So, you’ve decided you want to become an eyelash technician. Great! To help you on your way, we’ve paved the path for you below with a step-by-step guide to living your lash artist dreams and becoming the ultimate beauty-boss lady.
1. Complete an eyelash technician training program
To get your new career up and running, you’ll first need to enroll on an eyelash extension training foundation program, where you will learn the tools of the trade and gain your certification to do eyelash extensions professionally.
You can expect to learn the full breadth of what it is to be an eyelash technician, including understanding different types of lashes and how to style them, the variety of eye shapes you will encounter and how to practice the best health and safety – including allergy prevention.
Expect to set aside 1-3 days for a course, and you can opt to take an online or in-person version. The cost of your training will vary widely, with prices ranging from $200-$3000, but bear in mind that some programs may carry the added value of including your training materials within the price, such as lash extensions, adhesive, and application tools – which you can keep once you’ve graduated.
We offer our own private, one-to-one training courses:
- A one-day foundation/classic course for complete beginners.
- A two-day complete beginner’s course which covers full foundation/classic training and an introduction to 2D Russian Volume lashes.
- A one-day Russian Volume course, for experienced students who have already completed a foundation/classic course and had experience working with classic lashes for at least one month.
2. Register for an Australian Business Number (ABN)
In order to kick-start your business and put your new skills into practice, you’ll need to register for an ABN. You can do this online here, by selecting ‘register your business.’
If you’re feeling a little unsure, the website has a guide which eases you through the process – we promise it’s not as scary as it seems!
3. Gain experience working in an already established lash salon
This is, of course, optional, but working in a local salon can really help you find your feet as a newbie in the lash technician world.
You’ll learn how to deal with customers and gain an understanding from the established workers around you how a business is managed, from arranging appointment times to offering excellent customer service.
Reach out via telephone, email or preferably face-to-face and offer your skills as a newly certified lash artist – a business currently in need of extra help with relish the opportunity to have you on board!
Even if there aren’t currently any positions for you available on their team and your financial situation allows for it, request that you go into a lash salon for a week of shadowing another lash technician, as even this small taster will help you build experience.
4. Set up your workspace
Do you want to work from home or have your own salon in town? The process of setting up your workspace is your opportunity to build your dream business from the bottom, up – from the colour of your walls to chill-out areas for your clients.
You’ll want a place where both you and paying customers can relax. If you decide that you will be working from your home, the great news is that qualified lash technicians with their ABN can set up shop in Australia without any limitations. As long as your workspace is clean and looks professional, you’ll be good to go!
If however, you decide you want to venture out into a commercial space, buddying up with another independent business owner in the beauty industry can help with rent costs – plus, if they’re already somewhat established, you can share their clients!
Having multiple beauty services under one roof is the perfect way to start building up a database of loyal customers, as you can build relationships with clients when they enter the salon for other treatments and show off just how professional and friendly you are.
5. Set up social media accounts for your business and master the art of marketing
It’s time to get creative. Marketing your brand through social media is free and can be highly effective when done properly as it lets people know you are legitimate, as they can see the quality of your work for themselves.
Set up a Facebook and Instagram account at the very least and think about how you would like your business to be branded.
If you’re not so skilled at the creative stuff yourself, consider hiring outside help to design you a logo and some basic advertising materials you can use across your social platforms and on a website – if you plan to build one.
Fear not if you don’t know where to start, online learning platforms such as Udemy and Skillshare will teach you the basics and then some if it’s something that you are interested in building skills around.
6. Always look for opportunities to build on your skills
Keep expanding your skillset and your mind! There is always more to learn – remember that even the most experienced eyelash technician doesn’t know everything.
Once you’ve got your foundation training under your belt and are up and running, consider enrolling on a Russian volume course.
Then, even when you’re fully established and have a blossoming list of clients, it is important that you find time to continue your education by attending conferences, entering competitions and offering training to up-and-coming lash technicians.
Remember, nothing worth having is easy and putting the time and effort into your training and business-building will pay off in the end. The fabulous thing about the beauty industry is that there will always be demand for your services – there are clients out there just waiting to benefit from your expertise.
You may also want to check out these related articles:
7 things you need to do before starting your own eyelash extension business >>
