There are many hairdressers, beauticians and nail technicians that instead of working in a salon choose to be self-employed. Being a self-employed hair and beauty therapist has a number of benefits, such as being able to choose your own schedule, pricings, and customers. However, there are also some downsides, including the fact that you have to work even harder to build up your reputation and you may be limited by the amount of treatments you can offer your clients. So here we look at four tips for self-employed hair and beauty therapists to help them improve their businesses:

Building up your Reputation

Self-employed hair and beauty therapists that don’t work in a salon need to work even harder to build up their reputation in order to get noticed in the industry. This can be done in a number of ways, including building your own website or paying to have professional flyers designed and printed. When designing your website and flyers it’s important that you make your business look as professional as possible, and clearly show how potential customers can get in touch with you. Unfortunately, there are some people that are slightly wary of mobile therapists, which is why you should not only make sure your website and flyers come across professional but also provide information concerning your qualifications and experience in the field.

Protecting your Equipment

As a self-employed hair or beauty therapist you will rely heavily on your equipment, as unlike salons you will probably only have one of each unit, and if it breaks you may have to stop working until you can afford to buy a new one. This is why you should take extra care with your equipment by making sure you pack it away safely between jobs and not leave it within sight in your vehicle. You should also make the time to go through your equipment and give everything a good clean each week, that way it is more likely to last longer. Salon insurance or beauty insurance can also help should your equipment be lost or stolen, so it’s important that you invest in this and protect your business.

Rent out a Chair

Not all self-employed hair and beauty therapists choose to work solely at their client’s houses, in fact a number rent out chairs in salons so that they can provide even more services to their clients. The amount of rent you will pay each week will depend on the location and popularity of the salon you work in, so make sure you shop about before deciding on which salon is right for you. Once you have decided on a salon you need to make sure the owner provides you with a contract outlining the amount you are expected to pay, the length of time you are renting out the chair for and any other rules and regulations. This will ensure that you don’t encounter arguments while working there and that you both benefit from the arrangement.

Take care of your Business

Being a mobile hair or beauty therapist can be extremely tiring, as not only will you be doing treatments all day but you will also be required to travel. This means it’s essential you organise your business’ paperwork and finances and try not to fall behind. If you are self-employed it is your responsibility to pay the right amount of income tax and national insurance out of your wages, as well as fill in a self-assessment form each tax year. If you find that you struggle with this then it may be advisable to hire a book keeper or an accountant who will look after your paperwork for you. Even though you will have to pay for this service, it will ensure you won’t be fined by the HMRC for not paying the right amount of tax.

Making a good amount of income as a self-employed hair or beauty therapist requires a lot of effort, however once this pays off you should find yourself with a successful business. Who knows, you could even start thinking about opening your own salon one day!