E16. Stop Trying to Start Your Beauty Business for Free

Thinking of starting a beauty business and hoping to do it cheap? I need to have an honest chat with you  🙈

In this episode I'm breaking down why your business is an investment, not an expense  and why trying to cut corners on things like your course, your products and your equipment can actually cost you more in the long run 🫣

I'm sharing what I wish someone had told me before I started, the difference between what you can cheap out on and what you absolutely cannot, and why picking the right beginner course from day one changes everything 💖

Here's what I get into:
✨ Why a business is always going to cost more than you think and how to prepare for it
✨ The difference between things you can budget on and things you should never cheap out on
✨ How choosing the wrong course or products can end up costing you double
✨ What to actually look for in a beginner course before you invest
✨ Why celebrating every small win matters more than you realise

If you're ready to start your nail journey the right way, I dropped a free masterclass called First Set: Your Beginner's Roadmap to Becoming a Full Time Nail Technician. Click the below link and sign up for free to get it straight to your inbox so you can go binge it right after this episode 💌
https://blossominbusiness.myflodesk.com/firstset 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome to Blossom and Business, the podcast for beauty business owners who are ready to treat their business like a business, not just a hobby. My name is Monique and I'm a Melbourne-based salon owner and educator and I'm here to help you grow your income, attract the right clients, and build a business that's actually sustainable. So if you're in the beauty industry and you're ready to level up your mindset, your marketing and the way that you run your business, this is the podcast for you. I hope you love this episode and let's get into it. Hey guys, and welcome back to another episode of the Blossomin Business Podcast. Today I wanted to talk all about starting a beauty business and some of the things that people don't usually expect when they first start. Now, firstly, there's like one thing that kind of irritates me when it comes to people starting in the beauty industry. Just starting some sort of beauty business, whether it's nails, lashes, brows, whatever it may be, and they're not willing to invest. So one of the biggest things that I can just say on business as a whole is a business is an investment. And I honestly I understand when people are like, I want to, you know, get the cheapest course possible, I want to get the cheapest nail lamp, the cheapest, you know, whatever. And you can work your way up for sure. Like you can definitely work your way up equipment-wise, as long as it doesn't, I guess, affect the safety of your clients and things like that. Like, I feel like you can get away with like a massage table for a beauty bed. You don't need the the 3,000, 1,000, I don't know how much it was, but expensive beauty bed when you first start. Like that doesn't really affect the client experience that much. But maybe something like a nail lamp. It's like you need the right lamp because otherwise it's not going to cure. Like things like that. Like, there are things that you can cheap out on when it comes to starting your beauty business because it doesn't really impact the service, the experience, anything like that, and you can work your way up to get better things. But there are some things that you really just need to suck it up and pay for, I guess. I feel like one of them is definitely education. As much as you can find some good hidden gems out there when it comes to really affordable education, you don't want to pick a course just because it's affordable, right? You want to pick it because it's going to be good. And I know it can be hard to tell if a course is going to be good, even if there's good reviews. You don't know kind of what situation those people that left the review are in. For example, a lash course or a nail course. The reviews could be really good from people that already have experience. But you might go into a course as a complete beginner, and maybe it doesn't cover, let's say, hygiene, nail and skin conditions, things like that, and you're like, oh, that course wasn't for me. It had really good reviews, it looked so good, but it actually wasn't good for me. So I feel like really doing your research and making sure you pick the right course based on inclusions, support, the outcome, what's like the lessons inside the course is a huge thing, and it does require some sort of investment. Like I remember I did my first, we're gonna go do lashes. I'm always talking about nails. Let's do lashes. First lash course I did, I did cover classics in my beauty certificate. But when I first wanted to learn like volumes and like actually offer lash extensions in my salon, the first course I did was like total all I'm gonna say is total sh it was at home course, not online. At home it was called, and I know this is a pretty big business, and I'm sure they've improved since then, so I'm not gonna name and shame, but basically it was not enough for me to start taking lash clients confidently. So I say at home specifically because not only was that what it was called, but it definitely wasn't online, and by that I mean you get a manual sent to your house and a kit. There's no videos, there's no like quizzes, there's nothing like that. Like you did have to submit work for assessment, but there's no video demos. Like, how am I meant to know how to put on lashes like through photos? Like they can be helpful. I do think manuals can be helpful alongside videos and live demonstrations, but photos on their own, like that's not enough to a complete beginner. So I feel like investing in the right education from the get-go, as much as it may be costly, it is an investment. Your