Beauty Schools Directory - Blog

The recession has unfortunately extended into summer.   Most economists are say signs point to the recession lightening up by the end of the year – but I can’t wait that long for a haircut, can you?

Since the recession hit, the concept of a “staycation” has become incredibly popular.  Many luxury resorts and vacation spots around the world offer salon-and-spa services, and that salon-and-spa pampering  is often an integral part of the trip for some vacationers. But with so many people staying home and trying to save money, they may feel that salon-and-spa days are out of their reach.  As a cosmetology student, this can is the perfect opportunity for you to swoop in and save the day.  Your cosmetology school can offer all the services of a day spa at lower prices than the big-name hotels and spas.

Clients are looking for a lower-cost spa experience, and you are looking to get hands-on practice in cosmetology techniques, so you are a perfect match for each other!  This situation provides a huge opportunity for beauty students and cosmetology schools.  In the past, people have been wary of the service they’ll receive from students at a cosmetology school, so having clients on a budget come in for pampering services in is a great way to prove how modern, professional and enjoyable cosmetology student services can be.  You’ll gain a great deal of experience in your area of cosmetology before you graduate and possibly even build up a client-base that comes with you when you start your career.

So, as a beauty student at cosmetology school, make sure you spread the word on the low cost and high quality of the services your cosmetology school can provide.  The recession is usually a bad thing, but it can be a great opportunity for you.

Is your cosmetology school doing anything to take advantage of these new opportunities? Do you see more clients on a budget coming through your doors?

As a beauty school student or instructor, do you think that speed matters? That is, the speed at which you cut someone’s hair.

Ivan Zoot holds the world record for the fastest haircut at a mere 55 seconds. Wow! Of course, that’s for the Guinness Book of World Records, but still. Is speed-cutting a skill that can take you anywhere? I’m just not sure.

On one hand, we’ve all heard the saying that time is money. In most other industries, a quick turn-around with a quality result is one of the most important things a business can provide.

On the other hand, when a client comes into a salon, whether it’s for a day of pampering or just a quick trim, they like to feel relaxed, right? They like to be able to sit in your chair and chat, or read a magazine – anything but feel rushed.

So, which is more important - quality or speed? What are you learning or did you learn in cosmetology school? To be quick and efficient, or to linger over each client and make them feel special? Or something in between?

We want to introduce you to a cutting edge, revolutionary new section of Beauty Schools Directory - the Beauty School Lounge! The Beauty School Lounge is a networking site for beauty students, cosmetology educators, and working beauty, cosmetology or esthetics professionals. With custom profiles, open conversations, posting/viewing/rating tutorials and networking with other beauty pros, the Lounge is the ultimate resource for aspiring and working professionals and those passionate about the industry.

We’re so excited to invite you to create a profile, explore the Lounge and make it a fun and informative place for the beauty, cosmetology and esthetics industry. The best way to get ahead in today’s Internet world is networking. By creating a profile on the Lounge you can meet and network with beauty students, teachers and professionals in your area of expertise. You’ll make new friends, learn more about your field of beauty and advance your education and career.

If you’re a professional now, you probably remember having lots of questions when you first started out. With the Lounge, you’ll have a chance to answer beauty questions from amateurs, and we all know a little good advice can help someone feel more confident! You can also get some questions of your own answered! Maybe you heard about a new technique and you want a little more info, or perhaps you have a beauty problem and need some advice from a professional. Ask away!

In addition to Q&A, the “Conversations” section of the Lounge is teeming with discussion about the latest happenings in the world of beauty – from general news topics to beauty jobs and careers. In “Tutorials” you can view, comment on, rate and post your own tutorial videos to get more involved with your Lounge friends.

So, we are officially inviting you to visit the Beauty School Lounge, set up a profile and have fun with it!

The Ultimate Beauty, Cosmetology and Esthetics Resource

When a soldier is serving overseas, looking good is on the bottom of the priority list.  Whether they’re in the deserts of the Middle East or out to sea on a Navy ship, their job serving their country is what is most important.  So although they may not focus on their looks, they definitely deserve pampering more than most.

This is where your salon, spa or cosmetology school can help support our troops.  Lisa Hoffman, wife of actor Dustin Hoffman, has started a trend by donating more than $1 million worth of Lisa Hoffman Beauty products to troops and their families.  Your salon or school may not be able to make a donation at that level, but everything counts.
Here are some fast, easy ways to support the troops:

• Collect donations at work or at school that can go to an organization that helps the soldiers. Operation Gratitude accepts monetary donations that go toward the shipping costs of sending the packages.
• If you receive small containers or bottles of health and beauty products from your suppliers you can donate those through Give2TheTroops. They have a wish list of all the health and beauty items soldiers have requested.
• Your salon, spa or school could offer discounts to soldiers and their families. The soldiers need to relax when they get home and it’s tough for their spouses and children to be at home without them, so they could use some pampering too!

These are just some small ways your school or business can help our troops overseas.  A care package including their favorite shampoo or a soothing lotion would let them know we’re all thinking about them while they’re gone.

Is your beauty salon or cosmetology school participating in one of these charitable programs to help the troops and their families? Do you have any other ideas to help the soldiers?

In troubling times, most people feel that their careers could be in jeopardy – but there are a few careers that are not seeing the ax. Cosmetology and beauty careers are among those seeing an increase in demand for skilled professionals.

Some people might feel that spending money on cosmetology services to make them look better will be put on hold in troubling financial times. But it turns out it’s the exact opposite! Since the baby boomers are aging, many feel the hands of time are ticking against them and some will do anything to erase Father Time from their faces, hands and hair. Also, many people can no longer afford those luxurious vacations, and instead take a luxurious trip to the salons and spas.

Many professional women want to make sure that they’re looking their best so that they’re ready for that last-minute job interview or looking polished when out networking.  And everyone still wants to look beautiful for the big events in their lives, such as graduation and weddings.  That means there is an ever-growing demand for licensed estheticians and cosmetologists.

Training to become a beauty professional might be a smart move in troubling times. The demand for cosmetology, hairstyling and esthetics professionals is increasing - even during the recession. And when the economy starts to take off again, studying to become and working as a beauty professional could secure your future even more.

We want to hear from you! Beauty professionals and students, are you worried about the pinch of the recession economy? Or do you have a steady stream of business in these troubling times?