Ask the expert: Introducing the new skincare

I am thinking of introducing a new skincare line into my salon but I have had problems with skincare suppliers in the past. What should I be looking for when choosing a supplier?

There are many elements to consider when choosing the right skincare supplier for your beauty or spa business.

Firstly, it’s very important that your supplier knows your market. Make sure your distributor is based in the GCC and therefore understands how business operates there. Using a supplier based abroad could be very costly in terms of flying in trainers and in other areas of logistics and operation.

Ensure that your chosen skincare company offers a good training contract that is of high standard, ongoing, and, most importantly, free. You’re a service industry and your staff needs to be the best quality you can get. Your skincare supplier should value all your staff members and not just you as the business owner! After all, it is the staff that will be performing the treatments and ultimately selling the brand. Customer service is everything, particularly when you are operating in a competitive environment. We train all Heaven spa or salon staff staff in skills and personality, which ultimately gives them the edge.

Make sure that the company you select has been around for a long time, is well established, and has a good reputation. In a place like Dubai, word of mouth is everything and so if you hear that a salon or spa has had bad experience with a brand, ask around further. One negative comment could be ignored, but if several businesses have had a bad experience with a particular skincare supplier than it’s best to avoid using them.

Marketing is very important. Heaven has a celebrity and British Royal Family following which makes it an easy sell and very marketable, but it’s also important that your skincare supplier offers a variety of marketing materials and has a good social media department to promote the brand. At Heaven, for instance, we help our salons host events and press conferences.

Make sure that the skincare brand isn’t flooded in the area that you operate in. That said, having the brand in some nearby businesses isn’t always a bad thing. I say this because it means that the skincare line will have already been marketed in your vicinity, so you will already have product recognition from your customers. However, there needs to be enough space for both salons selling the brand to earn some money.

Finally, remember a skincare brand needs you to make it a success! So when dealing with a skincare brand it shouldn’t be all about them, if the brand doesn’t appreciate you and put your business first – then the bottom line is don’t go with them.

Deborah Mitchell is owner of natural skincare line Heaven and a facialist to the stars. She regularly travels to the region support Heaven salons in the GCC.

I am thinking of introducing a new skincare line into my salon but I have had problems with skincare suppliers in the past. What should I be looking for when choosing a supplier?

There are many elements to consider when choosing the right skincare supplier for your beauty or spa business.

Firstly, it’s very important that your supplier knows your market. Make sure your distributor is based in the GCC and therefore understands how business operates there. Using a supplier based abroad could be very costly in terms of flying in trainers and in other areas of logistics and operation.

Ensure that your chosen skincare company offers a good training contract that is of high standard, ongoing, and, most importantly, free. You’re a service industry and your staff needs to be the best quality you can get. Your skincare supplier should value all your staff members and not just you as the business owner! After all, it is the staff that will be performing the treatments and ultimately selling the brand. Customer service is everything, particularly when you are operating in a competitive environment. We train all Heaven spa or salon staff staff in skills and personality, which ultimately gives them the edge.

Make sure that the company you select has been around for a long time, is well established, and has a good reputation. In a place like Dubai, word of mouth is everything and so if you hear that a salon or spa has had bad experience with a brand, ask around further. One negative comment could be ignored, but if several businesses have had a bad experience with a particular skincare supplier than it’s best to avoid using them.

Marketing is very important. Heaven has a celebrity and British Royal Family following which makes it an easy sell and very marketable, but it’s also important that your skincare supplier offers a variety of marketing materials and has a good social media department to promote the brand. At Heaven, for instance, we help our salons host events and press conferences.

Make sure that the skincare brand isn’t flooded in the area that you operate in. That said, having the brand in some nearby businesses isn’t always a bad thing. I say this because it means that the skincare line will have already been marketed in your vicinity, so you will already have product recognition from your customers. However, there needs to be enough space for both salons selling the brand to earn some money.

Finally, remember a skincare brand needs you to make it a success! So when dealing with a skincare brand it shouldn’t be all about them, if the brand doesn’t appreciate you and put your business first – then the bottom line is don’t go with them.

Deborah Mitchell is owner of natural skincare line Heaven and a facialist to the stars. She regularly travels to the region support Heaven salons in the GCC.