business is an investment. So again, I completely understand everyone's got a different life situation, not everyone can afford certain things, and maybe their initial investment for their business is a little bit lower, but I feel like there's certain things that you just have to invest in because I understand maybe if you're wanting to just do it on maybe yourself, like maybe nails, you're doing it on yourself, like maybe you don't need the most like crazy course out there, you don't really need the business part of it, but you still need all the safety stuff, you still need all of that stuff. But a business is an investment, like you don't just start it and you're rolling in money straight away. It takes time, it takes effort, and it takes investing. Like, I already did a whole episode on this of like things I wasted my money on when it came to my business. So, not every investment is a good investment. I've definitely had my fair share of things that I'm like, oh, I shouldn't have bought that, I don't need to pay for that, things like that. But a business is an investment, so you do have to put money in to get money out. So, as much as I am understanding that, like, people are like, I want to get the most affordable products, I want to get the most cheap course, I want to do this. In some aspects, yes, there are things that you can get on a budget more affordable that aren't gonna impact the appointment, the safety, whatever. But things like courses, things like products like liquids, like adhesive for lashes or dye, wax, things like that. You don't want to just get them from random places, you want to make sure they're actually good. I feel like it's very common, especially in the now world, like not to get stuff from I'm not gonna name them in case I get sued, don't know how that works. Like, you know, those like websites they come from like overseas and they're like $2 a bottle of gel polish or whatever it may be. I don't know how much they are, but there's no actual brand. Like there's not actually a brand, it's just like you're buying it from a random factory. As much as you may be on a budget or have a lower initial investment into your business, you don't want to cheap out on things that are really going to affect the safety of your clients, the safety of yourself, and the results. Because even not even considering the safety of it, like allergic reactions, toxic chemicals or whatever may be in it, their retention, like that's also a factor. You might be getting really cheap products and your attention just isn't it because the product doesn't actually work. Like, there's a lot of reasons why beauticians out there highly recommend you go through a reputable supplier, whether it's for nails, lashes, brows, facials, whatever it may be, because these products are designed to work, they're designed to be safe, like all of the things they check so many different boxes. And on the topic of like not wanting to invest in your business, and again, understand that some people have a lower initial investment, it does take a little bit to save up to start a business, but the investment in your business doesn't just start with that initial investment. If you're not willing to invest in your business from day one, how are you gonna be able to continue to grow your business? Because your business is always gonna be throwing subscription fees and expenses and registrations at you, no matter how far along into your business you're at. So if you're already pushing it with your initial investment, always consider that there's going to be more expenses to come. So this I guess is more of like a mindset thing rather than a practical thing. Because if you don't have the initial investment, you're on a budget, that's completely fine. It's more the mindset that really pisses me off, and that is if your mindset is I want to spend as minimal money on my business as possible, I don't want to put in a whole lot of money to invest in my business when I first start, how are you going to be able to grow your business? Because it's going to require investment over time. You need to put money in your business for it to give you money back. So if your mindset is just constantly, how can I do this the cheapest way? Cheapest course, cheapest products, cheapest equipment, not only can that impact your client's safety, the client experience, legalities, like literally so many factors. But in order for your business to succeed long term, you need to have the mindset that everything you put in your business is actually going to come back tenfold if you put it in the right areas. Because again, not every investment is the right investment, but there are so many things that are worth investing in from day one. So your initial training, good quality products, equipment that's safe, you want a bed that's safe to sit on, you want a chair that's safe for a client to sit on. It doesn't have to be the prettiest, but it just has to work. And I feel like we can also circle back to how when you buy low-quality stuff, whether it's a course, a product equipment at the start, and then you start to like face the effects of buying that low-quality thing, whether it's a course that didn't teach you properly. Now you're gonna have to buy another course and you end up spending more than you would have if you had just chosen the best course to begin with. Or like products, you might be like, I'm gonna buy these really cheap Delve polishes or really cheap lash adhesive, and then it doesn't work, and you're like, Okay, well now I need to buy a good one. So now you spent all this money on a bad one and then a good one when you could have just bought the good one to begin with. I hope that makes sense. But I feel like taking shortcuts actually can cost you more in the long run. You're gonna have to replace all those low quality things that you invested in with better things, so you should have just bought the best