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Real Beauty Industry Advice from the King of Beauty PR

Posted on: September 3rd, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 6 Comments

Beauty Professional Marketing & PRBeauty Schools Directory: Tell the world a little bit about BeautyPRPro – what exactly do you do?

Alex Irving: Sharon and I started BeautyPRpro in 2008 to meet a real need. Salon professionals and salon or spa owners had nowhere to go to learn about “real world” beauty public relations and how to “get good at getting press.” There’s a lot you can do for yourself without the assistance of a public relations firm, you just need to know some of the tricks of the trade. Doing PR is like doing magic. It seems impossible until you know how the tricks are performed.

Before we started BeautyPRpro, putting all that basic info into one place, it was either the school of hard knocks, or you had to be lucky enough to work for a salon owner who was good at it and willing to share their knowledge with you. Young stylists, colorists, nail techs and estheticians learn many things in beauty school, but PR isn’t one of them. Neither is marketing, photography, or business/people management – all critical tools for financial as well as creative success.

We began blogging last September on our niche topic – beauty and salon public relations, which, in many ways, is uniquely different from general business PR. Although all the basic principles of good public relations apply, the beauty industry has special needs. When you first subscribe to the blog, you get a free copy of our e-Book Life-Changing PR for Salon and Spa Owners and that’s a valuable starting point to get you ready to get more out of what we go on to discuss and explore in the twice weekly blog posts. There’s a great deal of excellent reference material there.

Beauty Schools Directory: In your blog, you mention helping industry professionals “grow their public persona.”  What does that mean to a beauty professional or business?

Alex Irving: It means how do people really see and experience you? How does a camera see you? How does what you say make people feel about you. It relies on your ability to tell a “story,” the story of “you” and what you believe, and that takes some thought and practice to have it flow naturally. It doesn’t mean you become actor pretending to be other than who you are. It means you need to look at yourself a bit more critically and understand how what you do and say is perceived by others.

Your image is a unique selling proposition. What is your image? Ever thought about it? What do you wear to work? How do you speak? What drives you and motivates you? How do you feel about your clients? How do you feel about fashion? Where do you see hair, clothes and makeup trends going next season? Are you concerned about leading the pack, bringing the most current looks and styles to your clients? Can you communicate who you are and what you believe to others? Bottom line is, you need to craft your story, rehearse it and know what you have to say. That is every bit as important as having good technical and creative skills. That is your public persona. We wrote a couple of posts on this topic – How Do Your Clients See You? and All The World’s a Stage – Are You Ready?


Beauty Schools Directory: What would you say are the most frequently missed opportunities beauty professionals should be seizing on to grow their business and clientele?

Alex Irving: From the PR point of view it is industry professionals not leaving home to broaden their horizons. Too many professionals are stay-at-homes. The beauty industry is worldwide and the most successful beauty pros are those who are out playing in the bigger ballgame, learning, growing, meeting people, making beauty industry contacts and having experiences they can talk about with (and impress) their clients and the media.

I’m talking about getting involved with beauty industry organizations such as the Professional Beauty Association and attending events such as PBA Beauty Week in Las Vegas, International Haircolor Exchange (IHE) in St. Louis in 2010, American Board of Certified Haircolorists (ABCH) Summit in Los Angeles, etc. It’s about going to the fashion collections for the Milan or Paris Fashion Week. When you are there amidst the action, you are sipping the future, taking pictures of yourself in context and sharing all that with the media and your clients when you get back home.  Here’s a post we wrote on that topic as well — Seeing a Beauty Industry Event through the Eyes of a Beauty PR Pro.


Beauty Schools Directory: How do you feel the recession has impacted the beauty, cosmetology and esthetics industry?  Is there still opportunity for new beauty professionals to break in?

Alex Irving: Beauty is one of the most recession-resistant industries there is. Of course there has been a downturn in retail sales and clients are creating longer times between services, but there are always services! Women, men and children do not stop getting hair color, cut and styles, facial treatments don’t stop. In fact salon and spa skin care business increases as plastic surgery and more radical and expensive anti-aging solutions become too expensive to do right now.


