beauty courses

  • Why it can be great to start small…

    Why it can be great to start small…

    When looking to start a new career in the beauty industry, it can be so easy to fall into the trap of thinking you MUST train in every single treatment on the market from the get-go. But the cost of this and also just knowing how then to launch your business without any particular unique selling features or areas of specialism can be really difficult when coming to an industry with a lot of competition already. Our blog highlights why it can actually be great to start small, focusing on particular treatments, building your brand and then moving on to other treatments as your client base actually wants, rather than what you think they will want…

    Our offers this month are all about helping you to focus on learning a particular set of beauty skills so that you have a ready to launch business. Whether that is focusing on being a lash and brow artist, make up artist also offering lash treatments, a nail technician or a beauty therapist offering the Big 4 (facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures). This is because we know the industry well and we know what works.

    Be a Specialist in your Chosen Field

    While having a diverse range of beauty skills from the off is great for those looking to gain employment in a salon (where they will be expecting you to be able to offer treatment to every client that may walk through the door); when starting your own business this is not always feasible and rarely necessary. Most beauty start-ups will focus on a niche within beauty so that they can be offering treatments that are their passion, work to their best natural talents but also ensure they are 6specialists in what they have to offer through having day to day, in-depth knowledge and practice of offering those treatments. It also allows you to focus on learning all you can within the industry around those specific treatments, whether that is through taking advanced courses or reading up on industry expert blogs and publications.

    More Affordable and Profitable

    It also makes starting your own business much more affordable. You can focus on booking onto the best training courses within the treatments you want to learn and then commit remaining funds to getting started with insurance, kits, products and tools as you need to start building your client base. If you try to learn everything, it can be very costly both in training and kit requirements meaning you may not then be able to afford the best products or tools to work with once you start working with clients which can make your treatments less attractive versus competitorsโ€™. It also puts a huge pressure on you in the first year to have to make too much money to reclaim your costs and before you get to enjoythe boost of being in a profit.

    Your Business is Focused

    Starting with treatments you know are popular in your area, which you enjoy offering and you know you have knowledge of (whether from having previous treatments yourself or through beauty magazines you read for example); really is the best way to getting your business started on the best foot forward. It allows you to focus your marketing whether that is a website, Facebook business page or adverts in local press to really shout about what you do. You can have a very clear branding message too on your price list and business card, rather than being confused by trying to offer too many services too soon. The greatest advantage is that you start with a popular service, start establishing clients and from there you can ask your target market what else they like receiving and would like you to offer so you can be sure to enrol for further courses that allow you to capitalise on this. Once you get working in the industry you can see what you enjoy too. So many therapists have fallen into doing treatments they donโ€™t really enjoy, simply because they feel they must, to justify training within them. Start with what inspires and excites you and you canโ€™t go far wrong in building a business and a career you truly love.

    Be More Competitive

    By training in specific treatments to begin with, you can keep your costs down which allows you to launch with very competitive prices versus your local competition. Once you have experience under your belt, you can raise your prices to become a premium service but having that initial competitive edge really does help to springboard you into a thriving business very quickly. Also focusing your treatment offer allows you to put together lucrative packages (both for you and your clients e.g. offering a brow service alongside lashes to frame those windows to the soul; or indeed waxing alongside pedicures to help with those fluffy toes!). Having a specialist business within beauty also allows you to have less kit lying around unused, taking up your precious workspace and minimising the amount of kit you have to take around with you if working mobile.

    You Can Always Diversify Later

    Remember by taking a couple of specific courses or indeed a package which focuses on a niche of the beauty industry, you are in no way limiting yourself. You can always take additional courses, whether further 1 day fast track, accredited courses or indeed our flexible, online, recognised learning courses. You could even upgrade to an internationally recognised qualification such as the VTCT awards in order to gain employment in a salon or spa, once you have gained experience or should a further opportunity arise beyond self-employment. You might even go on to training to teach beyond a VTCT award, so there really are huge options ahead.

    All you have to do is take the first step, decide which 1-3 treatments you love the most and give us a call on Freephone 0800 999 2277 to arrange booking onto the best training course option for you. Itโ€™s no obligation and our course advisors are all fully qualified beauty therapists with vast experience of the industry, so can certainly point you in the right direction.

  • Know your lashes, know your options…

    Know your lashes, know your options…

    With so many lash treatment options now pinging up in the beauty sector, it’s hard to keep up with what the differences are. But having a good understanding will ensure you can give the best advice to your clients and maximise your treatment sales…

    The six main lash enhancement treatments are…

    • Classic Lash Extensions
    • Russian Volume Lash Extensions
    • Hybrid Lashes
    • Lash Lift & Tinting
    • Strip or Flare Lashes
    • Express (Party) Lashes
    • Classic Lash Extensions:

    Most clients are now familiar with these โ€“ simply put youโ€™ll be applying one false lash to one natural lash to extend the lash length and give greater lash definition.

    • Russian Volume Lash Extensions:

    Many clients confuse the effects of these with strip lashes or even classics. Youโ€™ll be applying anything from 2-6 false lashes to one natural lash, applied by picking these up to form a fan of lashes. Give natural lashes more volume (thickness) and length for a more dramatic lash look.

