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Choosing a career as a mobile beautician can be an incredible way to become your own boss, and providing mobile beauty services means you can start your own business with a relatively low initial investment. Without the overheads of a salon, setting up your own mobile beauty services business can be very low cost, but you need to know what equipment is needed — and the experts at SalonServe are here to help with that.
In this blog, we are going to take you through a list of essential equipment needed by a new mobile beautician and also let you in on some in-demand services to get your beauty business off to a strong start.
Purchasing the right beauty equipment is a critical part of launching a successful mobile beauty services business. Depending on your budget and the amount of money you want to invest, there are numerous items you could find beneficial when working as a mobile beautician. Let’s explore five key pieces of mobile beautician equipment you should invest in and the most in-demand beauty services that you can offer.
The Five Best Products for Mobile Beauty Services
1. Magnifying Lamp With Clamp
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A magnifying light with a clamp is a great piece of equipment to have. It’s also essential if you are providing beauty treatments for the eyes or face or if you want to offer professional makeup services.
The best magnifying lights for a mobile beautician should have a:
- Strong clamp — This is a must so you can attach it to a variety of surfaces.
- Moveable arm — To make it easy to position it where you need to.
- LED light — LED lights are incredibly bright, and you don’t need to worry about changing bulbs.
2. Portable Lightweight Beauty Couch
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Unless you only plan to offer nail or hair treatments, a portable, lightweight beauty couch will instantly elevate your clients’ experience and give your services a professional edge.
The best portable beauty coach should be:
- Lightweight — You don’t want to struggle to move or set up your beauty coach; ideally, look for a coach that weighs under 14kg.
- PU or PUV upholstery — This is durable and easy to keep clean.
- Padded — Make sure the seat is padded for your client’s comfort.
- Come with a carry case — Not essential as they can be purchased separately, but if you purchase a beauty coach with a carry case included, it will be a perfect fit.
3. Adjustable Height Stool
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Finding the right seating is another key thing to buy for mobile beauticians, as using client’s chairs or furniture to sit on when providing beauty treatments is not advisable. Firstly, they are unlikely to be the correct height, which could cause you to experience neck, shoulder and back pain. You also run the risk of spilling products that could ruin a client’s furniture. This is why investing in an adjustable height stool is an absolute must for a mobile beautician or nail technician.
The best adjustable height stool should be:
- Lightweight — If you want to be able to move your stool around easily, we recommend purchasing a stool that weighs under 7kg.
- Gas lift — This makes it effortless and fast to adjust the height.
- PU or PUV Upholstery — This is washable and simple to maintain.
4. Portable Manicure Table
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Instantly create the right impression and show your clients that you take your mobile nail services seriously with a professional portable manicure table. It’s never been simpler to give manicures, nail extensions and other nail treatments, whether you’re working at a party, a special occasion, or a client’s house, a portable nail station is an absolute must!
The best portable nail station should:
- Be lightweight and foldable for easy transportation
- Include a detachable armrest
- Have Lockable wheels
5. Branded Beauty Products
Branded beauty products are everywhere; it’s a trick used by salons, including Champneys, Sanctuary, and Elemis, just to name a few! By using, gifting and selling your own branded products, you align your brand with the very top brands in beauty.
Branded beauty products are the exclusive touch that will make your mobile beauty business look high-end, especially if you gift smaller versions of your branded products. Plus, your clients might share your products on their social media, and therefore, your services and brand could be seen by thousands of potential new clients, instantly increasing your client base.
In-Demand Mobile Beauty Services
Building a new client base can be one of the most challenging aspects of starting out as a mobile beautician. To quickly attract clients, you might want to offer the most in-demand mobile beauty services and treatments. We did some digging for you and have a few suggestions:
Lashes and Brows: The creation of lash and brow bars has elevated the importance of beautiful lashes and perfect eyebrows. With a lash lift and eyebrow lamination kit costing under £60, getting started with these treatments is extremely affordable. And with the average cost of between £25 and £45 for a lash lift or eyebrow lamination treatment, the profit margins are high.
Wedding Makeup: Without a doubt, providing wedding makeup services is one of the most profitable mobile services a beauty therapist can offer. Searches for wedding makeup on TikTok generate millions of views, and Bridebook’s 2023 UK Wedding Report states that 73% of bookings on the app were for makeup artists.
With weddings getting larger, wedding makeup is now generally provided not just for the bride or bridesmaids, but modern-day weddings could need a makeup artist for three to five bridesmaids, as well as the mother of the bride.
Additionally, unlike many other types of beauty services, a mobile wedding makeup artist can easily charge as much or more for their service when compared to salon prices.
Spa Parties: Arranging a spa party is fast becoming the trendy option to celebrate a hen night, birthday or baby shower. You can provide a spa party package with a few different treatments, such as facials or manicures. When approached strategically, you can generate a large income from a single event.
FAQ: Setting up a Mobile Beauty Services Business
Do you need to register as a business?
You don’t need to register as a business if you are providing mobile beauty services as a sole trader. To register for tax purposes, all you need to do is register as self-employed and complete an annual self-assessment tax return. Even if you continue to be employed in another job, you still need to do this. By law, you must report any additional income you earn to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Do you need to have insurance to be a mobile beautician?
Public liability insurance is absolutely essential if you want to work as a mobile beautician. Without this insurance, you put yourself at risk of being sued and having to pay personally if a claim is upheld. This could be thousands of pounds, so it is well worth spending the money on the right insurance. You should also check that your car insurance covers you for driving to and from appointments and for the equipment you carry.
How do you get your first clients?
There are many ways to attract your first clients; word of mouth tends to be the fastest way to get started, but it is unlikely to provide enough new clients to sustain you as a full-time mobile beautician. Here are some ideas to help you boost your reputation and client base:
Social media: Instagram and TikTok are great ways to attract your first clients and build a reputation as a mobile beautician. Initially, you could give treatments to friends and take photographs or videos of the before and after results or even during the actual treatment. Don’t worry about how professional they look, as long as they show the results.
Google: You can also set yourself up a Google Business Profile and ask your friends to leave reviews. Once you have a star rating and a few positive reviews, share them on your social media channels.
Website: Creating a free website with a brand name is a really simple way to look more professional, and with sites such as Wix and Squarespace, it couldn’t be easier. Link this to your Google Business Profile and social media accounts and make it easy for people to make payments by card for appointments.
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