And, yes, beauty jobs are just a bit harder to find. But they are there in any economy. Applicants need to have their skills, personality, and attitude ready for work and ready to come to the fore during the interview. A good job in beauty is always there for the right person. If someone motivated, ready to work hard, learn and contribute comes to me for a job, even if I don’t have one I hate losing a great applicant. I always try to find a way. Beauty is all about people – finding great people with good skills.


Beauty Schools Directory: Your PR agency, Esche & Alexander Public Relations, and your BeautyPRPro Blog have a huge presence online.  What role do you feel the web currently plays or will play in marketing oneself as a beauty business?

Alex Irving: Make no mistake, in today’s world, marketing is every bit as important to your financial success as your skills with color, shears and razors, nails or skin care talents. People look first to the web for what they need and want. Google is not just a noun, it’s an action verb. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, Twitpic, YouTube, Google, and all of today’s web marketing tools are mandatory to reaching out and touching your clients when they are not in your chair. Make no mistake; you need the web to be successful in beauty in the future. We’ve blogged on this topic here with Show Yourself!  – Get a ‘Gravatar’, The World Wide Web Is a Very ‘Sticky’ Place, and Twitter for On-Line Scheduling or What?


Beauty Schools Directory: What marketing advice might you offer to newly graduated cosmetology students who are just beginning their career path in beauty?

Alex Irving: Well, it’s sort of marketing advice. Don’t become a booth renter out of school! I don’t care what anyone says. Our industry loses too many talented young professionals who hear how great booth renting is, but don’t yet have the marketing skills to develop their own traffic or the business savvy to run their own business. They end up falling by the wayside and leave the industry feeling like failures. We all lose.

Find a great salon owner that offers their staff ongoing training and continuing education, brings in the clients through their marketing efforts, and supports you in achieving your personal and professional goals. There are many good salon owners are out there. Your first job is to find them and let them help you grow.

Final thought?  I say congratulations on choosing the beauty industry as your future.  Your cosmetology license is your ticket to ride in one of the most exciting career tracks in the world.  I look forward to your comments on http://www.beautyprpo.com.

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Illinois Tightens Hair Braiding Laws

Posted on: August 20th, 2009 by Heather 16 Comments

hair-braiding-illinois-cosmetology-lawSince 1985, Illinois has maintained that if you want to work in the cosmetology or beauty field, you must have a cosmetology license. In fact, all states require all cosmetologists be licensed to work on hair, nails and skin. But, when you offer such a niche service like hair braiding, that’s where the law becomes a little twisted, at least for some.

According to Illinois law and the Illinois State Board of Cosmetology License Requirements, anyone working with hair must take the required 1,500 hours of cosmetology training. That is putting some tight restrictions on hair braiders. They provide a service that is strictly braiding hair, and normally don’t offer any other service like hair cutting or coloring. However, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation wants hair braiders to be licensed, and not for the reasons you may think.

When a beauty professional is licensed, they are protected by the law when a customer refuses to pay or writes bogus checks. But, it goes a little deeper than that – some believe that hair braiders need to be trained in a few core courses relating to the industry.

The United African Organization would like to see a compromise from the state that allows hair braiders courses only in sanitation and business training, which would be around 300 clocked hours of cosmetology school.

Up on the debate block for the fall is a law that would require hair braiders to complete 300 hours of training, which the courses would focus on blood-borne pathogens, recognizing scalp disease and sanitation practices.

What do you think? Should niche beauty services like hair braiding have specific cosmetology licensing requirements? Tell Beauty Schools Directory your views on this tangled matter.

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The Bikini Waxing Debate: Sugaring vs. Waxing

Posted on: July 23rd, 2009 by Heather 10 Comments

All of the horror stories in the media lately about the dangers of Brazilian waxing and bikini waxing got me wondering, what alternatives are there for men and women who want to go hairless? For those who are tired of shaving but can’t commit to laser hair removal? There is another alternative that’s been around much longer than waxing (supposedly ancient Egypt) but isn’t as popular in salons and spas – sugaring.

And so it begins. The battle of the century. Which hair removal technique is better: sugaring or waxing?

