You didn't come this far to just come this far.
Recent global circumstances regarding the COVID-19 pandemic require us to stay inside and practice social distancing. Unfortunately for us, this means we have to press the PAUSE button on our lash artistry. We could not have predicted this and this can present dark times given our situation. We don't want you guys to feel alone! We want to help bring light into the industry and build community among us. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, even if you want to just vent about your situation - we are a DM and voice note away, and we WILL respond to all of you! We truly love getting to know you all!
We are here to let you know that our current situation does not have to get in the way of building your empire! Use this time to LEVEL UP your business AND yourself!
STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS/FINANCES
1. Request Push Backs from Creditors. Pause or Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions.
Compile a list of all of your bills/loans with their due dates and amounts, then contact them one by one. Plenty of companies are making their efforts to help but you need to reach out and advocate for yourself. Request for your payments to be pushed back 30-60 days - everyone is more than understanding during this time and you lose nothing by simply asking.
Next, go through your list of subscriptions and either pause or cancel any unnecessary subscriptions as these can also add up. Try to reach out to everyone to minimize the amount of withdrawals from your account.
2. Keep your Clients in the Loop, and Find Ways to Help Them Out Too.
Send an email blast to your clients (if you use an online booking system, there is usually a way to compile all of their email addresses), or simply keep them updated through your social media page. Advise your clients of any discounts you will be honoring for full sets and if possible, provide a link for them to book their next appointment if you know a tentative open date. By doing this, you will have appointments ready to go upon re-opening. You can offer further discounts for clients that pre-pay for their next appointment as well.
Send your clients your thoughts and sympathy, and take the time to express how much you do appreciate them. For many of us, our clients become our friends and as busy as we may be, it still is important to let them know you care!
3. Offer Gift Cards for Purchase.
Create cute little e-Gift Cards in Canva and offer gift cards for purchase. Sweeten the deal and offer a promotion such as an additional 10% off for gift card purchases during this time.
4. If you Rent a Salon Space, Talk to your Landlord.
Don't be afraid to talk to people right now as people are more understanding than ever. Talk to the owner of the space or whoever you rent from and see if they are able to do anything to further assist you during this time.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT
Just because you've put a halt on taking clients, keep your page relevant and continue to connect with them! This is the time to go through your hundreds of lash photos on your phone, and grab all the hidden gems that you've forgot about! Sometimes we miss such great photos of our work with how busy we can get. Scroll through and edit some photos to place in your queue. If you don't already pre-plan your photos, you can download an app such as Preview, and start placing your photos in there for future posts. Any photos that are not being used can be cleared or saved onto your laptop/hard drive to give your phone storage a fresh start (because you will have a LOT of new content once you open back up).
Share some information about your personal life to help clients stay connected to you. A cute story simply saying hi and wishing everyone a good day, or little snippets of how you are spending your time inside. This also gives opportunity for those who haven't met you to get to know you a little better and build your community!
KEEP BUILDING YOUR EMPIRE
1. Practice New Lash Techniques.
Take this time to sit and practice techniques that you haven't yet mastered or attempted. Try to use different fanning techniques that you haven't explored before, or work on making unique sets by mixing curls and diameters! It's time to pull out the practice strips and mannequin head (ours is named Pixie the Doll and our 3D babes are IT GIRL and BOSS LADY)!
While you're at it, you can even create visual examples of classic, hybrid, volume, mega-volume, and spiky lash sets on practice strip lashes! When first-timers come for a new set and are unsure of what lash style they want to go with, you can simply pull out your visuals and give them that extra WOW factor!
2. Explore New Services to Add to your Menu.
There are plenty of excellent online lash accreditation courses available that allow you to have the opportunity to learn from the comfort of your home. This couldn't be a better time to do just that! Many clients who come in for lashes are also likely to be interested in other beauty services such as the hottest Brow Service on the market, Brow Lamination.
We recommend our Brow Lamination or Lash Lift Course. These are both simple services that deliver excellent results in a short amount of time! We have seen such great results from students who have enrolled in our programs!
Our LASH SOCIAL CLUB ONLINE CLASSIC COURSE and LASH SOCIAL CLUB ONLINE VOLUME COURSE are also being offered at at a promotion to really open up doors to those who are looking to join this beautiful lash industry, refresh their skills and knowledge, or enhance their current lash game through our lash extension courses.
All of our online lash and brow courses provide you with lifetime access so you can study at your own pace and refer back to our curriculum at any point. As updates happen in the industry, these courses are also updated. These courses all come with a Fully Loaded Starter Kit, and Certifications upon required component submissions. BONUS: You will have access to an Online Educator if you have any further questions after, or along the way!
