Starting a Business for Estheticians

If you’re ready to take your esthetics career to the next level, opening your own beauty spa or skin care practice may be something you’re considering. Starting a business for estheticians can be a challenging yet rewarding experience, and doing the necessary work before launching your company makes a big difference in your success.

Choosing Your Specialization

Your area of specialization and the overall vibe of your salon set you apart from the competition. Consider whether you plan to cater to the luxury market, provide mobile esthetic services or focus on a particular procedure, such as waxing. Once you’ve narrowed down your specialization, make it a part of everything associated with your salon. Design your company name, salon decor and service menu with your niche in mind.

When starting a business for estheticians, you might consider opening a:

• • Full-service beauty salon that offers a wide range of popular treatments.
  • Medical spa specializing in filler injections, chemical peels and other procedures that require an on-site doctor.
  • Waxing salon that handles anything from full-body waxing to targeted facial or bikini waxing.
  • Holistic esthetics business incorporating organic treatments and detoxification regimens as well as traditional esthetic procedures.

Another aspect of specializing is choosing your product lines. Esthetics trade shows offer exposure to a wide range of product lines, and you can talk to representatives from the manufacturers to learn more about each specific formula. Look for an extensive skin care line that offers formulas for various skin types, and choose a company that provides training or support for estheticians using their products. Decide whether you plan to offer retail products in addition to purchasing products for in-salon use.

You should also think about your long-term goals when planning your spa niche. Consider whether you want to eventually create your own skin care line or branch off into offering other services. Plan your business with room to grow so you can take advantage of future opportunities without having to completely rearrange your existing setup.

The Business Side of Running a Beauty Spa

Before you can start booking appointments and welcoming customers into your salon, you need to set up all of the business legalities. Most states require specific professional licensing to work as an esthetician and operate a beauty salon. You and your staff may also need procedure-specific training if you plan to offer particular services, such as microdermabrasion or laser hair removal.

Set up your company bank account, acquire all of the necessary business permits and consult with lawyers and accountants to make sure your business is organized properly from the beginning. You should also develop a detailed business plan that lays out all of your expected expenses, a timeline for opening your salon and profitability predictions based on your local market. A thorough business plan can help you get funding from banks and investors as well as keeping you organized throughout the process of starting your esthetics business.

If you’re opening a physical location, you may need to check with your local and state requirements for operating a cosmetology business before choosing a building for your salon. There may be requirements dictating how many restrooms you need, the minimum square footage required for each esthetician you employ and the strength of your ventilation system.

Your service offerings also dictate the type of space and equipment you need. If your primary focus is facials, you might not require as much space as a spa doing full body wraps.

You don’t have to start out with a full beauty salon right away. Some people starting a business for estheticians begin by doing house calls and build up to a full-service salon and spa as they gain clients. Others may opt to partner with an existing spa business or nail salon to offer esthetic services in an adjoining part of the same building.

Some Challenges of Starting a Business for Estheticians

One of the biggest challenges of starting a business for estheticians is gaining a consistent client base. Because esthetics work is often quite intimate, customers can be reluctant to try a new, unproven company if they don’t already have a relationship with the estheticians involved. Building your client base before striking out on your own is essential.

Create relationships with other local professionals to help build your client list and develop a support network. Makeup artists, hairstylists and massage therapists are great for referring clients and working with on cross-promotions.

Getting customers to commit to a regular schedule of esthetic services ensures that your new business has consistent income. A robust computerized appointment and client tracking system gives you the ability to efficiently plan your schedule and send automatic reminders to keep clients coming back. Loyalty programs and referral rewards also help encourage regular visits and grow your client list.

Marketing and Promotions for a Skin Care Business

Consider your marketing strategy before you open your beauty spa or salon. Establish your social media presence and build your website so that clients can find you online, and build relationships with local reporters and influencers to get valuable word-of-mouth traction.

For an esthetics business, personalizing your marketing can make a huge difference. Send information about your grand opening to everyone on your existing client list, and offer special promotions for clients you’ve personally worked with before to encourage them to try your new salon. Ask for testimonials from those initial clients to enhance your reputation in your community and make potential customers confident about your ability to provide the services they need. Once you’ve established your reputation, expand your reach with targeted local promotions.

Learn more about how you can extend your marketing reach and offer online booking using Groupon’s local marketing solutions created specifically for salons and spas.