Application

Sugaring – Sugaring is similar to waxing as it rips hair straight from the root, but there are differences in the application. The sugaring paste or gel is applied lukewarm, under no circumstances should you accidently get burned during this procedure. Using a traditional sugaring technique, the sugaring paste or gel is removed the same direction as hair grows; this is easier on the skin and less painful. Sugaring also only attaches to dead skin cells – it won’t accidently remove your skin.

esthetics-hair-removal-sugaring-waxingWaxing – Wax is applied warm, there have been several cases of clients getting burned during this procedure. Wax strips are pulled off in the opposite direction of hair growth, which can be hard on the skin and painful. Wax attaches to both dead and live skin cells making the possibility of skin coming off more likely.

Ingredients

Sugaring – Sugaring has natural ingredients that are less harsh on the skin and are less likely to cause allergic reactions. The main ingredients in the sugaring formula are sugar, lemon juice and water; essential oils may be included as well.

Waxing – Waxes have many more ingredients and most are not natural. Waxes are usually made of resins and can include artificial fragrances, dyes, chemicals, and preservatives.

Infection

Sugaring – Bacteria does not breed or survive in sugar; it actually helps prevent infections and promotes healing. Sugaring is also water-soluble, extremely easy to clean up and leaves the skin feeling smooth.

Waxing – Bacteria breeds in wax, can bruise skin, and can cause rashes and bumps. Wax is difficult to clean up; usually heavy oils or chemicals are needed and it often leaves the client’s skin sticky.

Cost

At most salons and spas, sugaring costs a few dollars more than waxing. The main reason for the price increase is that sugaring takes longer than waxing.

Conclusion

From most of the comparisons I’ve read, sugaring seems like the obvious choice. I think most of us would be willing to pay a few dollars more for less pain and risk of infection, as well as a better, more natural result.

So why isn’t it available everywhere like waxing seems to be? I’m curious, is this technique is being taught in the majority of cosmetology schools? Does your salon or spa offer it? What are your experiences with sugaring and waxing?

Try Sugaring or Waxing at Home:

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Scamming in the Cosmetology Industry!

Posted on: July 9th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments

cosmetology-bill-phony-scamCalifornia cosmetology license-holders should keep an eye on their mailboxes for fishy-looking “bills.” This week, the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (Cal-BBC) posted a warning on its website of a scam targeting beauty licensees in the state.

The Cal-BBC warns that a business called the “California License Renewal Service” has been mailing fake “renewal notices” to California cosmetology licensees. These notices offer to file the licensee’s renewal application and fee with the board in exchange for a “service fee” of up to $40.

The Cal-BBC wants cosmetology professionals within the state to know that the California License Renewal Service is neither associated with, nor endorsed in any way by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. When the time comes for you to renew your cosmetology license, the board will mail you its own notice within 90 days of your license’s expiration date.

The real notice will include instructions on how to file for renewal directly with the board. Most importantly, there is no service charge associated with filing your license renewal directly with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.

Check out this copy of the phony cosmetology license bill and warn all your California beauty friends to beware. Scammers are trying to get their hands on a piece of your hard-earned money!

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Revolutionizing the Beauty Industry

Posted on: June 18th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 2 Comments

We want to introduce you to a cutting edge, revolutionary new section of Beauty Schools Directory – the Beauty School Lounge! The My Social Beauty 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, My Social Beauty 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 My Social Beauty 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 My Social Beauty 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 My Social Beauty, set up a profile and have fun with it!

Make Our Soldiers Beautiful

Posted on: June 11th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments

Give2theTroops Thank You Photo

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?

Are you wasting your beauty school education?

Posted on: April 29th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 13 Comments

shara-stevenson-esthetician-manicuristShara Stevenson is licensed esthetician and manicurist. She is also a marketing professional with a Bachelors of Arts from Georgia State University. Shara is passionate about multicultural beauty, fashion, market trends and branding. Follow Shara on Twitter @hellobeauty.

You purchased your kit, bought your uniform, and you’re officially enrolled in beauty school. That was the easy part. What you do next will determine whether you become a beauty school superstar, ready to conquer the world of beauty and esthetics, or, if you become just another person that went to beauty school and got their license but did nothing with it. You make the choice. Here’s how to make the most out of your beauty education.

