The Secrets to My Success

North East Beauty Awards 2019

If you follow us on social media, you will have seen that we have been nominated for an award at the North East Beauty Awards 2019, in the Best Training Provider category. It’s truly an honour to even be nominated and recognised for the work we do. I’ve put my heart and soul into building the academy from the ground up and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved.

Where it all began

You might have seen my career story in my previous blogs; I knew I wanted to a beauty therapist from the age of nine, and when I finally qualified, I worked in health spas, travelled the world working on cruise ships, and finally set up my own salon in 2004. I loved working as a therapist (and I still love doing treatments on clients), but every time I thought about my future, I thought about the natural next step for my career, which was going into teaching. I wanted to teach the next generation of therapists the skills and knowledge they’d need to do the job I loved so much.

From teaching to opening the academy

I gained my Certificate in Education from Sunderland University, then I went on to teach for different charities in the North East and worked in a local school for a few years. Then in 2010, I opened the doors to the academy, and I’ve never looked back.

My vision for the academy

My aim was always to deliver excellent training to students while making them feel at ease and building their confidence. I remember what it was like to train with impatient tutors who made you feel inadequate if you didn’t get the hang of something; it can have a really negative impact on you.

That’s why my approach to teaching is being patient and caring about every person who walks through my door. I don’t just want to get bums on seats and hurry people through their qualification, I like to give my learners personalised, high-quality training in small groups. It’s all about giving them a positive learning experience so they can go out into the world as confident and competent therapists.

The secrets to my success (and yours!)

I always hope that people are inspired by my story and the way I do things, and I love the thought that some of my learners will then go on to inspire other people. I’ve been in the industry now for over 20 years, and I’ve given, and been given, a lot of advice on how to run a successful business.

I want to share the five tips that have pretty much been the key to my success. They’re universal though, and I’m sure they will help you when you set up your own business.

  1. Look after yourself first

Yes you’re busy, yes you have to juggle a million different priorities, but you should always make yourself your number one priority. If you don’t look after yourself, mind, body, and soul, how do you expect to give the best to your clients? If you want to keep loving what you do and avoid burnout, start making time for self-care.

  1. Update your skills regularly

Things move fast in the beauty industry, just like in any other industry, so you need to move with the times and learn new treatments and techniques. This makes good business sense-you don’t want to be left lagging miles behind your competitors who offer the very latest treatments.

  1. Keep on top of your marketing

Granted, most of us get the majority of our business through word of mouth, but you can’t neglect your marketing, especially when it comes to getting through the quieter times of year. Stay active on social media, and don’t just try to attract new clients (this takes a lot of effort), but make sure you offer something to existing clients. Loyal customers equal repeat business and healthy profits.

  1. Delegate what you can’t do yourself

This has been a huge game-changer for me. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to grow your business because you’re buried under piles of admin, dealing with social media, or spending hours trying to work out how to fix something on your website. You might think that you can’t afford to pay someone to do these things for you, but believe me, what it saves you in time (and sanity!) is well worth it.

  1. Competition is healthy but they’ll never be you…

Competitors exist in any industry, and you might constantly worry about someone copying what you do, or even trying to put you down on a public domain, but the good news is, customers come to you because they like YOU. You are the most unique selling point of your business, never forget that. Regardless of how good someone is at doing treatments, if they have terrible customer service and they’re unreliable, they will never get repeat custom. Think about how you want your business to be perceived, and let this guide you in everything you do.

 

 

 

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