As 2021 ends and we move into 2022, it’s a great time to reflect and start thinking, planning, and writing out goals and dreams for the upcoming year. Specifically, you might want to reflect about choosing your career path. There are a lot of choices in the beauty industry, so let’s go over the five different career paths that are available to cosmetologists and aestheticians and the pros and cons of each.

Salon Suites

Pros 

● Making your own schedule. The flexibility is great if you have kids, are taking care of somebody elderly, or have a partner who travels a lot.

● Designing your own space, which gives you the freedom to create your own brand and environment.

● Picking your own products. You really get to pick and choose the best products on the market that you truly believe in and are excited to sell.

 ● Create your own culture, brand, and guest experience.

● Taxes. You get to write off the products and tools you’re purchasing.

Cons

● You are the bottleneck. You will cap out on how much you can physically do alone.

● You will wear all the hats. It’s up to you to pay bills, make decisions, handle upset

clients, clean, and do endless laundry.

● You’re on call constantly.

● It can be very isolating and lonely, especially when you’re the type who enjoys the

camaraderie of a team.

● It can be challenging to get education.

Booth Rental

Pros

● Making your own schedule.

● Working with other independent professionals. You don’t feel like you’re alone.

● Low costs. You don’t have to pick out anything except your products, capes, and

towels.

● Getting to write off your expenses.

Cons

● A lack of control over the culture, design, and cleanliness of the space.

● It’s not legal in every state.

● You only get one chair, so you can’t double book.

● The quality of work and ambiance can be all over the place since everyone is doing

their own thing.

● You may have limited hours available.

● You may have to find your own education.

Freelancing

Pros

● You get to pick and choose your jobs, whether that be bridal, commercials,

photoshoots, and so on. It’s a great learning opportunity to try all of these new things.

● You can write off your tools and equipment.

Cons

● It’s a constant effort to network and find new jobs. Freelancing requires a

neverending hustle with little rest.● You have an inconsistent income.

● It’s all about who you know. Constant networking can really put you out of your

comfort zone depending on your personality type.

Employee/Commission

Pros

● You have no responsibility for paying the bills. You just show up, do your work, and

leave.

● You don't have to worry about your taxes, planning meetings, or creating schedules.

● You might get benefits like health insurance or paid vacation.

● You’ll have the support of a leader and a team. You've got people helping you out,

folding towels, shampooing, doing foils, and chipping in on other daily tasks.

● Education - You're in an environment that supports your education and wants to see

you grow and thrive in the salon.

Cons

● Someone else may be dictating your schedule.

● You have much less control over leadership, culture, products, or who is on your

team.

Salon Owner

Pros

● You have an opportunity to work in the beauty industry without physically doing

hair yourself. You can make a living educating, helping people grow, being a leader,

and paying it forward.

● It’s an opportunity to get into real estate. You have the option to booth rent and solely

be a landlord, or do commission and build a culture and brand you believe in.

Cons

● It can cost a lot to start up between the equipment, the hiring, the onboarding, and the

training.

● It’s a lot of responsibility to manage a team, making sure that they are enjoying their

work, making a good living, have the right education, and getting the support and the

attention that they're asking for.

● It is a really costly business with a very low profit margin. Industry-wide, salon

owners usually profit maybe around six to eight percent.

● It’s a continual effort to generate new leads.

Which Is the Right Path for You? 

The right path for you is the one you decide to go all-in on. When making a decision, focus on your own strengths, dreams, and goals.

Do your homework. Research what other salons are offering in your area. Research how much booth rentals and suite rentals cost in your area.

Really consider whether changing your environment will bring you more happiness or more problems and struggles.

Ultimately, success boils down to you and your beliefs, attitude, behavior, and actions. Whatever you do, give it your best, be in a state of gratitude and abundance.

Here is an activity to help you make a decision.

Reflect on 2021 and list out all the positive and negative aspects of your career, where you are, and your personal life. Just free-flow dump out all of your thoughts and feelings about how you are doing right now.

Next, cross off anything on your list that you cannot change. This refers to things like the pandemic, other peoples’ behavior, and outside events.

What will be left on your list are areas where you can make changes in your life and career. Here, you can think about taking concrete steps to improve your situation.

And the areas that are crossed out represent an opportunity to change your attitude. These are uncontrollable variables, but you can choose to be more positive about them or to release your anxiety regarding them.

Hopefully, this list can help give you clarity about how you want to move forward with your career and life in 2022.

Listen to this episode of Beauty Business Game-Changers Podcast here.