If you're thinking about starting your own personal styling business I'm sure one of the things that concerns you the most is how much money will you need to get started. Starting a business can often be a costly affair and you may wonder whether you are ready to use your life savings to get started. But here's the good news! Starting a styling business doesn't have to cost a fortune, in fact, you can actually get started with little to no money. Sounds too good to be true right? There must be some kind of catch, right? Well, it really is true, and there isn't a catch. So how can it be done? Read on to find out.
Get a Free Website
Every stylist needs a website to showcase their work and attract new clients, and while websites can be costly, there are some free options out there that you can use to get started. With a free website, you won't get a custom domain, but that's ok. You can still use your business name, it just won't be a dot com or a dot org. You'll also have to create the site yourself, but don't freak out, even if you're not that tech-savvy you can still do it. Free website hosts offer a range of templates that you can customize and they work on a simple 'drag and drop' system. Check out Wix or WordPress for free, user-friendly options.
Use Free Marketing
Social media is a great way to market your business and it won't cost you a penny! You can create a business page for free and post offers, blogs, tips, etc all for free. Using hashtags on social media is a great free way to reach new people so don't be afraid to use them each time you post focusing on fashion, style, and image. There are so many social media platforms out there so try a few or sign up for them all. It's free so you've got nothing to lose.
Design Marketing Materials for Free
Business cards, brochures, free style guides, posters, the list can be endless as to the marketing materials you will need and the cost can easily skyrocket. But marketing materials don't have to cost an arm and a leg. There is a fabulous platform called Canva which offers customizable templates for every marketing material you could ever imagine. You can create your logo, design your business cards, create flyers and brochures, you can even create stylish social media posts. And the best thing is it's all free! Once again, it's a simple 'drag and drop' system so no technical knowledge is required, and you can customize fonts and colors to match your business brand. With Canva you'll be able to create all your marketing materials and all it will cost you is the price of ink and paper.
Use Word-of-Mouth Marketing
promoting and advertising your business doesn't have to cost money. You are a walking advertisement for your business and everywhere you go is an opportunity to start promoting. Think of the places you would normally go throughout the week and the people you meet. Every person is a potential client or someone who knows a potential client. Don't be afraid to share what you do with people you meet and hand out business cards. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best tools for personal stylists, and yes, of course, it's free!
Start Developing Your Brand
If you want your personal styling business to make a strong first impression on potential clients then you're going to need the right brand name. Your business name plays a significant role in building your reputation as a personal stylist so it's important to ensure you get it right. To help you find the right brand name for your business try using the free name generator from Squadhelp. This free tool will help you find the right name for your personal styling business so you can make the right impression and build a successful brand.
Connect With Other Small Businesses
Small business owners like to support each other when they can. Look at the small businesses in your area, hairdressers, clothing stores, gyms, nail salons, etc, and ask the owner if you can leave some brochures or flyers in their location in exchange for letting your clients know about their business. You'll probably be amazed at how willing they are to help and it could actually help you develop a working relationship if they are in a related industry.
Create a Home Office
The great thing about being a stylist is that you will be working with clients in their homes or out shopping so there's no need initially to have a business location. Set up a room or area in your home for your office and save yourself the cost of renting an office space.
Check Your Tax Laws
Depending on which country you live in, many of your start-up costs are actually tax-deductible. The main costs for your styling business will likely be for computers, printers, and office supplies, but you may be able o deduct these costs from your taxes so you'll get some money back at the end of the tax year. Check your country's tax laws to find out what you can and cannot deduct.
The great thing about starting a styling business is that it can be done for little to no cost, so you don't have to spend time worrying about where the money will come from to get started, you can just go ahead and follow your dream!
Happy Styling!
Louisa 💕
If you're ready to become a personal stylist and grow a successful personal styling business then enroll today in our online personal stylist program.