Do you have an eye or some very unique taste for fashion, or that you like to make people look and feel more positive about themselves, then you will have to pause to read through this because it’s gonna be sharing with you some tips on how to start an image consulting business.
Starting an image consulting business or running some image consultancy shop may be just right for you. From giving beauty makeovers, to giving professional advice on how body language affects ones job search success, image consultants help people help themselves.
This is a professional field that aims to improve the image of the client personally or professionally through appearance, behavior, and communication. It is the process of evaluating the effect of a person’s appearance on their professional image. They have basic functions or roles they play in the society which happen to be more important than they seem.
Roles/Functions of Image Consultants
Here are some the number of responsibilities often attended to by professionals in this field:
- They are usually experts in marketing and fashion.
- They train their clients to improve their image for social events or to achieve certain goals.
- Although main clients remain executives and politicians, not only individuals but also companies can be clients of image consultants.
- An image consultant’s main focus is on dressing, personal style, clothes buying, body language, and etiquette.
- They help with taking a customer through a process of evaluating their lifestyle and helping them change their body language and attire in order to help improve their image.
How to Start an Image Consulting Business
Understand the Needs of Your Customer Base
Be specific when identifying your customer base. Determine if your major customer base will be individuals or corporate entities, and then define the needs of your target.
Organize a Business Plan
Develop a business plan and revise it quarterly. As your business grows, you may want to fine tune your offerings based on customer demand ,to increase profitability.
Source for Capital
Consider starting out working part-time from your home. Your image consulting business will require a financial investment in equipment, such as makeup, fashion magazines, other industry research, mirrors, color swatches and travel expenses in meeting with customers.
Maintain and Sustain the Right Connections for your Business
If you really desire to see your business rising and booming, you have got to network and be a friend to caterers, event planners and wedding consultants. You may just find your niche in helping these individuals with their clients and develop profitable partnerships.
Fund your Marketing
Create marketing materials, such as brochures and letterhead stationery and business cards, and mail them to public relation firms. Make follow-up calls and ask how you can be of service.
Get Licensed and Own Authority
Obtain a cosmetology license if you are planning on applying makeup on client’s skin as part of your service offerings. In the interim, until you are licensed, you can explain to your customers how to apply makeup as they put it on themselves.
Offer Image Evaluation Opportunities
Invest in a video camera if you are offering corporate image training. Your clients will likely want to see how their body language and speech has improved compared with the time before using your services.
Go Virtual!
Invest in virtual beauty makeover software if you are servicing individuals. Using it will help your clients make the best do-over decision with the least amount of regrets.
