THE SUCCESS – O – METER
Regardless of your definition of success in life, there are certain telling traits – key characteristics that more often than not tell how successful or otherwise an emerging (beauty) entrepreneur will be a long time before the world begins to call him or her one.
So what are those traits that indicate the Success-O-Meter of a BeautyPreneur? How would you know if you are one of those “success-prone BeautyPreneurs? Is it at all possible to increase your temperature level on the Success Thermometer?
This article contains 25 key characteristics shared by successful business-people the world over, which more often than not indicate the psyche level of an entrepreneur. Now, it is very possible that you do not exhibit all of these characteristics, that is very normal. Practice as you know makes perfect; so all you need is a winning attitude and a continued interest in learning, plus the ability to apply yourself through strategic planning, to the actualization of your set goals in (small) measurable steps.
We all agree that success, like growing up is never automatic. To become a successful athlete, you must continually train and practice; to legally drive a vehicle on a public roadway, you must have a drivers’ license; to become a professional makeup artist, you must train, practice and re-train. It is the same in business – if your goal is to become a successful BeautyPreneur, you must consciously apply yourself to some established processes, certain building blocks that you must develop, implement and continuously apply to your business for it to be successful. The following then are those building blocks to success (which by the way, I also use everyday) and believe to be the pre-requisites to start, operate and successfully build a profitable business.
Do what you love – If you made no money from this, would you still be a BeautyPreneur?
The end value of your business, including the personal satisfaction, financial gain and value will be the sum total of what you put into it. Your passion for what you do or the lack of passion thereof will show forth in the success of your business, or the subsequent lack of success. The truth is, if you don’t love or enjoy what you do, chances are you won’t be successful at it.
Take what you do seriously – No one will, if you don’t.
You cannot expect to have a successful business if you do not passionately believe in what you do. You must at all costs strive to keep from being side-tracked and losing your motivation. You have to keep your nose to the grindstone and refuse to be distracted by naysayers, especially those who will talk you down because you do not operate from a posh office or drive an expensive car. If your mother didn’t take permission from them to get pregnant with you, then you need no permission from no one to be successful.
Plan everything – Every Masterpiece Building has a Blueprint
Planning every aspect of your business is not only a must, it is of prime importance if your business will or won’t be successful. The act of business planning is so very important in that it allows you to ‘walk through’ every aspect of the business before you begin, as you’d have to analyze different business scenarios, research and compile data, and make credible conclusions based on your findings.
Business planning also serves the function of having your thoughts/ideas/goals clearly written out on paper, as well as how you plan to attain them. Your business plan serves as both a map to take you from Point A – Z, as well as a yardstick to measure your success at every point.
Manage money wisely – He who is faithful in little…
The lifeblood of any business enterprise is cash flow. Therefore, a key characteristic of a successful BeautyPreneur is the ability to manage money wisely in order to ensure that the cash keeps flowing and the bills are paid on time. The two sides of your Cashflow ‘Income (money you get from clients/customers in exchange for products sold or services rendered to them) and Expenses (money you spend on inventories, supply, wages, etc.)’ must constantly balance for your business to remain profitable and successful.
Ask for the sale – “Ask & You’ll be given”
Every BeautyPreneur must always remember that Marketing, Advertising pr Promotional Gigs are completely worthless except one simple ask is accomplished – ASK FOR THE SALE. This is not to say that the professional services of Publicists or Marketing executives are not needed or that they aren’t of tremendous value to your business. However, all of their contributions will be for naught, if you neglect to ACTIVELY ask (nicely) for people to buy what you sell.
Customer is KING – Treat everyone nicely, you never know!
Your beauty business isn’t about how nice you look or how well you speak. Your beauty business isn’t about the expensive products in your makeup kit or your posh office on Adeola Odeku. Your beauty business isn't about how little you charge compared to your competitions. Your beauty business isn’t even about your U.K certificate… Your Beauty Business is all about your customers or clients, QED. Yes, your success as a BeautyPreneur is totally dependent upon your customers and how well you treat them – the value they derive from exchanging their hard-earned money for your products/services.
Everything you do as touching your business must be customer-focused; from your prices, to your policies, warranties, advertising, operating hours, etc. And you must know who your customers are, inside & out.
Be a shameless self-promoter…But do not be obnoxious.
Waiting for the world to discover the genius that you are (whilst you sit at home & do nothing) is like the story of that pretty young lady who went around in a Nun’s habit, whilst praying for a husband – she lived to be a hundred year old virgin. Don’t buy into that philosophy that eventually your talents/products/services will get discovered and be embraced by the masses; if no one knows who you are, chances are no one will buy what you have to sell.
Self-promotion is one of the most beneficial, yet underutilized marketing tools that BeautyPreneurs have at their disposal.
Project a positive business image – Dressthe way you want to be addressed.
You have less than a minute to make a lasting impression on people with whom you intend to do business. And if you’re like most BeautyPreneurs starting out, you probably do not have the luxury of an elaborate office or elegant storefront to wow prospects or impress customers. Instead you must pay attention to even the smallest details as regards your dressing, business cards, letterheads, website/blog layout, etc.
The key is to make/maintain a conscious effort at projecting a professional & positive image at all times.
Get to know your customers – It’s same as knowing your business.
One of the biggest & most important competitive edge you have as an SME over larger competitors is your ability to offer personalized attention to your business. As my mentor Mary Kay pointed out in her bestseller book, The Mary Kay Way… “People have an invisible sign on their forehead screaming: Treat Me Special”.
Getting to know your customer means you can personally receive phone calls, answer emails, respond to comments on your blog and generally do those little things which will endear you to the hearts of your clients. By doing these things, you not only win new customers, but you equally retain old clients – from where over 80% of your business will come from. Getting to know your customers is another way of getting to know your business because you actually have no business without the customers.
Level the playing field with technology - Social Media is the new tradition
This point cannot be overemphasized; every 21st century BeautyPreneur must strive to take advantage of the internet and its attendant benefits. One of the most interesting & valuable aspects of the internet is having a website. In today’s high-tech world, a young BeautyPreneur operating from her living room with a superior website will hold her own with a Million-dollar company that hasn’t woken up to the realities of the Internet.
Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & LinkedIn to mention a few are also rich with incredible opportunities that will do your business a world of good.
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