The Pro's and Con's of being a Personal Stylist

Christen
Nov 14, 2017
4 min read

Whoever said this was easy, lied!

Yes, it's an amazing feeling being your own boss but just like everything else, there are some obstacles that you face. As a personal stylist, I've experienced mainly good and sometimes bad situations that unfortunately can't be avoided. But, it's great to go through these things because they make you stronger and ready for whatever else comes your way.

Since starting my business in 2013, I've grown to have a love/hate relationship with this entrepreneur lifestyle. It can be hard at times but very rewarding and fulfilling which motivates me to keep pushing forward.

This week, I decided to focus on the good and the bad that comes along with being a personal stylist. From the outside looking in, it may seem like all fun and games but in reality, it really takes a lot of work to make others look this good.

I could go on and on but I narrowed it down to a list of 7 pros and cons that I feel like we can all agree on. So, do you want the good or the bad first? Let's go with the good...

Pros:

Help to build client's confidence

Being able to help your clients feel good about themselves is a big part of the job. Sometimes, it can be something as simple as spending quality time with them. Getting to know your clients is the key to running your business. It's imperative to know who your audience is and whose investing in your products and services.

Having a great relationship with your clients will more than likely keep them coming back for more. And I'm sure that's something we all want, right?

Meet and collaborate with some amazing people in the industry

The fashion industry is full of creative individuals who you can learn a lot from. Having the opportunity to collaborate with photographers, fashion designers and even other stylists is always a great learning experience. You never know what types of tips and tricks you can learn from them that could possibly help to take your business to the next level.

In any industry, it's all about who you know. You may even end of working with someone who refers you to a life long client.

You get to shop for a living

Yes, shopping is one of my favorite hobbies and being able to do it for a living is fun!

Sometimes, I shop for clients on my own and other times I'm shopping with clients to assist and educate them on specific styles and brands. I would say that shopping with clients is one of my favorite things to do because I'm learning about the clients style while also building a bond.

You want your client to be comfortable with you and your choices so that when they're unable to physically be with you, you can shop for them and still pull pieces that you know they'll love!

Flexible schedule

As an entrepreneur, you're your own boss and you're able to make your own rules. There isn't anyone around telling you when to clock in and clock out and you aren't obligated to work the typical 9 to 5 hours everyday.

I love having full control of my schedule. Being able to block out time for shopping sessions, consultations and closet cleanses and being able to monitor how many clients I take in during one week is a great thing. I only allow myself to take on a certain number of projects so that I don't get overwhelmed and so that my time is equally distributed throughout my day.

Cons:

Don't always have full creative control

As an entrepreneur, people specifically reach out to you for your services/products because they enjoy your work and love what you offer. But unfortunately, some people don't even allow you to do the job they're paying you to do.

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose dealt with individuals who have hired you to complete a task and they've questioned your entire process along the way; adding in their two sense that wasn't even asked for because they're afraid your work ethic isn't living up to their standards. This tends to ruin the overall experience for the client and you as an expert.

Sometimes, you're able to sense how the experience will go after interacting with the client through a consultation. Some red flags would be:

Budget consciousness
Overly opinionated/anal
Unsurety

These are the types of people you want to stay away from. Not everybody is your client and these traits will help you to determine whether it's a good idea for you to move forward.

It takes time to build a relationship with your clients

Unless you're a celebrity stylist whose worked with a ton of different people and who has a well-known reputation, you're going to have to build your book of clients from the bottom up. Your experience, work ethic and professionalism speaks for itself.

Some clients specifically want to work with people who are older in age and have been working in their field longer than the millennial who only has about 4-5 years of experience. Some clients would rather work with someone who has a degree in the field of work they're offering. Some clients would even rather work with a male opposed to a female.

They're so many different traits that people look for in someone whose offering the services or products they want. And unfortunately, you may not be that expert that they're looking for. In situations like this, you always put your best foot forward and try not to let these types pf individuals bring you down.

The pay isn't always instant

As a freelancer, you're obligated to complete a job at a specific time and on a specific day(s) but sometimes, you may not be compensated until a month or two later. It sucks when you're a full time entrepreneur and you're only relying on paid gigs that aren't always consistent.

But having multiple gigs in one week or even in one day is always a good thing. Sometimes, having a part-time job/s to pick up hours when your business is moving a little slow, comes in handy. Multiple streams of income is definitely the key to success.

These are just a few pros and cons from my list but tell me if I missed any. I'd love to hear what type of challenges, good and bad that you guys face as entrepreneurs.

Photographer: Crystal Brooks (@crystalaegeanb)