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How to start a beauty therapy business.

For those who are new to the industry, or who just want to brush up on a few new skills, you’re in the right place, as the beauty therapy industry is a stable profession with a constant demand for services.  Even with the recession, people like to take care of themselves, so our industry has remained strong and healthy.

What to think about:

Mobility

In the modern age, many clients are now seeking to have services provided in their own homes, so this isn’t just a business where you are stuck having to try to find a job, or hire a room.  You can go mobile to test the waters, or convert a room in your home to give a more professional service to your clients.  If you stay open to all options, you can provide services in a business premises by renting a room for some days, and do mobile for a couple of others, which is especially helpful for older or infirm clients who might not make it to a salon, but who would still benefit from and would like to have services provided for them.  I know an 83-year-old lady, who is and virtually bed bound, but she likes to be pampered with gentle arm and hand massage, and loves a manicure.

Product Sales

Many clients look at the products in salons and then go and buy them online, where they don’t have premises costs, and can bulk buy cheaper.  Keep your investment in products low, until you are sure there is a demand for them.  It’s very tempting to go for a rep sales pitch, who wants thousands up front for starter packs, but starting off a business in debt might not be the way to go, if you are unsure of your market and whether the clients you draw will purchase them.

Website Promotion

We almost all know that we do need a website presence for the best outcome for our businesses, but they aren’t always easy to do, and if you approach a specialist, they can cost a fortune.  There are free options, such as WordPress and Google, which are great to get started off, and allow you to get a foothold on the world-wide web with a little work and attention.   With a little investment and research, you can also self-host your own website for a few pounds a year by buying a domain name and a hosting package around £25 a year.

Qualifications

Beauty therapy courses are a great way to get started, and a foothold in the industry.  As well as being qualified in the area you have studied, you can choose piece by piece, to add to your skills as your business grows.  There are several things you need to take into account.  We have a range of courses at Sanctuary Training Academy, that will be widened in 2018, and allow you to practice a variety of treatments and services within the industry on the general public.

Insurance

When you are qualified, you will need insurance to practice.  You require public and product liability to protect yourself and your products and equipment.  In the rare event that a salon has a flood, fire, or damage, you can go out of business if your stock and equipment are all lost, and you cannot afford to replace them.

Costs

Costs are easy to spiral out of control.  If you work mobile, you limit your costs to training, insurance and products to deliver your services, but you are very likely to need a method of transport, you might incur parking charges, and your equipment needs to be light enough for you to move around.

If you rent a room, you have to consider the rent cost and where you keep your products and materials to work with.  There may be other charges such as electric, internet and telephone, or possibly even a share of a receptionist if one is available.

It’s very tempting in the beginning, to try to buy everything at once, before you’ve even had one client.  Keep a handle on how much you are spending, and try to keep within your budget.

Getting Customers

The internet will refer to this as marketing.  It’s good to have an idea of who your customers will be, what they are likely to buy, and what you can afford to provide for them.  Be careful with offers and deals, as although they might attract clients initially, those clients may just hop from one business to another, depending on who has the best deal on at the time.   Look for where your customers might be, whether it’s on social media, newspapers or local magazines.

Going For It

You’ll never know until you try, right?  Once you are qualified, you have a new long-term skill, that you can pick up at any time.  Starting a new business is a scary prospect for everyone, but many people do that every day.

Paperwork

Getting your paperwork looking good is a first step for any business.  There are plenty options to ensuring you have the right tools for your day to day working.  A simple thing, such as tailoring your social media, can work wonders for a new therapst starting out without a client base.

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Why Should I Choose Guild Accredited Courses?

Being supported in your career is one of the most important things you can have as a therapist, whether it’s in nails, beauty, holistic therapies or alternative therapies.  Working within the therapy industry can be both fun and give you a sense of well-being.  For future careers, your courses can lead to working self-employed, working for a salon, or even within larger spas and holiday resorts/cruise liners.

Legal Aspects

Working in the field of beauty, nails or holistic therapies can be rewarding, but to offer a professional service, you need to have qualifications which are good enough to allow you to apply for insurance to work on members of the public.  Even your friends and family count as members of the public.  An accident or incident can happen to anyone, both new and experienced in the beauty industry.

Which Route?

There are two routes to a career in the beauty and therapy industry.  Most youngsters choose to head down the route of College, or where they cannot find the time to fit a 2 year course in, others can choose to go a private route, which allows a huge scope for accredited training.

There are many schools and courses available, and choosing an accredited course is one way to ensure you will have the right qualification to entitle you to practice your newly learned skills once you’ve finished your course(s).  Our accredited courses are through the Guild of Beauty Therapists, which is the UK trade body for the professional beauty industry.

College Qualifications

At college, and the route taken by most school leavers who enter the industry, is to attend college full-time for a year or two.  The qualifications are recognised NVQ or SVQ, and also accepted for Guild Membership and insurance.

Private Qualifications

The speedy route to a new career is through private courses, of short duration, and are in small classes, where students have lots of individual attention during their training, and training can fit in around your lifestyle.  Many short course providers will work late, or work a flexi schedule to allow you to fit in your training.  If the course is Guild Accredited, you can apply for insurance and membership with the Guild as soon as you have your certificate.  This lets you work on the public right away, and start to earn money with the skill you’ve learned.  For example, if you booked and Indian Head Massage course with us, upon completion, you would be able to get insurance to work and begin taking appointments with clients, then add more skills as time goes on and you expand your portfolio.  A popular route is for facials and massage, and taking more courses later.

We offer Guild Accredited Training at the Sanctuary Training Academy in Aberdeen, both online and practical courses.

Who are the Guild of Beauty Therapists

Guild courses have been vetted and created by the Guild for the content and tuition.  They ensure all relevant National Occupations Standards are achieved.  Tutors are qualified in the subjects they are teaching and hold a teaching qualification.

The Guild of Beauty Therapists is the UK’s trade body for the professional beauty industry.  For over 20 years, the Guild has evolved and grown to over 8500 professionally qualified members.  Only properly qualified Beauty Therapists, Holistic Therapists, Nail Technicians and Therapy Lecturers will be accepted by the Guild, to be members.