There are several viable ways hair stylists seek to expand their offerings beyond styling hair behind the chair.  One of those is launching their own hair product line.  This is a good direction for hair stylists because stylists already have a customer base which trust their opinion on hair care.  However, there are several barriers to cross before a person can successfully enter the market place with a new product.  Those barriers include marketing, production, distribution, and sales.  Today we are going to talk about marketing, the last thing most people think about but the first thing you need to consider.

Before you can begin mass selling your product, whether your develop it yourself or select a pre-formulated private label product, you will need to do research and build a customer base.  Having loyal customers and advocates in place will make it easier for your to obtain investors, find manufacturers, and get you product into popular retail outlets.  Lets look at building your customer base from the bottom up.  

Who are the easiest customers for you to obtain?  Hopefully, friends and family.  In addition to providing you with honest feedback, your friends and family should become your first loyal PAYING customers.  When we say PAYING we are not saying that you can not offer a "friends and family" discount, but if your friends and family are not willing to pay something for your product they cannot be true advocates for your product.  Of course as you are developing your product or testing private label options you should charge little to to nothing for your products.  

Does coming up with content for your blog or website seem like an unmanageable task? Do you have ideas for blog posts, but they never get written? Do you struggle with coming up with things to post online? Kia Dolby's webinar will help you create a content strategy for your website and online marketing efforts.

Kia Dolby is an Atlanta based branding and marketing strategist. Kia studied Graphic Design at Florida A&M University and Temple University. She holds over 10 years of experience in marketing, branding, and web design, and her passion is entrepreneurship. When she is not working, she enjoys blogging about business; exploring Atlanta with her husband and three boys; traveling and vegetarian cooking. You can learn more about her and her offerings at KiaDolby.com.

Below is a breakdown of Georgia Cosmetology and Barbers Licensing requirements. Please note that if you are a braider or loctician who does NOT provide additional services including shampooing, coloring, or cutting then you are not currently required to have and Cosmetology or Barber license in the state of Georgia.

Congratulations to Renee Hall who was voted 2014 ANHC Professional Hair Stylist of the Year. Renee Hall has over 20 years of experience in hair care. She began her career as a teenager working with master hair braider, Tulani Kinard. Her first salon, Mo’ Better Braids, had a clientele based on word of mouth only and was open for 10 years. In 2004, Renee opened Essentials Beauty and Barber Day Spa in Maryland. 2010 Renee traveled to South Africa doing mission work where she provided hair services to young girls in orphanages. In 2012 Renee established her current company in Georgia, Natural Trendzetter, LLC. We sent Renee Hall our “Stylist of the Week” questions and this is what she had to say.

What are your specialties as a hair stylist?  I am a natural hair stylist with 25 years experience. I am known for my speed and creativity.