If you’ve ever been told that you’re crazy for wanting to start your own business, you’re not alone. Lyssa shared that she was called crazy when she brought up the idea of starting her own beauty company. They told her not to expect anything for the first 3 to 5 years and to keep her expectations low. Good thing she didn’t! Evergreen Beauty positively took off in Georgia and has now expanded to the surrounding states as well. Lyssa shared that she was completely shocked at how fast the business grew. Rewind to a couple of years, ago less was a self-proclaimed “lost 18 year old” who was bouncing around jobs, not sure what she wanted to do in life. When she started doing bridal hair and makeup, she was so moved by the look on the bride’s face when she saw herself for the first time and she loved being able to do something special for someone and make them feel beautiful on such a big day. That feeling stuck with her and she knew that this was her true calling.
Location matters! Research your area and your competitors early on so you know what sets you apart:
Any area near a bigger city is usually a really competitive area for wedding vendors. Lyssa knew that and before she even got started, she researched everything about the area where she wanted to start her business, as well as her competitors that offered the same services. If you understand the lay of the land, you’ll be a lot more equipped to start building relationships and identify your strengths and weaknesses compared to other similar businesses.
Cultivate you “friendors” (friends + vendors)
In any industry, relationships are extremely important. The people you work with and the people that provide important services for you can help make or break your business. If you spend time cultivating those relationships (and that means actually getting to know them, not just sending a yearly Christmas card) then you will be able to refer clients to each other and get more business! Who doesn’t want that? Other vendors in the area can also help you out by giving helpful tips and tricks for working in that city and may even give you some of their secrets to help you get ahead!
If you think that it would be silly to ask these questions to potential employees…still ask them:
Less knew that she had to have a team when she started Evergreen Beauty but looking back, she had no idea what she was really looking for in a potential employee. She never thought that she had to ask questions like “how are you about showing up to work on time?”, “how are you about following the dress code?” Sometimes, we forget that our strengths might not be other’s strengths so we assume that the things that we would do without question might not necessarily be a priority for someone else. If someone doesn’t align with your business priorities, it doesn’t mean they are a bad person, it just might mean that it’s not a great fit or they aren’t in the right time of their life for that particular job. In the end, you want people on your team who will be looking out for your business as well, not just for themselves.
It’s possible to build a company culture that about community not competition:
If you’ve ever worked for a company where fellow employees constantly undercut you or competed with you in a negative way then you know how miserable it can be. It’s up to the business owner to establish that company culture that fosters community and support instead of gossip, backstabbing, and disloyalty. Lyssa starts out by telling her employees that she is their leader, but she is also right there working beside them. She vows to work just as hard and to not put herself above them in a way that would ever make them feel undervalued or inferior. The idea is not that things will never come up or that there will never be a problem, it’s making sure that there is always an open line of communication so that that the problem can be resolved in a compassionate, efficient and transparent way.
Get In touch:
https://www.instagram.com/evergreen.beauty/
