I have recently had a few people contact me about advice for fitting hair extensions after their initial training and thought writing this blog for new hair extensionist would be helpful.
I feel this industry has enough clients/customers/work to go around and I am a firm believer in helping each other grow rather than thinking you own clients, and everyone is out to steal your business.
I think the first thing to remember once you have completed you initial training and this includes courses that are one day long or five days long and whether you have trained on a training head or live models……you need to practice.
Practice
You need to advertise for models and charge model prices, I have seen far too many people finish their training, charge full price and then they are met with a whole host of problems because the clients isn’t happy with something that they have paid a lot of money for and you then don’t have the experience or knowledge to know why the problem occurred or how to fix it. Practice, practice, practice even if initially you do a couple of full head fittings on a training head to gain confidence and then ask a family member or friend to practice on them. You will not be amazing over night but with enough practice and patients you certainly could be.
Build a support system
With social media now there are so many groups to join or follow that has a wealth of knowledge that you can draw upon and learn from. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be put off if no one answers you the first time, just ask again or on another group or message some one privately. There is nothing more flattering than someone contacting you admiring your work and asking for advice.
Have a good work ethic
In the early days you will want to build up your clientele. If you are mobile little things like being on time or confirming a client’s appointment the night before will go a long way. Being reliable and answering the phone and replying to messages promptly will reassure your client and build and a good rapport.
Invest in yourself
Not just money wise but in the products and equipment that you use. Research hair qualities, send out for samples, try different types of equipment and find what suits you and what you like. Trainers will usually give you a list of suppliers for hair and equipment, but you don’t need to stick to this list. Invest in some time to research different products on the market because the more knowledge you have about them the better because clients will ask if you have heard about certain products or hair and they like to hear your opinion, it makes you look professional when you know what is going on and what is current in the market.
Be patient
Work will not come flooding through the door straight away. It will take time to build up a client base and for word of mouth to spread. Just focus on producing the best work you can, take photos and advertise on different platforms. People will see you more if you are interactive, you want people to like and share your work so do the same for others.
Starting out in this industry is not easy but stick with it, you will love it!
