ASK THE Experts

Our beauty experts answer your questions about every aspect of running a salon or spa business

What do I need to consider when setting up my own salon?

Stepping into your entrepreneur era unlocks autonomy and financial freedom for beauty and aesthetics professionals. Salon or clinic ownership gives you control over branding, culture, services and innovation, leading to career satisfaction. However, the transition from job stability to financial risk and sleepless start-up hustle is challenging. Business owners must juggle financial planning, treatment planning, digital marketing and HR. This requires a mindset shift toward long-term planning and risk management. Just over a year into my clinic journey, here are the key lessons I’ve learned.

Mastering maths: Financial literacy and accounting

Financial literacy is vital for making informed decisions, managing resources and ensuring long-term viability. Understanding financial statements – profit and loss, balance sheets and cash flow – helps with budgeting and forecasting. Reducing your cash conversion cycle (turning investment into income) improves financial stability. Top tips for reducing cash conversion cycle include:

• Negotiate supplier terms: consolidate suppliers and place larger orders to leverage better payment terms, spreading costs over time.

• Leverage business credit: use business credit cards for bulk orders, optimising working capital.

• Pre-payment from clients: request a 50% deposit at booking to improve cash flow and reduce cancellations.

Funding your dream: to beg, borrow or bootstrap

Funding is critical in launching a clinic. You can choose between:

• Bootstrapping: Self-funding retains control and fosters financial discipline. Demonstrating successful growth with limited resources makes your business attractive to future investors.

• Debt funding: Borrowing from banks or lenders allows access to capital without sacrificing ownership. Equipment financing helps acquire medical devices without significant upfront costs, maintaining cash flow. Interest payments are often tax-deductible.

• Equity funding: Selling a stake in your business to investors can provide substantial capital but comes with risks. Clear agreements on roles and expectations are crucial to avoid disputes.

Finding your tribe: co-founders and colleagues

A strong team fosters innovation and business growth. Service-led environments rely on teamwork beyond basic client interactions, encompassing logistics, finance and people management.

While co-founders can share financial and operational burdens, misalignment in vision and commitment can pose risks. Clearly defined roles, equitable salaries and contingency plans help safeguard against conflicts. Legal agreements are essential.

Recruiting skilled professionals through networks enhances credibility. Staffare a business’s greatest asset, so fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning and mutual respect is vital. Clear policies, recognition and accountability ensure a thriving business.

Defining your vision: marketing masterclass

A well-defined marketing and PR strategy differentiates a clinic in a competitive market. Conduct a market analysis to identify gaps then define your brand story and vision to business strategy and inspire employees.

Develop a strong online presence, including a professional website, social media engagement, thought leadership through blogs and participation in industry events, to enhance credibility and attract clients.

Building a resilient business model ensures longevity and success in the beauty and aesthetics fields.

How do I attract my dream clients from social media?

What I love most about using social media for business is that you have the power to attract your dream clients through the content that you post. Let’s be honest, I’m sure you’ve had someone send you a DM asking for an appointment, you book it in, and it turns out they either don’t turn up on time, cancel last minute or become a no show and you’re thinking, “what’s going on here?” Something needs change.

You want clients who are punctual, rave about you to others and are willing to pay your prices because they value the skills that you have. The way to achieve that is to start being intentional and more certain with your content.

Firstly, get crystal clear on how your dream clients think and move. Your dream clients have patterns. They consume certain types of content, engage in specific ways, and make decisions based on emotional and logical triggers. Your job is to study these behaviours so you can position yourself exactly where they are looking.

Think back to your best clients – the ones who booked without hesitation, trusted your expertise, and came back for more. How did they find you? What made them say “booked!”? Did they need to know you first or were they all about results?

Knowing how your dream client operates is gold when creating content that attracts dream clients because you can create it specifically for them.

Let me give you two examples of content that you could publish today to attract clients. Taking a skin practitioner, as an example, whose dream client is looking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with their most popular treatment. There are ways you can tailor the content to resonate with different client personality types.

For the emotional decision-maker:

“You woke up this morning and walked over to your bathroom mirror, you looked at yourself and started gliding your fingers over your fine lines, wondering if you gained a few new ones overnight. You started pulling your skin upwards and said to yourself, I really need to sort this out. What if I said to you that I have the perfect solution for you? Our most popular treatment can reduce your fine lines and wrinkles by 60% with three 60-minute sessions. We have an appointment available next week with your name on, simply head to our booking system to book yourself in.”

For the logical decision-maker:

Post a before-and-after pic with clear details: treatment name, expected results, number of sessions needed, price and how to book. No fluff. Just facts.

The secret sauce? Certainty. Being certain in the way that you present the content and how you show up in front of your dream clients online will enable you to be the obvious choice for them.

Clients want to be led. They want to be guided by someone who is certain in their skills and results. That builds the ultimate trust. It’s then about articulating that through your content. That’s what’s going to attract your dream clients.

