Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Welcome to the In Sync Insurance podcast. I'm your host, Dawn Cross and today we'll be discussing beauty business marketing with Stephanie Bernard, founder of beauty Business Bestie.
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[00:00:20] Speaker B: Brilliant. So welcome to the podcast. Could you start us off by introducing yourself and what you get up to within your company?
[00:00:26] Speaker C: Yes. So I am Stephanie Barnard and I've just rebranded as the beauty business bestie. So I cover everything for beauty businesses. I mainly focus on freelance beauty businesses because it's now become apparent, pre pandemic, not pre post pandemic, that 62% of the industry are now heading freelance instead of being employed. So I help beauty businesses master and grow their businesses through social media marketing and other tools that they can use to implement to make their businesses grow and thrive.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: That's brilliant. How did you get started within that.
[00:01:12] Speaker C: If you don't mind me asking?
So my career started in fitness years and years and years ago and whilst I was teaching classes I decided to do a nail qualification.
So I did that alongside obviously the fitness side of things.
Unfortunately the fitness side of things didn't end too well through a different job role and things like that. So I decided to go full time into beauty freelance 15 years ago, which makes me sound really old.
15 years ago.
Yeah. So I was mobile for a time and then I opened a salon which would been 13, it would be 14 years this year that I had my salon.
So I worked in the salon.
Obviously I had another self employed person with me, so another freelancer with me. So I wasn't one of these that employed staff. I wasn't what I wanted to do. I like the flexibility of obviously being freelance and self employed.
And then COVID hit good old COVID.
I was actually out of lease on my premises. So with obviously not knowing what was going to happen, I decided to move and I moved just into a treatment room on my own and took the select few beautiful clients that I decided I liked to keep with me.
That's where I was.
I then had a few health issues and I started getting repetitive strain injury. I did a lot of nails, so I started getting trap nerves here and losing sensation in my left side of my fingers. So something had to change and I've always loved marketing, I've always done absolutely everything in my own business.
So it was just progression, really natural.
So that's where I am now.
[00:03:40] Speaker B: I love that because you put that wealth of experience to draw upon to help advise old or new practitioners as they carry on with their journeys. And I think as well, although the industry has been around for quite a long time, there's still not necessarily, not a lot of helpful things to refer to out of. You know, you can get clients know. Some people get misled by Facebook ads thinking that's a solution and that sort of thing. So it sounds like what you're doing will be really and is beneficial to practitioners.
[00:04:14] Speaker C: What I wanted to create was a space where they could come and ask questions like, no question is a silly question in my eyes and I could give them answers based on what I've been through. I did absolutely everything in my business. Outsourcing was not an option. I wish it was, but it wasn't.
And tools that I like, the toolkit that I've built, tools like that, well, they're not around. They're still not around. Like, you go to college or you do private training, but there's no business help or business advice. It is literally here, this is how you can do a beautiful manicure off the know. How do I go and do don't? And then there's the question, well, how do I set myself up with HMRC? What insurance do? Like, how can I progress? How can I attract clients? Massive question.
And there is literally nothing, like you said. And then there's people that will buy into these Facebook ads and thinking that's going to be the answer, where in fact that isn't the answer. And the answer needs to be stripped back to the point to then start building up. So that's why I created the toolkit, basically. And I say it's to teach you everything that college didn't.
[00:05:41] Speaker B: I don't blame you at all. So obviously you've mentioned the toolkit, like, what does it encompass? What's it all about?
[00:05:46] Speaker C: So the toolkit is packed full with 42 lessons and 40 plug and play templates that you can basically use and just get your business from zero to hero, basically. So you know that you're set up, you know you've got no overwhelm, you know what you're doing moving forward.
So there's the setup section, which is all about HMRC insurance. Obviously, you guys feature in there as well, which is great.
Top provider.
There is branding and marketing, so you get access to social media templates, they can just change. There's a canva tutorial in there.
Then there's tools like the pricing calculator. There's also an accounting spreadsheet, so a takings tracker. There's literally everything. Client forms, price list templates, patch test cards, templates and instructions.
