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  • How to choose which beauty treatments to learn?

    How to choose which beauty treatments to learn?

    We get so many calls from prospective students excited at the idea of jumping into a new career in beauty but totally unsure where to start – which treatments should they learn and which to offer first? Our wonderful team of Course Advisors are all fully qualified, experienced beauty professionals and have experienced the beauty sector first hand whether that was previously through working in salons, running their own beauty businesses or as beauty training professionals so they certainly know a thing or two about what sells to clients, what is in demand right now and how best to get started. Our blog this week focuses on how to decide which beauty treatments to learn, based on what is most in-demand with beauty clients right now…

    The beauty market as it stands todayโ€ฆ

    Online demand for beauty products has surged in 2020 and Mintel predicts that value sales of beauty/grooming products through online sales will rise 24% to ยฃ1.9 billion in 2020. The beauty sector in general, has been predicted to grow by up to 21.1% up to 2022, thatโ€™s a huge number of beauty products being bought and treatments being delivered every single day and a huge amount of money being earnt by therapists all over the UK. With unprecented times seen in 2020 through the COVID pandemic and sadly some industries failing to bounce back, it is not surprising many people are looking for other career options and perhaps to follow long-held dreams of working in beauty.

    Technology has evolved massively within the last 5 years with aesthetics being one of the largest growing sectors and with money being tighter for many, clients are also keen on treatments that give long lasting or multi tasking results allowing them to save time or money in other areas of their beauty regimes such as tinting, lash lifting (in place of extensions), spray tanning and facials like microdermabrasion giving flawless results that help reduce the need for daily make up application.

    Lockdown also saw a huge number of clients getting into DIY beauty at home (and seeing some disasters unfortunately) that made them both appreciate the benefits of a professional but the perks of mobile treatments, with many clients still not feeling fully comfortable returning to salons as yet despite Covid-secure measures. This is great news for those starting out, helping to keep overheads down on premises or renting a room, mobile working also allows you to have flexible working hours or maximise your earnings working just part time around other employment.

    The sectors of beautyโ€ฆ

    Beauty can be broken down into reasonably separate treatment sectors:

    • Massage & holistic therapy
    • Skincare & aesthetics
    • Make up artistry
    • Nail technician services
    • Lash & brow services
    • Other general beauty (hair removal, spray tanning etc.)

    Most beauty therapists will specialise in one or two of these areas of beauty, possibly offering the odd add-on treatment as demanded by their unique client base so picking the sector which most sparks your passion is the best starting point. Think about treatments you regularly receive already or beauty products that you canโ€™t live without โ€“ bring this passion into your work and share it with others, all while earning a living.

    Consider the optionsโ€ฆ

    Think about how you want to train โ€“ do you prefer the idea of face to face courses, is that practical for you in terms of travel, childcare, work shifts etc.? We offer courses 6 days a week across 10 centres so there is likely to be training dates that work for you. These courses are fast track, typically delivered in 1 day so ideal for those who work long hours where longer term study may be tricky. Prefer to take more time over your learning, studying online at your own pace? It might be that our accredited online courses or Virtual Academy training is better suited to your needs โ€“ no attendance of the centre is required for these so they are great for those with caring commitments or who live too far from a centre. Our online courses are also budget friendly and accessible, starting at just ยฃ99 each. Classroom courses start from only ยฃ129.

    Think about what is popular in your area โ€“ are there already a huge amount of lash technicians operating in your local area? Maybe you live round the corner from 2 or 3 nail bars. Remember there will always be business for a highly trained technician and other businesses simply signify there is demand but take your competition into consideration when deciding which treatments you start out with learning. Also think about your start-up costs in terms of kit and marketing. Online marketing through social media is free beyond your time and often very effective. A website is also a great investment, even just a free website building platform to get you started with an online presence. Youโ€™ll also need to think about where youโ€™ll work. Do you have a spare room at home or are you going to work mobile in which case youโ€™ll need a reliable car? Factor in any considerations like getting agreement from your landlord to work from home if renting or adding on use for work purposes on your car insurance policy.

