5 things every new MUA needs (that’s not a kit!)
Of course, every makeup artist needs a kit - but there are lots of things that many makeup artists are not taught in beauty school that could help them with their business. Here are my recommendations of 5 things that every MUA needs, that doesn’t involve makeup (some might be what you think, but some might not be!)
1) A system for collecting reviews
Having reviews in place from early on will really get the ball rolling with gaining that essential customer trust. Reviews are so so crucial, and having a system for collecting them will take the stress out of it. You don’t want to be in a position where 7 months later, you want to ask that bride for a review. I have a copy and paste review request, that I send to all my clients about 4 days after a wedding, or a week or so after I have worked with them on set. I don’t always get the review, but guaranteed, I get more than if I didn’t do it at all. I have a dedicated 5 minutes marked in my calendar per week, that I work on this (although I am currently getting this automated soon, yay!). Sooner or later, you will have endless reviews on Facebook or Google My Business, that will hopefully bring in new business.
2) Forms and Contracts
A bit of a boring one - but forms and contracts are everything in protecting you and your business. If there is ONE thing you take from this list, make it this one. Wedding contracts not only protect you legally, but they help enforce your business boundaries, making it a much more smooth sailing experience for all parties. Having booking forms, invoices and questionnaires will also add to your customer experience, promoting rebooking and help you overall stay more organised.
3) A website
Again, this one isn’t groundbreaking - but the amount of makeup artists I see without websites is mind blowing! Instagram is a great source of income, bookings and marketing. But as we all know - Instagram can pick and choose what they want to do, it’s THEIR business after all. If they up and decide to become the next Tik Tok, it’s OUR business that suffers unless we get real familiar with video content. A website is your corner of the internet, nobody makes the rules but you. You own it and will continue to do with it as you will, you are not at the mercy of Instagram or algorithms (although you do become at the mercy of SEO, but that’s a discussion for another day!). Not only do you own this little slice of the internet, but you WILL up your bookings. Having a website allowed my bookings to jump up 90%, a HUGE increase.
4) A mentor (or at least a community!)
I know, I know - you are probably thinking I am pushing my own mentoring programme here. But hear me out, when I see newer MUA’s booking in my course, I am always SO amazed by their drive, determination, trust, but also, the brains it takes to do that. I know at 19/20, I was never making smart decisions like that. Having a mentor means you cut the mistakes, you cut the crap, you save YEARS of time because you have guidance, you have strategy and you have someone who is guiding you, cheering you on and hopefully, inspiring you. You might not be in the position to get a mentor yet, but find a community. Find somewhere, where you can ask the silly questions (hint, no question is silly!) and gain support. It’s lonely sometimes being a freelancer, so finding your people is important (hint, we have a fabulous free AND supportive Facebook community here)
5) Boundaries
That’s right - I truly believe every makeup artist, new and experienced NEEDS to set essential boundaries in their business. Knowing your own do’s and won’t do’s will help guide you, will help you live a healthier work life balance and will often stop you from taking on unpaid work or work you are not aligning with. I’ve got some pretty essential business boundaries that help me in life. I always come off my laptop by 6.30pm. I don’t take lower than £150 for glam and go makeup now. I don’t test unless I absolutely see a mood board and some specifics. I don’t take work in TV or Film because it’s not my thang and I don’t enjoy it. Having these boundaries and absolutely not breaking them, means I don’t get stressed, I don’t go over my limits and I don’t end up on jobs that make me angry or feel disrespected. Having some business boundaries in place is a MUST.