Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Charlotte Erace, founder of C.E. Facial Artistry, LLC., located in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
C.E. Facial Artistry, LLC provides on-site luxury hair and makeup services to brides and bridal parties throughout the greater Philadelphia, PA, area. As bridal specialists, we deliver a soft to full glam aesthetic, perfect for the bride who wants to look and feel her absolute best and doesn't mind being a little extra!
Our small business is homegrown and consistently delivers a customer experience that is second to none, as we aim for complete and total transparency throughout our booking process and support our brides on the back end with everything from detailed, color-coded day-of schedules to consistent courtesy reminder emails to ensure our brides are well supported from their initial inquiry to their wedding day!
Tell us about yourself
I'm a former middle school American History Teacher turned Makeup Artist, which is always fun to share! I loved being an educator but was always inspired by my dad, who owned his own business, and my husband, who did the same. After taking a makeup course on a whim, I fell in love with how transformative and empowering makeup is, and with the support and encouragement of those around me, I decided to pursue bridal beauty services full time, carefully hand picking and training a select group of professionals to build our team. Not only does my team motivate and inspire me, but also the drive to provide the best experience to our brides and bridal parties.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a business owner, I am most proud of our reviews, as these really speak to the experience we strive to provide to our brides and bridal parties. When a bride takes the time to write and post a positive review, our hearts sing, and we're reminded of why it's so worth it to give our all and bring our A-game to each and every client! As a result of positive reviews, we're beyond proud to be an award-winning small business!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the challenges to being a business owner is knowing your worth and finding a work/life balance early on. It is so easy to operate from a place of fear when it's your own business because you just want to be successful, and you'll do anything to succeed, but that can come at the cost of yourself and your business. Small, steady growth really is best to ensure you're turning a profit so that you can continue to expand gradually while maintaining your sanity.
Having a mentor or coach is also incredibly helpful and something I highly recommend to any business owner, regardless of how new or seasoned they are. Lastly, delegation is key, as well as knowing your strengths and challenges as an owner. For example, I love being a makeup artist, but social media and administrative tasks and correspondence are challenges for me due to lack of time, so I hired an administrative assistant and social media coordinator to ensure consistency and support. It was the best decision I ever made!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
If you're considering starting, running, or growing your business, do it, but work backward. What are your goals? Who is your ideal client? What do you need to earn, or profit, yearly in order to maintain your current lifestyle? What do you need to earn, or profit, to grow? Do you want a team? If so, how big or small? These questions can feel overwhelming, but if you hone in on what you actually want to achieve and what that looks like, the rest is just details!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Owning your own business can feel incredibly empowering and rewarding, but sometimes it can also feel scary, uncertain, and defeating. This is OK. This is normal. Perseverance and faith are key, and you have to resign yourself to the fact that there will be growing pains and times when you may need to pivot or reconsider a business strategy, team member, etc. Again, all these things are normal, and everyone experiences these. It helps to remind yourself of this and seek community within your industry so you can rest assured you're not alone. You can do this! You will do this!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.ce-facialartistry.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.e.facialartistry/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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