Want to start an eyelash business?
But we know what you might be thinking –
“Eyelashes being all the rage these days is one thing but starting a business, that involves a lot of money, right?”
But that money is a lot less than you think. An eyelash business can be started from as low as $1000!
Yes, that’s how much you need to become a lash artist!
What’s even more intimidating is that there are not 1, 2 or 3 but 9 eyelash business types to work on!
Depending upon your interest and investment appetite you can start with any.
We will explain each of them in detail in this blog post.
9 Eyelash Business to Start With
From styling to training, each of these eyelash business ideas can help you pursue your love for eyelashes and also earn your dream income. The lash industry offers many lucrative business opportunities for both beginners and established professionals.
1. Become an Eyelash Extension Professional
● Min. Investment:$1,000
● Experience: 0 to 5 years
The demand for eyelashes has witnessed an exponential increase in the last few years and so is the demand for professional lash artists. Applying lashes is not easy for everyone because of the delicate and precision involved around it. This makes people turn to a lash artist to style their lashes.
As a lash artist, you can provide extending, lifting, tinting and perming lash services to your customers. You can use your skills and experience to get creative and help your clients look their best!
The best part about this eyelash business is that you can start with absolutely zero experience. All you have to do is enroll in a lash training course and get trained on how to apply eyelash extensions on customers. The basic eyelash training courses start at $1,000, which is not much considering the ROI.
The average salary for a lash artist in the USA is $50,000 while the salary for beginners starts from $29,250. This way you can recover your investment within a year and also have thousands of dollars in terms of savings.
With some experience and positive client reviews, you can even scale up your earnings within a few months.
There are 3 ways to offer your lash extension services:
At a Salon: The easiest way to start is by working at a lash salon. This way you will get a fixed salary and also have an opportunity to learn from other lash artists at the salon. You are also relieved from the hassle of scouting for customers.
At Your Home: If you are confident about getting customers and have a spare room at home, then you can provide lash extension services right out of your home. All you need to do is get the necessary equipment and turn your home into a mini-salon. Promote yourself on social media and that’s it, you’re ready!
Go Mobile: Just like a makeup artist, you can create your mobile eyelash station and carry it along with you. Take customer appointments and head straight to their homes and style them.
2. Become an Eyelash Extension Trainer
● Min. Investment: $250
● Experience: 5+ years
If you have already worked in the eyelash industry for several years and are looking to share that experience with others, the best way to do this is by turning yourself into a lash trainer.
Many individuals aspire to become lash artists and you can offer courses for them. But to offer the training you will need certification from your local regulatory authority. Different countries and states have their own rules when it comes to becoming a lash educator or trainer. Check with your local authorities to see what certifications and licenses you need.
Once you have the certification, you can begin offering in-person courses directly to students. To enhance the trust of your students, you can also get an accreditation certificate from an international lash association like Lash Inc. The accreditation will only cost you $250 but will help your students know that the training offered by you are of international standards.
If you want, you can also join a professional training institute. Many training institutes are looking for skilled lash experts who can facilitate their training workshops.
You can charge between $1,000 to $3,000 for an entry-level 3 to 5-day lash training course. Slowly, you can start offering advanced level courses and earn more from your training.
Another way to monetize your training business is by selling eyelash extension supplies and kits to your students. This will help you earn a side income apart from your regular lash training business
3. Create Video Content
● Min. Investment: $100
● Experience: 2 to 5+ years
Video courses are also the shiz right now. You can create your videos on lashes and turn it into a profitable venture. There are two models to earn from video content.
YouTube Channel
If you have seen videos on product tutorials, reviews and comparisons on YouTube, you might have not realized but that content is helping the channel to earn. You can do the same by creating a lash artist channel on YouTube.
Create amazing videos on how to style different types of lashes, industry insights, or any other topic centered around eyelashes that you think can be interesting for viewers. Upload it on your channel and start earning by signing up for the YouTube Partner Program. You need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000+ watch hours on your channel before you can sign up for the program. Get paid for ad views on your video content.
According to research by Forbes, a YouTube Channel can earn $5 for 1,000 Ad views. So a channel with 2 million views can earn $10,000 upwards!
Alternatively, you can even do affiliate marketing through your videos. The key is to make engaging content that adds value and makes people subscribe to your channel.
Video-On-Demand (VOD)
If you are skeptical about getting into the crowded space called YoutTube? Then VOD is the way for you. VOD is a subscription-based service where a user first has to pay to get access to your content.
You can create video tutorials and offer them directly on your website or social media profiles. Customers can sign up for the tutorial and get access to your exclusive content after making the payment.
Uploading your videos on training platforms like Udemy can also help you earn more. You tend to benefit from the millions of students who use Udemy. The credibility of Udemy also makes your course look legitimate to students.
Based on your instructor plan, you can earn between 3% to 50% in commissions from every student who signs up for your course.
4. Publish an E-Book
● Min. Investment: $350
● Experience: 5+ years
Lash experts who love to write can publish their E-Book. It is very cost effective and also the way forward.
