The Ultimate Checklist For Lash Techs: Action Steps for Growing Your Lash Business

Say you’ve now got some stability in your business: you’re not trying to put out fires everyday, have a steady flow of regulars, new referrals are coming in consistently - which means you’re ready to map out your next stage of business growth. 

As a lash artist, you want to keep growing your business while delivering the best lash services to your clients. To ensure your business is growing, you need to check in on specific areas of your business and know how to adjust them if they aren't working well.

Use this checklist as a guide to make sure you're on track with growing your business the way you want to:

Reconnect with old clients 👋

If you don’t already, make sure you have a process to retain your previous clients, so they keep returning. Whether it’s through offering discounts for their next visit, referral/loyalty programs, or putting out newsletter updates, you want to keep your services top of mind whenever they need to do their lashes again. 

Automate your operations where possible 💡

Think about some of the tedious, manual tasks that you have to do regularly and there is likely an app or tool that can help youautomate them.

If you’re past the beginning stages of your business and have some extra money to spend, consider investing in tools that can make your life a whole lot easier. These can includes tools in project management, graphic design, booking appointments, social media posting, email marketing and so much more. 

You’ll then have more breathing room to focus on the big picture stuff rather than the minute details. 

Get feedback ✍🏼

By now, you’ve likely gotten a few positive reviews/testimonials from Google reviews. Take it a step further and survey your past clients. Not only about what they liked, but also about what they think you could improve on, what they would like to see, and maybe even about how you fare up to competitors they’ve visited before. 

While critical feedback can sometimes sting, you’ll be getting valuable information that you can use to make adjustments to your business.

 Some questions you can ask: 

• What have you enjoyed about my services or products? 
• What sets my services apart from other lash techs?
• What are 1-3 things I can add or do to improve my services or products? 
• What is 1 thing that would enhance your experience at [your business] even more? 
• Would you recommend me to your friends/family? Why or why not? 

Manage your costs 💸 

Look to the places where you’re spending quite a chunk of change, but not seeing it pay off in returns. This could be your marketing efforts, the inventory you keep in stock, or even the amount of time you spend doing certain activities (e.g. posting content on social media, how long it takes to create certain looks, etc.). Time is money! Identify where there is excess cost so you can trim it off and maximize your profits. 

Raise your prices 🤑 

Besides managing your costs, consider raising the prices of your services. Often, new business owners start off with lower prices, just to get feet in the door. But in the long run, this is just a recipe for burnout. You have to make sure that what you’re charging clients doesn’t just cover costs but also a profit margin. 

As a small business owner, your fees should also take into account your experience and skill levels, what it takes for you to have a comfortable living, and being able to set aside enough each month for your savings/retirement. 

Revisit your business goals 🎯

In the day to day grind of running your business, some of your business goals may have fallen to the wayside. Revisit your quarterly and annual goals, and take a hard look at whether you’ve hit the mark or fallen short. Based on feedback from your clients or the results you’ve been seeing, you can also consider revising some of your long-term goals. 

If you’ve achieved certain goals, great; now dream bigger! If you’re not quite there yet, what are a few action steps you need to take within the next day, week, or month to put yourself in the right direction? 

Reinvest in your business 😎

Sometimes, you gotta spend money to make more money. While you want to keep costs low, you also don’t want to sacrifice on the quality of your products and services. Here are a few ways you can reinvest in your business so you can see increasing returns: 

• Upskill yourself by taking workshops or courses 
• Upgrade your lash products and supplies 
• Refine your marketing materials: e.g. redesign your website, get professional photography to show off your salon, or revise some of the outdated content 
• Tweak your space: upgrade your furniture, add an aroma diffuser or two – anything that provides a welcoming space that clients will look forward to returning to 

Grow your team 👭🏻

If you’re finding yourself getting stretched thin, it may be time to find talented people to get some of the load off your shoulders. However, make sure that you can actually afford hiring more people: would your current cashflow comfortably cover for an extra hire? 

Assess what you actually need and what would increase value to your business: is it another lash artist? Someone who knows sales, marketing, or social media? 

Remember, a higher headcount does not necessarily mean a more successful business. Refer back to your business goalsandthe hard numbers when considering growing your team. 

Get out of the box 💪

Forging a long-lasting business in this industry doesn’t mean limiting yourself to being just a lash artist forever. Think about some of your dreams, passions, and interests; could you work them into your business? 

The beauty of this industry is that you can carve out your own unique path and get creative with the services and products you offer. This can look like: 

• Giving lashing workshops and classes  
• Starting a Youtube channel 
• Partnering with brands you love through social media 
• Becoming a trusted voice in the industry through writing blog posts/ newsletters 

The bonus? These efforts would all likely bring in potential clients to your business as well! 

Conclusion 

There’s no one linear path towards business growth – do what makes sense for you. By exploring some of the action steps above, you’ll have a clearer picture of how to chart out the next chapter of your business!