How to Become a Freelance Hairstylist
With the necessary skills and training you can become a freelance hairstylist. There are several reasons why freelancing is a great option to go for. First is the fact that jobs can be hard to come by at times. Secondly, employment does not offer the level of flexibility and freedom that comes with freelancing. So how exactly can one become a freelance hair stylist?
Enroll in an Accredited Beauty School
It really doesn’t matter how talented you are; you have to go for training before you can start styling people’s hair at a professional level. You might think that you know all there is to know about hair styling only to realize that there’s so much more to learn once you join beauty school.
If you taught yourself hairstyling at home, then cosmetology school will polish your skills and help make you a better professional. Also, once you complete the course and pass all the exams you will receive a license that will enable you to operate without any worries.
Buy The Right Tools
After getting the necessary education, you can start equipping yourself for the trade. Forget about the simple tools that you have been using on your friends, family, and work colleagues. You need to start looking professional, and so it is advisable that you go shopping for new equipment. Here are some of the items you will need:
- Blow dryer
- Curling irons
- Different types of scissors
- Porcupine brushes
- Texturizing sprays
- Anti-Frizz cream
- Diffusers
The idea here is to ensure that you have everything you could ever need to offer the very best hairstylist services to your clients.
Handle Your Business
Seeing as you have decided to get into business, there are several things that you will have to take care of before becoming a freelance hairstylist. They include:
- Get a business license from the licensing body in your area of residence.
- Get a tax identification number. Running your business without this could get you in trouble with the IRS.
- Create a comprehensive list of all the services you will be offering as well as what you will be charging for them.
- Create a professional website with a description of your business and the services you offer.
- Open a separate account for your business and set it up for credit card transactions.
- Purchase customer management software.
- Come up with a well-defined method of keeping track of revenues and expenses.
There are several undertakings from the above list that you might require help with and this could translate to extra costs. Do not be tempted to do something you are clearly not capable of all in the name of cutting costs (for example website development). Just pay a professional to help you out because after all this is your own business you are investing in.
Consider Your Clients
There will always be people who want to have their hair styled, so the issue of market availability shouldn’t be a problem. This however does not mean that you should sit back hoping that somehow people will find out about you. It is your responsibility to go out there and actively search for clients. In other words, you must market your business.
There are quite a number of marketing strategies that you can use, but the most effective is word-of-mouth. The best thing about this strategy is that it does not require a huge budget. In fact, it may not require any financial input at all. It’s pretty simple; get people you know to spread the word about your business. If, for example, you have a friend who organizes weddings then ask them to recommend you to their clients. Try and get as many people as possible behind your business so you can expand your clientele.
Growing with Time
Once you officially start operating it is absolutely essential that you satisfy all your clients. Make sure that everyone who passes through your hands leaves with a huge smile on their face. If you can achieve this, then you will never have to bother yourself with marketing; your clients will spread the word for you.
Are you ready to start working as a freelance hairstylist? Take the first step and enroll in our cosmetology or hair design programs. Once you graduate and get your license, you’ll be set to be your own boss and run your business! Start working toward your dream today.