How to start an aesthetics business

In this guide:

• Intro
• Rules & regulations
• Training & qualifications
• Your business premises
• Sole trader or limited company?
• Start-up costs
• Writing an aesthetics business plan
• Finances
• Marketing
• Health & safety
• Insurance requirements

So, you’re thinking about starting an aesthetics business?

There’s never been a better time to do it. In 2023, 7.7 million people in the UK had an aesthetic treatment. That’s 11% of the population.

What’s more, the industry is now worth an estimated £3.2 billion in the UK. There are plenty of customers, and it’s only projected to grow further.

But you probably already knew it was a good idea. What you’re really wondering is: how do I start an aesthetics business?

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll go through the essentials of how to start your own aesthetics business. As well as giving you a rundown of the safety, legal, and regulatory stuff you’ll need to know. Hopefully, it’ll give you a good starting point.

Without further ado…

Setting expectations

Before we get further, it’s important to set some expectations you should have when starting an aesthetics business in the UK.

Currently, aesthetics is a fragmented industry when it comes to rules and regulations. At the moment, the UK’s laws mainly focus on two areas: prescription-only drugs (like Botox), and the safety of your work premises.

There are no legal requirements for administering non-surgical aesthetic treatments in the UK.

However, expect this to change in the next few years. Scotland is actively working on stronger laws for the aesthetics industry. And the rest of the UK is expected to follow suit.

So, before you start your new aesthetics business, make sure you have the right mindset. Focus on your customers’ safety and well-being. Get the right qualifications. Try and stay ahead of potential new laws from the outset. And join a governing body that supports you.

Training and qualifications

Having the right training and qualifications is vital when planning to start your own aesthetics business.

They affect your ability to get insurance, register with governing bodies, and give your customers confidence that you’re a responsible and safe aesthetician.

Depending on your experience, background, and what kind of treatments you want to provide, your requirements will differ from other aestheticians.

A governing body will be the best place to find out what you need. They have strict rules for joining, including training and qualifications you’ll need to have. These are a perfect guide for what you need to aim for before you can start your aesthetics business.

If you’re going to offer non-surgical treatments, and you don’t have any formal medical or nursing qualifications, you’ll want to join a non-medical governing body. These include:

• British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC)
• Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (Habia)
• National Hairdressing and Beauty Federation (NHBF)
• UK Spa Association (UKSA).

If you’re medically trained and want to offer non-surgical treatments, you’ll probably already be a part of a governing body. Before starting your business, double-check what their requirements are for both prescribing and treating your customers. If you’re not yet part of one, here are some examples:

• General Medical Council (GMC)
• General Dental Council (GDC)
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Whichever governing body you choose, follow their advice carefully. They’ll set you on the right path for current and future regulatory compliance. And help make sure you’re eligible for all the different kinds of insurance you’ll need (more on that later).

Oh, and before you start signing up for training courses, always make sure they’re run by an accredited provider. They should be able to show you evidence of their accreditation. Like VTCT, CPD, or OFQUAL.

Where, when, and how

Next up, you need to consider how you’ll operate and where that’ll be.

You have a few options here. You can be a mobile aesthetician, where your clients book in and you visit them to carry out treatments. You could base your business out of your home, having clients visit you. Or, you could rent your premises (think of this like setting up on the high street).

This might seem like a simple choice, but there are a few things you should consider carefully before deciding on:

• Overheads – things like rent, utility bills, and fuel costs will differ depending on what you choose.
• Your long-term plans for the business – do you want to open multiple locations? Or are you looking for something that'll fit around your other responsibilities? What are your goals?
• Client experience – what kind of clients do you want to attract? What kind of an experience will they want?
• Insurance – depending on how you decide to operate, you’ll need different kinds of insurance. Which will come with different price tags and requirements.

What started as a simple question has ballooned into a thousand more.

It seems daunting but take it step-by-step. Consider your budget, why you’re starting the business, and what your goals are. You’ll naturally arrive at the conclusion that should work best for you.

Oh, and be prepared to spend some time doing in-depth research on each option. It’s well worth weighing up your options carefully.

Choose the right business structure

When you start your aesthetics business, you’ll need to think about whether you register as a sole trader or a limited company.

Here’s a breakdown of the differences, including some pros and cons:

Obviously, the choice between the two is far more nuanced than that simple comparison. Do your own research and make sure you understand your options fully before making your choice.

We’d suggest checking out the government’s business set up guide for more information.

Estimate your costs

This is the part where we enter the murky world of estimating your costs.

It can feel like you’ve got one hand on a crystal ball before you’ve even started. But it’s important to at least get an idea of what your monthly costs will look like. That way you can draw up an initial budget and prepare your finances.

First, let’s take a look at an example of some one-off start-up costs:

As you can probably tell, it can cost a fair bit to get things off the ground. Think of these costs as an investment in your aesthetics business.

Give yourself peace of mind by setting a realistic budget and sticking to it. The earlier you start planning financially, the less the risk of overspending.

Once you’ve got your initial costs mapped out, you’ll need to think about your monthly costs. Things like rent, restocking products, any software you use (booking, payments, website etc), utilities, and marketing are a few examples.

Write an aesthetics business plan

A big part of planning for the future of your business is writing a business plan.

Ideally, you should write this before you get started. It gives you a trajectory for your business, guides you on how you want to grow, sets out a strategy for pricing, and much more.

