Ellie Bebbington owner of alt salon Doll Parts in Manchester discusses building a unique salon space and a strong brand identity...
Centring a new business idea (or recalibrating a tired one) around your personal identity can sound like poor advice in the current economic climate. As beauty pros, we know the importance of a full column and the sinking anxiety of too much white space. I’m here to reassure you that finding your place within the industry and delivering something unique, instead of driving away potential clients by being “too specific”, will actually help you stay booked, busy and motivated to grow your business.
I’ve been self-employed in the beauty industry for 10 years and if I can share a single pearl of wisdom, it’s to ditch the idea that you need to please everyone before you hit the ‘Create New Account’ button on Instagram.
I have built a brand around the residents of Manchester’s coolest postcode by leaning hard into my passion for community and subversive beauty. I’m talking about nail businesses here, although I’ll be answering questions about how to apply this in other beauty settings at Professional Beauty North!
If you’ve ever thought about your consumer profile, you’ll be aware that you need to consider the spending habits of your ideal customer, when they are likely to want to book in, and maybe their aesthetic when it comes to décor and social media content. Equally important is to think about what makes you love your job, the looks you love creating each day and what you would like to do more of. What do you want to carry from your own aesthetic and personality into your work and which designs would you ideally be working on all day long?
Tattoo artists are a great example of small businesses that focus on a consistent aesthetic and showcase of brand. Those of us with tattoos will relate to trawling Instagram for the artist whose work speaks to us aesthetically and whose approach warrants a few hours of our time in their studio. Nail artistry should be no different.
To say that our clients are consistently booking in for our boldest “level 4” design work would be a total misrepresentation of a reality where French tips and one-colour manicures will always be the go-to for most nail regulars. I’m talking about who we’re bringing into the shop. Yes, the more we post the work we want to do, the more of that work we’ll do, but consistently showcasing your unique salon offering also creates a sense of clarity, community and belonging among customers. We all have a plain white t-shirt in our wardrobe, but it’s a sense of belonging that dictates where we bought it, alongside price point and quality, which also feed into our overall brand image.
Take a look through Instagram at the beauty salons and studios with large followings. They all have one thing in common: a clear brand image. Whatever your chosen aesthetic, my advice is to lean into what makes you stand out as a beauty professional, whether that be choosing which work to showcase online or picking out the décor for your studio. It is your job to honour yourself when creating your brand and a space that makes you proud on a personal level.