Take Your Investment Seriously
You’ve invested the money in your beauty school education, so take it seriously.  Study your Milady book and take the practice tests. Participate in class discussions, and stay on top of industry trends by subscribing to publications like LaunchPad, Nail Pro, DaySpa, and Beauty Fashion. Memorizing theory is important, but it’s more essential that you can explain it. Many times students fall into the habit of treating cosmetology school like high school for adults. Instead of practicing hair cutting techniques, they’re gossiping with classmates. If beauty school becomes a chore, then reevaluate why you enrolled, and decide whether or not you want to continue your education. The amount of material that you need to cover can seem overwhelming, but don’t get discouraged! Don’t be the next beauty school dropout. Put your blinders on, stay focused, and keep unnecessary distractions at bay. You’ll thank yourself once you’ve completed your required hours.

Practice Makes Perfect
Okay, so your first five sets of acrylic nails popped off. The first time you did a perm it didn’t come out right. And, you haven’t quite perfected the effleurage facial movement. Now what? Keep practicing! The great thing about beauty school is that you’re not expected to be a shear genius overnight. Cosmetology school is structured to provide you with the foundation you need to perform basic services, and to equip you with information you need to pass state cosmetology licensing examinations. What you do with the training you receive is up to you. One way to get ahead is to practice, practice, practice.

Here are a few ways to sharpen your hands-on cosmetology skills:
-    Swap services with other students
-    Volunteer your services to community and nonprofit organizations
-    Offer services to your friends and relatives

Treat Yourself like a Business
Even though you’re a student, you are preparing yourself for a career in business so adapt the mindset of a businessperson. One of the most important things a business can do is maintain a consistent image. This is called “branding.” It sets you apart from competitors, defines what you stand for, and offers a way for customers to identify with your brand. If you’re studying to become a hairstylist, nail tech or makeup artist, would someone be able to tell by how you dress, and groom yourself? You say want to be the next hairstylist to the stars, but your hair is always messy. If you want to be taken seriously, then you need to become a representation of what you’re selling. Brand yourself. This means your clothing, hairstyle and color, and even your nails should reflect your beauty education and skills. It’s essential that your image is representative of your profession, and your target audience.

Take advantage of networking opportunities. Don’t wait until you graduate to attend trade shows and industry events. Research upcoming shows in your area and mark your calendar. Don’t have the money to attend? No problem. Most trade shows offer discounted rates to students. Another way to become acquainted with the industry is to contact other professionals that have become successful. You’ll be surprised how many beauty pros are willingly to give you advice, or even refer you for a position at a salon.

So Make the Most of Your Beauty School Education!

The statistics don’t lie. The increase in enrollment in beauty schools not only represents a need for people to diversify their skill sets, but it’s also a reflection of the growing billion dollar beauty, health and wellness industries. A career in beauty is a great way to take your passion for makeup, hair or nails to the next level. Study hard, be passionate about your goals, and position yourself as the next professional that sets trends, and becomes the voice of a booming industry.

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Salons Go Green – Just in Time for Earth Day

Posted on: April 22nd, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

These days, many of us care more than ever before about taking care of Mother Earth. Whether we use reusable grocery bags and energy-saving light bulbs, or get that old bike out of the garage instead of taking the car, we all can find ways to do our part.

Now salons and some cosmetology schools are joining the green movement, too. For example, Leon’s Beauty School in Greensboro, North Carolina has been taking steps to make some environmentally responsible practices a way of life. Many of the employees and stylists at Leon’s hope their efforts will inspire other salons and beauty professionals to find new ways to be more environmentally friendly.

Do you work in a salon or teach/study at a beauty school that is striving to be more Earth-friendly? Here are a few green ideas that have worked in Leon’s Beauty School and in other salons across the country:

• Bring in recycling bins! – Businesses like salons go through a lot of disposable containers. Recycling those containers is much friendlier to the planet.
• Switch from commercial cleaning products to home-made or natural cleaners! – For example, Leon’s Beauty School uses a natural water and vinegar solution to clean their windows instead of the traditional chemical-ridden glass cleaner.
• Ban Styrofoam cups! – Leon’s stylists and employees bring their own reusable cups to use throughout the workday.
• Offer discounts to customers who bring back empty plastic hair care bottles for refills.
• Replace old appliances with newer, energy-saving hair dryers or curling irons.
• Use natural beauty products like mineral-based makeup (try Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit), natural henna hair dyes and sugar and water solutions to set hair curls.

