When Breyanda Smith joined StyleSeat in 2018, she says “it was fun” because she was learning the basics of building a business as a hairstylist. “I was so interested. You get to build a price list, post pictures, and see your revenue grow,” she explains. But once she went from making $1,000 a month to grossing $20,000 within the next year, Smith felt it was important to share with other stylists how StyleSeat could help them be successful, too.

“The biggest challenge is being in this industry. Period. It can go up and down,” she says. “One week you may have a bunch of clients, the next week you may not. But if you use the tools StyleSeat offers, you will be able to gain revenue, put away money, and be OK during these times.”

Here are four ways hairstylists can make more money, according to StyleSeat Pro and Brand Ambassador Breyanda Smith.

Join StyleSeat to market and grow your business

Fresh out of cosmetology school and styling hair at her home, Smith admits that she initially struggled because she wasn’t in a traditional salon setting. “One of my instructors was like, ‘You should get on StyleSeat’,” she says. The platform became her personal assistant and business coach — from promoting the Illinois-based Pro via social media ads and search engines to sending out appointment reminders and explaining how to create salon promotions.

Smith says, “If you want your business to grow, you have to invest. I use StyleSeat in its entirety.”

Since joining StyleSeat, Smith says she’s been able to gross an extra $10,000 each year, and she simply can’t do her business without everything the marketplace has to offer.

Curate a profile that showcases your work

Smith’s StyleSeat profile is a great example of how hairstylists should craft an introduction message for potential Clients, write service descriptions that include valuable booking details, and upload high quality photos that showcase versatility in styles and skills.

Her reviews from Clients are also thorough and thoughtful, describing Smith’s “super sweet” demeanor and how “knowledgeable” she is about “healthy hair.”

When learning how to build the best profile, Smith says she learned tips and tricks from the StyleSeat blog and looked to 5-star rated stylists for best practices. “Content is what matters,” she says. “If you don’t have the best content, you won’t get noticed. You also have to learn what the trends are that year. If your pictures don’t look good, they’re going to think that your hair doesn’t turn out good.”

Keep your schedule full with quality Clients

While Smith gets joy out of hairstyling, she has set a retirement goal for herself knowing how the profession can “tear your body down.”

“I don’t want to be a struggling stylist. I love what I do, but you can’t do this forever,” she says. “You need to make money so that you can put it away to save and live without having to do this forever. I feel like even if you’re not that stylist who is making money yet, [StyleSeat] has so many tools and features.”

Two of these features include Smart Pricing and Last-Minute Cancellations. With the former, StyleSeat data science analyzes your business, identifies your most popular time slots, and raises the prices by 20 percent (up to $50) to match their true value. This allows Clients who really need your prime booking times to get them more often. For all Smart Pricing appointments, the card on file will be charged automatically one hour after the appointment ends — no need for clients to pull out their wallet!

Pros can earn an extra $1,700 a year by filling their Last-Minute Cancellations. So how does it work? When you have a cancellation, StyleSeat sends your upcoming Clients a text alert giving them early access to your new opening. If they want to snag the new appointment time, they can book directly from the notification. When they lock down the newly available slot, StyleSeat will add them to your schedule and send you a confirmation. Best of all, it all happens behind the scenes — so you don’t have to lift a finger.

Offer Clients hair salon service packages

Smith began her beauty career as a braider, but she says that she “had to figure out a way to transition” to become a cosmetologist because braiding was rough on her hands. As she expanded her skills and was able to add more high-demand services like the silk press to her salon menu, Smith then created hair packages for Clients.

“They can get a platinum silk press, detox treatment, or hydration treatment,” she says. “Everything that is healthy for the hair, I now offer it at a luxury level.”

Hair salon packages are a great way to combine services or treatments and get paid upfront. It also gives your Clients a “luxury” experience by bundling the very best of what you have to offer, says Smith.

The very best thing Smith believes hairstylists can do to make more money is to “be professional and on time.” She adds, “People probably think my reviews are made up, even after four years for me to do so well at what I do. I really feel like StyleSeat changed my business.”

Join StyleSeat and learn how our platform can help you power your beauty business!

Read more business tips from our community:

• StyleSeat Tools That Help These Pros Build Better Businesses
• Black StyleSeat Pros on How to Grow Your Business Even in Tough Times
• The 3 C’s: Excel At These And Watch Your Business Boom!