As a prominent name in the lash industry, LashJoy has established a strong brand that is centered on professionalism, education, quality, and innovation. With the rise of lash extensions in recent years, it's no wonder that becoming a lash stylist has become a popular career choice for many individuals here in Australia.

In this blog post, we will explore 7 benefits of becoming a lash stylist in Australia and 7 mistakes to avoid when entering the lash industry.

7 Benefits of Becoming a Lash Stylist in Australia

1. High Demand: The demand for lash extensions has increased significantly in recent years, making it a lucrative career choice. According to industry reports, the lash extension market in Australia is expected to reach $150 million by 2025. Even as a solo lash stylist, you only need 80-100 regular clients to be earning well over 6 figures annually (providing you charge appropriately).

2. Flexibility: As a lash stylist, you have the flexibility to work from home or in a salon. Being your own lash boss means you can choose your own working hours and work around your schedule. Having this flexibility makes it easy to start your lash business from home whilst still working another job until you've built up the clientele to make the switch to becoming a full-time lash stylist.

3. Creativity: Lash extensions allow you to express your creativity and design customized looks for your clients. No two client's eyelash will ever be the same which means you can create a variety of lash styles customised to suit your clients' preferences and enhance their natural beauty.

4. Professional Growth: The lash industry is constantly evolving, and there are always new techniques, products, and training courses available to help you grow professionally. This allows you to expand your skillset and offer a wider range of services to your clients. For example, many of our LashJoy students start with classic eyelash extensions and then progress to learn volume and hybrid eyelash extensions, lash lifts and brow services such as brow lamination which enables them to meet their client's needs whilst boosting their earning potential.

5. Repeat Business: Lash extensions are not only very addictive but they also require regular maintenance, which means you can build a loyal client base and generate repeat business. Typically client's will attend "refill" appointments every 2-3 weeks to have their lash extensions topped up which makes it easy to establish a steady stream of income providing you can deliver great results consistently.

6. Job Satisfaction: As a lash stylist, you get to see the immediate impact of your work on your clients' appearance. As any lash stylist will tell you, this is incredibly rewarding and a major reason why many lash stylists love what they do so much. Lash extensions applied correctly can literally transform the way a person looks and feels about themselves and give them a major boost in self confidence. 

7. Entrepreneurial Opportunities: Once you have established yourself as a successful lash stylist, you can explore entrepreneurial opportunities such as opening your own salon, becoming a lash educator, or starting a lash product line. Many of the most successful Lash Bosses in the industry have followed this path and the sky is literally the limit as to how successful you can be if you dedicate yourself. 

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Entering the Lash Industry

Whilst there are many mistakes newcomers makes when starting out as a lash stylist, these 7 are some of the most common and have the potential to do the most harm.

1. Lack of Quality Training: It is crucial to undergo proper training before offering lash extension services. Without proper training, you risk causing harm to your clients and damaging your reputation. Attending a cheap "crash course" and trying to figure things out as you go would be the #1 mistake we see aspiring lash stylist make. Our advice is don't underestimate how important attending the right lash course can be as it will play a huge factor in your lash businesses success for year to come.

2. Using Poor-Quality Products: Using poor-quality lash extension products can lead to a subpar result, damage your clients' natural lashes, and ruin your reputation as a lash stylist. Always invest in high-quality products from reputable brands as they will carry out in-depth quality checks to ensure product quality and consistency. In particular, your lash adhesive, lash extension trays and the tweezers you use are extremely important, so be sure to research these to find the products that work best for you.

3. Overbooking: In the beginning of your lash career you may have the goal of being "fully booked" which is great, however, overbooking can lead to professional burnout, poor work quality, and unhappy clients. It is important to set realistic booking limits and avoid overcommitting as being a solo lash stylist also means you need to allocate time for other tasks such as marketing, admin, cleaning etc. If you are fully booked, it may be time to introduce a small price rise. Even if you increase your prices by 10% this will make a significant difference to your weekly income and allow you to reinvest into your business or save for other personal goals.

4. Inadequate Client Consultation: Proper client consultation is essential to understand your clients' preferences and ensure you deliver the desired results. Failing to conduct a proper consultation with your clients prior to beginning an appointment almost always leads to poor results and unsatisfied clients that may never return. A proper consult means asking questions to understand your clients wants whilst being clear and upfront with what can be achieved. Sometimes this means "guiding" clients away from a particular lash style that may not be suitable for them or may cause damage to their their natural lashes.

5. Poor Communication: Clear and effective communication is crucial to building a strong client-stylist relationship. Failing to communicate properly with your clients can lead to misunderstandings, unsatisfied clients, and damage your reputation. This is why it's so important to have clear salon policies in place and ensure your clients are aware of them and that you stick to them.

6. Ignoring Safety Protocols: Lash extension application requires strict adherence to safety protocols to avoid injuring or causing harm to your clients. Always follow industry standards and guidelines to ensure your clients' safety and under no circumstances should you ever take "shortcuts" when it comes to OH&S for yourself and for your salon. For example, for us at LashJoy Academy and our salon Brisbane Lashes, this means all stylists are trained in correct lashing posture, wear safety gloves, face masks and are allocated time after every appointment to properly sanitize their work station and tools in preparation for their next client.

7. Undercharging: Arguably the biggest mistake we see aspiring lash stylists makes is undercharging for their work. It is important to charge appropriate prices that reflect the quality of your work, experience, and skillset whilst taking into consideration your business expenses. Too many lash stylists charge too little for their work which has a negative effect on the industry as a whole as it conditions clients not to value what we do or appreciate the skill involved to be a professional lash stylist. Ironically, being cheap can sometimes lead clients to believe you just aren't good at what you do, when in your mind you thought you were offering great value. Another downside of undercharging is attracting clients who do not appreciate the value of your services which makes it very difficult to build customer loyalty. As we say "if your goal is to attract clients by offering the cheapest price, be prepared to lose them the same way".

Conclusion

Becoming a lash stylist can be a rewarding and lucrative career choice, but it requires proper training, high-quality products, and effective communication skills. By avoiding common mistakes and focusing on the benefits of the lash industry will give you the best possible chance to establish a successful career as a lash stylist in Australia.