Becoming a successful bridal hairstylist is a dream come true for many people.
Not only do you get to earn money through your skill (and hopefully what you enjoy) but you also get to be a part of one of the most precious days in a woman’s life. Making a bride look and feel incredible on her big day is one of the best feelings and is often as much of a reward as the money you earn. Of course, this doesn’t mean that earning money and running a profitable business isn’t a priority. To make your business a success, you will need to learn to combine your hairstyling skills and experience with a smart business strategy. Together, this can lead to success. This is where some people fall into difficulty as building a business from scratch, most of the time, is not always as simple as it may appear.
From getting the right training, choosing business insurance, and advertising, here are some key steps to consider on your way to becoming a successful bridal hairstylist to help you get started.
Enroll in beauty school
You may already have a lot of amateur experience, but enrolling in a beauty school (either full or part-time) could help to refine your skills and widen your knowledge. You can learn about a wide range of techniques, including hair cutting and colouring so you can add more services to your business. When you’ve completed the course you’ll have a qualification to back up your natural talent and years of practice which can be a great advantage when trying to find customers.
Create a portfolio
Whenever you do some styling work on family or friends, take photos and start to build a portfolio of your work. This will enable you to show potential customers what you’re capable of. If you have the budget, hire a model and professional photographer to make your portfolio as polished as possible. You can also display these photos on your social media accounts and/or website.
Think about marketing
Much of your early business is likely to come from recommendations and referrals. If your marketing budget is limited in the early days, this isn’t necessarily a problem as there are plenty of low-cost and free ways to get the word out. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter are ideal for sharing images of your portfolio and connecting with both other wedding businesses and potential customers. It’s also relatively easy to build a website for your business, which will help you appear more professional.
Collaborate with others in the industry
Start to build connections with other professionals in the wedding industry. This could be bridal gown stores, make-up artists, or wedding planners. Creating relationships will help you with referrals. Some wedding stores may even let you leave business cards or flyers in the store. Wedding trade shows are also a great way to get your name out there amongst your target audience. You’ll need to pay to be at the show, but try teaming up with a partner such as a makeup artist and share the cost.
Register your business
You need to register your business to ensure you’re meeting all the legal requirements of an independent business while you also need to protect yourself with business insurance.
