Picture this: 

Your beauty business is thriving, and clients are walking through the door, but deep down, you know there’s potential for even more. You dream of expansion, greater profits, and a brand that stands out. 

But what does it really take to move from a small operation to a leading salon or spa in a beauty market as dynamic as Nigeria’s? 

To answer this question, four industry experts gathered for a panel discussion at Beauty Connect Africa 2024, hosted by Splice, to share insider strategies for growing your beauty business in Nigeria.

The experts:

Abi Akerele, Managing Director & CEO, The Nail Boutique & Groomed by Elereka

Fola Fash, Founder & CEO, Taupe & Taupe Tools

Dr Uju Rapu, Founder & CEO, Bel Fiore

Omozo Ogunronbi, Co-Founder & CEO, O’Naturals Beauty

#1. Overcoming growth challenges

i. Assess your current structure. Before scaling, it’s essential to understand where your business stands. Abi Akerele, who runs The Nail Boutique, a luxury nail salon in Lagos, and Groomed by Elereka, a high-end barbershop, emphasises that business owners must ask themselves critical questions: “Are you fit for growth? Do you have the right customers? Do you have the right staff? Do you have the right structure?”

These questions will help you assess whether you’re ready to scale or need more preparation before expansion.

ii. Train your team. As your business grows, personally attending to every client becomes impossible. For Dr Uju Rapu, who runs Bel Fiore, a beauty and skincare clinic in Lagos, it became an issue when clients started demanding only her services. To overcome this, she invested in training her all-nurse team so that, whether she was present or not, her clinic maintained “the exact same standard of care.”

“Don’t hoard knowledge out of fear that staff will leave,” she advises. While employee turnover is inevitable, ensure they are equipped to give their best during their time with you.

iii. Hire based on character, not just skills. Hiring staff based solely on their skills can be risky. Fola Fash, Founder of Taupe & Taupe Tools, emphasises that character is just as crucial. “I can’t teach you to be loyal or to have morals, but I can teach you the skills you need,” she explained. 

When hiring, look for people with the right values, then invest in training them. This strategy is especially effective if you plan to expand your beauty business. 

#2. Learning from failures

i. Know when to call it quits. Resilience is key in business, especially when growing a salon or spa. But knowing when to walk away from unprofitable ventures is equally important. For O’Naturals Beauty CEO, Omozo Ogunronbi, it was one of her business locations. Even though it wasn’t performing, she held onto it until she moved and made more in one week than she had in the previous three months.

Her advice? Create metrics to assess what’s working and what’s not. If something isn’t delivering results, “close it and move on.” 

ii. Turn challenges into opportunities. Dr Uju Rapu faced a setback when opening a second location for Bel Fiore. The new branch, focused more on spa services than medical care, didn’t take off as planned. However, instead of scrapping it, she transformed the space into shortlet accommodation for post-op clients.

Her takeaway: When facing challenges, look for hidden opportunities to pivot and profit.

iii. You don’t have to build from scratch. When faced with problems, don’t assume you must build a solution from the ground up. Three years into running The Nail Boutique, Abi Akerele was struggling with salon software that didn’t meet her needs. She spent millions having custom software developed, but it was a disaster.

She now advises using existing solutions like Splice to save time, money, and resources. Don’t reinvent the wheel if there’s already a solution that works, she stresses. 

#3. Starting expansion

i. Prioritise profitability. Expansion might sound exciting, but it should only be pursued when it makes financial sense. Fola Fash, who started Taupe Tools to boost revenue and expand her Lagos-based modern boutique hair salon, cautions against expanding purely for the sake of appearances.

“Ensure you’re utilising every square foot of your current space before moving to a new location,” she says. Also, consider online channels like launching an eCommerce website, which can open up new revenue streams without the overhead of a physical expansion.

ii. Plan properly. Fetching years of running her natural hair salon, Omozo Ogunronbi explains that expansion takes time and asks beauty business owners to plan for it carefully. It could take months or even years to execute correctly, so consider the type of service, staff, and operations needed.

“Expansion isn’t something you achieve in a day,” she warns. Having a clear, detailed plan is crucial for success.

iii. Delegate smartly. To expand, you need to delegate responsibilities. If you’re worried about service providers poaching your clients, Fola Fash recommends hiring a manager to handle the business side, leaving service providers to focus on customer care. This way, the different aspects of your business remain separate but efficient, allowing for smoother growth.

#4. Staying ahead of industry trends

i. Keep in touch with colleagues. An important part of staying relevant to customers and growing your beauty business in Nigeria is networking with fellow professionals. For Omozo Ogunronbi, regular interaction with peers in the industry has been invaluable for keeping O’Naturals Beauty ahead of the curve in the fast-paced Nigerian beauty industry. “When we have conversations, we share the latest hair treatment as well as training,” she noted. 

ii. Compete globally. While staying competitive locally is important, don’t limit your scope to Nigeria alone. Dr Uju Rapu of Bel Fiore suggests looking at global trends to stay ahead of the game. “I’m not just watching Nigerian competitors, I’m looking at the best in the world to ensure I’m offering the highest standards in Nigeria,” she says.

Similarly, Abi Akerele advocates attending international fairs to discover new products, technologies, and opportunities that can help keep your business innovative. 

iii. Leverage social media. Finally, Fola Fash of Taupe reminds business owners that global trends are just a click away. Social media provides a window into what’s happening around the world. However, to business owners looking to grow their salons and spas, she advises, “Don’t adopt every trend mindlessly. Ensure it aligns with your brand values and image before jumping on it.”

Conclusion

Growing and expanding your beauty business in Nigeria takes careful planning, adaptability, and a focus on smart strategies. From training your team to leveraging relevant trends, these four experts have shared invaluable insights for taking your salon or spa business to the next level. Implementing these tactics can position your beauty business to thrive in Nigeria.