The Benefits of Continuing Education in the Professional Beauty World

Fuller appointment books, happier stylists and truly satisfied clients—what’s the secret behind all these ideal salon situations? Continuing education. “It’s fundamental for growing and providing the best service,” says Natalie Boos, The Business of Balayage Co-Owner, Director of Marketing & Operations. “Preferences are always changing, so investing in continuing education helps your stylists better serve their evolving clienteles.” We sat down with Boos to learn the method behind The Business of Balayage and the benefits of continuing education.

In the beginning
As many know, professional training after cosmology school can sometimes be difficult to find or afford. “We had fellow stylists in the salon looking for direction from us on how to do balayage,” says Boos. “So the company really started organically by teaching a few friends. Then, more stylists came forward asking for education.” Voilà, The Business of Balayage was born with the goal of empowering stylists. To add to their commitment to continuing education, they have a no-fee class hosting policy. “That was a priority for us when we decided to start traveling with our classes. We wanted this information to be available to all.”
 
Get to class

What makes their independent professional salon classes stand out from the rest? Detailed curriculums. “We’ve spent a lot of time creating curriculums that build upon one another and flow naturally for what the student is learning,” says Boos. “Because all of our workshop classes are hands on, we’re able to reach every type of learner—through theory, through demonstration and finally through hands-on practice.” To make sure that each student understands the content, there’s one educator per 7 to 10 students. And online students can send in at-home images for professional feedback.

Balayage, balayage, balayage
There’s no denying it, balayage is making a huge comeback. Clients are clamoring for that subtle, sun-kissed look. “Our ‘Essentials & Depth Balayage’ courses focus on understanding placement and application,” says Boos. “Our ‘Advanced Class’ builds on these cornerstones, intertwining in foil work—faux-balayage—and stepping outside the box with balay-color techniques. And, finally our ‘Creative Class’ is an opportunity to take on color-correction challenges on a live model.”

Taking care of business

What’s the number one question the ladies at The Business of Balayage get online: What should I charge for my services? “We created our ‘The Secret Behind Pricing’ online course because of the hundreds of questions we get about this topic,” says Boos. “So many stylists undervalue themselves and put themselves in a month-to-month lifestyle. Aside from breaking down the formula for pricing, our students learn our three favorite ways to deal with a client who says you’re too expensive.” And their methods get results: 83 percent of their students report that they confidently raised their prices a month after taking the class.

Solving digital dilemmas
“We introduced our ‘Salon Marketing Audit’ course this year specifically for salon owners, because many of these leaders are capable of taking action, they just need the direction to know where the holes are in their marketing, social media and websites,” says Boos. The most surprising piece that is missed by so many owners: a call to action. “So many salons have beautiful websites, transparent pricing, and epic bios for their stylists, but they still leave their customers hunting for how to find them. If you’ve gotten them to your website, don’t lose them because they don’t know what to do next.”

In the future

In a short time The Business of Balayage has grown from six educators to more than 50 assistant and lead educators. “It’s because of this growth that we’re excited to offer more class locations and unique curriculums in the end of 2017,” says Boos. Some of their new classes include: The Business of Formulation, The Business of Vivids Essentials and The Business of Extensions. By arming stylists with knowledge and confidence, they can realize they have the power to create the career that they want. Visit thebusinessofbalayge.com for more info.