Running a Business as an Esthetician, Solo: The Many Roles You’ll Play in the Beginning
It seems like nowadays there’s a laundry list of “national holidays” to commemorate, but why not? Why not celebrate Women’s Day, World Kindness Day, or even National Tequila Day? (teehee). If commemorating these days means bringing awareness, education, joy, and celebration, then we should honor what is important to us.
Today is National Esthetician Day and as an Esti, I’m proud to have a day to celebrate my work, my field, and my passion. This day comes and goes, but every year, it becomes a moment of reflection where I think about what I’ve accomplished and learned. And to be honest, it’s a little surreal to think that this day has held meaning for me the past five years since I’ve become an esthetician.
My esti journey began in 2017, then the following year, I was fortunate enough to fly solo and launch Elevated Aesthetics. Prior to that, I was working at a med spa in NYC, but I knew I wanted to have my own business one day. Starting out is not easy – it’s a time when you’re really trying to figure things out with limited resources, including funds and mentorship. Navigating all these aspects means learning on the spot and wearing multiple hats in order to not only be a great esthetician but run a successful business. These are a few examples of roles I played when I was just getting started and had to do everything on my own.
Be the Service Provider: First and foremost, the work you do and the services you offer to your client base is fundamental. Without this, the rest of it doesn’t matter. Honing in on your craft and your service, and doing it well, is by far the most important thing. Be curious and try out different things, but narrow down your niche. I did lashes and brows before realizing working with the skin was where I felt most fulfilled. What’s the saying? A jack of all trades is a master at none.
Handle Operations: The not-so-fun administrative tasks and the back-end work you do is vital to having a successful business run seamlessly. This includes checking inventory, ordering supplies, choosing a scheduling software, creating forms, keeping track of appointments, answering emails/messages, etc. Setting up systems and automation when possible will help alleviate the amount of time needed to dedicate to operation tasks.
Customer Service Representative: Without your clients, you have a hobby, not a business. Managing customer relationships, dealing with cancellations, rescheduling, and answering questions and concerns – all of this is important in creating and maintaining a positive customer experience and establishing a rapport. Your clients need to know they can trust you because at the end of the day it’s about servicing them in the way that benefits them the most.
Manage Accounting: Personally, this is the area that stressed me out the most, at least in the beginning. I wasn’t a “numbers girl” and math wasn’t my strongest subject, but whether I liked it or not, I had to learn how I handle my money if I wanted this to work. This career requires needing supplies, tools, and equipment, but you can’t start out with everything. Prioritize and determine what’s necessary and cost-effective without sacrificing the integrity of your service/product. Make sure you spend on what’s necessary & save the fancy stuff for later. This process also includes learning how to manage your costs and expenses while also budgeting for supplies and resources. Set up spreadsheets to help you keep track of what’s coming in versus what’s going out because the end goal is to see a profit. If you’re spending more than you’re earning, well that’s where problems start.
Marketing/Social Manager: Marketing your business is how you will reach people, and it’s a part of building your clientele. This includes everything from creating and producing content, designing and updating a website, being your own graphic designer, managing and engaging on social media & SO. MUCH. MORE. Everything about your brand lies within how you are able to make yourself appealing to the masses and separate yourself from the competition. It’s tricky because this part can often feel like a full-time job on its own, but it’s crucial in ensuring you’re able to keep pushing your business forward.
As a small business entrepreneur, playing all these roles has not only given me control of my business but has provided me with an understanding of what it truly takes. Over time, I’ve learned to delegate tasks and this has allowed me to wear hat number one – dedicate my time and energy to perfecting my craft by practicing, learning, and growing every day. Ultimately, the goal is about finding the balance between what you love doing, which for me is skincare, and what you need to do, which is running a business. It’s not easy, and there are really hard days, but it’s definitely worth it. And so today on National Esthetician Day, I celebrate my fellow esti’s – those who I’ve been fortunate to learn from, those just getting started, and everyone in between.
But I also celebrate myself, and these past couple of years that have bought me to where I am now. Today and every day, I’m grateful to help others feel confident and empowered through their skincare journey.