Doing the Research
Mobile Hairdressing
Let’s face it, not everyone is a 9 to 5 kind of person, some people thrive on being their own boss and setting and achieving their own goals. One of the biggest benefits of becoming a mobile hairdresser is that you will have the freedom to set your own hours and work as little or as much as you want to. Gaining a good amount of experience is advised before venturing out on your own, at a minimum we recommend two years salon experience to give you a good start to developing your people skills as well as building relationships with clients.
Being a mobile hairdresser you are your own boss, you can schedule your clients at times mutually suitable and you are not limited to opening and closing times of a salon. This is one of the huge advantages you have over a regular salon and clients will love you for it. Not only that you can spend that little bit of extra time with them if the need arises and your schedule allows.
But to keep those regular clients coming back you need to be on hand to take their calls or if you can’t be prepared to get back to them pretty sharp to retain their business. Organisation will be key, remember when you are out and about or in the middle of a blow wave there is no one around to take your calls and get back to potentials clients on your behalf. So staying focused and being overly organised will keep you and your business ticking along nicely. Also ensuring that you have a working and reliable mode of transport and that’s its fully stocked with all your equipment and supplies, you don’t want to get to an appointment and be asked to do something with you didn’t bring the right tools for.
A major part of working for yourself is being able to sell and promoting your business. The best place to start is ensuring you keep a strong presence on social media, keeping for example your Facebook, twitter and Instagram pages up to date on current trends and posting your latest styles will be sure to keep your followers interested.
You may not have a bricks and mortar salon to show of your flair and style but getting yourself online with a website will be how you really show off your personal style and accomplishments, not only is this the façade of your brand but you can use it to build your clientele using search engine optimisation (SEO) to gain traction on google and other search engines and set you apart from your competition.
These days websites don’t need to cost you an arm and a leg, places such as Wix lets you build your own beautiful website at a fraction of the cost, however if you are serious about promoting your business online, engaging a professional web design studio will really make a big difference to your brand. Not sure where to start? Read our article on easily creating an online portfolio for your business.
And let’s not forget the most the power of who you know, word of mouth can be a hugely effective tool for marketing your business, keep yourself open to networking and meeting new people and not being afraid to self-promote when the opportunity arises.
Owning your own business and stepping into the world of entrepreneurship is daunting to say the least so don’t be afraid to go back and further your studies with a course such as Certificate IV in Small Business Management, being a wiz at styling hair is one thing but running a business can be a whole other ball game, so don’t be afraid to hit the books and get ahead of the game.
Male Hairdressers
It’s no surprise that hairdressing is a rapidly growing career choice. In fact employment for Hairdressers has risen by 5.8% over the past 5 years and is expected to remain relatively steady through 2017.
However for men sometimes there can be a moment of uncertainty when it comes to deciding whether they should take the first step toward becoming a Hair Dresser. Statistically speaking, men account for just under 15% of hairdressers in Australia, so at a glance appears that men are underrepresented when it comes to a voice in the industry.
In a way it’s like when we are very young, we have dreams of what we will be when we grow up. Then as we begin to grow up, our dreams change. Sometimes it’s because we’ve changed, or sometimes because the world made us feel we need to change them.
Despite the relative percentage of Men in the industry, men have a very strong voice as stylists. In fact men have had some of the strongest influence in shaping the industry that we love.
Just cast you eyes across any “Most Influential Hair Stylists”, Top Hair Stylists”, or “Most Successful Hairstylists” articles and you’ll see that a lot of the top stylists in the world today are men. They have founded some of the biggest brands, the most well known studios, and styled the most famous of people.
It almost goes without saying that when you look at the history of the industry, Male Hairdressers and stylists have been some of the greatest innovators, bravest pioneers, most creative visionaries.
So don’t give up the dream. “If you have a sense of style and purpose and will you don’t want to compromise.” — Vidal Sassoon
You can take the first step here.
Cert III in Hairdressing Full Time Study
Certificate III in hairdressing full time study is as the name suggests, it allows the student to study hairdressing full time (or part time) at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as Tafe which is a public institution or a private establishment. On completion of this course the student with be recognised with a national trade qualification for hairdressing.
The student enrols at an RTO of their choosing and will usually participate in three to five days of training per week depending on whether you choose to study part time or full time. Depending on the institute you choose your Certificate III in hairdressing full time study can be completed in one year. Students who choose to study this course on a part time basis will take longer than a year. Also there are no prerequisites for entry into this type of course.
Many people choose to study for their cert III full time as an apprenticeship is simply too long a commitment, the full time study option is popular with mature aged student as it enables them to become fully qualified in a far shorter time period.
Studying full time is a big commitment and it’s important to find the right institute for you. Start by researching online and asking around any industry insiders. It also is as good idea to visit potential campuses to get a true feel for the school. We have compiled a list of the more popular institutes to help you get started.
Full time students may also be eligible for financial aid during the course of their study. Please click here to read more about what payments you may be entitled to.
Click here to read about cert II in hairdressing.
Click here to read about cert III in hairdressing via an Australian apprenticeship.
Click here to read about cert IV in hairdressing.
Hairdresser training requirements can vary from state to state so please select your state below to get specialist information on your state.
Australian Capital Territory – (02) 6205 8555
New South Wales – 13 28 11
Northern Territory – (08) 8901 1357
Queensland – 1800 210 210
South Australia – 1800 673 097
Tasmania – 1800 655 846
Victoria – (03) 9651 9999
Western Australian – 13 19 54
Teaching & Training Hairdressers
Learning to teach and train hairdresser can be fulfilling challenging career move. If you have your qualification and spent a good few years on the job gaining industry experience and you are feeling like you want more out of your career it may be time to move on and assess where your strengths lie. Most people will naturally be drawn to a particular area within their industry, for hairdressing it can range from styling to colouring to managing a salon, however keep in mind that there are many other options available in the world of hairdressing and one of those options is training!
If you are a born leader and have an passion to inspire others then perhaps you should think about passing on your professional expertise to others by becoming a trainer and down the track with enough ambition and get go you could eventually start your own training company.
You will need to study for a certificate IV in training and assessment which is the national requirement after which you will be a licensed trainer. Upon completion of this course you will then be eligible to teach any other course that you have previously completed, for instance if you hold the Certificate IV in Salon Management, you can become a trainer and assessor for the Cert IV in Salon Management .
Not only does Australia need more hairdressers but we need the people to train them so take your first step by completing a formal qualification such as the Diploma of Salon Management, then go on to the certificate IV in training and assessment. On completion of this qualification you will have gained the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies required to deliver training and assessments in the hair industry. As always, ensure you thoroughly research which school best suits your requirements before committing to a course.