3. Try Out New Products!
Use this time off to try out some new eyelash extension supplies that you haven't had a chance to play around with before! We have incredibly fun lash trays that stand out from the crowd including our UV Glow glow-in-the-dark lash trays, and our Ethereal Collection which consist of stunning multi-colored fibers!
4. Research Different Ways to Improve your Business.
There are many online Marketing Courses that help you understand how to improve your social media marketing game! If you don't already have a Facebook Business Page, take this time to create one so it can be linked to your Instagram Account. By having a Facebook Business Page, you are able to turn your Instagram into a Business Page which allows you to view analytics on all your posts! Also, there is a large audience on Facebook that do not use Instagram so it's a great opportunity to increase your exposure!
GIVE YOURSELF QUALITY SELF-LOVE TIME
Okay okay, after all that busy Boss Babe Game Changer sessions you've completed above, let's wind down to the MOST important part of this isolation time. You deserve a little TLC after all the hard work you've been putting in, and now is the time to do it!
Get More Zzzzzz.
No early morning clients? No need to set that alarm! Allow yourself to sleep in, or stay in bed a little longer before you actually get yourself up! Is your biological clock always forcing you to get up at the same time everyday? That's fine! Take a nap during the day - even a 15 minute nap has been suggested to boost your mental health!
Drink More Water.
I personally find myself getting so busy that I forget to drink water. Being hydrated is the foundation of our health as our bodies are made up of 70% water after all! You'll feel more aware, more energized, less bloated, and your skin will be SO HAPPY!
Boost your Nutrition.
After water, I truly believe that what you eat plays a major role in your health! Learn some new recipes that you haven't had the time to create, prepare a meal plan, and discover new ingredients or foods/drinks that you've never heard of/tried!
I'm personally a Kombucha fanatic (hence our Lashes & Kombucha Tee) and was spending so much on a bottle everyday (sometimes two, oops!) until this past year when I learned how to make my own from home! It's actually very simple and DRASTICALLY less expensive than buying in-store. I'm still guilty of buying fun flavors at the grocery store but I've definitely saved a lot of money brewing my own batch!
Start Meditating. Try Yoga. Recite Positive Affirmations.
The power of yoga connects both your mind and body as one and relieves plenty of inner and external stress (in my personal experience at least!). There are plenty of great apps such as Pocket Yoga ($3 purchased app) that guide you through the different asanas and work at your level! What I like about this app is that you have a variety of classes to choose from ranging from 5 minutes to a full hour! The instructor guides you through each pose so it's okay if you don't know all the names! Also, this app doesn't use Internet Connection so you can practice your yoga literally anywhere! Set aside 15-20 minutes in the morning or evening and try to incorporate yoga into your regular lifestyle!
There are also many meditation apps you can explore as well! I recommend the Calm app which is free (with in-app purchases). These guided sessions can range from 3 to 25 minutes. You can choose different topics such as gratitude to mindfulness at work, and there are also a variety of sleep sounds, nature sounds, and breathing exercises. If you haven't tried meditating ever, this is your moment!
Look in the mirror and recite positive affirmations to yourself. Tell yourself how proud you are of your growth, remind yourself of your unique beauty, and love your body! Name 5 things you love about yourself, and mean it! Do this everyday. When I was in highschool, my version of this was to get up in the morning (no matter how tired, groggy, or grumpy I was) and do a little fist pump and shout "WOOHOO"! As weird as it may sound, even on my most tired mornings, doing this still made me crack a smile!
Exercise - Release those Endorphins!
Did you know every time you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins!? These endorphins send messages to your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger happy thoughts in your brain that progress within your body - similar to morphine.
You will feel SO much better given these circumstances, even if it's just 30 minutes a day! There are so many free workouts available online, through apps, and on YouTube! I am a big fan of NTC (Nike Training Club) which is free and allows you to choose the length, difficulty, and focus of your workout. There are many different instructors on the app that also do the workouts with you so you know if you are doing them correctly!
Overall Wellness
Do things at home that make you happy in general. If you are into face masks, try a DIY recipe from ingredients in your cupboards or fridge! Read a book. Start journaling or scrapbooking. Get some Spring Cleaning done. Take a nice bath. Make yourself some tea. Do what you need to do to relax!
IN CONCLUSION
Don't let what's currently happening create a roadblock in your life. Turn these moments into a positive and manifest good energy all around you! Let's emerge from this quarantine better than ever.
Everyday is an opportunity to better your business, your surroundings, and yourself!
We are here for you every step of the way - do not feel like you are alone!
XOXO, C
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