How can I use AI to support my treatment plans?

As someone who manages an international chain of clinics, I see firsthand how time constraints and resource limitations can be challenging. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become my trusted ally, assisting in the onboarding of new therapists, refining training programmes and enhancing treatment planning.

One of the most biggest impacts of AI is in diagnosing skin concerns. Traditional consultations rely on a therapist’s trained eye and experience, but AI introduces an additional layer of accuracy. For example, AI facial scanning technology has revolutionised how I approach skin conditions such as melasma. By distinguishing between vascular, dermal and epidermal melasma, AI enables me to design targeted and effective treatment plans, eliminating guesswork and ensuring optimal results.

Personalised treatment plans with AI

AI’s ability to analyse vast amounts of data makes it an invaluable tool for tailoring skincare solutions. By evaluating skin type, texture and environmental influences, AI helps me suggest personalised treatment plans. Whether a client is looking for hydration, pigmentation correction or anti-ageing solutions, AI uses data to recommend evidence-based options. In my clinics, AI-enhanced skin assessments ensure that every client receives a regimen tailored to their specific concerns.

Enhancing consultation efficiency

Consultations are the foundation of effective skincare, but they can be time-consuming. AI-powered tools streamline this process by collecting essential client data – such as skin history, lifestyle factors and previous treatments – before an appointment even begins. Virtual skin assessments provide real-time analysis, allowing me to focus on strategic decision-making rather than time-consuming manual evaluations.

Sustaining client engagement

AI extends its benefits beyond the treatment room by ensuring ongoing engagement. Automated follow-ups can remind clients about their next appointments, provide customised skincare recommendations and track progress over time. AI-driven skin scanners capture preand post-treatment images, allowing clients to visually assess their improvements.

Over the past few years, my records indicate that clients who received AI-supported progress tracking had a 40% higher rebooking rate. Our current face scanner also tracks the skin’s true age. My loyal clients are offered a complimentary facial scan every year, and they are often intrigued to see their skin’s true age fall lower than their actual age, which motivates them to continue their skincare and treatment plans.

Balancing technology with human touch

Despite AI’s many advantages, the essence of beauty therapy lies in human connection. AI is my supportive tool, not a replacement for my intuition and understanding. In my clinics, I combine AI diagnostics with traditional dermoscopic assessments and in-depth client conversations to ensure a holistic approach.

In embracing AI, I am not replacing human expertise, I am enhancing it. By integrating technology with a holistic, client-centered approach, I am setting new standards of care, ensuring that every treatment is precise, personalised and effective, thanks to AI.

How do I decide which type of sunscreen is best for my client?

Ideally, sunscreen should protect against UVA and UVB rays which would then deem it the gold standard “broad-spectrum” sunscreen. My advice on how to use sunscreen that I share with my patients is:

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30, but ideally, SPF 50 every day, even in winter

• Apply as their last layer of skincare, before makeup

• Apply two lengths of the finger for the face and neck and two tablespoons for the remainder of the body.

I also advise them to avoid the sun between peak hours and wear protective clothing such as hats and sunglasses, as well as to regularly check and take photos of the skin and any pigmented lesions or visit their local healthcare professional to have a formal skin map completed.

Different types of sunscreen

There are two different types of sunscreens: chemical and mechanical, and it is important to understand how they work, to ensure they are suitable for your client to use daily.

Chemical sunscreens: Also known as organic or synthetic sunscreens, these contain chemical compounds (avobenzone octocrylene or oxybenzone) that absorb UV rays and transform them into heat, which is then released from the skin, without causing damage to skin itself.

Chemical sunscreen tends to be easier to apply and offers a more transparent finish, so it tends to be preferable for use underneath makeup.

It is important to note that patients with skin sensitivities and allergies will not tolerate chemical sunscreens well, due to irritation from the chemical components within them.

With the focus firmly on environmental damage nowadays, it is important to highlight that the chemicals contained within chemical-type sunscreens are associated with coral reef damage. rosacea, eczema, psoriasis or allergies.

Another great feature is that it provides immediate protection on application. The downside is that it often has a much thicker and chalky consistency, which makes it much harder to blend underneath everyday makeup, and it can leave a white cast on skin of colour.

Although both sunscreens are safe in pregnancy, some expectant mothers prefer to use products with as few chemicals in as possible and, therefore, may prefer a physical sunscreen during their carrying months.

Ultimately, there will always be a personal preference based on the patient’s enjoyment of the texture, the finish, the application or skin sensitivities. Therefore, taking a medical history including a skin history, and educating your patient on the options available, makes it more likely that you will pick the right product for them.

Mechanical sunscreens: Also known as physical or mineral sunscreen, these work by creating a physical barrier on top of the skin that reflects and scatters any UV rays that land on it, preventing these rays from penetrating the skin and causing damage.

The main active ingredients contained in mechanical sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Physical sunscreen tends to be gentler on the skin, making it more suited for sensitive skin suffering from