thing to begin with, and you would have saved so much more time and money. So this isn't to shame anyone. I really do want to help the people that are looking to start a beauty business by just giving you realistic expectations that it does cost money. I wish it didn't. I wish we could just be like, oh, I'm gonna start doing nails tomorrow. I'm gonna start doing lashes tomorrow. Like, you need the stuff for your setup, you need all different things. It could just be like you need a desk, a chair, products training. But depends on like your council too. You might need a sink with a splash back, you might need a fully plumbed sink with a splash back, and some councils won't accept anything less. You might need three sinks, like every council is so different. You might have to rip up all your carpet and put floorboards or tiles or something because even if you think you can take shortcuts when it comes to training, products, equipment, the local council is going to be watching you like a hawk. Obviously, there's also those expenses that come with even just starting the business, like things like business name registration, maybe a booking system if you end up doing that. But also, like you may think like I'm gonna start my beauty business for less than two grand, but the council might be like, Nope, you actually need to get a fully plumbed sink and rip up all your carpet, so it's actually gonna cost you a lot more. So I kind of just want to set expectations for anyone that's like, I want to join the beauty industry, but I'm like, I want to not spend any money. You're gonna spend money. Like, you're gonna spend money. I'm so sorry. I wish that you could just do it for free, but it is an investment. So if you're someone that's thinking of joining the industry, I would highly recommend start saving now. Start saving now. You might be able to get a loan or something like that that can help you with that initial startup. That can be really good. I personally don't have any experience with loans, and I would personally just guessing would only recommend it if you feel confident that you could pay it off, and that's where actually putting the work into your business, not just performing the service, really pays off because you need to bring in the money to pay off that loan. But yeah, start saving now or get a loan and just like take into consideration that whatever you think it's gonna cost you, it will probably cost you more, and that's just for a home seller. And you can imagine a commercial space. I know girls that are dropping 50k on a fit out, like that's why I'm staying at home, that's why we ain't doing that. That is like a maybe not these days, but probably like half a house deposit. That's probably like a quarter these days, but that's a lot of money. 50 grand, that is something that you could do when you get further in your business. But just starting out, yes, it's okay to have a budget. Yes, it's okay to try and do things as low a cost as you can, but you also want to maintain the mindset that your business is an investment, and I don't want you to start your business and get disappointed because you're like, oh my gosh, it's actually costing me a lot more than I expected. Because it is expensive to start a business. I mean, I wouldn't say expensive, maybe costly. I think there's some optional things that make it expensive that aren't optional for us, but they should be optional. Like the plumbed sink, whose idea was that? Like, as long as it's hot running water, like I don't see, especially for like things like lashes, brows, even nails. Like, come on now. Like I fully plumb sink in the room. Like, what's the difference if I go like wash my hands in the room next door? Like, I just don't understand how that works. Like, it's just so stupid. Carpet, I understand, for nails especially. Like, I even some councils that allow you to have carpet, I don't know why you would willingly have carpet. Because I could just think of all the dust that gets in there. I don't I'm just like carpet hater in general. Like, even when I get my house, no carpet. I hate carpet so much. So that's just my biased opinion on carpet, but just like there's things that should be optional, but they're not. Like the stupid council registration fees too. Like, why am I paying $300 a year for a piece of paper? Like you inspect me every five years or whatever it is. Like, why? You're not even doing anything. What are you actively doing? You're not even checking if I am cleaning my tools properly. I could literally be doing God knows what in here, and they're not doing anything. Like, what do councils actually do? Let's be real. Like, what do they actually do? Like, maybe when you first start, they'll inspect your space, but after that, what are they actually doing? Nothing. They just know that you exist and that you operate. How is that cost $300 every year? I don't know. I don't know how that works. But there are definitely things that make running a business expensive, but they're things that just shouldn't exist. Expenses that just shouldn't exist. Tax, whole nother topic. Let's just, I'm gonna get triggered if we start talking about that. But it can be costly to run a business, to start a business. It is an investment. So I really just want to set your expectations from day one because I don't want to like encourage you, like, oh my gosh, I love having a beauty business, it's so good. Like, everyone should do it, and then reality hits, you start to do it, and you're like, oh my god, it's just too expensive. Having a business isn't for everyone, like that's a whole nother episode. It's a whole nother episode. But having a business isn't for everyone, it does require a bit of financial sacrifice at the start, especially when you're probably not charging what you need to charge because maybe you're still learning the skill, maybe like many factors, of course. It does require a lot of hustle, a