After you finished your makeup training, you were on top of the world! You worked so hard to build your business, attract clients, and complete gorgeous applications. But lately, things have been feeling a little stale. You’re thinking about ways to breathe new life into your career. Maybe you’re considering taking training in special effects and airbrushing, or getting into high fashion makeup, but how do you know if you’re ready?
If you can see yourself in the following signs, then it’s time to start seriously considering expanding your makeup services!
1. You’re Getting Bored
Of course you love your clients, and makeup will always be your passion, but lately you’ve been finding work less exciting than it used to be. Not too long ago, you’d get a huge rush at every booking, put in tons of work preparing for your appointment, and look forward all day to your client sitting down in your chair. Now, while you still enjoy your job, it seems more mundane and you don’t have the same sense of being challenged that you used to.
You want that excited feeling back, but just aren’t sure how to get there. Getting further education and expanding your services might be just the ticket! When you learn new, awesome skills then you’ll have updated techniques to practice. Your bookings will feel much more varied and diverse, and the fun will continue. Problem solved!
2. You Can’t Give Clients What They Want
Above all else, you want to make your clients happy! Maybe they’re asking for a technique that you don’t offer, and you feel like you’re letting them down when you have to turn them away. Or perhaps they come to you for some services, but go elsewhere for others. Whatever the case, you’re wondering if expanding your services will make a big difference in your client relationships.
This is where it might be a good idea to do a little cost-benefit analysis. If the cost of expanding your skill set outweighs the benefit (i.e. it’s only a couple of clients a year who ask for a certain service, and training is really expensive), then maybe it’s not worth it. But, if you know that you can recoup training costs because you’ll definitely be able to sell the service you learn, then go for it!
3. New Client Visits Have Slowed Down
You might have your regulars that you see every so often and do similar applications for, but if you aren’t booking very many new clients then it could be because you need to expand your services.
Look at it this way—trends in makeup are always going to change, but if you’re not able to offer clients what they really want then they’ll look somewhere else. This can be true of specific techniques, like contouring or strobing, but also for complex skills, such as airbrushing. No one can be an expert at everything, but try to figure out who your target clients are and what they want, what areas of the industry you want to work in, and what you’ll need to know to be competitive. This will help you focus in on what you really need to learn, so that you can expand your services and get those bookings that you want!
4. You Love to Learn!
Even if you’re still super excited by your career, you’re booking lots of clients and they all leave happy, it doesn’t mean you can’t still learn amazing new skills to expand your services! There are some people who have a true passion for learning itself. The excitement, stimulation, and satisfaction that comes with mastering new skills or being on the cutting edge of the industry is a feeling that’s tough to beat.
Remember though, as much as you love increasing your knowledge and skill set, it is possible to have too much of a good thing! Pace yourself, and make sure you’re truly mastering each service that you branch into. Adding another line to your resume doesn’t hold much weight unless you can completely rock each skill that you list.
Even if you’re still excited about every application and building your client base, it’s never the wrong time to check out different opportunities. If you’re feeling bored at work though, or like you’re not meeting clients’ needs, then it could very well be time to branch out and start expanding your makeup services. A special workshop or a part-time makeup course will keep things fresh, and who knows where it will take you in the future.
