Beauty business owners, I know you've been through a lot, and you're wondering what's ahead. Today I want to encourage you: you’ve done an amazing job at staying steady through the changes, and you can thrive in this new economy, regardless of whether your city, state or country is shut down for in-store business.

Here’s how: you can open an online store for your salon!

Today, I’m gonna tell you all the reasons you need to get your online shop started today! I’ll also share just a few of the thousands of success stories of beauty business owners just like you who made their mark online. By the end of this, you’re gonna be hard pressed to think of a reason *not* to start an online store!

And the best part? It’s not nearly as much work as it sounds. I promise you: you can do this. You can have a successful online beauty shop that will keep you thriving in the challenging months ahead. And you will feel so proud of yourself for doing it, because it will be just another way you’ve shown yourself how determined, strong, and successful you are capable of being.

Ready? Let’s hit it!

An online store provides you an alternate source of revenue when your salon doors are closed

We recently saw the event of the century when it comes to how fragile businesses can be without multiple sources of income. We saw the closure of thousands of small businesses, who were caught without a back-up plan or a safety net.

You probably had some moments of panic, yourself.

You have worked way too hard for way too long to be scrambling for ways to pay your bills. You deserve to be able to keep building your dream life, even in (I’d argue, especially during) troubled times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

You've got a chance, now, to grow your business in a way you haven't before. A chance to learn new skills and branch out.

When you have an online store open, you will keep making sales regardless of whether or not your business is open for in-person service.

But what can you sell in your online shop, when the service you traditionally provided was a 1-on-1 personal one?

You already have the products to sell - they were previously collecting dust on your salon shelves during the first round of shutdowns. Hair products, skin care products, coloring products, nail care products, waxing products…you’ve stocked them all, or you can easily get them from your network. Your clients need these products! Keep the goods flowing into their hands by selling them online.

You can also get creative and sell brand new, unique products that you made yourself - masks, t-shirts, hats, fun self-care kits, whatever you think your community may need and want....you can sell it online!

Your clients are shopping online now more than ever before

In Canada right now, people are spending twice as much money online shopping during this pandemic, with health and personal care (including beauty products) sales going up by 55.6%. This has been the case all over the world, as people are sheltering in place, but still want to maintain some level of normalcy by continuing to buy things that bring them joy and confidence. I still do my own manicures at home, and you can bet your clients want to do the same.

Okay, so you understand that the need is there, and that you can meet that need. But how can you be sure that people will buy from your store instead of Amazon?

That’s a good question! And here’s a good answer: people want to support local businesses. In fact, a study showed that 40% of people surveyed specifically prefer to shop local to support small businesses and their own community.

Local businesses keep the community thriving. Local businesses support local charities more often - in fact, small businesses donate to local charities and causes 250% more than big box businesses!

But on a more personal level, there’s this: you’ve already built a community that is ready to buy from you. You’ve hustled on social media, connected with thousands of local beauty fans, and loyally served your tight-knit squad of regulars. This community is waiting to hear from you and find out what you’ve got to offer. An online shop will excite them to the possibility of getting high-quality products and services from a source they know and trust - you!

Your online store has the potential for some serious heartpower behind it. Your community will love the chance to support you as you branch out to the online shopping space. They’re already shopping online more than ever - it’s time to get your salon’s online store on their weekly shopping list!

You can make some serious money with an online store

Okay friends, we’ve arrived at, arguably, the most convincing reason to start an online shop: you can make a heck ton of money selling your beauty products online.

This past summer of 2020, I coached a lot of beauty business owners who were reeling from their doors being shut. In just a few weeks of coaching, these owners were feeling calm, confident, and ready to sell online - and sell they did!

Some of those owners did really incredible things with their online stores, and I’m so proud to have been a part of their success.

Ariana, for example, who owns a lash and beauty business, sold $1,000 in one day on her online shop.

Yara, who owns Lashes and Curls Studio, sold $1,000 in a week by putting together and selling hair care kits for her clients to take care of their hair while in lockdown.

Another student of mine named Mel sold $5,000 in gift cards through her online shop!

With a little bit of creativity, courage, and the information I share with you about how to grow and sustain a successful online store, you can blow way past your own expectations (and sales records!)

You can start small, and your online shop will grow as your business grows

You don't need to have a wide choice of products to sell. Do you sell gift cards in your storefront? Start there. Sell them online!

You can also sell packaged offerings of your most popular self care items, or hair care kits, or nail sets.

My student Melissa put together facial kits in cute bags and sold them as a set. She sold a lot of them during the first shutdown.

Start off simple, and be creative. Test the waters by trying a few different products, and as things pick up, you can start to sell more, and invest the money you make into promoting your online shop and trying out new products for sale.

It’s really simple to get started on opening your online store

When I began coaching beauty business owners on e-commerce this past summer, I heard over and over again that these owners were afraid to start the process of opening an online store because they a) didn’t have a lot of time to tinker around with the tech stuff, and b) didn’t think they had the know-how to do it.

I was tickled pink to inform my students, over and over again, that in fact they could have their online shops solidly built and ready to launch in a matter of two days, at most.

My student Tara, owner of Absolute Necessities Day Spa, was terrified of setting up an online store when she joined my coaching program last summer. But she pushed through her fears, followed my instruction, and was set up and selling in no time.

It really is that easy! It’s honestly just a matter of conquering your fears and apprehensions about doing it.

To start off, the templates for online stores are already designed for you. If you go to the Square website, you can literally drag and drop an online store template into your website. And it’s free!

Next you’ll choose which products you’d like to sell, add product descriptions, upload product images, and add pricing info.

Finally, spend some time designing your store. Make sure your brand’s fingerprint is all over your store by adding lots of your brand’s colors and esthetics. It will make your loyal customer base feel right at home with that cozy sense of familiarity.

Ta-da! You’re ready to start selling. It’s easy, it’s free, and you’ve just taken a huge step forward in your business.

Now let’s make sure you’re set up for success with your new store.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your online store

Ask what your clients want: Check in with your audience on Facebook, Instagram, and through a friendly email to your subscriber list. Ask them what they want, and what they’d love to buy more of in your online shop. Make sure you have the right products up for sale based on their feedback.
Make a plan for your products: Once you know what your customer base wants, you’ll need to have a contingency plan for making sure you always have it in stock. Make a top ten list and always have those products and their stock levels in your sights.
Build solid financial goals for your online store: How much money do you want to make per month selling online? How many products do you want to sell per month? Write your goals down and figure out ways to hit them. This will show you where there's a need for improvement in your marketing efforts when you’re not reaching your goals.

Now, get started on that online store! You can do it, and I’ll be here cheering you on! You got this, friend!

Xo,

Stephanie