I kind of thought everything that I wish I had needs to go in.
So, yeah, it's jam packed full.
It's on launch offer at the moment as well. And included in that you get access to my five module social media for success course as well. It's a mini course. It covers everything from starting up to analytics to doing a review of your Instagram and then obviously Instagram reels and trending audios as well. It just literally covers everything you need to know to get going.
[00:07:34] Speaker B: Yeah, that sounds really amazing because I think as well, social media, I mean, I work in marketing. Sometimes it still kind of mystifies me because they keep changing things.
It's really frustrating.
[00:07:49] Speaker C: What's going to happen this week?
[00:07:50] Speaker B: How have I got to completely rearrange my life?
I think there's a lot of things like people don't understand how they can get traction by using trending audio and stuff is something that people don't realize is in little thing, or even just like, you just hit the right and that's it. That would be brilliant. And obviously, if you don't know, then you don't know. So having that training there is fantastic because then they can be their own marketer by the end of it.
[00:08:18] Speaker C: Well, this is it. And obviously with the templates as well, the post templates, they don't really have to think about anything.
It's all done. And at the end of the week, I say about the account spreadsheet, it's like back in the day when we had to do paper, when we did paper, but with these tools, with the accounting spreadsheet, you just set like an hour aside at the end of the week, input it all, and then you're on top of it. Instead of getting to January and thinking, oh my God, what do I do? And how do I tax return, especially if it's your first one? Because it's quite scary.
[00:09:04] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it's definitely not something that is easily trifled with. And if you've got no accountancy background or even just like you don't necessarily like to deal with numbers, it can be quite a scary thing. And then you make a mistake and that's it. All of a sudden, you owe way more than.
[00:09:21] Speaker C: Yeah, that's it. And then the biggest one is pricing. So that's why I put the pricing spreadsheet in there. It's just a simple pricing calculator.
Because the majority of questions that I see is like, how do I price this? How do I price that? Do you think I'm pricing my worth. And as much as I would love to say, right, you could pluck the number out of thin air and charge 60 pounds for a set of nails if you wanted to, which is totally up to you. You've still got to consider, are you actually making any money?
As I never did it. I hold my hands fully up and said I plucked mine out of thin air and never broke it down. Do you know what I mean? It's only over the years that I thought, why am I not doing that? Why am I not taking into consideration my rent, my electric products, like how much it takes to your disposables, insurances and things?
And that's why it was born really, because I've made a hell of a lot of mistakes and now people get.
[00:10:32] Speaker B: To learn from them.
[00:10:33] Speaker C: Yeah, but then, I mean, obviously I learned from them. So if I can learn from them, anybody can learn from them. But if they can just buy something, that's just like, it's kind of like a business in a box, in effect.
Yeah.
That's what the toolkit was made for.
[00:10:52] Speaker B: That sounds amazing. Do you have any other resources then that you provide? Or like I remember you saying that you have an online community as well.
[00:11:00] Speaker C: Yeah. So we have a free Facebook group which is the beauty business society. And I break that down obviously over the week and we do different days for different things. So Mondays I drop income, revenue generating activities we do week because obviously a lot of people don't realize we should be doing that as well.
You get an extra template on a Tuesday because it's template Tuesday today, so you get access to that as well. On a Wednesday we do work it out Wednesday where anybody can ask anything and I will be around to answer. And then on a Thursday it's called Toolbox Thursday and it's basically I've got a collective of, I'm going to say between ten and twelve other industry experts that obviously focus on different things like mindset, deep dive on pricing, strategy.
Health and safety is a big one and they are available on a Thursday. They drop in like their lead magnets or their freebies. So you can get so much value from these twelve experts as well. I didn't want it to be like just me. I feel like I go in groups and they all seem very like, oh, well, I don't want anybody else to post, but I just feel like you can't teach everybody everything.
[00:12:34] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:12:35] Speaker C: So I wanted a day to have that opportunity where other people can get in front of the audience as well.
