#129 - STEP BY STEP OF HOW TO OPEN A HOME BASED LASH BUSINESS
Here is a comprehensive checklist of all the actions you need to take to successfully start your at home lash business, including the essential products you will initially need. (To open a salon has a different checklist)
**Please note: There is a lot more information on this subject, like branding, marketing, technique etc. This list does not include these things and is just the essential elements you have to do to open your at home lash business.**
Also this blog assumes that you've already done your lash training (however you can get started on a lot of the following points before you do your Locks Lash course).
We have also made a checklist which you can print off and tick each item as you get them done.
➡️ CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST ⬅️
TRAINING
First things first you need good training!
Not to toot our horn too much but Locks Lash is the #1 way of getting trained in Eyelash Extensions in Australia & New Zealand - and we are now delivering internationally.
We have been training people since 2008 and were one of the first in Australia to ever offer training. A LOT has changed since 2008. We have been continually updating our training with the latest proven and accurate information to give you all the exact info you need. There is a lot of unneeded or incorrect information surrounding lash extensions and we pride ourselves on giving you the info you actually need to be able to do lash extensions competently and confidently.
Locks Lash has also evolved into delivering all our courses online (we still can do in-person coaching) and have made them that the student gets MORE of everything online.
More theory and explanation; they get not only the videos but also the accompanying manual which has more data in it than a live trainer can ever give over 1-4 day course.
The data is accurate. Ever heard of Chinese Whispers - one will notice that information can dramatically change when it is passed on from one person to the next. How can one ensure during live training, that the trainer is giving all the information accurately? Online theory ensures all data is 100% correct. Students learn at different paces. An online course offers the rewind button to go over data they didn’t quite grasp.
Up-close footage ensures that not one single aspect of lashing is missed by the student.The pro’s for online vs live are endless.
Soooooo can you really learn lash extensions online?
The answer is not only a big fat YES, but also we reckon it will produce better technicians than ever before!
Check out online courses by clicking here
Enquire about training here and one of our lovely technicians will be in touch within 24 business hours.
MARKET RESEARCH
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Go and actually look to see what demographic lives in your area. Sit on the side of a street and watch. Is it young mothers? Is it middle aged women? Are there a lot of teenagers? All these sort of questions. Don’t assume you know who lives in your area. Go and actually look and count them. These people will be your clients, so you want to know who you are going to be delivering lashes too. Get to know as much about them as you can.
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Find all the local salons and at home businesses in your area that do lashes (for maybe a 10km circumference depending on where you live). Visit some of them as a client. Have a look at their menu’s to see how much they charge, what they are offering, how they treat their customers etc. This is very valuable information.
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Figure out your cost prices - like how much does it cost you to do a set of lashes? This may be a lot of maths! However we have done it for you and as a rough guideline it will cost you approx $12-$18 in product to do a standard set of classic lashes. This is not including things like your rent, power, phone, your wages etc (you will have to figure that out because we don’t know how much rent you pay etc).
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Based on all of the above (including what other salons / home based salons charge), decide how much you are going to charge per set.
IMPORTANT: I can not count how many times technicians complain how hard it to to put their prices up. Soooooo as a solution to this, decide on the price you IDEALLY want to charge. And that is your price.
Initially when you are starting out, you may not feel your work is worth that amount (because you are only going to get better and more skilled) - which is valid. So what we suggest is going a special / discount / sale off the price you want to eventually charge.
For example if you want to eventually charge $150 per set, but currently feel your sets are only worth $100 and also because you want to offer a lower price to attract some customers (chicks love sales) - well then do a special ‘for June only normally $150 per set, discounted for a limited time only $100’. Or something like that.
Another note on this point … don’t charge really low to try and attract customers, you will only attract customers who are price driven and will go somewhere else to seek another better price. These are not the clients you want long term.
SET UP YOUR SPACE
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Don’t go overboard on lots of fancy stuff when you are starting out. Kmart is perfectly acceptable. Spend money once you earn money. A couple of cheap pot plants & a nice blanket go a long way!
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See the list below of the product and equipment you will need. See if you can get some second hand things like a bed etc. You can always buy a nice blanket to cover an old bed.
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Get a phone number.
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Get a professional email address. Using ‘sexythang@hotmail.com' that you opened when you were 16 yrs old isn’t really appropriate, so get a new one just for your business.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Decide on a name for your business.
As a side note - it is recommended that when you start your lash business have a couple of options for the future in mind. For example do you want to potentially open a salon and have staff? If so, you wouldn’t name your business ‘Sarah’s Lashes’ because that then will limit you in the future. So keep this sort of thing in mind when you are naming your business.
