Can you believe it? The new year always creeps up so fast! As we head into 2018, it’s now time to start planning for the year ahead. Leave the resolutions behind and think about setting some killer career goals this year for yourself. The business of makeup is so important and often neglected. There are a few ways you can set yourself up for success this month, and all you need is some time and a pen.
Make Damn Sure Everything is up-to-date
It’s important to remember that, as a makeup artist, you are a brand, and everything that potential employers look at is a reflection of you. So if you haven’t updated your IMDB page in two years and your resume is missing your last three jobs, it’s not a good look. Keep everything up to date, and make additions when you finish new work. Ideally, you should be doing this after every gig, but at the very least it’s good to be doing it at the start of the year. If your contact details ever change, amend them immediately on everything (resume, website, business cards). People should always be able to see what you have done recently, and never have cause to question anything.
Ruthlessly Edit your Portfolio and Online Presence
The same goes for updating your portfolio. You should be adding new work and always keeping your collection relevant. You might also consider editing your folio to be a more curated collection. Do you have images which do not represent your current skill level? Get rid of them. Not everything you’ve EVER done needs to be public. The same applies to your social media business accounts. Go through your feeds and delete posts that aren’t relevant to the message you’re trying to convey.
Ditch Resolutions – Make a Plan of Action instead
It’s not enough to think to yourself, ‘I want to achieve -insert goal here- this year. Put pen to paper, make a list of what you want to achieve in your business this year and then break those down into small tasks. Then, to keep from becoming stagnant, make sure you’re reviewing them regularly. Track what worked and what didn’t work. I like to set quarterly goals because it forces me to look at them more often and see if I’m progressing. Focus on that and ditch those fluffy new year resolutions. Working on goals should be a year-round process; stop waiting for January to come around again.
Use Last Year as a Guide for This Year
Too often, people let go of the previous year quicksmart and jump face-forward into the new year without a care in the world. However, your successes and shortcomings of the last year can help you plan for this year. For makeup artists, this is especially important when it comes to financial planning. At the end of every year, you should be reviewing how your business did, what you earned (net AND gross), what worked and what didn’t work. Your goals for the year ahead should follow on from this and guide you when planning. It’s also an excellent habit to look back and see what you’ve accomplished. We’re always looking forward, but it’s important to be proud of the journey you’ve taken.
For more ideas and inspiration, check out these helpful links:
- Visualising what you want for your business
- How to set goals #likeaboss
- 2018 Planning and Vision Boarding for Pro Makeup Artists
- The four stages of practical goal setting
Realistically, applying makeup to clients is only half the deal. The other half of your job as a makeup artist is to understand that you run a business and managing yourself relies on having a little bit of business savvy to help you grow and thrive. Do yourself a favour and take the time to sit down and decide what you want to get out of the year. Then take action and plan how you are going to get there. Don’t wait, start now! Your future self will thank you! How are you guys planning for the year ahead?
