How to build your business beautifully with Zaaka King

COMMON BUSINESS ERRORS & HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

Happy March! I want you to treat this column like a mini training session. Here are five mistakes I notice nail pros make, and how to avoid and learn from them:

1. Not learning business skills.

2. Setting prices too low.

3. Believing that you can offer a service to satisfy every client.

4 . Not implementing boundaries and policies. 5. Overworking.

If you’re guilty of any of the above, you’re not alone. I’ve made these mistakes throughout my career, but I’ve overcome them and changed tact, to ensure my business can grow sustainably.

When you began your career journey, your focus may have been on perfecting your craft. However, being skilled in a variety of techniques does not mean that your business will be profitable. For long-term success, you need to make time outside of your client-facing hours to develop your business skills and explore ways to position your enterprise in the market.

It’s common for beauty professionals to price their services based on others, because they’re worried about losing clients to a cheaper competitor. If this is the case, the job becomes more of an expensive hobby than a livelihood. The most important thing you need to do as a business owner is focus on your own numbers. You may never know your competitor’s finances, so calculate treatment prices based on your outgoings: overheads, product cost per service and desired hourly rate. Don’t forget tax, and ensure you charge enough to make a decent profit.

About Zaara King

Beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, has over 13 years’ experience in the beauty sector. She has worked on a mobile basis, in a salon and at home, and is founder of The Beauty Build community: a space for pros to access free training, support one another and stay motivated. Zaara also hosts The Beauty Build podcast and is passionate about helping professionals earn more, work less and establish ambitious and motivated mindsets.

Scan here to listen to my podcast episode: Earn what you desire in your beauty business.

When you take the time to work on your business – and not just within it, you’ll realise that there’s a lot to know about your target audience and ideal clients. You’re in a saturated market, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The market is this way due to client demand. You’re not ‘reinventing the wheel’ – you just need to set yourself apart from competitors with unique selling points. Find your niche and promote it, and you’ll attract a market segment that’s grateful for your skills.

While you may want to offer services to suit all clients, this can lead to confusing brand messaging. This could mean that your marketing efforts don’t resonate with potential clients. Think about who you want to serve every day and how you can highlight your treatments to them, rather than choosing broad marketing materials for a mass audience.

In the spotlight...

Liverpool-based home salon owner, Kate of @beauty_by_kls,is a 1:1 client of mine, and has a great Instagram profile for her business. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it’s practical: her bio is detailed and her pinned posts provide plenty of information, making it easy to find out information about services and book them.

We work within a ‘people pleasing’ industry, and it’s imperative for your wellbeing that you implement strict boundaries and policies. Many pros fall victim to long working hours to accommodate clients, and feel tentative about taking deposits and charging cancellation fees. Clients need to understand that you run a business, so lead with professionalism.

In addition, stick to working hours that are convenient for you, and consider charging more for ‘out of hours’ treatments. Don’t become a slave to your business: you are your own boss, so make the most it! Your business can’t grow if your life gets smaller.

Benefit from direct coaching and support via my Four Figure Focus membership, which is designed to help you grow a profitable business with a good work-life balance. Scan here to sign up and use code SCRATCH for 50% off your first month’s membership.