lot of determination, but you can absolutely make a really good career in beauty. You just need to have the mindset for it, and also business skills, so that's like a topic for another day. Your business is not only an investment of money, like physical money, that you need to put into your cause, into your products, into your setup, but also an investment of time. And again, this is kind of where that financial sacrifice, I guess, takes into place because even though you're obviously spending money on all the stuff to start your business, there's also financial sacrifice in the sense that like you need time to work on the business, not just in the business. Whole nother episode. I feel like I just get more episode ideas as I'm filming these episodes, like it's just crazy. You need time to do the services, but you also need time to work on the back end of your business. Depending on your prices, especially when you're first starting, it might be quite low. Your prices probably don't cover any of this. So, again, financial sacrifice because you could be getting a wage from somewhere else while you're doing all this stuff, but it is just part of the process, like it's temporary. It is temporary, and it shouldn't last too long. I don't want to give you a timeline of how long it lasts to be kind of like broke as a beauty business owner because it really just depends on I guess how many clients you're doing, how much work are you doing on the back end of your business. Maybe you're doing a lot of work on the back end of your business, but your pricing is just absolutely fed. Then yeah, you're probably gonna be not having the best outcome financially. There's a lot of factors, so I don't want to give you guys unrealistic expectations. Like, you can expect to be no longer in debt at this point, or you can expect to break even at this point. Like, I can't tell you because it really just depends on your business. So, obviously, financial investment, time investment, but again, back to mindset. You need to put energy, but also positivity. This is something a whole nother episode we could talk on. I used to be someone that was so negative, and I feel like, especially in the past probably like six months to a year, I've really shifted my mindset, and now my business, it's just like a whole different thing. Like it's just like a whole nother level now. You need to have the mindset that it's going to work out, but mindset is literally just one piece of the puzzle. You need the knowledge and skill set to make sure that it works out. That's why I'm like, you can learn the skill really well. Like, you can do nails, lashes, brows, whatever it may be, really well, but you also need business knowledge, and you actually need to put what you learned into action. Like, you actually need to do things to help you reach your goals because you can have a positive mindset that's like, I'm gonna be fully booked by the end of the year, I'm gonna be making 100k by the end of the year, whatever it is. But what are you actually doing to get there? Like, be real. What are you actually doing to get there? And that's when things like business mentors, business education, stay tuned to the Instagram, that's all I'm gonna say. Little self-promo. It I always somehow weave it in accidentally, but I just it is what it is. That's when it's really important to not only have the positive mindset that things are going to work out, but in order to make sure that they're gonna work out, you also have to put in the work. You have to put in the physical work, but the mindset work, I guess, as well. So, my advice for you you're wanting to start a business, you're like, I want to do beauty, I want to have a salon. Let's go with home salon because it's easier. Maybe salon at home or maybe renting a chair. Because commercial space, I need someone else to give you the details on that because all I know is it costs a ton of money. That's all I can help you with with a commercial space. That's why I'm not in one. But maybe we can get a guest on the pod that is more experienced with having a commercial space, the investment, pros and cons, all of that. Because I'm not gonna be the best person to tell you that, because I'm just gonna be like negative about it because I just don't for my business see the appeal, but I see how well it works for other people. So I feel like we could maybe get someone on the pod that can give you guys some more information about a commercial space. But my advice if you're wanting to start a beauty business at home or rent a chair, whatever it may be, just like you for now. No stuff, no fancy commercial setup, just you. Here is what I'd recommend. First, prepare yourself for the investment. Like that's all I'm gonna say. Prepare yourself for the investment. You may need to get a loan, you may need a credit card. Use both of these wisely. They are risky. You want to make sure that you can pay them off. I personally just saved money. I didn't save with the intention of starting a beauty business because I don't know if I mentioned it in the first episode when I told you guys about my journey. It was kind of spontaneous, me starting out in beauty, but I had saved. I was saving for my future in like regards to house, maybe new car, things like that, traveling. I had been saving in general, but I hadn't saved in particular for a beauty business. So if you're wanting to start a beauty business, start saving. Start saving right now because it is an investment, but it's absolutely doable. Like if you put the work in and commit, you can make all that money back. That's the goal of a successful business is you're gonna make all that money back that you invested and more. You're actually gonna make profit, like it's gonna be so good for you, but you do just need those realistic expectations, that commitment, that investment, and it actually can work out really good for you. And I really hope it does. And