THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY

From a very young age, I knew that I wanted to work in the beauty industry but I was torn on which services I wanted to be professionally trained in. Most beauty schools fall under the private education sector and are not government funded meaning there is no option for OSAP (student loan). I couldn't afford to pay the $10,000+ upfront at the time and I also knew that I eventually wanted to start my own business so I figured taking a business program was a good idea so that I could learn the management and financial side of things first.

Education

Lash services were fairly new to me at the time, (2013/2014) but I kept noticing my server friends coming in with longer, darker lashes and I was intrigued. I asked around, learned that they were ~eyelash extensions~ and I booked an appointment to get some for myself as soon as I could! I have had straight, stubborn lashes my whole life. I have tried and tested every type of mascara out there and I still haven't found the perfect one that works for me. Eyelash extensions made me feel like an enhanced version of myself with the eyelashes I had always dreamed of having! I knew I had to pass this feeling on to others. I needed to know everything there was to know about them and that started my love and obsession with eyelash extensions.

Start Up

I put together a business plan and was excited to learn that the projected startup costs for a lash business at the time were low. In January, 2017 I decided to take a break from my business program and enroll in a certification course for professional eyelash extensions instead. I self-funded, investing about $5,000 to start and although it took me much longer than I expected to learn the actual art and science of lashing, I was totally hooked from the beginning!

Skills

I am a very creative person, I pay great attention to small detail and have always loved experimenting with different beauty products and services! I also enjoy and am skilled at business management, data analytics, digital marketing, implementation and utilization of cost effective business solutions and software. I love learning new things, thrive in fast paced and changing conditions, work very well on my own but most of all, I really enjoy the flexibility and having full autonomy over my job and schedule. So this was the perfect opportunity for me!

Goodbye Groupon

Let's skip ahead to September, 2018. It was time to venture out on my own so I terminated my contract with Groupon, gave my notice to the salon I was working out of and quickly found a small office space in my neighbourhood to rent instead. I figured, if I was giving up 90% of my sales, I might as well spend that on rent and overhead costs so I that could be completely independent and have full control over my business. Read about my Groupon experience HERE.

The first 6 months on my own were a little rough financially but I was able to supplement my income with various side gigs and was lucky enough to have a supportive partner which helped to keep things afloat for a little while. I just kept reinvesting, pushing through and promoting myself on Instagram, Facebook, Kijiji, Google etc. I was determined to grow my business while keeping my overhead costs low.

June 2019

With more time and effort spent on marketing, I was gaining a few new clients per week so I was able to move into the larger rental unit next door! I was earning a little more at this point and saving money from purchasing products and supplies wholesale so I was also able to drop down to just 1 serving/bartending shift per week.

2020

I was on target and close to becoming profitable when the pandemic hit.

• March 2020 we were shut down for the first time. I took this time to take a few new courses and work on my business websites, intake forms, marketing and customer engagement via social media platforms.

• August 2020 we were back in business. Came back to a surge of new clientele and retained 90% of previous clientele. Yay!

• December 2020 we were shut down again. I was devastated but continued to work on marketing, business management and administrative tasks whenever I could so that my day to day operations and subsequent software were streamlined and working efficiently upon my return.

July 2021

Our second time reopening. Came back to another surge of new clientele, I was getting consistently booked, my sales were growing and I decided to finally pursue this as my full time career sans side gigs. This was an exciting time but serving and bartending money was a great safety blanket during those first few years so not having that as a backup was a bit scary! The service industry changed so much after the pandemic, it was no longer conducive to my business or lifestyle so it was finally time to rip the bandaid off and fully emerge myself in my lash business.

2022

I was operational and consistently booked all 12 months for the first time in my lash career! The increase of clientele and growing sales came with a lot more responsibility but I like to wear many hats. I started working with some talented team members, added more value to our services and was finally able to take a day or 2 off from lashing clients to just managing my team and catching up on administrative work.

It was all worth it in the end!

Starting a Small Business

For anyone who is looking to get started in the beauty industry or thinking about starting a small business; my advice to you would be to set very realistic expectations. Do your research and take any necessary courses to learn the ins and outs of your potential business.

Growing a business doesn't happen over night and one of the biggest lessons I learned was that making money costs money. It took me nearly 5 years to become profitable but if you take out a couple pandemic shutdowns, I may have gotten there sooner! For more advice on how start a low risk business click HERE.

Contact

Beauty by Lirie is my very own passion project backed by my business education and love of self care. Explore my site and all that I have to offer—perhaps my blog will spark some inspiration in your life too!

We are always looking to work with and to grow our network of passionate entrepreneurs and talented beauty industry professionals. Let's connect! beautybylirie@hotmail.com