Cosmetology: Style a Career That's Right for YOU

Sheri Paxton, Bliss Salon and Spa

While we may not always remember that careers in the Service Industry are part of the world of Skilled Trades, the last two years of COVID restrictions have brought things into full focus: Nursing Assistants, Chefs, and Cosmetologists became frontline “essential workers” to the rest of us, even if local and state governments didn’t always deem all of them so in the beginning.

This begs the question: is YOUR job recession-proof? Do you have a skill or a product that people will need, one way or another, regardless of economic situation? Is there anything that you can do to make sure that at least some of the eggs in your financial basket are of the “essential” variety? Consider how YOU were feeling in 2020 as the weeks of forced isolation from your office job dragged into months and you were told you still couldn’t get your hair cut…and how much you began to be willing to pay to get this done. Wouldn’t it be nice to be on the other side of that dilemma, with the power to fulfill this need?

Sheri Paxton knows that she is in just such a position. Sheri, a veteran cosmetologist and successful small-business owner, put her artistic talents to use early on in her career by getting her cosmetology license and honing the necessary skills that would help her build a career she can be proud of. Now she is the owner of Bliss Salon and Spa in Lexington, South Carolina, and manages a business with almost a dozen hair stylists renting booths from her; she also offers to clients a variety of spa treatments, clothing, jewelry, and hair products.

What is cosmetology?

The field of cosmetology (with its requisite 1500 hours of class prior to the state licensing exam) covers a wide range of beauty treatments: shampooing, cutting, coloring and styling hair; giving manicures and pedicures; and providing skin and scalp treatments, facials, and makeup analysis. Estheticians (450 hours) are a subset of the cosmetology world — focusing only on skin care — and nail technicians (300 hours) of course handle the care of hands and feet specifically.

Work smart AND hard.

Although Sheri originally went to school for commercial artistry and got her first job in a local print shop, she ended up taking a cue from her sister-in-law — a hair stylist — and decided to make an investment in beauty school. Sheri realized that she had the power to make more money over the course of her career as a stylist than she did in the print business, based primarily on the fact that she could take control of her schedule. The income did not appear overnight, of course; she maintains that the best career path for newly-licensed stylists is to become an assistant at a salon prior to servicing your own clients — as she did in the beginning — learning alongside seasoned cosmetologists and developing relationships with clients and other stylists. This might be considered an apprenticeship or residency in other professions.

Once the new stylist has gotten more confident in his or her abilities, he or she can consider renting a booth at a local salon and begin accepting clients of his or her own. This is where the real control over earnings begins to be seen. How much a stylist works — and how flexible or rigid the stylist is about the schedule or the type of work accepted — will play a large role in how a client list and the resulting income will develop.

“Loyalty goes BOTH WAYS.”

Hair stylists, in particular, are like doctors are to many people — we develop preferences and loyalties, and when something happens to disrupt our ability to deal with the person we trust, it can be jarring. Consider the last time your stylist was sick and couldn’t keep your scheduled appointment — we all know the slight (or not-so-slight!) panic that results.

The goal for any cosmetologist is to develop a steady and loyal customer base; but, as Sheri points out, “loyalty goes both ways.” If a solid, long-term client expresses a need that is outside of the normal scope of work or schedule, that request should be filled if at all possible; the slight disruption to the stylist’s routine will likely pay many times over through the goodwill generated for that client, especially in today’s social-media-driven society.

Conversely, consider the negative ramifications if the stylist outright refuses to consider the request. At best, the client would find a different stylist to handle the emergency, possible leading to the permanent loss of that one client; at worst, the client will speak poorly on social channels, which has a way of rippling to many corners of the community with potentially devastating results.

It’s not just a job; it’s a profession. Treat it that way.

Sheri is passionate about cosmetology and what it has allowed her to do; she speaks confidently about the opportunities that continue to be out there in the industry for new entrants. According to SCLLR (the state licensing entity), the basic requirements for getting a cosmetology license in South Carolina include being at least 16 years old, having a 10th grade education, and completing 1500 hours of schooling. The most economical path to get this education is to begin in high school, at a district Career and Technology Center (such as Lexington Technology Center, see previous blog post here); this path allows students to pursue the required credits in their final two years of high school for under $1000 in most cases. If the cosmetology bug doesn’t hit until later, private schools are abundant but will typically require a high school diploma or GED and cost around $20,000 for the year of classes needed to qualify for the state licensing exam.

It’s important to remember that most cosmetologists are independent contractors, which brings financial responsibilities that most salaried employees don’t have to worry about — primarily saving for taxes and retirement, and purchasing their own insurance. Making the decision to open up your own shop and allow others to rent booths from you brings another level of responsibility, one that beauty schools don’t prepare you for — consider taking a business course or two at the local tech school prior to jumping into those waters; at the very least, consult with a trusted business owner or the local Small Business Association.

More pros than cons.

Sheri says that the best part of being a stylist is the ability to control your schedule, especially as you become more experienced. The field is good for people who want to work all the time — that could allow for maximizing the number of clients and, therefore, the earnings. Sheri estimates that a stylist could make as much as $4000 in a week with a busy schedule; that load might not be sustainable or possible for everyone, but the option is there. Cosmetology also fits into the schedule of working parents, who may want to work only while the kids are in school; those hours do not generally line up with regular office schedules. It’s simple math: the more you work, the more you make. But the flexibility allows you to decide how much you can do and when you can do it.

The worst part? “Standing on your feet all day,” says Sheri. “You start out wanting to wear cute shoes, but it doesn’t take long to give in to comfort over style!”

Could Cosmetology be for YOU?

The takeaway seems to be that a career that allows individuals to set their own schedules, forge lasting relationships, and have control over their income would be something to consider for anyone from high school students to those in-between jobs or looking to make a real change in their careers. Regardless of tech changes coming down the pipe or fluctuations in the economy, one thing will remain constant: people will always need to get their hair cut and styled. When people look good, they feel good. And when people feel good, they are motivated to get out into the world and do good things.

So, to all the stylists out there who work each day to help the world feel GOOD, I would like to say, “Thank you!”