Being a beginner in any industry can be tough. From figuring out what kind of lash technician you want to be to acquiring all the necessary credentials, setting yourself up in those early days can be a challenge!
But perhaps the trickiest part of becoming a lash tech is knowing how to set prices.
Naturally, you want to give your clients a very reasonable price, but making sure you pay yourself accordingly for all that time and skill, in addition to covering lash supplies and monthly expenses, means that sometimes you've got to charge a little more money than you'd expect.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to determine how much you should be charging clients as a beginner lash tech, and we're going to share them with you. Let's dive in and get you paid!
How Much Do Lash Techs Charge in the UK?
Knowing how much to charge for lash extensions can be difficult, especially in the beginning phase of being a professional lash artist.
You may feel cautious about overcharging clients and scaring them off or afraid of undercharging and selling yourself short. Both are reasonable concerns!
The average price that lash technicians charge in the UK is £20 to £80 per hour, or £40 to £160 per hour per set of applied lash extensions. Knowing the average pricing strategy of other lash technicians can help you understand where to position yourself on the rate ladder.
Beginner Lash Tech Pricing Strategy - Finding Your Value
A big part of determining your personal pricing strategy as a beginner lash tech is about finding your value as a lash artist.
How much do you value your time, your skills, and your unique lash application style?
Asking yourself these questions can help you form a clearer picture of how much you want to charge clients for your lash extensions. Many established lash artists are successful because they understand what value they bring to the table and aren't afraid to ask for it.
What is the Best Way to Price Your Lash Extensions?
The best way to price your lash extension business is to use a tried-and-tested pricing strategy. That way, it will be easy to keep track of payments and ensure you are meeting all your monthly expenses. As a new lash artist, following a system like this can be extraordinarily helpful!
Most lash artists use an hourly-rate pricing structure for their eyelash extensions. This allows more control over the payment outcome of a session.
For instance, if the session ends up taking a lot of time, you'll be properly compensated for your efforts, and if it gets done quickly, clients won't have to pay excessive rates.
What if I Set the Price Lower Than the Other Local Lash Tech?
If you do enough research, this shouldn't happen - and if it does, you can simply change it as soon as you find out!
Many lash technicians adjust their rates for eyelash extensions based on evolving market research and other factors. While being consistent with your lash set prices is important for attracting clients, you are well within your right to increase or decrease your prices based on market expenses and trends.
Tips for Setting Up a Strong Pricing Strategy
Lash services can be difficult to price because there are so many different types of lash extensions, products, and training skills to consider.
But when in doubt, follow a strategy! This is especially true if you are new to the lash industry and eager to unleash your pro lash artistry skills upon the world (as you should).
With that in mind, let's make things as simple as possible by running through four key tips all beginner lash techs can use to kick-start their lash business and rise to success.
1. Find models to practise on
Before charging clients full price for lash applications, ensure you have professional skills and experience to lean on. Of course, you can't get experience without practice, which is where your models come in (i.e., a couple of friends willing to get their lashes done for free)!
After undergoing a training program such as the courses run by us here at Belo, you will need to practise on a few consenting models who don't mind if the job is still amateur.
Once you reach a level of skill that you are happy to call professional, you can start to charge for your lash services.
2. Study the competition
If you're feeling confused about how to set rates for your lash business, one of the best things you can do is study your local competitors. What are other beginner lash technicians in your area charging?
Consider reaching out to another lash business owner or local lash artist to find out what they think is a fair pricing strategy for beginners. You might be surprised by what you discover!
3. Understand your lash extension business costs
Being a professional lash artist can get expensive, and you need to make sure that your pricing structure accommodates that. Lash supplies don't last forever, so you need to work out what you use per session and ensure you make a profit.
The cost of lash supplies can also get quite high when you consider all the products. Lash extensions in all their beautiful forms, lash glues, tools, gel pads, combs, cleansers, and eyelash brushes are just a few of the items needed to maintain profitability as a professional in the beauty business.
4. Consider the other factors that affect pricing
When determining how much to charge for your lash service, you need to consider more than tools and supplies. You can also consider location, competition, and demographics when determining your pricing plan.
Lash service fees vary from region to region, so you'll need to do some research on what the average prices are for beginner lash techs in the area and the demographic of clientele you're aiming to service.
When is the Best Time to Raise Prices?
As a beginner lash tech, you might be nervous about charging full price for eyelash extensions in the beginning—and that's fair. However, your skills will eventually grow too high for discounted rates, and you can implement the full price increase you deserve! But when?
The best time to raise your prices is after a few months or so of being a practising, professional lash artist. By that point, your skills should be refined enough to charge industry-standard rates, and you can officially embark on the journey of running a profitable business.
How Much of the Price Should I Raise?
Once you have gathered enough professional hours to justify raising rates to full price, you can do so confidently.
Most eyelash technicians increase their rates by 10–30% after gathering enough experience to be considered fully professional. But there is no strict rule about how much you should increase the cost of your skills. Use your market research, supply costs, and level of experience to guide you.
From New Artist to Pro: Charge Your Worth
Being a beginner lash tech in a big world can be scary at first, but once you gain experience, it gets much easier (and more fun!) with time.
To set rates that are fair to both yourself and your clientele, perform market research, consider the factors involved in your business, and talk to other lash artists about how much they charged in the early days in this exciting industry.
Before long, you'll be making a living doing the lashes you love!