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Last Updated on December 3, 2023
The wellness, beauty, and natural services niches are growing at a rapid rate. Millions of consumers are demanding holistic and organic treatments and products from an industry that includes plenty of non-natural offerings, chemical additives, and generally unhealthy services. Fortunately, there are enough ethical, conscientious practitioners to tip the balance in the other direction and help build brands that are focused on healthful practices and personal well-being.
Identify Suppliers
For nail specialists, estheticians, massage therapists, and cosmetologists who want to operate an organic-based establishment, there are hundreds of suppliers and vendors to choose from. You’ll realize that fact about 24 hours after legally registering your business. Most new owners are inundated with in-person, online, and postal mail offers from sellers of all kinds. This moment is a crossroads for those who want to stick to their principles. How can you vet all those vendors? Ask simple, direct questions about the supplies and equipment they sell, like “Are there any inorganic additives in this?” Tailor other inquiries to the type of services you offer and the categories of goods you need to purchase to conduct business. Make a list of approved vendors and double-check any claims they make about their wares. Always research their companies online to verify that natural and organic verbal assurances are authentic.
Get Your Finances in Order
After finding contact names for suppliers you can trust, take the time to write a financial plan down on paper. Make it detailed enough that you can use it as a blueprint for operations during the early months of providing services to the public. For many entrepreneurs, the smartest move is to refinance student loans with a cosigner as a first step. What’s the point of having a cosigner, and why do so many people opt to use one? When someone cosigns on your education loan refinance application, not only do you have a much greater chance of approval, but you also get a chance of a lower interest rate. Refinancing has other benefits, like lower monthly payments, better overall terms, and an extended repayment period. But having a cosigner is the ideal situation because it helps get the ball rolling and ups your approval chances immediately.
Research the Best Locations
Avoid jumping at the lowest-priced lease agreement if you intend to occupy a small space in a commercial neighborhood. Instead, shop around and use price as just one of several criteria for selecting a location. Consider where your target demographic lives, and make an effort to open a storefront as close to them as possible.
Do Community Outreach
As an ethical, responsible member of your community, it’s imperative to do various forms of service and outreach. What can a massage therapist, esthetician, or nail service salon do for the community? Combine self-promotion and volunteer work in creative ways, like donating time and services to retirement centers one day per month. Remember to talk up your company and give out business cards while doing so. In advertising literature, be clear about the fact that you do community outreach. There’s nothing wrong with letting potential and current customers know that you support charitable causes. Other techniques include making small cash donations to local charities, hospitals, and other worthwhile causes. Avoid supporting political organizations unless you’re ready to say goodbye to about 50% of your customer base.
Screen New Hires
Check out some of the local competition, and you’ll likely discover a sad fact about the health wellness and beauty bodywork industry in that far too many owners don’t carefully screen their front desk employees or other workers. Weak customer service has been the downfall of many entrepreneurs and startups in the wellness and beauty field. Don’t let yours be one of them. Instead, spend time screening new hires by doing thorough background checks, conducting lengthy interviews, and using a 30-day trial period for all new workers. Be clear with potential employees about how much emphasis you put on excellent, polite, attentive service, and customer interaction.
Dive Into Social Media
In the digital age, independent business owners need to leverage the power of social media. While the ploy works better in some industries than in others, the wellness and personal bodywork segments are two fields in which a strong social media presence is worth a lot. Consider hiring an independent contractor who specializes in promoting small companies via all the major social media channels. Instead of spreading yourself thin, consider instructing your specialist to focus on two or three channels. It’s much easier to make regular posts to a handful of outlets, run specials, and perform targeted marketing campaigns when you are chasing a dozen social media channels at once.