Leon’s Beauty School even took their green ideas to a more creative level recently by hosting a “RecycleRama” hair and fashion show. Instead of showing off clothing made of expensive materials by A-list designers, models in this show sported creations made of second-hand fabrics, cardboard boxes, magazine pages and soda cans to spread awareness about being green.

But even if you don’t go the route of designing your own soda can couture, you can still make green beautiful! Got other green tips that you’ve used on the job? We’d love to hear ’em!

Beauty Schools Go Green

Sephora.com, Inc.

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Graduating Beauty School – Now What?

Posted on: April 15th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 2 Comments

It’s almost that time of year – graduation season! For graduates of all ages, it can be an exciting, yet anxiety-inducing time. Some are preparing to complete their education from traditional institutions, while others are about to graduate with a more specialized skill set. If you chose to pursue an education in cosmetology, esthetics or makeup and you’re about to transition to the “real world,” you may have more career options waiting for you than you realized.

Here are a few outside-the-box career ideas for beauty industry job seekers from Marianne Bockheim, a columnist for The Michigan Beauty Examiner:

1. Entrepreneur: If you’re a no-nonsense, business-minded individual, you could become your own boss! Entrepreneurs with a cosmetology background could start their own salons, spas, schools or beauty product lines.
2. Platform artist: If you thrive in front of an audience, working as a platform artist at hair shows could be an exciting career choice. Many platform artists act as ambassadors for professional hair care companies. They often travel to hair shows around the country and demonstrate new techniques or products.
3. Makeup artist for a major line: This is a prestigious career choice for talented, dedicated cosmetology professionals. Many makeup artists pick a product line, and begin their career track at the retail level, and work their way up.
4. Beauty Educator: Many companies value educators with a background in retail or marketing. Earning your cosmetology license will most likely be the best way to get your foot in the door.
5. Cosmetology Teacher: If you thrived during your time in cosmetology school, maybe you’re cut out to help cosmetology students work toward their own career goals. If you like to teach, and love cosmetology, this could be a great career path for you.

Need some more tips for landing the perfect job? Marianne says it always pays to be assertive and ambitious. In the beauty industry, networking is key. Make sure your professional beauty connections know what you want – you never know who could help you get somewhere. Finally, discover your own traits and skills that set you apart from the crowd. When you know more about your own strengths you can make others see why you’re the right one for the job!

What’s your plan for after beauty school graduation? Have any beauty job search tips or stories of your own? We’d love to hear them!

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Kiva Loans Help Build Beauty Businesses Worldwide

Posted on: April 1st, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 1 Comment

About a year ago, we posted a blog about microloans we financed via Kiva.org. We said “The best thing about running a site that helps people find a cosmetology school is helping people make their dreams a reality. “ Well, we have succeeded in helping seven businesses make their dreams a reality so far. Those seven have paid their loans back in full, so now that money has been re-invested in others pursuing their dreams in the beauty field. To date, we have reached 17 businesses across the globe.

One of BSD's new, successful salon owners (via Kiva.org)

We’re most excited about the beauty businesses we’ve helped. We have loaned to a beauty salon in Tanzania and supported cosmetics sales in Nicaragua. Pictured here is Rolith Saavedra Rodriguez, who lives in San José de Sisa – San Martin, Peru. She is a hairstylist and makeup artist. She owns her own beauty salon where she also sells beauty products, while also providing haircuts, dye jobs and beauty treatments. She hoped to buy beauty products such as perfumes for women, men, and children, deodorants, jewelry, nail polish and lotions. She also hoped to replenish her salon with new hair dyes, scissors and face treatments. She is 40 years of age and lives with her husband and three children who are still dependent on her.

It is an amazing feeling to be able to help those with whom we share a common interest, even across incredibly different circumstances and cultures. And who knows? If these women were in the U.S. or Canada, maybe they would have found their beauty schools through our very own Beauty Schools Directory!

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