    Start realistically โ€“ book courses to learn one treatment you will specialise in to begin with or consider a package of suitable linked treatments that will allow you to offer popular treatment packages to clients to boost your earnings. Our Multi Buy Course Packages have all been carefully selected as treatments that work well as a business start-up opportunity and save you money on training in the long run also, versus booking each course individually. Remember we offer payment options to help spread the cost, including 0% credit through PayPal Credit on balances over ยฃ99.

    Top treatments for 2020/2021:

    • Multi tasking treatments that deliver long lasting results that help your client cut down on additional product costs or treatments e.g. lash lift and tinting versus eyelash extensions, microdermabrasion and spray tanning to save on daily make up application, brow lamination and tinting over more expensive long-term treatments like microblading.
    • At home โ€˜spaโ€™ pampering such as holistic massage therapies and luxury pedicures. Lots of people have had a difficult year and might not feel safe returning to salons or spas. Many are also put off the idea of gift vouchers at the moment due to lots of businesses folding in these difficult times taking the go-to spa voucher gift for Christmas off the list so now is a great time to advertise in your local area for your mobile holistic treatments to get the bookings rolling in.
    • Make up and hair up services โ€“ with wedding numbers capped, many are finding their wedding budget stretches slightly further to include a professional make up artist or to have more pre-wedding pampering. Take advantage of this as wedding bookings increase in 2021 and donโ€™t forget to promote these services to ensure you get advance bookings. If make up is your passion, donโ€™t be put off learning these skills because of the current restrictions on gatherings, now is a great time to train so that you are ready to take advantage of pre-bookings for 2021/2022 as the industry will soon bounce back in abundance.
    • Nail services that promote natural nail care such as gel polish or fibreglass and quick dip powder overlays to help strengthen natural nails, give long lasting colour and cut out the cost of nail extension maintenance. Typically overlay treatments like gel polish can last up to 3 weeks and usually attract a lower cost per service for clients than ongoing nail extension infills, removals and full sets. More clients are also feeling the rewarding benefits of having long, strong nails of their own rather than plastic tips, having got used to nail self-care during lockdown.
    • Facial skincare and aesthetics are only going to grow in popularity lead by celebrity trends for clear, flawless and minimal make up perfection. Everyone wants to look fresh and youthful and facial skincare is certainly moving with the times. To pursue training in more advanced aesthetics, a VTCT Level 2 and/or 3 in Facial Skincare or Beauty Therapy are usually the pre-requirements and there has never been a better time to start learning to enable you to progress into these advanced skincare careers.

    Still unsure what training option is best for you? Feel free to get in touch with our team to discuss our courses further and get answers to any questions you may have that are stopping you from taking the first step towards your new careerโ€ฆ.

  • Can I achieve a VTCT qualification through distance learning?

    Can I achieve a VTCT qualification through distance learning?

    The Beauty Academy offer a full range of VTCT Qualifications in all aspects of beauty therapy ranging from single units for those looking to specialise in one professional skill such as Facial Skincare to a full diploma at level 2 or 3 suitable for those looking to gain full time employment in the industry. Our VTCT qualifications are delivered on a ‘blended’ learning basis giving you optimum flexibility with your learning, while still providing full support and expert face to face tuition on a fast track basis. Much of the study is completed on a distance learning basis, online from home including your theory coursework. Students have access to a wealth of learning resources on our online portal including training videos, manuals and support documents. Attend for 1-5 training days (depending on qualification) to learn your practical skills at one of our 10 conveniently located training centres, across England. Practice your treatments to build a portfolio and then once ready, book your assessments.

    Most students complete within 4-6 months, studying on a part time basis at home beyond their initial training days, learning around other commitments. All students have up to 12 months to complete the qualification, should you need to learn at a slower pace.

