The First Steps to Starting an Esthetician Business

As the great Chinese proverb says, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is right now. If you’ve been mulling over when to pull the trigger on your esthetician business, let this be your sign. Building an esthetician business is a complex task, but the work is also fulfilling in ways you may not expect.

Cultivating your own space in this world is the perfect recipe for empowerment. There are a few first steps to take when you’re getting ready to start your esthetician business. Let’s break them down into bite-sized pieces and get you set up with resources that will serve you for years to come.

What are the benefits of owning your own esthetics business?

There are a few obvious reasons why owning your own esthetics business is the right move. Everyone wants to work for themselves. Creating the world you’ve dreamed of with your own tools and resources is incredibly rewarding. There are other notable benefits that can’t be glossed over:

Share your voice in the esthetics industry

Starting an esthetician business gives you a platform to educate clients on proper skin care and share your story with the world. To use your voice in your industry is to make your mark among talented, passionate individuals much like yourself. Your voice is the culmination of your life’s work. It encompasses your personal experiences, professional successes, and losses, carrying resilience that only comes with repeated failures. 

Cultivate a space you believe in for clients and employees

One of the most exciting parts of building your business is identifying your mission and core values. When you start your own waxing studio, beauty salon, or mobile facialist service, you set the vibe of the space, which employees and clients will naturally mirror. 

Think about your past experiences as a spa employee and make a list of which aspects worked and which left staff and customers unhappy. 

Boost earning potential

As an employee, your income is limited to hourly pay, tips, and occasional commissions. But when you become self-employed, the opportunities are endless. You’ll earn money from:

• Service revenue

• Retail sales

• Add-on treatments

• Membership fees

• Expansion into advanced treatment solutions

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for skincare specialists is expected to grow by 7%, much higher than the 3% average for all occupations. This suggests that business owners in esthetics can look forward to excellent growth potential in the coming years.

Although the bureau lists the average pay for estheticians as $41,560 per year, these figures are for all skincare specialists, including hourly employees. As a solo practitioner, entrepreneur, or franchise owner, you can expect more substantial take-home pay. 

Choose the specialization of your esthetics business

Depending on the nature of your niche, specialization can look different for all estheticians, and the treatments you enjoy and excel in may not align with the most lucrative treatments. Sometimes, the best-case scenario is to meet yourself halfway in order to enjoy your work, offer excellent service, and cover your bills.

Waxing specialist

Becoming a waxing specialist is a great opportunity for new estheticians and those with a passion for hair removal. Thanks to minimal overhead, short appointments, and high repeat frequency, it can be easier to begin turning a profit with waxing than with other high-investment services. This niche can also open the door to complementary services, such as brow tinting, lamination, and lash lifts.

Facials and skincare treatments

Should you find yourself in the facials and skincare treatment specialty, you’ll be serving a broader range of clients with varying needs. You may perform a wide range of services, such as: 

• Custom facial treatments and body wraps
• Acne treatments
• Anti-aging services
• Chemical peels
• LED light therapy
• Skin barrier repair
• Dermaplaning
• These tend to be higher-ticket services with strong retail potential. You can also earn more authority in your field by prioritizing client education. 

Medical esthetician

While many med spas hire skincare specialists as employees, others allow medical estheticians to rent a space in their facility to work as independent contractors. However, you could take things a step further and open your own medical esthetics business.

This isn’t a typical startup track, as it requires a greater financial investment and adherence to various medical regulations. That said, if you partner with a like-minded physician, you may see the greatest return in the long run. 

A combination of multiple specializations

Plenty of estheticians determined that specializing in multiple areas keeps their options open and creates a lucrative environment that allows them to dabble in various areas of high-demand services. 

What do you need to open an esthetics business in your state?

Even if you have your business plan template all filled out, knowing state and local regulations can make opening your business much smoother. There’s far more to opening a shop than making esthetician business cards and purchasing high-quality supplies and equipment.

Check with state and local laws

Since every state has a different set of operational standards, checking your local laws is essential. You'll want to determine how licensing works and what permits you’ll need when opening your storefront. Common requirements include:

• Esthetics license
• Business license
• Legal business registration
• Tax identification number
• Business insurance
• Health department inspections to ensure proper safety and sterilization

Pick a good location for your business

When considering where to open your business, remember that accessibility, foot traffic, and the types of businesses nearby can impact your overall success. Be intentional about the community you choose, and remember that the right space may cost more up front, but this investment will usually pay off over time. 

A complete brand and website

Before launching your business, come up with a marketing campaign to get your neighborhood excited for the new services they’ll soon have access to.

Consider working with a branding agency to create a unique brand identity, highlight your business's intentions, and appeal to the needs of your target audience. The beauty industry is saturated, and identifying what makes your business unique is key to your marketing plan.

Shop Bare Beauty Wax Supply for your waxing supplies

Stocking your shelves with high-quality products shows your clientele that not only do you know your stuff, but you care about initiatives that make sense. When you invest in honest, grade-A products, your clients come back for more!

If you’re curious about sourcing the best equipment or taking the first steps to start your own business, reach out to our team! We can’t wait to help support you in your journey.