by Emily Lee

I’ve been teaching infection prevention and control (IPAC) for the Lash Industry for several years, and though my higher-than-the-average-bear standards have been making some headway in lash salons globally, it was still a bit of an up-stream swim at times. If someone would have told me in 2019 that a global event in 2020 would result in throngs of people suddenly contacting me to help them up their IPAC game, I would have thought I was being Punk’d. I am, however, so happy to find this silver lining in the dark pandemic cloud. 

As our industry gears up to reopen our doors to clients, here are five things to consider before reopening.

YOUR HEALTH

Are you in good general health? Are you high risk or live with someone who is? If you are not a low risk individual, or are very concerned about reopening, you may want to think about delaying your reopening until things stabilize a bit. Just because you are allowed to reopen, it doesn’t mean you have to...

During this time away from work we need to find ways to stay positive. Sure, this is not always easy when there's so much to be concerned about right now, but I suggest focusing on a combination of planning and goal-setting, for when business is ready to start back up again, and self-care, to keep you strong in your body and mind. It may help you to cope with this pandemic if you feel like you are still moving forward and taking action towards the goals you've always had and will continue to have in the future.

A lot of things are out of our hands at the moment. We can't control what's happening in the world but we can control how we CHOOSE to react to it.

As Lash Artists, we strive to make everyone happy!! It's just who we are.

Professionals in a client-based career tend to be people-pleasers. This makes it especially hard when someone gives us negative feedback or writes a bad review. It's like a punch in the gut.

Why is she so mean??

What is her problem??

The truth is, it's not personal. And it's impossible to please ALL of the people ALL of the time!

When you get that kick in the stomach it is important to react professionally, not emotionally. Well obviously you will have some level of emotional reaction - what I mean is - don't do anything until you've PROCESSED THE EMOTIONS and can respond professionally.

The thing about negatives reviews is that they can actually be A GOOD THING! Yes, you heard me (or read me) right!

Every review you receive online is an opportunity for you to market yourself and your business, whether they are good reviews or good not-so-good reviews. Even the nastiest...

2019 has been an incredible year for NALA. We’ve come a long way in just over three years and we are so excited to serve lash communities around the world. This year we offered services, resources, education and accreditation in 27 countries and 3 languages.

Thank you to all the lash professionals who support the association in: 

We have so many amazing things planned for 2020 and we look forward to continuing to do all we can to ensure the success of every lash artist and educator across the globe! Learn more about NALA and our mission to serve our community.

Implementing a well-defined course of action for each of your daily business activities will not only make your life easier but will help increase revenue for your business. Following consistent behaviour will also help your clients to trust you because they know what they can expect EVERY time they visit your studio.

When you systemize your business and make your daily procedures clear and easy-to-follow, you are more likely to adapt when your business grows. Without these processes in place, everything may become overwhelming when your client list grows and when your responsibilities grow with each new level of success.

Growth and success should be a time for celebration. To avoid overwhelm and potential chaos create a list of all your business tasks and break them down into these categories:

• Administration.
• Sales and Marketing.
• Client Management.
• Financial Duties.

Record your step-by-step processes for each categorized task.

Here are some examples of regular duties in a lash...

A sad story with a happy ending, by Levi Shephard.

The NALA Industry Awards have been so enthusiastically received by the lash community. We are thrilled and excited to be able to provide these awards every year as a way of celebrating the great leaders, mentors, and game-changers in the lash world.  

NALA must constantly review and update our recommended standards and terms of membership in order to keep up with the ever-changing industry.

One of our top subjects this year has been the use of pre-made fans.

NALA currently holds the position that using pre-made volume fans on clients is not acceptable practice. NALA Members are bound to NALA standards and therefore are not permitted to use them. There are a few reasons for this:

1. There are a multitude of different kinds available with too many unanswered questions and variables to be explored.
2. Pre-made fans are being purchased and used by lash artists who are NOT volume trained. The concern is, these artists may not have the comprehensive understanding of safe fan applications. Artists applying volume fans need to understand how different weights and fan widths will affect the natural lash. Proper selection, creation and placement of fans is vital for protecting the integrity of the...

In business, you can charge whatever you want. You can even be the MOST expensive lash artist in your community and be wildly successful. In fact, the higher-priced studios are typically busier than the bargain-priced ones. The key is to offer more value than you charge. So, if you want to charge top dollar you can! Just make sure you justify your prices with results, atmosphere, an excellent customer experience, product consistency, and as many perks and benefits as you can squeeze into a lash appointment. 

Begin preparing for the increase a few months before you plan to implement it.

Here is a simple bullet point list of the basic process for raising prices:

• Ask clients for testimonials and publish them so you have social proof of the value you offer and the results you provide.
• Will your price increase be substantial enough to affect your client list? Will you lose some people? If so, update your marketing strategy to attract a new, more ideal client.
• Do the math and make...