    Full access to our expert in-house Support team by phone or email throughout. We offer the most flexible, fast track way to achieve your VTCT beauty qualification and start your new career, ideal for those who need to learn around their existing work or commitments such as childcare that make attendance of year long face to face courses unsuitable for their needs. Most learners are aged 25 or over, as those looking to either change career or start something new; although their are no age limits.

    What are VTCT Qualifications?

    Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT) is a specialist awarding and assessment organisation offering vocational and technical qualifications in a range of service sectors. With more than 2,000 approved centres worldwide, VTCT has an ever-expanding list of centres throughout the UK and Ireland, with a growing international presence. VTCT have been providing qualifications since 1962 and in 2016 expanded to take over iTEC adding to its specialist worldwide training offer.

    If you are looking to embark upon a new career in beauty therapy or take your existing role in beauty further, VTCT qualifications will set you ahead of the competition and open up a wealth of career opportunities whether that is employed in the salon, spa, nail bar, cruise liner, opening your own salon or working as a beauty trainer in a further education college or for private beauty training provider.

    Achieving a prestigious and internationally recognised VTCT Qualifications will demonstrate you have an assessed high standard of competence within your treatment skills; giving both employers, insurers, industry bodies, advanced training providers & potential clients confidence within your abilities as a beauty professional.

    Which VTCT Courses are available?

    We offer a full range of VTCT awards in Beauty Therapy and also VTCT Level 3 Award in Education & Training for those looking to take their beauty career into a teaching capacity. We offer Level 2 qualifications ideal for complete beginners, along with Level 3 in Nail Technology and Massage Therapy which are advanced awards which can also be started as a complete beginner. We have single unit qualifications in individual treatments such as Facial Skincare for those wanting to specialise in a specific treatment, although we generally recommend the full Level 2 or 3 Diploma courses for those looking to gain an all-rounder set of skills most sought by employers within the beauty sector. Discover our VTCT courses by clicking below or for more guidance on the best course for you, select one of the options below to get in touch. All VTCT qualifications can be booked securely through our website or by calling our team on Freephone 0800 999 2277.

    Where could a VTCT Qualification take my career?

    The vast majority of our students achieve their VTCT qualification within 4-6 months and upon completion, enter the beauty industry either on an employed basis within a salon or spa, or start their own beauty business. We often have students who travel the world while working in beauty, working aboard cruise liners offering luxurious spa treatments. Many students enter professional competitions and gain recognition within the industry for their high level skills and flair for beauty. Once you have a VTCT Level 2 and/or Level 3 in beauty, you can then go onto learn further beauty treatments to expand your knowledge and boost your opportunities or could even take the VTCT Level 3 Award in Education & Training to begin offering beauty training courses yourself, work for a further education college or as a trainer for a private beauty training company to share your knowledge and inspire a passion for beauty in others. Click below to read the success story of one of our past students. You can see also Reviews from past students to assure you of the quality of our training.

  • Can you really achieve a beauty qualification with only online courses?

    Can you really achieve a beauty qualification with only online courses?

    Absolutely, yes! You can definitely achieve an accredited beauty qualification through only online training. Our courses are accredited by IPHM and recognised for insurance internationally giving you the best chance of success in a beauty career wherever you live and work. As our courses are completed entirely online, there are no distance barriers to overcome. Online training options give you full flexibility of studying anywhere in the world, even the comfort of home. They also allow you to study at your own pace, whether that is fast track or more slowly to fit around other commitments.

    We get asked this question all the time as so many are dubious about trying something new for them, but once they discover the benefits of online training they go from course to course expanding their learning with complete confidence. Our courses are written by experienced beauty industry professionals in an easy to follow style. From high quality training videos to detailed step by steps in course manuals. You also have full access to our expert in-house Support Team for any questions along the way.

    Online courses with The Beauty Academy allow you to achieve a recognised, accredited beauty qualification that enables you to get insured and start your new beauty career.

