Aestheticians are more in demand than ever before and with a billion dollar industry in Canada alone, this can be a very lucrative business choice. Under the branch of cosmetology, aestheticians offer services in skin care, facials, waxing, make-up, nails, threading, massage, hair removal, just to name a few.
But, how do you choose which type of aesthetic business or service is right for you?
It really depends on what your personal goals and preferences are. One of the reasons the beauty industry is such a strong economic performer is because many of us love to be involved with beauty, health, fashion and being able to genuinely make a difference in our customer’s lives. Another reason we choose to be in business, is to be masters of our own destiny – we’re our own boss, we set our own rules, we set our own schedules, we can operate in any location and equally importantly - we can earn a high income.
Education:
The first cost associated with your business is your education. If you will be performing the services yourself, you will have to get training applicable to your business. You can also hire staff that is already knowledgeable and certified with the specific services you will be offering.
Aesthetician courses are varied both in cost and duration depending on how in-depth the curriculum being covered. Full Diploma programs often take more than 1000 hours over an 8 to 10 month period. They range in price from as low as $10,000 up to $20,000 dollars. In most cases there are extra costs for books and professional aesthetic training kits or supplies.
If you are unable to commit 10 months of your time, there are also certified part-time courses available that are best described as beginner or first level training. These range from $5,000 to $10,000.
As well as entry level part-time courses, there are also second level or advances studies and they too range from $5,000 to $10,000. To enrol in these courses the student must already be a registered therapist, aesthetician, LPN or RN (or have taken the first level course from same training centre).
As you can see, there is a considerable investment involved with an aesthetician’s education.
Many laser companies offer training and certification with the purchase of their device – in some cases for no additional charge – but, be sure to inquire about any hidden costs such as travel or accommodations required to attend a specific training location.
Nubody also offers free training and certification included with the purchase of the Dermalase IPL. As well, Nubody's professional training takes place at your own business location for both yourself and your staff and typically only takes 3 days to complete - with no additional costs.
Setup:
No matter which service you choose to focus on in your business, you will need a location, business license, equipment, supplies and sales and marketing materials. Lets take a look at the typical nail service start up supplies required.
The total costs to start up are approximately $2000 and up – depending on the quality of equipment and supplies you choose.
If you choose to add pedicures, there are a number of additional items that would also have to be factored in, such as foot baths, pumices, pedicure stools, etc. This list also does not include specialized nail art supplies should you consider offering that type of service.
Revenue:
In a nail salon, a standard manicure and polish takes between 30 to 45 minutes and costs around $25-$35 dollars. Higher priced pedicures take an hour's time and may cost $50-$60.
With an overabundance of spas and salons offering these services, prices have further been driven downwards in an effort to remain 'competitive'. Revenues have been keep artificially low for decades due to fierce competition and price-wars in the nail service industry. As well, savvy customers now have many Do-It-Yourself alternatives available to them. Internet tutorials and nail polishes and nail tools can be found in every drugstore, which have caused many clients to move away from nail enhancements altogether.
Aesthetic laser careers provide higher average revenues and salaries than other aesthetic services. The lowest average revenue for IPL laser services, including either hair removal or skin rejuvenation, is approximately $300 per hour (calculated from typical Canadian home-based business offering these services – see ROI graph below). In a metropolitan retail setting these rates are typically much higher.
Totalling$1550 revenue for the week (for less than 4 total hours work). Equaling $6,200/mth.
At this rate you would pay off your Dermalase IPL device investment in less than 5 months.
There is much less competition in the IPL laser industry because of the perceived high barrier to entry as well as the perceived difficulty to learn how to operate an IPL hair removal and skin rejuvenation device. The Dermalase IPL is the lowest cost, Health Canada approved IPL device in the Canadian market at just $34,900. It is also simple to use with both pre-programmed treatment settings for a newly trained aesthetician and a completely programmable menu for the advanced professional.
When considering which types of services your business should provide, you should take into account the number of competitors, how much your market will bear in terms of pricing and if the service you choose to perform is growing or shrinking in your marketplace.
Lets recap:
- Initial aesthetic educational costs are between $5000 - $20,000
- Initial Dermalase IPL training and certification costs are FREE
- Initial aesthetic training takes up to 10 months
- Initial Dermalase IPL training takes up to 3 days
- Initial setup aesthetic costs begin at $2000
- Initial Setup Dermalase IPL costs begin at $1500
- Initial aesthetic equipment costs are up to $10,000
- Initial Dermalase IPL cost is $34,900
(Leasing-To-Own options available - OAC)
- Revenue for aesthetic services typically run between $35-$65 per hour
- Revenue for Dermalase IPL services run from $300 to $450 per hour
- Return on Investment for aesthetic services would not even begin until after the typical 10 month training course is complete
- Return on investment for the Dermalase IPL can be recovered with the first 3 to 5 months in business.
So, you can invest upwards of $20,000 and after a year just begin recouping your investment, or you can invest $34,900 and have your investment paid off within 3 to 6 months and begin enjoying substantial revenues of up to $10,000 monthly.
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If you want to learn more about the Dermalase IPL - the lowest priced, Health Canada approved Hair Removal and Skin Rejuvenation device manufactured and serviced right here in Canada, including training and certification - just give us a call at 604-788-3413 to book your FREE demonstration.
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