Working freelance in the beauty industry can be both freeing and challenging – you’re in total control of your business, who you work for and when but you’ll also face fierce competition and you’ll need to stay up-to-date with new treatments and trends if you want to attract and retain clients.
This article will break down what it takes to nail it in the mobile beauty industry.
What are the Benefits of Freelance?
There are many benefits to going freelance. The biggest advantage of working freelance rather than for a salon or company is that you can choose your own working hours, including how much you work and when. However, it’s important to note that when it comes to some parts of the beauty industry, for example, bridal hair and makeup, your clients will dictate when you work to a certain extent, as you’re unlikely to run a successful business as a makeup artist for weddings if you aren’t willing to work weekends or during the summer!
Freelancing also opens up your world to meeting new people and travelling to new places as part of your job, which is great if you hate the idea of being tied to a salon or set location. Being a freelancer also allows you to really tap into your creativity, both when it comes to the services you offer your clients and the looks and styles you create and also when it comes to promoting and marketing your business.
Freelancing can be hard work, particularly when you’re first starting out, however, the rewards are great. But what does it take to find and retain clients?
Consider your pricing
Price can be a major influencer for clients. Professional permanent hair dye providers, Capital Hair and Beauty surveyed 2,000 UK customers about what makes them leave a positive or negative review for beauty salons and services and 62% of people said that they’d leave a positive review if they thought the service was good value, whereas 45% said they’d leave a negative review if they thought it was overpriced or too expensive.
When it comes to setting your prices, you need to think about the demand for beauty services in your area and what your competitors charge. You’ll also need to consider your business expenses and whether or not you’ll offer any discounts or promotional offers.
Experience
In the survey, 58% of clients said they’d leave a positive review if they’d had an overall positive experience so it’s crucial to think of ways to improve your clients’ experiences and how you’ll go that extra mile to make them feel special. This could be anything from making the booking process as simple as possible to offering complimentary extras like a free hair conditioning treatment or a massage with every pedicure, for example.
Your Products
Be sure to use only the highest quality products during your treatments and services. Not only will this yield better results – with 57% of people more inclined to leave a positive review if they liked the results – but 17% of the clients said they would leave a bad review if they didn’t like the type of treatment products used.
Customer Service
Working in someone’s home gives you more opportunity to establish a personal connection and make your client’s treatment or service feel personal and tailored to them. 41% of the people asked, said they’d leave a positive review if they felt they’d received good customer service so the impact of going that extra mile shouldn’t be underestimated.
Encourage Customer Reviews
People are more inclined to trust a business that has genuine reviews so one of the best ways to attract new customers is to encourage your past or existing clients to leave you a review. You can do this by simply asking or including a call-to-action on their receipt or by handing them a flyer or business card as a reminder.
You should also let customers know how important reviews are to a business like yours and make it as easy as possible for them to leave you one. If you’re struggling to get reviews or want to build up your reviews quickly, you could also consider offering an incentive, such as 20% off their next appointment, a gift card or entry into a prize draw in exchange for leaving a review.
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