Establishing your own esthetics business can be exciting—flexible hours, the freedom to shape your brand, and the chance to help people feel their best.
But let’s be honest; writing a business plan often feels overwhelming. And it wasn't any different for Kim Bella, now the Founder and Creator of The Solo Esthetician.
I recently spoke with Kim about how she started her journey. She shared how she stayed organized, tackled industry hurdles, and built a business she loves.
From that conversation, I've put together this esthetician business plan guide to help you get started on the right foot. But first…
What is an esthetician business plan?
An esthetician business plan is a well-structured, detailed document that helps you start, run, and grow your esthetician business successfully.
It clearly explains the vision of your business, what services you would be offering, how you'll market it, and financial planning in a clear and organized manner.
Overall, it serves as a guide to launching and managing your esthetician business effectively, ensuring clarity in your goals and strategies.
The importance of an esthetician business plan
A business plan provides a clear direction and keeps you organized throughout your journey. Here’s how it helps:
- Provides clear guidance: It gives an outline of your goals, services offered, and specific clients you want to reach. This gives you a path to success and growth.
- Keeps your finances on track: It manages costs, sets realistic pricing, and projects profits to ensure your business stays financially stable and profitable.
- Guides your marketing efforts: It shows how you’ll attract new clients, retain them, and promote your services for long-term success.
- Prepares you for challenges: It helps you handle unexpected obstacles with ease by thinking ahead and having solutions in place.
- Secures funding: A well-thought-out plan shows that your business is a smart, sustainable investment in the view of investors or lenders.
Simply put, a business plan will be your map toward creating a thriving esthetician business.
How to write an esthetician business plan?
When creating a business plan for your esthetician venture, it’s essential to focus on the key elements that will clearly communicate your vision and strategy.
Here’s a simple guide to help you write a comprehensive business plan:
1. Executive summary
The executive summary is the first section of your esthetician business plan, highlighting the essential elements of your business.
This section summarizes the whole business plan and will serve to grab the attention of the potential investors, partners, or lenders. So, it must be simple, concise, and compelling.
Here's what to include in this section:
- Your business model and vision
- Market opportunity in the beauty and wellness industry
- Target market
- Unique services and value propositions
- Marketing strategies
- Financial projections outlook
In short, think of your business plan executive summary as the elevator pitch that communicates the core of your esthetician business and what differentiates it from other beauty markets.
"Writing my executive summary seemed easy at first—it’s just a summary, right? But it turned out to be one of the toughest parts. The challenge was defining what truly set me apart in a competitive industry.
I realized it wasn’t just about my services but the personal touch, trust, and holistic care I provide. That became the foundation of my plan."—Kim Bella
2. Business overview
Share your esthetician business story in this section. Begin with your business name, location and how it's established as a sole proprietorship, LLC or partnership.
Discuss the origin of your business, what led you to the beauty industry, and the steps in which your idea came to life. Mention any important milestones or achievements you've had so far.
Next, share your mission statement—what values drive the way you deliver your esthetician services as well as your vision of where you would like the business to go.
Lastly, give a short and long-term description of your goals; for example, offering new services, gaining more clients, or growing your business.
"It was challenging to define what made The Solo Esthetician stand out. I knew personalized skin care was key, but so many businesses offer that.
The breakthrough came when I realized clients weren’t just seeking treatments—they wanted a space to feel heard and cared for.
That’s when I knew my focus wasn’t just skincare—it was about helping clients embrace their natural beauty with confidence."—Kim Bella
3. Industry and market analysis
Before starting your esthetician business, it’s important to know the industry, and this analysis will show you’ve done your research.
While conducting market research, consider analyzing the following key factors:
- Market size: The esthetician industry is expanding as demand for skincare and self-care treatments continues to rise, making it a profitable and growing sector.
- Growth potential: With more people seeking eco-friendly and organic beauty solutions, businesses offering such services have strong expansion opportunities.
- Regulatory requirements: To operate successfully, it is essential to comply with licensing, hygiene regulations, and industry standards, ensuring credibility and smooth business operations.
Moreover, don’t forget to evaluate the recent industry trends like the growing popularity of natural skincare, eco-friendly beauty services, and self-care treatments. People are looking for healthier and more sustainable beauty options.
This will help you create opportunities for your business to offer organic, eco-friendly treatments that meet these needs.
"When I started researching the beauty industry for my business plan, I found much of the data was too broad or outdated. So, I dug deeper by visiting local salons, speaking with customers, and reading current skincare trends.
This hands-on research helped me understand where there was a gap in the market, particularly with personalized skincare and building stronger customer relationships—an area where The Solo Esthetician could truly stand out."—Kim Bella
4. Customer analysis
When you do market analysis, you’ll also need to focus on who exactly your customers are and what they want from your esthetician services.
Define your target customers by their—age, gender, skin needs, and lifestyle. Are they young adults in need of treatments or older clients seeking anti-aging? You would know exactly what they need for the right services.
Also, consider what drives them. Do they need relaxation, clear skin, or eco-friendly products? If you understand their primary goal, you’ll meet their expectations.
Finally, think about how they find businesses like yours—do they book online, walk in, or rely on recommendations from others? Knowing this helps you connect with them better and grow your client base.
“When I first started understanding my clients, I made a simple yet eye-opening discovery: Each customer has their own unique needs and expectations.
I had to shift from just offering basic services to truly connecting with individuals. This insight made me focus more on providing tailored treatments, ensuring each client felt special and well cared for.
Knowing exactly what my clients wanted became the key to building trust and loyalty in my business.”—Kim Bella
5. Competitive analysis
For competitive analysis, you’ll analyze the other estheticians and businesses which offer the same services as you. It helps you know how your business stands out from them.