I'm gonna help you get there. That's why we've got the pod. This is like free business resources right here on the pod. So, of course, your initial investment is going to be your course. So you've got savings, you've got your loan, you've got your credit card, whatever it may be. Invest in your course. Now, you want this to be a course that's designed for beginners because most courses out there they might say beginner, but they're not, or maybe they don't say beginner, and you're like, Oh, I want to learn lashes, lash course. You think it's just like that easy? And I know it's can be really hard to tell from the outside, but there are a lot of courses out there that aren't. I don't want to say dumbed down. Dumbed down sounds like I'm like shaming you, but like simplified. There's not a lot of courses that are simplified, or even there can be beginner courses, or maybe courses that are targeted for people with no experience, but like there's no hygiene, there's no like space setup, there's no skin conditions, like things like that. Those are things that need to be in a beginner course. If a course does not cover these things, it's not a beginner course, like you're gonna have to learn that somewhere else. So it's not the course for you. If you're a complete beginner, you need not only a course that has the support that beginners need, it needs the assessment that beginners need. Because even if you think you're doing it exactly how the video or the photo looks, chances are there's gonna be little things that you don't even notice that might be incorrect or something like that. You just need someone to look at your work and be like, that's a great job, but this is what we could improve next time, and this is how you can do it. You know, like you need that support, you need that critique, you need that feedback. That is so important. I feel like that's important at any stage of learning a skill, but especially in that beginner stage, you need that. So look for support, look for assessing, look for those fundamentals. So I would look for things, whether it's nails, lashes, brows, let's go with nails, because that's my course is in the back of my head, so I can list you exactly what's inside of it. How to clean your tools, how does that work? How to clean your salon? Like, there's things that you can refer to your local council for, but they might not actually give you, I guess, demonstrations. It might just be like firm like guidelines rather than like more informative teaching. For nails specifically, you've got nail and skin conditions. Skin conditions will apply for literally any beauty service that you do. Skin conditions, like what are the common ones that you'll experience in the area that you're working on? So now this would be like hands. I only teach manicules, but if you're learning pedicules too, you'd learn about feet. What are the common like skin conditions that can occur? How do they happen? How are they prevented? How are they treated? Can you work on someone that has them? Is it contagious? Same with nail conditions, not just skin. Like, can you put a nail on? Something that's damaged? Can you put an L in something that's got a fungal infection? These little things that you need to know as a beginner. Also, things like anatomy, phenysis is really important because we want to consider what skin we're cutting for brows. This could be important so you know what skin you're waxing. There's different layers to the skin. There's so much involved that you don't think of when you're like, oh my gosh, I want to do beauty. But like there's so much, like, I guess science-y stuff involved as well that you don't actually realize. So, like, this is where we need really good, like detailed education from the start. Because once you know it, like that stuff doesn't really change that often. Like, even if you learnt that 10 years ago, it's probably not gonna have changed as much as like the actual skill has, like, the manicure process has. But these are things that you absolutely need to learn from like day one, they're non-negotiables. Because even though it's not an actual step in the procedure, it's not an actual step in the manicure, these things, this knowledge affects whether you could even do the manicure to begin with, and how you do the manicure. Like, if you're using the contaminated tools, like you wouldn't know if you didn't learn the hygiene stuff, you know. Like, it's just one of those things that needs to be included. And some of the things that I've also included in my course, you'll actually find that aren't included in a lot. And I'm not trying to plug, but it just happens naturally. I'm just trying to give you advice, and it just happens to be the perfect solution. But I also like to include basic business setup. I don't have like a full business course in it because that's a whole nother that's a whole nother course. I would add a lot more onto that initial investment. But I give quite a bit of information to get started, and it's not just like get an ABN, register a business name, like yes, that's included, but also getting clients, getting clients to come back, pricing. I touch on that quite lightly because you need something to get started. You can't just like know nothing, but that's when you can go into business education and mentoring to learn that in more detail. But I feel like it's really important to at least have some of that in that initial course because I mean, again, business is an investment. Like I would make sure that I could invest into a business course or something after that. But if you really cannot, at least you've got a good starting point. At least you know kind of what to charge, at least you know how to find models, at least you know how to get clients, how to set up your social media profile, how to rebook clients and keep them coming back. Like that's something that I include in my now course because it's so