9 Tips For Beauty Pros After Owning My Business For 6 Years
Hi, it’s me Nancy! Beauty guru + founder of Gameela Skin. I’ve been working in the beauty industry for about 16 years. Six years ago (in 2016) I branched out on my own to open Gameela Skin. The spa I had spent many years working for wasn’t allowing me to expand and grow as a service provider. They were holding me back from offering specific services I had wanted to provide my clients, and overall from reaching my full potential.
The success of Gameela Skin didn’t happen overnight. I’ve truly worked my a** off to bring this business to life. Although the previous spas I worked at didn’t fulfill my passion, they did teach me a thing or two about the beauty industry. I’ve had the opportunity to work with different product lines and people. Throughout the years, I took what resonated with me to help make decisions when it finally came time to open Gameela Skin.
I’ve worked long days, made a lot of mistakes, and I’m still learning as I go. Gameela Skin started in a small room with a limited amount of retail products, and has since expanded into a larger salon space with more skin and beauty products based on our client demand.
9 Tips From a Beauty Pro Business Owner
I’ve learned a thing or two over the years while pursuing my dreams of becoming a business owner. Some are more important than others. I thought I’d share a few tips for those seeking to open their own skin or beauty salon:
Have a workspace you love. A workspace where YOU are comfortable, feel grounded and are happy. With that - make sure your space is organized and functional. This will look different for everyone! Knowing yourself and the kind of environment you thrive in is important so that you can select the right office/salon space and know how to set it up.
Community! Networking and having a community around you to help and support you with all your business needs. I joined a networking group about 3 years ago which has really been a game changer. It has allowed me to meet different entrepreneurs and to get the wheels spinning. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many people across different industries and to see what they have done. It’s important to surround yourself with other people who are doing big things - it’s motivating and can truly help you grow. It may also help grow your client base too! Getting out there and showing the face behind your business helps give your brand and yourself an advantage.
Hire an accountant/tax professional! Finances are complicated - If you’re not good at managing the financial portion of your business, then hand it over. It’s important for your success and the success of your business to make sure you have all of your finances in order.
An appointment scheduler! I recommend getting a system that offers online bookings or a system that allows you to book clients yourself. Automatic reminders for your clients area plus - this will save you a lot of time. At Gameela Skin, we’ve used Square since the beginning and it has worked great.
Implement a cancellation policy and stick to it. Time is money. Make sure to keep a card on file for all clients. If it’s within your policy to charge for appointment cancellations, follow through. Setting boundaries within your business is super important. It will save you a lot of headache, tears, and frustration.
Start small and start slow. Keep things simple and avoid overwhelming yourself with a ton of products and services. You don’t have to offer everything or cater to everyone. Prior to opening Gameela Skin, a spa I had worked for switched product lines very frequently and had several different lines available for purchase at the same time. While this ended up helping me decide which product lines to offer at Gameela Skin (hello, Rhonda Allison), it was actually super frustrating and overwhelming for my clients. Similar with services - I have experience offering a lot of different services, but I choose to keep and offer the services that I truly enjoy doing. If you try to do all the things (including the stuff you don’t like to do) it will show.
Take time for yourself! This is something we can all work on (& something I’m still working on)! You should always take time off for yourself and do the things that make you happy. Working your butt off is great, but you will burn out quickly and find yourself starting to get resentful towards your clients and people around you. When I do take time for myself I’ll do things like get my nails done (my favorite thing to do), go to lunch or dinner with a friend, do some fun at-home skincare masks, and hang out with my fur babies.
Be open to change. Things are constantly changing in the industry. While you don’t have to follow every trend, it is important to try and keep up as much as possible.
Ask for help. I’ve only recently started doing this now and wish I would have done so sooner. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in something you need and to educate yourself from others around you. Your boyfriend, friends, or family members who know nothing about skin care shouldn’t be helping you make decisions about which lines to carry. Ask your peers, others in the industry who have been there before.
Final Thoughts
Since starting my business, I have a major appreciation for fellow small business owners (and really any business owner). This journey is not easy and there are so many factors that go into owning your own business.
One of the most important things you can do in your business, is to just be yourself. Be yourself with clients, on social media platforms, on your website, etc. By being yourself, you will naturally attract the right client’s that align with who you are - and they will end up being your biggest advocates.
While Gameela Skin will forever be changing and growing, one thing has always and will always remain the same - and that is my passion for the beauty industry. I love helping people feel more confident in their own skin by enhancing their natural beauty. It brings me so much happiness to make them feel better about themselves so they feel ready to take on their day/life. I truly believe that when we take care of ourselves to feel good and to fill our cup, we show up better in the world.