And then we do funky Friday, which basically I post you three trending audios for that week. So I'm even giving you trending audios to use.
[00:12:59] Speaker B: That sounds amazing.
[00:13:00] Speaker C: Yeah. And then it's just a safe space where you can ask anything.
I've got some free resources on my website as well.
Off the top of my head, I can't tell you what they are. The one is my boss, your bio, Instagram mini course or mini training, should I say. And that is all about making sure that your bio on Instagram is set up to attract rather than repel.
And it's just a ten minute training where I talk you through everything.
Yeah. And that's totally free.
[00:13:42] Speaker B: That sounds absolutely amazing. I wanted to ask as well for our audience, what would be your top most tip for when they're starting on social media? I know that's a big ask, one tip, but what would be your top most tip?
[00:13:57] Speaker C: To figure out what their consistent is.
I'll explain. So there's obviously a lot of talk about posting every day, twice a day, three times a day, et cetera. But a lot of people get overwhelmed very quickly thinking that they've gone, you know, you're nodding along, you've got to post out every single day, when in fact, if you do quality over quantity and stay consistent, there's no point posting seven days and then having a week off because there's no consistency there. The algorithm, unfortunately is not going to like you.
So I always say if consistency looks of three posts a week, then you need to just stick to three posts a week.
And that's what I would say, find out what works, what you feel you can fit into your life and what works for you, rather than listening to everybody else.
Obviously to grow quicker, you need to post more.
[00:15:09] Speaker B: But when you get there, you'll get there.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: But yeah, exactly. Once you get into that flow of being consistent to start with, then it will come like you'll think, oh, well, that's easy, and I'll just add another one in and I'll add another one in instead of going, oh my God, I've posted every day this week and I really don't know what else to post. And then you've had three weeks off and no one knows what's going on.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: I think as well, it's important to note, obviously that you're saying about the algorithm, it's going to hate you if you're not consistent. But as well, even if someone's regular, they always see your post and stuff. If you upset the algorithm, they're less likely to see on their timeline as well. So even your regular likers will miss you. So it's absolutely insane. I can understand why they set the algorithms like that. Unless, you know, you go with a big break and then you're like, why is nobody liking my post? Why is it not getting anywhere? Or the reach is like, two people, unfortunately, yeah.
[00:16:14] Speaker C: It's because it's basically taken it. And I said this the other week when I was at the pro beauty show, it's taken it as if your business has gone, has shut down. And again, for your followers, if you don't post for three weeks and then somebody comes across your profile, looks and thinks, well, they haven't posted for three weeks, I wonder if they're still.
[00:16:34] Speaker B: Are they still around?
[00:16:35] Speaker C: Yeah, it's weird. I did speak to one lady at pro beauty and I was like, let me have a look at your Instagram. I was like, when was the last time you posted? She was like, may last year. I was, ooh, that's quite a.
Got a lot of work to do there. It's going to take a while, love.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: Brilliant. So I guess my last question for you, is there anything you'd like to add before you wrap up the episode today?
[00:17:04] Speaker C: No, just that if you want to come into my world, feel free to. I'm here to help at the end of the day and that's it, really. So, yeah, I'm here to support every beauty business owner that I possibly can.
Yeah, it's a passion.
One of those.
[00:17:23] Speaker B: No, it sounds brilliant. And obviously, as well, we'll put all the links in the episode description as well. So if you are curious about freebies, you just want to get the freebies.
[00:17:33] Speaker C: Yeah, I can send you over a link to. Definitely the bossy bio, because that's ten minutes.
It's a good way to.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Not too bad. But it makes such a difference, doesn't it?
[00:17:43] Speaker C: Yeah, 100%.
[00:17:47] Speaker B: Great. Well, thank you so much for coming on today.
[00:17:49] Speaker C: My absolute pleasure.
[00:17:52] Speaker A: Thank you to my guest today, Stephanie Bernard, for chatting about her company, beauty business bestie in a brilliant business toolkit. If you're interested in the toolkit, please check the link in the description.
I have been your host, Dawn Cross, and tune in next week for another episode.
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