    Need more reassurance? Read some recent student reviewsโ€ฆ

    At The Beauty Academy we offer two options for Online Study, both provide an accredited certificate on completion;

    1. Online Courses completed through our Student Portal. You receive access to a wealth of high quality learning resources, written by beauty professionals including comprehensive manuals and detailed video demonstrations. You take multiple choice online tests throughout the course which are great for checking your understanding and learning as you progress through the course. These can be taken as often as needed until you achieve a pass. You also submit a small number of case studies to us by email which are assessed against industry standards to ensure your proficiency with the treatment skills. Individual feedback to help you improve and you simply resubmit as needed until you are at a successful level to achieve. Typically students complete these courses within 2-6 weeks (allowing usually around 2-10 hours per week to study), although you have 8 weeks should you need to go slower. Achieve an IPHM accredited certificate, courses start at only ยฃ99!
    2. Virtual Academy Courses are completed through live, tutor led training sessions delivered online through Zoom. Initially you complete some basic health and safety theory through our Online Student Portal. You then โ€˜attendโ€™ your online teaching session which typically lasts 60-90 minutes. A recording of the session is emailed to you which can be watched back as often as you need. You submit your one best case study of a recommended 3 minimum for feedback. Once a suitable standard of treatment skill is achieved, you โ€˜attendโ€™ a short online session where a tutor observes you complete some basic treatment skills to ascertain your confidence and given final feedback. Once completed, you achieve an ABT accredited certificate, courses start at only ยฃ149!

    Online Courses

    • Great for those who like self-paced, independent learning.
    • Full support from our team throughout by phone or email.
    • Flexible to work around you, study as many or as few hours each week as prefer – complete within 2-8 weeks.
    • Studied entirely through Online Student Portal.
    • Watch videos, read manuals, do quick tests and submit case studies.
    • No assessment days or formal exams required.
    • Study on mobile, iPad or pc, when on the go or from home.
    • Accredited by IPHM, suitable for insurance in the UK, Ireland and overseas.

    Virtual Academy Courses

    • Great for those who prefer to learn with tutor interaction.
    • Ask questions & get additional support during the online session.
    • Full support from our team throughout by phone or email.
    • Live online sessions available daytime, evenings & weekends.
    • Recording of session to watch back as often as you need + e-manual to keep.
    • Join Zoom session, practice treatments, join Zoom assessment, achieve qualification!
    • No attendance of the training centre required, all done online.
    • Complete sessions on mobile, iPad or pc – no fancy tech required.
    • Accredited by ABT, suitable for insurance in the UK & when temporarily abroad.

    Our courses are accredited for insurance purposes. Courses accredited by IPHM are accepted by their recommended insurers for work in the UK, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, parts of the USA, & most of Europe. ABT offer insurance for therapists primarily working in the UK and temporarily overseas (except USA/Canada). This means upon completion of your online course(s) you can successfully begin working either from home or mobile offering your treatments and begin earning, once insured.

    The requirements of individual salons / employers / local council licensing will vary. Generally speaking most students entering the beauty industry will do so to be able to start their own business working from home or mobile as this is often the most lucrative way to work in the industry with uncapped earning potential. Online courses may enable you to gain work in a salon either employed or more likely on a self-employed basis as the certificate is accredited, however for those such as college leavers looking to qualify to gain full time salon employment, you may wish to consider more formal options of training such as VTCT Qualifications.

    How do I sign up?

    Click below to explore the training options, whether Online Courses or Virtual Academy Courses. We offer Multi Buy Packages which are carefully selected course combinations, put together to give you the best business start-up opportunity with treatments that sell to clients well as a package. These allow you to save money booking courses individually and get you started quickly on the path to your new beauty career! Book securely through our website when ready. Alternatively, if you canโ€™t see what youโ€™re looking for or donโ€™t know where to start; why not give our friendly team a call on Freephone 0800 999 2277 and they can chat you through any queries and point you in the right direction!

  • 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.