    • Hybrid Lashes:

    A way of combining both the classic and Russian volume techniques to achieve a dramatic but structured and defined look to the lashes. You will set up a framework to work within which to extend the natural lashes by applying the classic individual extension technique to every 3-4 natural lashes along the lash line. You then apply fans of Russian volume lashes between these individual lashes to boost volume.

    • Lash Lift & Tinting:

    Working on the natural lashes only, with no false lashes applied. A way of lifting and opening the eye area by straightening and lifting the natural lashes to give the appearance of greater natural length. Tinting darkens the lashes from root to tip giving further enhancement in the appearance of lash length. Also gives superb definition but without the commitment of having to maintain false lashes i.e. infills. Also great for those unsuitable for lash extensions e.g. those allergic to lash adhesive, who swim regularly etc.

    • Strip or flare lashes:

    Temporary lashes applied using a temporary lash adhesive (different to that used for lash extensions). Typically last from 1-7 days and are easy to remove. Applied either as small bunches of false lashes attached to a bulb (flare) or as a full or part strip of false lashes. Great for those who want to enhance the benefits of a make up treatment for example, for special occasions and canโ€™t or donโ€™t want to commit to long term care or cost of lash extensions. Another good option also for those with more sensitive eyes.

    • Express or โ€˜partyโ€™ lashes

    Often confused with Russian volume lashes, these give a quick but effective lash extension treatment but are applied using pre-made lash fans rather than using individual lashes applied as a fan which the lash tech must form. Speeds up the treatment allowing you to charge less and fit in more clients, shorter time on the treatment bed needed for clients and no infills (simply remove and apply a new full set each time). Great for those who want a dramatic lash look without the cost of a premium lash service such as Russian volume or hybrid lashes.

    The Beauty Academy are excited to offer training options within all of these in-demand lash treatments ranging from accredited fast track 1 day courses up to recognised online courses allowing you to learn from home, online at your own pace. Discover our courses TODAY and begin earning up to ยฃ50 an hour!

  • Know your Henna

    Know your Henna

    Henna brows is fast becoming one of the most popular brow treatments, as a more natural way of giving greater definition to natural brows. Formulated to give longer lasting results than traditional tinting products and with a wide range of colours available to suit all clients, it’s important to know the benefits of offering this in demand brow service.

    Henna has been used for centuries to provide colouring the hair and has recently has a resurgence in popularity as clients seek more natural beauty options. Henna has many benefits including its ability to better โ€˜tintโ€™ the skin so is great at helping to disguise gaps or sparse hair growth within the brows (more so than a traditional tint product) and also to give a deeper, more natural enhanced brow colouring. Naturally sourced from the leaves of the henna shrub, it contains a substance called Lawsone which is effective in staining the hair and skin. To boost the speed at which the product works, often synthetic dye agents are included, sometimes known as PPD. Some clients are concerned about the use of PPD, however provided you are using products sourced from reputable suppliers, the volume and strength of PPD used will ensure the product is very safe for professional use. As with any tinting product, it is important you carry out a patch test 24-48 hours prior to use and record this on the clientโ€™s record card, patch testing in line with the manufacturerโ€™s and your insurerโ€™s guidelines.

    Henna is applied in much the same way as traditional tinting products, however its formulation is easy to work with and using a suitable brush, application can be precise to give a more sculpted, almost microbladed looking result. It can also be applied to improve the natural arch of the brows with hair removal techniques such as threading or waxing to improve the brows overall shape. It is also gaining popularity for use alongside Brow Lamination treatments as clients follow a course of treatments to regrow their brows to their former, fuller and more youthful glory.

    Henna brow treatments can typically earn you anything from ยฃ10-ยฃ25 per treatment and usually take as little as 20-30 minutes to carry out! Results last for around 4-8 weeks depending on the client and homecare adherence, quickly providing you with a loyal, regular client base.

    Top Selling Brow Treatments (based upon feedback from the many thousands of beauty therapists who have successfully trained with us over the last 29 years) are currently:

    1. Brow Lamination (now one of our best selling courses)
    2. Henna Brows
    3. Brow Shaping (waxing, threading or indeed the hugely popular Highly Defined Brows treatment)
    4. Brow Tinting

    โ€œMore clients than ever are now investing in their brows and lashes. Offering the most in demand brow treatments is essential for any beauty therapist, make up artist or lash technician to ensure you arenโ€™t losing your clients to other therapists who are more diverse. Packages that combine lash and brow treatments are hugely successful, with many clients starting out with a simple brow shaping treatment and then getting the โ€˜beauty bugโ€™ and soon become regular clients for a wide range of services.โ€

    Gain recognised training within these lucrative brow treatments with our courses from only ยฃ99. Choose to learn either at your own pace, online from the comfort of home or attend one of our 10 well located, exclusive training centres to learn face to face with our highly qualified, experienced tutors. Learn more about our Brow Course options below or call us Free on 0800 999 2277 to discover the best option for youโ€ฆ.