Way to Glow
Dr Jamuna Pai, the face of India’s glowing beauty business, took time out to share her tips for aspiring beauty professionals. Sharmila Das strung the pearls to create this article
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| Dr Jamuna Pai |
If you are a beauty newbie
Do
- Start small, then grow big; rather than starting big and winding up fast.
- Make a difference.
- Either be the first or be the best. That is what gives you the edge.
- Innovate: that’s how you’ll carve a niche
- There is no shortcut to success, no substitute for hard work.
- Build a good reputation. Maintain good ethics.
Don’t
- Don't cheat your customers. Ever.
- If high profile people come to you and get the wrong treatment, you could be out of business.
- If you don't know something, say so. Or if you know that the same treatment can be done by any other professional in a better way, suggest that.
International beauty training schools/courses
Abroad, you have several good institutes like Cardiff University, UK. But the advantage of training in India is that you get to work on Asian skin.
Growing On
Word of mouth works best. It’s always good to start small then grow big, rather than starting big and winding up fast.
Funding and mentoring
There are good investment houses to help with funding; several banks also have different loan policies against collateral. To get the right mentoring you should pick out well-qualified doctors.
Dr. Pai also runs her own training facility, Dr. Jamuna Pai I MAC-Institute.
Investment requirement of setting up a beauty business
Capital required to start a beauty business could range anywhere between a few lakh to a few crores depending on the scale of project you wish to pursue. Many clinics offer basic treatments including chemical peels and facials which won’t burn a hole in your pocket. However, the minimum investment required can be Rs10-12 lakh. Again, the field of aesthetics is getting more and more technology dependent, with expensive lasers and modern medical devices for various indications entering the marketplace. So, setting up an aesthetic clinic can be a pricey proposition.
Why do so many start-ups fail?
The business of beauty is very competitive today. Having a little edge over others always helps. There is no substitute for hard work, so anybody who wants to be rich overnight will always compromise on ethics, honesty, etc. Complete knowledge of your subject is very important and finally, not giving results will not be forgiven by the client. So these set-ups fail.
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In Full Blossom
In 1993, Dr Pai started her career in a Public Health Department with school children in Mumbai.
She says she was obsessed with the “looking good” factor, and particularly enjoying making others look good.
“I soon decided to convert my passion into a profession, and became a ‘beauty doctor,’ the precursor to today’s cosmetic physician,” says Dr Pai.
‘Blush’ opened its doors in 1994, and now Dr Pai runs four clinics.
The pioneer of Botox in India, Dr Pai says, “The ‘liquid facelift’ is what I’m best at. It combines the use of Botox with dermal fillers to reverse signs of ageing and restore youth.”
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written by Register website domain, July 19, 2011
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