Are you tired of working in a salon from 9 to 5, cutting the hair of the same people in your area? Do you dream of adventure, new daring cuts, and seeing the world? Then, it’s time to get out of your chair and become a traveling stylist.
Have you considered this career change because your salary as an entry-level hairstylist is ridiculously low? You might have thought it’s easier said than done. You might be right, but it is not impossible.
Traveling stylists don’t have any official salon but go to clients’ locations with their tools. You get to see different places and meet new people. But, it would be best if you were prepared before you set out on this path.
What does it take to become a traveling stylist? How do you have to prepare for the job? We have provided all the insights you need, keep on reading.
What You Need as a Traveling Stylist
Whether you have been trained as a stylist or this is your first foray into styling, you need certain things to make a career of being a traveling stylist. Some of these requirements are physical. But, some are mental, social, and psychological.
The styling industry has become more competitive than ever. If you want to succeed and become a star stylist, you need to have these requirements.
1. Get Proper Training and a License
You have watched many YouTube videos and learned a lot about styling. You might have even practiced a lot with family and friends. However, that’s not enough to start a career as a traveling stylist.
You need training and a license to practice in your chosen location. It will be hard, even illegal, to gain the trust of potential clients without the right training and a cosmetology license. You can face some serious fines if you don’t have the required license for the state.
If you have not attended any styling school, you should take the time to get proper training. It won’t be easy to pass the barber practice test otherwise. This test checks for your knowledge of hair styling, biology, and customer relations. So, you have to adequately prepare for the test. Some programs can help you get the required training and license within months. Once you have done your training and taken the test, you can start your traveling stylist business.
2. Have a Business Plan
Yes, you might be mobile, but you’re still a business. One of the downsides of being a traveling stylist is that you can’t ignore the business side of things like in a 9-5 role. You’re running a business, and you need a solid plan in place if the business will succeed.
Who are your target clients? What unique factors about your services will attract them to you? How will finances be managed, and what percentage goes back into the business? These questions only scratch the surface of the details that should be in your plan.
However, you don’t have to get anxious and kill your dreams if you don’t like the business aspect of things. You can either partner with someone more business savvy or employ a professional to handle the business side. Ensure you partner with a trustworthy person.
3. Deploy a Marketing Strategy
Being a stylist is far beyond knowing the best acne scars natural remedies, or fungal acne treatments. Knowing what is best for your clients will only benefit your business if your potential clients know you exist.
You need to have a strategy to build your client list, keep the client you get, and draw in more clients. Social media is a tool you should leverage in your strategy. Since the media is without limits and you’re a stylist without boundaries, it is a great tool for marketing.
Ensure your business has a message, and never be shy about telling it. Being a traveling stylist is not a reason not to have a fabulous name, logo, and even a website. It is more reason to have all your marketing tools. You don’t want a situation where you don’t get clients.
4. Prepare Your Tools Bag
In a 9-5 job, your employee provides all the necessary tools. If you have worked with a salon, you know what you need in your tools bag. Your training would have prepared you to know the tools you need if you’re new to the job.
Ensure you have the right bag with all your tools for your work. It will save you the stress of packing a bag every time you need to go out. Pick the right size for your tools bag. It should not be sometime too large yet comfortably contain everything you need on the job.
When you travel, keep your tools bag close to you. There are enough cases of missing bags that you don’t want to risk having to replace expensive tools. Your tools bag also helps you deliver the best service wherever you go.
5. Update Your Travel Documents
Traveling is part of the job title, so you should prepare for it. An essential part of preparing to travel is your travel documents. You don’t want a case where you have to travel to a client but can’t make it because your documents took a long time to process.
Always ensure your passport is up to date. It doesn’t matter if you have not had a job outside the country in months. A job could come up tomorrow, and it won’t wait the weeks needed for your passport to arrive. So, stay ready to go!
6. Keep a Support System
It can look like having a lot of fun while doing what you love on the surface. However, the job of a traveling stylist can get exhausting without the right support. You’re the CEO, accountant, creative head, website builder, and so on of your business.
But you don’t need to do everything alone. You can employ the services of experts to help you carry out the tasks. You can also get apps that will help you with tasks like accounting. A support system helps you concentrate on being an exceptional stylist.
Conclusion
Becoming a traveling stylist is a good career path to choose. However, you need to understand what you’re getting into before you do. We have highlighted six things you need to prepare to succeed as a traveling stylist. Put everything in place, and you’ll become a successful stylist. Go ahead and share your creative styling skills with the world.
