When you enroll in an Aveda Institute, you’re signing up for a foundation in the beauty business. No matter which track you choose (cosmetology, esthiology, barbering or massage), you’ll get technical and wellness training from our unique Aveda curriculum—and you’ll also learn valuable business skills.
Aveda Institutes’ business training is designed to help artists maximize their earning potential after they graduate, and guide them along their future career path. Wherever you want your career to go—salon owner, makeup artist, editorial stylist or massage therapist—business skills are necessary!
Allison Agresta, owner of Grove Salons in Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida, sees the importance of executing business strategies every day in her salon, and says they can make or break a stylist.
Beauty + Brains = Career Success
“All stylists need to learn and implement business strategies,” Agresta says. “Even though they may be employed by a salon, they are, in fact, running their own business in their space.
“They need to build a connection with the guest, execute their technique at a high level, and retain their guests. It’s also up to the service provider to perform the 12 points of difference and build a productive business.”
While Agresta and her leadership team offer support and continuing education, the onus ultimately falls upon the stylist to create and maintain their client base.
“Technology has advanced at rapid speeds in the past 20 years since I started in the industry,” she says. “Stylists now have access to free marketing through Instagram and Facebook, where they can reach thousands of consumers very quickly, showcasing their talents and skills to build their dream clientele.”
Other business-building skills for Aveda artists include: how to attract new clients through networking and referrals; how to keep their schedule full through prebooking; and how to properly educate clients about products and services so they will consistently come back for both.
Execute Your Strategy, Every Day, Every Guest
Once they’ve achieved their goal of filling their books, many stylists make the mistake of getting complacent. When you’re busy with a full schedule of clients, it’s easy to drop some of those best practices that got you all those appointments. This is a direct route to stagnation.
“Perform your best consultation on every guest, every time,” Agresta says. “Discuss the pre-book and condition of their hair. Educate your guest on how to style their hair, and discuss home-care so their hair can look amazing all the time.”
A consistent guest experience is the key to growth. The easiest way to stay consistent is to execute the 12 points of difference taught at the Aveda Institute with every guest.
“If you follow the exact strategy you were taught at the Institute, you are following a recipe for success,” Agresta says. “These strategies should be completed during every appointment.”
Agresta adds, “The guest is your billboard. Hand out referral cards to every one of them and ask them to post about their experience on social media. Take photos of your finished work, and post daily.”
Consistency in social media is an area Agresta is continually coaching her own stylists.
“Taking a guest’s photo, tagging them and posting on social media can make a real difference,” she says. “Not only can you reach a large demographic of consumers, but most importantly, the service provider made the guest look and feel beautiful.
“As service providers, we have the power to connect with people and change how they feel about themselves.”
And when you do it with every guest, every time, you are growing your business with purposeful strategies on a consistent basis.
Learning Never Ends
Learning these skills at an Aveda Institute helps Aveda artists launch themselves when they get their first job. But education shouldn’t end when a career begins.
“Continuing education is imperative,” Agresta says. “All new stylists need to consistently take education to be inspired and grow in their profession.”
Agresta suggests Aveda’s benchmarking classes to help new stylists understand their growth path, and perfecting the execution of Aveda’s 12 points of difference.
“Anxiety comes from not being confident in your execution, which you can combat by enrolling in continuing education,” she says.
As artists gain experience and hone their skills over the years, continuing education plays a big role in staying up-to-date on trends and finding new avenues of growth. “Continuing education ignites passion in their craft,” Agresta says.
Agresta also recommends talking to and taking advice from peers and mentors, and always be willing to grow from mistakes.
“Stay focused and give 100 percent—every guest, every time.”
If you’re interested in learning business skills along with cosmetology, massage, barbering or skin-care techniques, the Aveda Institute is for you. Click here to request more info.