It is also a great idea to survey your potential clients / target market and see which name communicates best to them. This could easily be done through social media.
2. Register your business name with the Government register. Here is the link with a step by step guide in how to do this …
Australia: https://asic.gov.au/for-business/registering-a-business-name/steps-to-register-your-business-name/
New Zealand: https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/help-centre/starting-a-company/how-to-reserve-a-company-name/
Dubai, Iran, Japan, UK, USA and all other countries: Check with your local government to ensure you are meeting all local legal requirements.
3. Get an ABN (Australian Business Number - which is basically a Tax Number) for your business or for yourself (we recommend doing it under your business name not yourself).
In New Zealand register for an IRD number.
4. Call your local council and see what requirements you had to abide by legally. Each council is different and can have slightly different requirements. Get those requirements done and yourself registered with your local council.
5. Open a bank account in your business name (you need your business registration and ABN / IRD number) usually to do this (its so much easier later if your business and personal transactions are separated)
6. Open a Paypal account in your business name. You want as many ways as possible to take payments to make it easy for your clients. However we don’t recommend to initially have the costs of an Eftpos machine (get to that later once you earn some money) and instead try something like ‘PayPal Here’ or ‘Square’. Research different options. Square is a little device you can take card payments on.
7. Research different online booking systems and decide which one you want to use. CLICK HERE for our recommendations.
8. Decide on how you are going to keep a record of your accounts. There are online ones you can use too.
It is very simple - you want to keep track of what you spend (keep your receipts for tax purposes too) and what you receive.
At tax time, you can easily pay an accountant or book keeper to do your return, but they will love you a lot more if you have an easy system to record everything in. You can even do it on a spreadsheet. Just two columns - money spent - money earned.
9. In Australia you do not have to charge or pay GST (Goods & Services Tax) until you turn over $75,000 p/a. The ATO (Australian Tax Office) does recommend that if you expect to turn over more than $75,000 p/a then register when you open the business.
(In New Zealand you don’t have to pay GST until you turn over $60,000 p/a)
(Please note this blog is written with Australia and New Zealand in mind. The laws and requirements may be different in other countries. However this will give you a good general idea on how it usually works regardless of where you live.)
MARKETING
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Print media (adverts that are printed like ad’s in newspapers, billboard etc) statistically do not work as well as online marketing. However the only marketing we would suggest with print is doing a letter box drop around your neighbourhoods telling people you have arrived with an offer of a special. It is also good exercise!
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Open a Facebook and Instagram account for your business. There is sooooo much information on how to market on social media which is another blog in itself. Get educated on how to do this effectively - there is an art to promoting on social media!
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Adopt a 'Refer a Friend' program.
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Let all your friends and family know you have opened a lash business.
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There is another blog we have written on lots of tips in how to market yourself and get clients. It is definitely worth a read so CLICK HERE to check it out!
PRODUCTS
Here is a list of the basic items you will need to start delivering amazing lashes to clients.
You can obviously get more than what is on this list, however we have taken an economical approach to this list and suggest that as you earn money & start making a profit, THEN add to your products, get better equipment, get different lash sizes & types etc.
The whole aim of the game is for to make some money, so spend as little as you can until you start making some. 🤑
Also Pre-Made Volume lashes are becoming more and more popular these days. So it may pay to ask around a little and see if your clients are more interested in receiving Classic Lashes or Volume Lashes. Our guess is the answer will be Volume - so stock up on what is wanted by your clients, not just what we are suggesting.
(If you are on more of a budget, you could skip 8mm & maybe 9mm and just buy a multi tray in replacement to these).
LASHES (for Pre-Made/Pro-Made Volume)
PRE-CARE
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Unicorn Tears (this stuff will change your lashing life!)
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Brush (to apply foaming cleanser)
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Eye Gel Pads (Locks Lash send out free samples of their pads, so it is worth asking for some samples so you can see which ones you like the best so you don’t order a bunch of ones you don’t like. Also most distributors will also have a bulk buy discount that the more you buy the less they are each.) Click here to request some… sales@lockslash.com.au
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Tissues
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Cotton Pads
GLUE & ACCESSORIES
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Glue (buying a smaller bottle would be smart when you start off). Locks Lash often send out sample glues for you can try.
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Tweezers x 4 (it is highly recommended to have a back up pair incase anything happens to your tweezers mid a set like dropping them).
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Air Puffer or similar
ROOM
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Bed
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Blanket for client
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Stool for you
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Small side table
