Start-up as an independent contractor

Hi there!

I am so very grateful for this forum. :) It has been a huge help to me.

So, I'm trying to figure out how much money I need to save in order to buy some equipment to start out as an esthetician. I've had my license for a few years, and my husband just graduated from college and is finally working. I know being an independent contractor is going to be the way to go for me. I want to be able to set my own hours and make up my own menu. I think the rent in the area I live in should be about $50 a week, so if I do one facial a week that should cover it and then any other work I get will go towards my income and paying for supplies, etc.

I know I don't want to use a crockpot for hot towels, and I already have a massage table that I can use, but I don't want to buy too much at once - just a nice, basic setup so that I can start building my clientele and start making some money. I work an almost-fulltime job right now and I've just taken on a second part time job to earn $ fast so I can finally be an esthetician. I figure if I work the second part time job at minimum wage until December I can earn about $1300. Do you guys know how close I will be to getting equipment, product, supplies, etc with that amount?

I am so desperate to do this! I originally went to school for esthetics in 2008. I feel like I've been waiting forever for my life to begin!!! :)

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Permalink Reply by Natalie on July 28, 2013 at 7:38pm

Rent seems low- if you can find rent for $200 a month ( decent location) and know you can market your businesss

Business license- $200

Insurance

Towel warmer- $150 or less

Towels and sheets- $200
Steamer- $
Product- $
Marketing and advertising-

Etc -much more to it but doable for $2000 not counting rent I assume- if your goal is one client a week I would rethink business plan...

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Permalink Reply by Krista C. on July 28, 2013 at 7:54pm

Thanks, Natalie.

No - my goal isn't just one client a week. lol. I was saying that as long as I had at least one client a week it would at least cover my rent for that week - I plan on having a lot more than one client! ;)

Thanks for the breakdown - I think I need to write down every little piece of equipment and supplies I'll need for each service, and then calculate how much it would cost if I got everything new. If I can get my stuff used that would be great - but I don't know how much of it I'll be able to find, so I need to make sure I have enough money to start my new venture! :)

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Permalink Reply by Margo Koeller on July 29, 2013 at 12:03am

I started about 5 years ago I bought most of my supply's on eBay then started working @ a spa 1st 60/40 then I started my own products so changed to 60% for me 40% for spa I too wanted to be independent so I started renting but here in calif it's a high rent I was paying 100.00 a week I did that for awhile did a few Groupons packages so I can get new clients. Later my husband built a room for me separate from our house and I made it into my spa I had lots of clients it was great then things started getting slow so I also now work at massage green as there Esthetican part time putting my clients @ my home spa 1st on my list. Your clients come and go some stay and are loyal and stick with you some just drift away you just have to have faith and love what you do keep up with the education and your dreams will come true (-: Captivating Skin by Margo

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Permalink Reply by Krista C. on July 29, 2013 at 8:26pm

Thanks, Margo!

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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on July 30, 2013 at 5:51am

Agreed - write down absolutely every little thing you will need... pedal trashcan, gauze pads, sheets, towels, mag lamp, wax warmer, products (this will be your biggest initial investment), paint for the walls, barbicide, shelving for your retail, dimmer switch for your treatment room, music player of some kind... EVERYTHING.

And then double the number you come up with and add $100.

I just replaced all the mag lamps in my spa with a model from LCL beauty that was reasonable. There are also smaller hot towel cabinets that might be a good value... and when you outgrow it, you can move it to your bathroom at home (that has always been a dream of mine, LOL).

My initial calculations about rent made me think I would be able to rent my first room for about $280/mo, but it turned out that to be in the location I wanted, I paid $400 which was very scary at first, so be prepared for that too, especially if you are renting within an existing business that has traffic.

I have been able to get a number of nice pieces of equipment used, so definitely pursue that avenue wherever possible. I still have a craigslist app on my phone that alerts me when my keywords go up in 5 or 6 different markets that are within driving distance. I actually drove about 80 miles for a used microderm machine a couple months ago, and I never would have known about it if not for that app (because I would only have been checking my local listings).

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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on July 30, 2013 at 5:57am

While you are saving up, you should go ahead and get an EIN and a business checking account for your business, so that you can use that account to start saving for your business purchases (and start making purchases out of that account if you find something used that suits your needs).

Then, once you have nailed down a space, be sure to get your occupational license (mine was only $50 to start) and your establishment license from the board of cosmetology before you start practicing in your rented space - you don't want to get hit with a fine!

Finally, utilize resources such as Ikea and Marshall's for furniture - I find the traditional esthetic carts to be ugly and overpriced, so I just ordered a rolling kitchen trolley from IKEA for two of my treatment rooms, and used the clamp-on bracket that came with the mag lamps to attach them to the side of the table.

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Permalink Reply by Krista C. on July 30, 2013 at 9:33pm

Thanks so much Christine!!! :)

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Permalink Reply by mk on July 29, 2013 at 2:40pm

I spent about $1,000 to get started in addition to the supplies and products I had previous to doing booth rent. I could easily spend another $1000 and not feel like I had everything I need.