Know your competitors. Do they fall in the categories of local spas, skincare clinics, or single estheticians? Try to go through their services, pricing, and customer reviews in order to see where they do a good job and where they don’t.
Next, examine their strengths and weaknesses. For example, maybe they have great customer service but not much variety in products. Or they may have a great location but it is too pricey.
By knowing these, you can determine opportunities to give something better or different.
Consider how you can stand out. Do you have services no one else can offer, lower prices, or better customer service?
"Looking into my competitors, I realized there were many others offering similar esthetician services, but none with the same level of personalized care I wanted to provide.
I found that focusing on a unique client experience could set me apart in a crowded market.
By carefully studying what worked—and what didn’t—among my competitors, I figured out how to carve a niche for my business and stand out from the rest."—Kim Bella
6. Marketing strategy
Your marketing plan will outline how you’ll attract and retain clients while expanding your esthetician business.
You have to execute strategies that appeal to your target market and increase your income.
Some of the marketing techniques you can put into this section are:
- Using social media platforms
- Sending out email newsletters
- Collaborating with other beauty industry professionals
- Partnering with influencers to promote your services
- Using flyers and other print advertisements
- Participating in local beauty events or expos
A strong marketing strategy will attract clients, build relationships, and demonstrate growth to investors, ensuring long-term success.
"Developing a marketing strategy for my esthetician business took time, but it was crucial for standing out. Social media became a powerful tool to showcase my services and connect with clients.
Sharing skincare tips, before-and-after stories, and collaborating with local influencers helped build trust and attract new customers.”—Kim Bella
7. Organization and management team
In this section, you’ll discuss the key people who will help run your esthetician business.
Whether you’re working alone or have a small team, creating a strong management team is important for gaining the trust of investors and making your business successful.
Start by introducing yourself. Share your background, including your education, experience in esthetics, and skills that make you capable of running the business.
If you have a team, list their roles and responsibilities such as performing treatments, managing appointments, or performing other tasks in order to ensure the smooth flow of business.
You can also attach an organizational chart showing who is reporting to whom and what role they play. Something like this:
If you have advisors, like beauty industry experts or business consultants, you can mention them too. This will show that your business has professional support to help it grow.
“Building a strong management team for my esthetician business wasn’t just about filling positions—it was about finding passionate people who shared my vision.
Experienced staff who value quality service helped create a smooth operation, allowing me to focus on growth while trusting daily tasks to capable hands.”—Kim Bella
8. Operations plan
The operations plan details the daily activities required to run your esthetician business smoothly and consistently while providing good service.
The following are points to consider when developing this section:
- Will you provide treatments in-house or work with other professionals for certain services, such as facials or waxing?
- How will you track skincare products, tools, and equipment? Do you have a system for inventory management?
- What roles will your employees fill, such as estheticians, receptionists, or assistants?
- How will you manage bookings? Will you use software or an online platform?
- Who will manage product orders, and how frequently will supplies be replenished?
Answering these questions will help create a solid plan for smooth operations and quality service.
"I learned how vital it was to keep everything going smoothly, from appointments to supplies, when establishing my operations plan."
I created an easy system that managed bookings and stock, allowing for reduced tension while ensuring my clients received the best experience possible.
It's not merely a matter of providing services, but having all the right systems in place that keep everything flowing smoothly and running efficiently.”—Kim Bella
9. Financial plan
The financial plan outlines your business's financial outlook for the next 3 to 5 years, giving a clear view of where your esthetician business is headed.
Key financial statements and reports to include in your esthetician financial plan:
- Profit and loss statement (income statement)
- Cash flow statement
- Balance sheet
- Break-even analysis
- Funding requirements
Furthermore, include projections for sales and revenue, your initial startup costs, income statement, potential financial scenarios, and any loan repayment plans.
A detailed financial plan will help investors understand the potential profitability and sustainability of your esthetician business.
“When I started my financial plan, I knew it was crucial for success, but breaking down costs, pricing, and projections was more challenging than I expected.
With no past data to rely on, I researched competitors and industry trends. I considered factors like pricing, sales patterns, and demand fluctuations to make realistic projections.
By creating multiple financial scenarios—best, worst, and most likely—I was able to get a clearer picture of my business’s financial future.”—Kim Bella
Download free esthetician business plan template
Ready to create your esthetician business plan but need a little extra help? We've got you covered! Download our esthetician business plan template PDF to kick-start your journey.
This investor-friendly template has helped many esthetician business owners build successful plans. With clear examples and helpful tips, it makes writing your business plan for esthetician services easier than ever.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve gone through this guide, crafting your esthetician business plan should feel much more straightforward.
If you still need expert support, our experienced business plan consultants are here to help. They’ll provide valuable insights and assist you in fine-tuning your plan to fit your unique business needs.
Don’t wait any longer—start building your successful esthetician business plan today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be included in a comprehensive esthetician business plan?
A comprehensive esthetician business plan should include the following key sections:
- Executive summary
- Business overview
- Industry analysis
- Customer analysis
- Competitive analysis
- Marketing strategy
- Organization and management team
- Operations plan
- Financial plan
How can I promote my esthetician services?
Promote your esthetician services by:
- Social media: Share services and results on Instagram and Facebook.
- Referral Program: Offer discounts for client referrals.
- Website: Have an easy online booking system.
These simple steps will help attract more clients and retain existing ones.
Is hiring a business plan writer worth it for an esthetician business plan?
Yes, hiring a business plan writer can help you write a professional, actionable plan that attracts investors. However, if you’re on a tight budget, you can use our esthetician business plan template as an affordable alternative to complete the first draft of your plan.
How to get funding for an esthetician business?
To secure funding for your esthetician business, consider these options:
- Personal savings
- Bank or SBA loans
- Government grants
- Angel investors
Crowdfunding platform like GoFundMe