The first thing that you need to do is get your manuscript ready. Write down all the knowledge and experience that can be valuable for lash artists or professionals.
Hire a proofreader to polish your manuscript and if you want you can also get a book cover designed by a graphic designer. This will make your E-Book look more appealing. Gig platforms like Fiverr can help you get these done for under $300.
The easiest and fastest way to publish your book is on Amazon Kindle. You can sign up for their Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program and earn up to 70% commissions on titles priced more than $2.99.
So, if you price it at $6 and manage to sell 1,000 copies in a year, you would have earned $4,200 in commissions!
5. Private Label Business
● Min. Investment: $5,000 to $10,000
● Experience: 3 to 5 years
For those of you who have garnered a lot of experience in the lash industry, the next step is to start your private label. By doing this you can offer exclusive lash extension products like strip lashes, eyelash extensions, eyelash glue, eyelash cleaners, eyelash removers and other related products to your customers. With hard work and dedication, you could turn your private label into a high-earning business venture.
It is also easy to get lash products from OEM companies as they can supply products and custom eyelash boxes with your brand logo. All you have to do is focus on finding a suitable location and promote your private lash label. You can rope in your existing client base to give a kick start to your new journey.
If your business gets a good response, you could even consider offering lash application services by opening a salon. This will allow you to diversify your private lash label. It is one of the most sought after eyelash business types for lash artists.
Pros
● Create and grow your personal brand
● Freedom to operate the business
● Offer customized products
● You can start with a minimum investment
Cons
● Requires a lot of hard work
● Facing competition can be challenging
● Can take time to build customers
6. Become a Franchisee
● Min. Investment: $240,000
● Experience: 0+ years
If the idea of starting your private label seems overwhelming to you, you can consider taking the franchisee of an already established brand. The Lash Lounge, Lash Bar and Amazing Lash Studio are some well-known lash salon brands that offer franchises to interested entrepreneurs.
Opening a franchise will let you encash on the brand’s goodwill, expertise, training and products to provide high-quality lash extension services to your customers.
There are many franchisees of these brands who have started with absolutely no experience but are doing incredibly well.
Pros
● Brand recognition to drive sales
● Staff training and support
● Access to high-quality products
● Franchisor helps in advertising and promotion
Cons
●Requires huge investment
●Have to pay a royalty on revenue
●Franchisor sets limits on how you can run the business
7. Wholesale Eyelash Business
● Min. Investment: $50,000
● Experience: 2 to 4 years
If you know people in your industry who are looking for high-quality lash extensions and related products, you can start an independent wholesale eyelash business. Just like a private label, you will have to invest time and effort in building your wholesale eyelash business.
You can get products at wholesale prices from vendors and earn money by selling them to retailers. If you already have a private label or salon, then you stand to benefit more as you can sell the remaining stock from your wholesale business at your store.
Pros
● Cost-effective and higher profitability
● Use remaining stock at your store
Cons
● Risk associated with high stock levels
● Requires huge investment
● Need a lot of space to organize products
8. Business Training
● Min. Investment: $200-500 (for creating tutorials)
● Experience: 8+ years
If you are someone who has helped businesses grow and organize themselves into successful going concerns, then you can offer lash business training courses.
Several individuals are overwhelmed with the growing response of their business but do not know how to scale it up further. Share your experience and help better organize and grow their business. Your inputs can enhance the skills of entrepreneurs, lash artists and other professionals working in the field. They can benefit from learning how to better market themselves to improve their value and earnings.
As a business trainer, you can offer in-person or online training. You can also publish Ebooks, VOD and YouTube tutorials. All of these eyelash business ideas can earn you money.
You can also team up with experts from different fields like lash artists, merchandisers and digital marketers to offer holistic business training courses.
9. Sell Lash Business Information
● Min. Investment: $0
● Experience: 6 to 8 years
Eyelash extensions application services and eyelash products are not the only offerings that can earn you money. Business information like vendor list, business blueprints, client list and other related information also have a lot of value in the lash industry.
If you have established relationships with a wide network of suppliers and clients, and also have access to blueprints of successful lash business models, then you can earn money by selling this information to others. This is one of the eyelash business ideas that can help you earn passive income
While this does not need a lot of investment, what you need is several years of experience in the lash industry. The manufacturer and distributor list that you have should be carefully evaluated to ensure your customers get the best quality products from them.
You can also upload the vendor list on platforms like Shopify to earn commissions on sales.
Summing it Up
Once in a while, every individual looks to do something new in their entrepreneurial career. For some, it turns out to be about pursuing their passion and for others it’s just about exploring. The Lash industry is one such segment that offers you an opportunity to do both.
Now that you know about 9 eyelash businesses to start and explore, you can select one and see how it turns out.
With a projected market size of $1.83 billion and 80% of professionals working in the eyelash industry reporting that they are satisfied with their careers, there is no reason for you to give this lucrative business opportunity a miss!
