Start Your Own Eyelash Extension Business: 7 Key Steps

If you have just qualified as a lash artist and decided to start your own business, everything probably feels exciting and overwhelming at the same time. There is a lot to think about, and the advice online is rarely consistent, which makes it harder than it needs to be.

Before anything else, one piece of honesty: forget the talk about earning a thousand a week from day one. That is not how this works, and the people selling that promise are usually selling something else too. Building a lash business is steady work. Here are the seven things I would make sure you have in place.

Decide on What Your Lash Brand Will Look Like

As with any business, your brand matters. If you are the creative type this part is genuinely enjoyable. If the thought of choosing colours makes you want to close the laptop, treat it as a task to get through rather than a creative crisis.

At minimum you need a name, a logo and a set of colours you use consistently. Your name should hint at what you do and be short enough to sit inside a logo. If you are stuck, brainstorm with a friend or look at what established lash businesses have called themselves.

For colours, I would keep it to four at most. They need to work together and inside a logo. Unless you are a designer yourself, I would pay someone for the logo. It is one of the few early costs that shows in everything you produce afterwards, from your signage to every post you publish.

Set Up Social Media Accounts

Social media is not optional now. It makes you look established, it gives clients a way to find you, and it lets you reach everyone at once instead of messaging people individually.

Facebook and Instagram are the two you need. LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube are nice to have, but only take them on if you can actually keep them updated. An abandoned account looks worse than no account. Instagram in particular is where your work speaks for itself, so photograph your sets properly and ask happy clients to comment and share.

I wrote a separate piece on how to take great Instagram photos for your beauty business if you want somewhere to start.

Set Your Prices

This is the decision that shapes everything else, and it is where I see most new artists get it wrong. Pricing high to maximise income scares away good clients. Pricing low to fill your book undermines your own work and makes raising prices later much harder.

Start by finding out what artists with similar experience charge in your area, and sit near that. You can always raise your prices as you get faster and better.

I will be blunt about the low end, because it comes up constantly. I could never bring myself to sell cheap, and it is not about the money. Price signals what you are. Cheap does not read as professional to me; it usually says something is missing from what is included. Think about which client you want walking through your door, then price for that person.

If you want a second opinion before you commit, build a short survey in Mailchimp or something similar and send it to friends, family and contacts. Ask them honestly whether your prices read as too high, too low or about right.

Define Your Cancellation Policy

At some point a client will cancel, or simply not turn up. How you handle it is your call, but decide before it happens rather than in the moment.

Most lash artists take a booking fee that becomes non-refundable if a client cancels inside a set window, usually 24 or 48 hours. Tell clients the policy when they book. It encourages proper notice, which gives you a chance to fill the slot. For no-shows, charging the full treatment fee is not unusual, because that hour could have gone to someone else.

How to Register Your Lash Business

This is where it becomes official. How you register depends on where you are, so here are the starting points for Australia, the US, Canada and the UK.

Australia

In Australia you need an ABN (Australian Business Number). You can register online here by selecting ‘register your business.’

If you are unsure, the site has a guide that walks you through it. It is far less intimidating than it looks.

US

In the US, most small business owners register their business name with state and local government. Different business types need different levels of name protection, so check what applies to your situation. The full details are on the Small Business Association website.

Canada

Registering in Canada is straightforward through the Government website. Decide on your location and business name before you start.

UK

In the UK it depends on how your business is structured: sole trader, limited company or partnership. The UK Government website explains the differences and lets you register from there.

Open a Business Bank Account

Keep business money separate from personal money from day one. Whether you handle the books yourself or use an accountant, this single decision saves hours later. Your existing bank will offer a business account, but compare a few before you settle, since fees and perks vary more than you would expect.

Get Insurance for Your Eyelash Extension Business

Wherever you work, insurance is part of running this business properly. It covers you for losses and for claims. There are different levels of cover, and this is not the place to cut costs. One day you may be very glad you took the better policy.

Stay Ahead With Ongoing Training and Certifications

In this industry the learning does not stop, and I say that as someone who has taken more than ten trainings myself. Here is why I keep going back.

Adapt to Industry Evolution

Trends, products and techniques change constantly. Ongoing training keeps you offering what clients are actually asking for rather than what was popular when you qualified.

Enhance Your Skillset

Advanced courses refresh your foundations and introduce more complex work. That range is what lets you take on clients you would otherwise have to turn away.

Gain Professional Recognition

Certificates from reputable trainers are evidence of your standard. Display them in your studio and on your social media. Clients notice, and it is a fair thing to be proud of.

Network With Industry Peers

Workshops and seminars put you in a room with other artists. Those connections turn into referrals, advice and a sense that you are not doing this alone.

Respond to Client Demands

Continuous learning lets you offer more styles and answer properly when a client asks about lash health, maintenance or what is new.

Ensure Safety and Compliance

Regular training keeps you current on health and safety, which in this work is not a formality. It is what keeps your clients safe and your business standing.

Pro Tip: Set yourself a yearly development plan with specific training goals. It keeps your learning deliberate rather than something you get round to.

Investing in education does more than sharpen your technique. It shows a commitment to doing this properly, and clients can tell the difference. In lash work, your expertise is the asset.

Realising Your Lash Vision

Starting a lash business is hard and genuinely worth it. Every step you take is building something. Treat the difficult parts as the training they are, keep your standards where you want them, and give yourself credit as you go. This is entirely within reach.

None of this holds up without the skill underneath it. If you are still building that part, our eyelash extension course in Sydney is where most of our students begin.

You may also want to check out these related articles:

How to start an eyelash extension business at home >>

Ten eyelash extensions tips for beginners>