It takes some time to write a good aesthetics business plan, but it’s an investment that will pay back in spades as time goes on.

You can do this all yourself or, if you have the budget, hire a business consultant to give you a hand.

The government have produced a variety of resources to help you write your own business plan. Including free templates, examples, and detailed guides.

Stay on top of your finances

So, you’ve budgeted at the outset, estimated your costs, and you’re up and running. Now it’s time to stay on top of your finances.

First off, set up a business bank account. If you’re a limited company, you’ll need to do this for legal reasons.

Sole traders don’t need to have a business account. But it does help to keep your personal and business funds separate. Which can make things a lot less confusing when you’re running the numbers at the end of the month.

MoneySavingExpert have a great resource on business bank accounts that’ll answer any extra questions you have.

Tracking your income and expenses from day one is vitally important. Make this a part of your day-to-day routine. It’ll help you stay on top of your business’ finances. And reduce the likelihood of any end-of-the-month, panicked all-nighters.

Bookkeeping tools like Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks can help with this. They’re also more secure than storing your accounts on a spreadsheet or Google doc.

Depending on your budget, you could also consider hiring an accountant or bookkeeper. This would allow you to focus on other areas of the business and reduce some of the admin load.

If an accountant or bookkeeper is out of the reach in the beginning, you should read up on your tax obligations.

As a sole trader, you’ll need to complete a self-assessment tax return every year. HMRC have written a guide for sole traders on tax obligations and rules that you should have a read of.

Limited companies have to prepare an annual accounts report and company tax return.

Get your name out there

One of the biggest challenges when you start your new business is letting people know that you exist.

Thankfully, there are lots of ways of doing this that are free and don’t take too much time.

First, you’re going to want to come up with a name, logo, and brand for your business. If you have the budget, a designer or marketing agency could help you. Or, you can do it yourself with a tool like Canva or Pixlr.

When you first start an aesthetics business, social media is crucial for making people aware that you exist. TikTok and Instagram are going to be especially important for aesthetics. Showing off your work, letting customers speak about their experience with you, and showing customers what they can expect when they visit you, are a few ideas you can try to get started.

In the beginning, promotions are a great way of developing a strong customer base. Launch discounts, stamp cards, refer-a-friend offers...anything to get your business out there and encourage customers to tell their friends about you.

You can also use Google to your advantage. Even if you have no idea what search engine optimisation (SEO) is or how Google works.

To get started, set up a Google Business Profile. It’ll help your aesthetics business get some visibility in local searches. Best of all, it’s free and easy to do.

Consider client safety

One of your top responsibilities as an aesthetics business owner is the safety of your customers.

When you join a governing body, you’ll be expected to follow to a variety of rules around customer safety. If you slip up on these, you could find your membership revoked. As well as taking a serious dent to your reputation and your ability to trade.

Most training courses you’ll complete will include sections on safety, hygiene, infection control, patch testing, and more. Pay close attention to these and make sure you’re following them strictly when treating your customers.

When you’re considering your consultation process, you’ll need to include a medical history questionnaire, ask about any underlying conditions, and set your expectations for the treatment clearly with the customer. Make sure they understand any potential risks and, ideally, have some sort of cool-down period to allow customers to think about it.

You’ll also need a consent form that all customers will sign before their treatment. This form should outline the treatment and reiterate any risks.

After any treatments, provide clear and easy to understand aftercare instructions.

Finally, keep up-to-date treatment records for every customer. This is a requirement for most governing bodies and insurers.

Protect your aesthetics business with the right insurance

Accidents happen. At some point, you’ll be faced with a situation that nobody wants to be in: a treatment has gone wrong and a client isn’t happy with the outcome.

Or, a vital piece of equipment breaks down, making it impossible to deliver a treatment.

Whatever kind of sticky situation you find yourself in, aesthetics insurance is there to protect your business.

Before you start your aesthetics business, speak to an insurance broker. They’ll be able to guide you on what cover you need, the limits you should have, and the cost of your insurance.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the types of insurance you’ll probably need:

• Public liability (PL) insurance – if a customer injures themselves on your property (and it’s deemed your fault), PL will pay for your legal fees and any compensation you might owe.
• Medical malpractice and professional indemnity insurance – the big one for aestheticians. This covers you when you make a mistake during a treatment, leading to a customer’s injury, illness, or death. It also covers you for accusations of breach of care, confidentiality, or dishonesty.
• Business contents insurance – if you’re running your business from your home or a rented premises, business contents will pay to repair or replace broken, damaged, or stolen assets.
• Portable equipment insurance – if you’re running a mobile aesthetics business, this pays to repair or replace your equipment if it’s damaged, lost, or stolen when you’re out and about.

If you plan on starting out with any employees, you’ll also need employers’ liability insurance by law.

Starting out strong

Starting an aesthetics business is an exciting and nerve-wracking time. There’s so much to think about and it can quickly get overwhelming.

Take it step by step and don’t try to do everything overnight. If you can, make a plan and break down each task into smaller sub-tasks. This’ll help make the whole process feel more achievable and enjoyable.

We also spoke about aesthetics insurance. That’s an area of expertise for us. We’ve put together loads more information about aesthetics regulations, specific treatments like Botox, and general tips on small business insurance.

Have any questions about aesthetics insurance or ready to talk to a broker? Give us a call on 0345 222 5391.

Image used under license from Shutterstock.