important. Like it is so crucial. Like, even though it's not like a super detailed business course, it's not like my exact content strategy or anything like that, it is super helpful from day one. So at least you can get started, like you can actually start your business, but then you can improve it through doing a business course or mentoring, whatever it may be. And I think off the top of my head, I either added something mindset related or something technician health related, which I felt was really beneficial as well. But moving on, a really good course should be your initial investment because that can literally make or break how fast your business grows. Because not only in regards to the safety of like you performing the service, the skill, like how good the actual skill, like the manicure, the lash lift, whatever it is, is taught, it can affect your skill set. How you're assessed, if you're assessed, can affect your skill set, and also like just knowing how to start your business and at least get some clients going and charge, I guess, can really change how your business grows in those early days. So that would be my first piece of advice is to invest in a really good course, and then from that you'd be investing in really good products, and this would be products that are recommended inside of your course. So depending on what your course you're doing, you might have like actual like product links, but the best courses should actually tell you how to actually find out if a product is good, like how to tell the difference. I'm trying not to plug again, but it just it comes, it just comes up, it's just it is what it is. But you also want to be investing in really good quality products because I talked about this on the pod previously. But as much as you may think, like, I'm just starting my business, I'm a beginner, I'm just gonna buy the cheap stuff to start out, buying the cheap stuff when you start out, not only as I mentioned before, probably gonna make it more expensive in the long run because you're gonna realize that they're s and you're gonna have to replace them, but also they can affect how the sets look, how the retention is, the safety, it's just not worth the risk. So, really just buying good quality products from day one. And the advice that I have, especially for nails, is like you don't need every single colour, you don't need every single tip. Yes, it's more convenient to not have to mix colours or not have to shape every shape from like three tip options you have, or whatever it may be. You don't have to have a big range of products, you just need to have the basics. Like you just need like maybe get like a pink, a purple, a blue, whatever. Like you can start small and build your way up, but it's better to start small with good quality products than buy like 50 colours of like low quality brands that are unsafe, bad retention, and probably just maybe not pigmented or like not good quality in general. So, really just start with a good foundation of products and build your way up. There's no rush, like there's literally no rush, especially when you're first starting. Your pricing is probably gonna be cheap, anyways. Like, I don't think anyone's going to be expecting you to have like 200 colours. Like, it is what it is. Like, you're just starting, just prioritize quality over quantity. Same thing with your setup. There is some things that you can cheap out on, like, you don't need the best chair, the best desk. It just needs to be safe to use, safe to sit on, safe to properly decontaminate, so it needs to be something that you can wipe. But back to the lash bed comparison, you don't need the fancy like thousand dollar electric bed. It can be great, but you don't need that when you first start. You can just start with a massage table and then eventually build your way up. Same with lighting. The lighting I use for nails is like so cheap, anyways, but you can build your way up. There will be certain things that you need to get good quality of because it will severely impact the appointment. Like for nails, this is a good e-file, a good nail lamp. Like things, those are like a every few years purchase. Like it's not like you're buying them all the time, even. There will be some equipment that is absolutely highly recommended to get good quality, and that's things like for nails, a nail lamp. You want to make sure your gels are curing properly. The e-file, you can get away with the cheaper one, but just like speed-wise, just makes it easier to have a good one from the beginning. Or even like for brows, like you can try and cheap out on a wax pot, and I feel like most wax pots kind of do the same thing, anyways. But if you got a wax pot that was really low quality and it just wasn't melting the wax properly, or maybe there's like no middle ground, it just melts it too much and it's too hot, that's when it starts to impact your actual appointment. So you do want to keep that in mind. Is there are going to be some things that you do actually just need to put in a little bit more to get better quality from day one, but like the type of desk you have, the kind of bed you have, the chairs, you can get basic, start from that, and then when you can afford to build your way up. And I feel like you need to be in the right headspace to run a business, to start a business, because it does take a toll on you, especially when you're doing it all by yourself. And I'll just be honest, like, this isn't any shame to clients that may be watching, but customer service, you're gonna experience some headaches, you're gonna experience last-minute cancellations, no shows, people that change their mind and what they want after it's already done, like just all the things that you would experience in any other customer service role, you're going to experience it in a salon situation as well. So just have policies in place for sure, but have the expectations that you're gonna