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Whether you are currently working in a salon for someone else, or wanting to dive into the hairdressing industry as a self-employed individual we want to show you how to get started on your journey to...
Whether you are currently working in a salon for someone else, or wanting to dive into the hairdressing industry as a self-employed individual we want to show you how to get started on your journey to becoming a self-employed mobile hairdresser.
Being a mobile hairdresser means you will appeal to certain clients and offer a slightly different service that is more personalised. There are three main options when working as a mobile hairdresser including:
Working from home, creating a salon in your house with clients coming to you. This means you do not have to travel, although you must check your tenancy agreement or mortgage agreement to see if you can run a business from your home, along with your house insurance policy as well.
Visiting client homes, Clients which often opt for a mobile hairdresser include those who have more limited mobility or transport, those that enjoy the convenience of having a hairdresser visit at home, and you could also visit care homes and hospitals.
Renting a chair, freelance hairdressers can rent chairs in salons, paying a fixed rate to the salon owner or through giving a percentage of takings to the salon. This can be a good way to start your freelance career as you can learn more from other stylists around you and benefit from the salons' passing trade and become more established.
Being a self-employed hairdresser gives you many advantages including:
Hours flexibility, you can work whenever it suits you, working around your schedule. You are your own boss so you can decide how to work best.
Low overheads, you won’t need to employ other staff members or pay rent on a building and if you choose to work in a different salon renting a chair the rent will be minimal in comparison to your own salon.
Build a personal relationship with clients, you will get to build rapport with your clients and meet a wide variety of people, hearing their stories.
Despite the positives, there are some disadvantages of being a self-employed mobile hairdresser, including:
Travel, if you are working as a mobile hairdresser going to customer houses you will need to travel around. This eats into your time and transport is an added cost to consider. Driving can be an added stress to your day.
Variable workload, you will have both quiet and busy periods, this can make financial planning difficult if being a self-employed mobile hairdresser is your sole income.
High self-investment at the start, when you are first starting out you will need to purchase all of your own equipment, from shampoo to scissors. These products need to all be of a professional standard to ensure your clients receive the best treatment.
Before becoming a self-employed mobile hairdresser, you need to have formal training and practice as well as qualifications if you want to stand out from the crowd in a competitive market place.
Typically, you’ll start working as a trainee hairdresser in a salon and learn on the job, whilst taking part-time qualifications at a college or through an apprenticeship scheme for on the job training.
You can learn solely through hands-on training in a salon that is not part of an apprenticeship scheme.
Alternatively, some hairdresser courses such as diplomas and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) can be undertaken in an evening around your existing commitments, which is perfect if you are looking for a career change. For example, City and Guilds diplomas cover a wide range of skills or look to your local college for appropriate courses.
Following becoming a fully qualified hairdresser you can choose to become self-employed, rather than working in a salon.
Health and safety training is also an important part of your role as a hairdresser so that you can avoid accidents or in the unlikely case of an accident you have the necessary skills to help.
When becoming a mobile hairdresser there are certain skills that are desirable:
Dedication and commitment, it is important that you have the drive to push for clients especially at the start to get your business running. It can sometimes feel like you are hitting a brick wall but keep on pushing and you will get there. Once you build up your client base you may find yourself in heavy demand. This can be tiring so it is important you have the drive to keep on going to develop your business.
Good hair! Clients will want a hairdresser who has good hair themselves to give them reassurance that their hair will look good. Customers will lose faith in a messy or unfashionable hairstylist.
Practice, you will be working with a variety of clients to provide a service tailored to suit their hair, whether it is damaged, has been pre-coloured, or is just in need of a trim. Your customers will put their trust in you for all their hair care queries. Consequently, you need to be assured in your own skills and treatments, practice and training are essential to provide a high-quality service.
Social skills and a good memory to build customer connections and loyalty, if a customer comes back and you don’t remember their name or their story then it will reflect badly on you. Remembering little details about their life to give you something to talk about during the treatment and being friendly will go a long way. Working as a mobile hairdresser you may have some clients with mobility issues who are unable to leave the house hence the need for a hairdresser who can visit them. This means you might be the only person they see that day, they will want someone to chat with and most importantly, a friend.
Advertising is an essential skill to further develop your client base, this can be through the use of social media and local news work, as well as word of mouth.
Tax and accounting, when working freelance, tax and accounting become your responsibility. All business expenses need to be recorded and HMRC needs to be told that you are self-employed. You need to use the self-assessment process to submit your earnings.
Transport - to get from client to client you will need a car or vehicle large enough to fit everything you need for your appointments. A driving license and vehicle are both necessities.
Chair - when working as a mobile hairdresser you want a chair that is easy to transport, some clients may prefer to sit in their own chair or have accessibility issues so you need to be flexible in working at different angles and heights. If you are a mobile hairdresser working in a salon you can hire a chair to use, or if you decide to create your own salon in your house you will need a chair, mirror, and electrical plugs nearby.
Equipment - this includes scissors and combs, hairdryers, straighteners, clippers, curling irons, bleach-resistant towels, hair products (shampoos, treatments, conditioners, styling products, colours, etc). These products should all be salon level professional quality to enable you to provide the best service possible for your clients.
These amenities and equipment are all necessary for your business and building this inventory can be an expensive feat. We want to ensure that the money you are investing in your business is not damaged as a result of a customer claim. Customers can claim if they are hurt during your services, for example, if they have a severe allergic reaction to your styling products. This can cost you thousands, which is why we offer a liability cover of £6,000,000 to provide you with peace of mind whilst keeping your business safe.
Find out more about the insurance options available to you below.
When working as a self-employed hairdresser it is important you are covered in the case of any incident. Here at Professional Beauty Direct, our job is to offer you self-employed hairstylist insurance services that meet your professional requirements. Our team is approachable and have an expert understanding of the industry.
Our self-employed hairdresser insurance policy is crafted with you in mind, to cover you in all circumstances. The standard freelance hairdressing and stylist insurance covers all types of cutting, colouring and styling from as little as £42.50 per year.
We currently have three types of liability covered, including:
Public Liability Insurance - covering any injuries or accidents which may occur in your home or at your work premises, such as a customer falling over your equipment.
Treatment Liability Insurance - this covers claims on a treatment that you have provided to a client. For example, if a client is burnt from one of your tools or has an allergic reaction to a product you used on them.
Product Liability Insurance - this covers the products you sell to your clients following treatment. A claim under this policy would include if a product you sold them caused an allergic reaction, providing all terms and conditions have been followed the claim will be covered by this insurance.
If you would like to hear more about our hairdresser insurance policy please contact us online or give us a call on 03456 058 670 and we will be more than happy to help.