients. Hard work and focus on the given tasks will eventually result in promotion to full stylist.
Staying with the salon you worked for as an apprentice for a few years and continuing to learn from the resident head, or top, stylist will help you to gain further knowledge, experience and build up your reputation among clients.
Here, any essential tools of the trade will typically be provided by the salon, as will other supplies and hair care or cosmetic products available for use and/ or sales to clients.
Renting a Booth
Traditionally, booth renting salons offer renters access to a work station, which typically includes a chair and mirror, as well as a tool/ supplies station. Sinks and dryers are usually shared between renters. As you are working for yourself, you will need to provide your own tools and supplies, such as, for instance:
- Shears/ Hot Tools
- Combs/ Brushes
- Clips/ Foils
- Towels
- Hair/ Cosmetic products
- Business Cards
In addition, some salons offer other facilities, like access to washers/ dryers, drinks, break rooms or perhaps use of a credit card machine as an incentive for stylists to rent a booth. What exactly will be available will be included in detail in your rental lease agreement.
It is essential for you to fully understand all the details of this lease, and if you wish to make changes, you need to inform your landlord/ salon owner immediately.
One of the key points to look out for is whether you will have a key to the salon - owners are not required to provide keys to renters, but in this case, standard practice requires the hours of operation to be specified. While tenant/ landlord laws will differ from one state to the next, you should be able to set your own business hours, as long as they fall within the specified hours of operation.
Retail forms a vital part of income and as a booth renter, you will have the right to sell your own professional products without interference from your landlord. As most salons will offer a range of products for clients' and booth renters' convenience, the salon owner may, however, specify the retail lines sold/ used within the salon.
Naturally, in a booth renting environment, the question who gets walk-in clients and who deals with clients following appointments made via telephone may cause issues if it is not dealt with fairly. The majority of salons will have some system or another in place to keep things fair, with a rotation system working particularly well.
Running your own Salon
Planning ahead is the first step to success on your own. You will need to ensure that your reputation has been well established, your portfolio is impressive and you have a fair amount of money ready to back you up, as you will want to hire other, equally top notch stylists to work with/ for you.
In addition, you will need to decide the best location for your salon. A mall or somewhere along the busiest part of the high street is obviously preferable. You may also consider offering other services, such as facials, make-up applications, manicures/ pedicures, tanning services, waxing and so on, as it is often better to branch out, rather than just offering a single service, no matter how good that service may be.
For obvious reasons, you will need to invest in the right equipment and ensure it is kept in perfect condition, clean and tidy at all times. Breaking health and safety rules is never an option, as this could result in your salon being shut down very quickly.
Earning a good Reputation
In order to build up your business, you will have to build your reputation. Arranging photo shoots of your work will provide you with an impressive portfolio, but there are other things you can do to gain an excellent reputation among clients - and subsequently increase your business potential through recommendations. Here are a few pointers on how to make your clients happy enough not only to return, but to also recommend you to others:
Always run on time - It is better to have fewer appointments and keep up with your schedule than to have clients waiting past their appointed time.
Greet clients - Get to know your clients and meet them as they walk into the salon, greet them by name and accompany them to your station.
Complete Consultations - Giving clients a complete, thorough consultation at each appointment and listening carefully to what they have in mind ensures they will be satisfied with the result.
Do not over-promise - It is better to promise less and deliver more than the other way around. If you feel you will not be able to achieve what the client envisions, it is better to tell them so from the start.
Shampoo massage - Giving clients a great shampoo massage usually goes down a real treat and will have them coming back for more.
Focus on details - Little things like wiping that excess color off the client's face, preserving their make-up and so on can make a lot of difference in how your clients feel about your services.
Conversation - As you deal with your client, focus most of the conversation on them, and in particular on their hair.
Teaching clients - Show your clients how to style their hair and achieve the look you have created at home while you are working. Take the time to recommend products and explain how to use them.
Ensure satisfaction - Making sure that your clients are comfortable with you and will feel at ease to tell you in case they are not happy or wish to change something about their style will make sure they ultimately walk out satisfied.
Final touches - When you are finished, walk them back to the front desk and recommend when the next appointment should be made in order to keep their style looking perfect. Be nice to the desk staff to create a positive, friendly environment and, as a special touch, provide new customers with a gift bag of sample products. Give your customers your business cards and ask them for referrals. You may also choose to follow this up with a hand-written note to say thank you.
Keeping informed - In order to keep up with the latest trends and fashions, take out the time to visit hair shows; regularly read the latest fashion publications and find out about the latest resources by getting the right connections to suppliers, leading stylists, etc - joining a site like, for example, Serious Stylist, will enable you to connect with other stylists, find new ideas, learn about the hottest products and more.
Advertising your Services
Getting a website is a good way to get people to know about your services and will give you a good way to show off your portfolio. You will also need to advertise your services among the top tier of your existing client base.
Doing hair for local celebrities, celebrities coming to town for photo shoots or filming sessions and newscasters is also a good way of spreading the word, as these type of individuals are frequently asked who does their hair.
As already mentioned above, asking existing clients to recommend you to their friends, colleagues and family members and providing them with attractive business cards - grubby looking scraps of card have a tendency to end up in the back of drawers, while well designed business cards are usually kept somewhere within sight - will also help to very quickly get your name known among potential clients.
With a lot of dedication, hard work and a little patience, word will eventually get around - ultimately, your work is your best way of advertising what you do, whether you are employed at a salon, rent a booth or run your own salon.
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