come across hurdles at any point in your business, no matter you're just starting out and you're still building those policies, or whether you've been doing it for a really long time, you're probably gonna have experiences that do test you, but you can absolutely get through them. You just need that drive and determination to keep going, especially at the start, or maybe when your prices aren't where they need to be, you might be like, I'm putting in all this work, I'm not getting any money back. Like it does take time. And if you're someone that's further into your business and you're still like, I'm working so much, I'm working like a dog, and I earn no money, or I'm stressed about money, that's a whole pricing system situation. That that's a topic for another day. That's when you actually need to like look at your business and change things. When you're first starting out, you are gonna have that lower pricing. It's gonna take some time to get that momentum and start charging what you need to and start seeing the results and the payoff from your business. But this is why you should celebrate every single win, no matter how big or small. You enrolled in your first course, amazing! Love that. You bought your first gel polish, oh my gosh, love that. What color did you get? Like, I I want to know everything to be honest. I'm like this with my students all the time. I'm like, tell me what you got, show me your haul, like give me the details, like I love to see it. Celebrate every small win because you might think, oh, like a client no showed today, but then you added a new policy in after she left. Like, you added a new policy, oh my gosh, love that. Like you fixed your business, like after learning from such a negative experience that might have just brought you down and ruined your whole day. You got something out of it because now you have a new policy to ensure it doesn't happen again or reduce the risk. Or if it does happen again, you know how to handle it properly. So celebrate every single win because running a business isn't easy, but you're gonna have good and bad, and you wanna not focus on the bad and focus on the good. And think that every single person that you look up to has had the bad quality work, they've had the no-shows, they've had the cancellations, they've had the bills that costed a lot more than they expected, they've had so many negative things happen to them too. But the thing is they don't dwell on it, they move past it and focus on the positive. Focus on maybe prevention if it's something that you can prevent, or focus on the things that are actually going well, focus on the wins, and that's why we need to celebrate every single win, not just the big ones, not just, you know, like I got 50 clients this month. Like, yes, that's amazing, but you also got one client this month. Like, congrats! Like, that's like a huge milestone. It does take a really specific kind of person to run a business successfully, but you can train yourself to become the right person to run a business successfully. This comes through your training in your actual service nails, lashes, brows. It comes through learning business, so that's through a course, mentorship, anything like that. Social media also has some really great tips when you're first getting started and also shifting your mindset because things are gonna happen, but you want to be able to get through them. Now, let's say you're watching this and you're like, I want to start a beauty business, and in particular, I want to learn nails. Well, you've come to the right place, girlfriend. I'm the perfect person that can help you. I literally just dropped a masterclass a couple weeks ago. It was called First Set Your Beginner's Roadmap to Becoming a Full-Time Nail Technician. And it is a free masterclass, completely free. I'll leave it in the show notes for this episode so you can just click on it and binge it. And I really hope that it helps you make the right decision when it comes to choosing a course and just like knowing where to start when you first want to do nails and the roadmap to going from learning nails to doing nails full-time, relying on it as your full-time income. So I'll leave a link to that in the show notes. Again, free masterclass, beginners roadmap to becoming a full-time nail technician. I really hope you guys have enjoyed this episode. I can't tell who listens to the podcast. So if you listen to the podcast, share it on your story, tag me, let me know in the comments if you're on YouTube, comment. Don't forget to like the video, don't forget to follow on Spotify or YouTube or whatever it is, so you know when a new episode comes out, there's a little notification bell you can click as well. I don't know who's listening to the pod. It's not like socials where I can see likes, I can't see views. So I would really love to know who's actually listening to the podcast. And if you have any suggestions on topics you want to hear from me, you can reach out at any time and I'll add it to my list. I've got so many ideas, and as you can see, I literally get ideas mid-episode, like oof, whole nother topic. Like that's a whole nother thing. And I really want to make sure that the content on this pod is enjoyable for everyone. So I'm excited to bring you guys more episodes, so stay tuned. Thank you for listening to this episode of Blossom in Business. If you enjoyed this episode, I would love if you could give the video a thumbs up on YouTube or rate the podcast 5 stars on Spotify and Apple. If you don't want to miss an episode, make sure to hit the notification bell so you get notified every single time a new episode drops. If you want to follow along on my journey, I've put the links to all of my socials in the description. If there's any topics you'd like covered on the podcast or you would like to apply to be a guest speaker, you can find the links in my description. Stay tuned for the next episode.