How Electrologists can Increase their Revenue
Electrology is a field that only continues to grow, albeit slowly, which is why you need to have solid plans to grow your business before your competition swallows you whole. Electrologist are professionals that offer the service of permanent hair removal via insertion of an electrified heated probe that destroys the root of a hair making it incapable of growing back. With so many women and men tiring of short term hair removal options, electrolysis has remained a stable and viable field.What many independent electrologists wind up having a problem with is keeping their schedule book filled week after week. That has always been the one downside of electrology - repeat customers can only be repeat customers so many times. Therefore it is essential to keep a stream of new clients coming in which crates a stable revenue stream. After examining what made several independent electrologists successful, what was identified as the key is flexibility.Flexibility is what has made the difference in having only the occasional booking and having the ability to plan long term into the future. While some of the techniques a few electrologists use do present some risk, it is taking those risks that made them a success. The techniques these professionals used is only presented to serve as a guide and not the definitive plan that will work for everyone. As an independent business person, it is upon you to decide what does and does not fit your abilities and goals.Partner UpAs permanent makeup is becoming an increasing trend, there is no need to leave that all in the hands of the tattoo artists to rake in all the cash. An East providence electrologist saw this avenue and formed a partnership of sorts with a trio of area tattoo parlors that offered permanent makeup tattooing. With the artist’s referral, she performed the hair removal procedures for their clients at a slightly reduced rate, and she steered clients of hers she felt could benefit from permanent makeup to a studio based on distance from her client’s home to avoid any “turf arguments.” While it did not revolutionize her business, it did prove to be a better than $1,000 increase in monthly revenue as of FY 2009.
AdvertiseIt is not just about advertising for the sale of advertising, but knowing where to advertise. A Boston electrologist took advantage of the city’s annual Gay Pride festivities to get the word out. Rather than simply hand out pamphlets, she handed out necessity items. She offered diapers, water, sunscreen, and even a remote charging station for people who saw their electronic devices losing battery life much quicker than anticipated. She never pushed her services, but rather had some photos in her tent of what she offers and several holders filled with her business cards. While the return on investment was not immediate, within a few months she could fill her schedule each month. A listing in the Pink Pages came next, and suddenly she had tapped a market that gave her enough business she needed to expand.Find a Niche
It may not seem like there are niches in the electrology business, but truth be told it is overflowing with niche markets. Men for example often like the idea of electrolysis to provide a perfectly sculpted beard. Many men have trouble when it comes to shaving because they never feel like they get a close enough shave in some areas, or they have an area they consistently nick and cut no matter how careful they are. Although they realize electrolysis is a viable option, they tend to shy away from the concept of going to a salon that caters to women. By offering them a place that is a bit more metro sexual in feel, and even a ballgame on the radio or something small like that, you are suddenly male friendly and word of mouth will take care of the rest.
The transgender community is a huge market to hit. With transgender people being more and more open now, the MTF (Male to Female) transsexual for instance is a huge client to land. They often come with some special needs or wants however, but as one elctrologist stated about her MTF clients, they are like a college fund for her kids. Unlike many run of the mill clients seeking electrolysis, and MTF client may require 150 hours or more of treatment as opposed to those who might get 20 total hours of treatment.The “special” requirements are usually minimal and centered around anonymity which may mean staying open late a day every couple of weeks, or allowing them to enter through a door other than the front door during the day when many people are present. Not all MTF clients ask for such favors, but some do. What is nice, aside from the large amount of hours booked, is that when word gets around that you are “trans-friendly”, bookings tend to rise rather quickly.Discounts!Do not be afraid of discounts. If you think the difference between getting someone to stop in for one treatment and two or three treatments is a few dollars then it makes perfect sense to offer a lower rate. The reduction need not be drastic or advertised. When people feel they are getting a special deal they are more apt to take advantage of it. When one person tells another about the special deal they got word of mouth takes care of bringing more people in. The only thing people love more than a deal is telling people what a great deal they got.There are many ways to increase your client base so your electrology business stays busy. It does not require extreme advertising campaigns or cutting your profit margin to the point you make nothing. It is a matter of understanding your best client base demographic, being a little creative, and knowing when to bend a little and cut someone deal. Sometimes a one time discount of a few dollars can serve as a better advertising campaign than all the business cards you can pass out will ever accomplish. Keep in mind that electrolysis is something personal, and as such, word of mouth referrals are often your best friend.
