Ask Me Anything: We're Talking About Working as a Henna Artist on Limited Time, Payment for henna services, and Lipstick!
Ask Me Anything!
You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers!
In today’s Ask Me Anything!, we’re tackling the following questions submitted from hennapreneurs like you:
[00:02] How can I work as a henna artist when I have very limited time in my day?
[03:08] What do I do when people don’t want to pay me at my set rates?
[08:02] Where do you get your lipsticks?
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+ Read the transcript here
Chelsea: So, this reader's having an issue because she's a high school student and she wants to pursue henna. But she's concerned about the time, if she's able to put the time in to do the work. Um, and I get it! Okay.
So obviously I'm a mom. I have three kids. I have three kids. I homeschool and I run my henna business as well. And so, um, and that's just- I mean, that's just me working with clients that doesn't even talk about the mentoring and touch that I do for other henna artists. I get tha- the thing of not having time. I get the concern of wondering if it's an option for you. But I will say this, if you're a student, if you're a mother, if you're working full time, like, and you have interest in pursuing henna, then I say go for it. Henna, honestly, um, as far as cost is concerned, the overhead to start a henna business is very low. Um, our industry is very, very easy to enter into. Even, you know, with the startup costs of preparing natural henna and so forth, which honestly, it's not a large startup cost. Like, I think for the cli- for my students to come in through Mixology and Basic Design, the list of all the materials that they need totals, like, less than $50 to be able to join, uh, or to be able to begin preparing their paste and create the things that they need to be able to serve clients, right?
So, the startup costs for henna is so low that if it's just a matter of time, like, you can definitely find 10 minutes in your day. If that means waking up 10 minutes earlier, going to bed 10 minutes later, squaring away, like, 10 minutes over a portion of your lunch hour. But having those 10 minute increments just so that you can practice your skillset, so that you can improve - here, let me help you with that - so that you can improve your skillset is going to be enough to have you see change and help you see improvement in your work. So, as long as you have work that is of good quality, you'll find that there will be customers and clients that are interested in booking you and seeking you out for services.
So if you're in that space where it's just like, "I don't know if I have the time." Know that you can also book your clients around your own workday. For example, in my own business, I- I do, I homeschool. My little one is actually behind me working now. I homeschool, so during the day I don't see clients. There are only particular times that I'll accept daytime appointments and that's specific to- like, it has to be worth a certain dollar amount for me to justify leaving that my arrangements at home, um, to go do henna, right? So I book my schedule in the evenings when it's convenient for me. I've finished, you know, my children's schooling. I've finished the household things that I needed to accomplish. And then by 4:30-5 o'clock, I'm ready to leave and start working with clients.
So, um, know that your clients are seeking you out for services, not vice versa. And so if you are avail- if there is a certain time, day of the week, and so forth, that you are regularly available, make that your prime booking time and train your clients to seek you out during that time as well.
So this reader is saying that people don't value her creativity. Instead they ask for cheap prices, like the whole hand design, for example. Um, she said she charges a certain amount and people are basically, they're asking for 50% off of that char- of the dollar amount. She's saying that she charges $10 per hand and- from the fingertips to a little further than the wrist. And they ask her to do it for $5. Um, and they don't understand- People don't understand, um, or appreciate how to- they don't appreciate her work and thus they don't choose to pay her for it or don't want to want to pay for it.
So, I get this. I get this hard. I understand. Okay, so you have to understand that people- different people have different value systems, right? So if you have someone who comes to you seeking your services and let's say, you know, in this case she's saying, "I charge $10 and they're asking me to do it for $5." Is there ever an incident where you would go to a restaurant and order whatever thing on the menu and then tell the server, "Hey, by the way, could I take 50% off of this because..." And not even have a reason. Like, that's- it's not, it's not the way that business works. And while I understand this reader's frustration, she goes on to say that sometimes people get angry with her and she's confused. Is it that they're wrong or that she is wrong? She doesn't know how to tackle the situation. This really holds her back. And I want to step back and say, like, if this, if you fall into this sort of situation, you have to know and understand and be okay with the fact that you have to advocate for your business.
Different people have different value systems and depending on where you're from and depending on what value system you've been raised with, you may or may not justify a certain dollar amount for henna application. There are cultural nuances, um, within certain communities which cause them not to place the same, in general, - this is a general, right? - uh, but cause them not to place that same dollar for dollar value on henna application. And you have to respect that, right? People only know what they know and their experience and their values and their perception is based on their past experience, the way that they were raised and so forth. Okay. So if you come into a situation, however, where someone's value system is set up in a way that they are unwilling to compensate you appropriately for the work that you're offering, then at that point it's the time for you to say, "I'm sorry, I don't think that we're a good fit." And this is not something, I mean I- she asked specifically, she says she's confused if she's wrong or if they're wrong. In this case, I don't think that I can say that anyone is right or wrong. They have a thought system. They have a value system and they have the right to have that thing, right? And there are going to be henna artists out there who share the same value system, who are going to be happy to, like, to dish out that $5 design because that's all that they feel that they should receive for it. Okay.
But if you, reader, if you are wanting to charge $5- or $10 for a hand and you feel that that's fair, then there's no purpose., there's no reason for you to engage with people whose value system ascribes a $5 price point to your work. You're going to have to advocate for your business. You're going to have to step aside and be okay with understanding that you're not for everybody and not everybody is for you.
So, to this particular reader, this particular hennapreneur, I'm going to say, "Listen, I get it. It's really hard, but don't be discouraged." I would recommend that you spend some time thinking about the people who would pay that price, who would meet you at your rate, who will value you for the service that you offer, and then seek out those people versus wasting your time with people whose opinions and mind you are never going to change. It's just not gonna happen. I mean, it might perhaps, like, you know, wait on the line after they see, and you become amazing and like, you know, everybody wants henna from you, then things might change. But they might not and you have to be okay with that too. So don't be afraid to advocate for your business. Don't be afraid to say, "Look. Um, we're not going to be a good fit." "I'm busy that day." or whatever it is that you have to say to get out of that appointment. That's okay. That's fine. That's fair. And no one else is going to stand up for your business like you do.
Okay. This one, she just wanted to know where I get my lipsticks from. So I, um, I wear lipstick almost exclusively from ColourPop so, so, um, yeah. Colourpop.com is where I get all of my lipstick. Uh, I like their matte formula, if that matters to you. Um, I can give you a link. I'll leave a link in the comments. I think that I have a link that will give you like five bucks off or something.