Business Skills I – SS2 Beauty & Cosmetology Lesson Note (Second Term)

Business skills for a beauty professional are the practical habits that keep a salon earning and growing. They include pricing services to cover materials, overhead and your time, keeping sales and expense records, marketing the salon, building a personal brand, and keeping customers loyal. This note explains each skill with examples.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• List the four things to consider when pricing a beauty service.
• Name the three main business records and say what goes into each.
• Describe four ways to market a salon.
• Explain what a personal brand is and how a stylist builds one.
• Give examples of ways to keep customers loyal.

How should you price your services?

Many stylists just look at what the person next door is charging and pick the same price. This is a mistake. Your price must cover your costs and pay you for your time.

• Cost of materials: If you are doing a hair dye, you must count the cost of the dye, the developer, the gloves and the shampoo.
• Overhead: This is the “hidden” cost. A small part of every service must go toward paying the rent, the light bill and the water bill.
• Your time: Your skill is valuable. An elaborate braid style that takes 6 hours should cost much more than a 15-minute trim.
• Market position: Are you a “Budget Salon” for students or a “Luxury Salon” for big occasions? Your price must match your brand.

Teacher’s note: If you do not charge enough to cover your electricity and rent, you are not running a business. You are running a charity.

Why is record keeping important?

If you don’t write it down, it didn’t happen. Record keeping tells you if your business is growing or dying.

What are the three main records?

1. The daily sales book: Every naira that comes in from a client must be recorded immediately.
2. The expense log: Every time you buy a roll of cotton or a bottle of disinfectant, or pay for fuel for the generator, write it down.
3. The client ledger: Keep track of who owes you money. In a professional salon, “credit” should be very limited so you don’t run out of cash.

What are the marketing strategies for a salon?

Marketing is simply telling people that you have a solution to their problem. You don’t need a huge budget to market a salon.

• Word of mouth: This is the most powerful tool in the beauty industry. Give a client a great experience, and they will tell three friends.
• Referral programmes: Tell your regular clients: “Bring a friend, and both of you get 10% off your next hair treatment.”
• Social media (the digital portfolio): Take “Before and After” photos of your work. People want to see what you can do before they trust you with their hair or face.
• Local visibility: Use a clear, bright signboard outside your shop. Make sure people walking by know exactly what services you offer.

How do you build a personal brand?

In the beauty world, you are the brand. People often follow a stylist from one salon to another because they trust the person, not just the building.

• Professional appearance: You don’t have to wear expensive clothes, but you should look like someone who knows about beauty. Your hair, nails and outfit should be neat.
• Specialisation: It is often better to be known as “The Best Braider in Town” than to be “okay” at everything. Pick a niche and master it.
• Consistency: If you do a great job today but a sloppy job next week, you will lose your reputation. Your quality must stay the same every time.

How do you keep customers loyal?

It is five times cheaper to keep an old customer than to find a new one.

• The birthday discount: A simple text message saying “Happy Birthday! Come in this week for a free hair steam” makes a client feel like family.
• Loyalty cards: Use a simple card where the client gets a stamp for every visit. After 5 visits, they get a free service (like a manicure or a hair wash).
• Listening to feedback: If a customer tells you the water was too hot or the music was too loud, thank them. Their feedback helps you improve your business.

Evaluation

1. Maths challenge: A packet of hair dye costs ₦2,000, the light bill for the hour is ₦500, and you want to make ₦1,500 for your work. What should the minimum price for the service be?
2. The pitch: Stand up and give a 1-minute “sales pitch” for your imaginary salon. Why should we choose you?
3. Name the three main business records and say what goes into each.
4. State three ways a salon can keep its customers loyal.

Assignment

Record keeping: Draw a simple table in your notebook that shows “Date,” “Service,” “Amount In” and “Amount Out.” Fill it in with five imaginary transactions.