A traditional approach to education
Building a career in the beauty industry, can lead to great success. Is this something you aspire to do?
Did you know that the average person spends 90 000 hours at work over a lifetime? That is a significant amount of time, particularly if you are unfortunate enough to choose the wrong career path. How many of us actually know what our future selves want us to be at the age of eighteen, and how many of us have pursued a career only to find ourselves very disappointed after a few years, realising that we made the wrong choice? Recent research from Totaljobs found that 89% of UK workers were looking for a new job in 2021. And they didn’t just look for a slight change in location or role – 45% of workers said they wanted to completely change sectors.
In the UK there has been significant uproar about the increasing costs of university fees, with many wondering whether it is truly worth it. University education is a form of structured higher or further education that leads to the award of an academic qualification. Traditionally this has been valued as a ‘safe’ and ‘valuable’ way to securing your future career.
With universities costing up to a whopping £9,250 per year for UK based students (not to mention how much this is for international students) and with the average university degree being a minimum of three years commitment, it comes as no surprise that we are carefully considering whether to continue with pursuing a university education. The average graduate debt – tuition compounded by maintenance costs and high rates of interest – stands at more than £50,000 for a three-year degree. After the maintenance grant was scrapped in 2016, many students have struggled to manage financially during term time.
What are the alternatives?
Over the past few years, there has been increasing interest in online learning. Not surprising considering eLearning programs can be completed faster than in-person courses, conveniently accessed online regardless of where you are based in the world, and can be cheaper than traditional university degrees, particularly in the UK and US. Even employers are recognising the validity of certificates from expert providers, as opposed to only favouring university degrees.
Online courses supplement education, whilst enabling you to gain new knowledge and expand your skillset – all from the comfort of your home. With a plethora of high-quality courses and apprenticeships on the market you no longer must go to university to pursue your dream career unless of course you are invested in becoming a dentist, doctor, engineer, or lawyer.
Becoming an entrepreneur
If you have a great idea, an entrepreneurial flare, and the determination to succeed, becoming an entrepreneur may be the answer for you. And you can set up your own business in so many different industries. There are numerous other means to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Many of us are resorting to apprenticeships, alongside studying through eLearning or distance learning so that you can earn whilst you learn. As an apprentice you can gain industry related experience whilst catapulting your career ahead of those in full-time education with your costs covered by your employer and the government.
Another sector that has experienced significant growth over the past two years has been the global beauty industry. According to Statista, this is valued at $395.7 billion in 2022, driven by an increasing demand for skincare, ‘at-home spa and salon’ products and haircare. Time spent at home, and without the ability to frequent spas and salons, has seen consumers investing in their beauty, health, and wellbeing and becoming far more aware of reducing stress levels, improving their quality of sleep, being mindful of their mental health and what makes them happy.
Come and join Beautytolife
To support the growth of innovative new indie beauty and wellness businesses, Bespoke Advantage has recently launched BeautytoLife®, a new beauty accelerator program. BeautytoLife® is an intensive introduction to transforming your ideas for a beauty and wellness brand, from ideation to products and brands. This is taught online and takes you from ‘concept to shelf.’
‘Absolutely fantastic course. Condensed learning from Janet, an expert in developing beauty brands. Also, valuable introductions to expert professionals, in the Masterclass sessions. In 12 weeks, you will learn from Janet, what would take years to learn by yourself. A very worthwhile investment’ Founding Member, Bridgette, Business and Personal Development Trainer and Beauty Entrepeneur
If you have a great idea, or perhaps you have already started building your brand, and you need support to move forward, our new accelerator program can support you in building your business in the beauty and wellness industry. Interested? Get in touch to discuss how this could work for you. Discover more www.beautytolife.co.uk.
As a beauty and wellness consultancy, we develop a comprehensive strategy for your business by understanding your vision (and the marketplace) and then delving into the details to create order and structure neatly packaged up to deliver you commercial results. We design brand identities and visual elements, manage your product development, build your go-to-market strategies to help you to engage with your ideal customers.
We are proud to support our clients from different regions of the world – from Saudi Arabia, to Dubai, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, the US, Canada, Europe and the UK – from entrepreneurs, to multi-award-winning beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, distributors, embassies and trade bodies. And we work with you across the retail sector, and the professional sector, including the hair care market, professional nail care market, spas, salons, hotels and the aesthetics market – here’s a snapshot.
If you would like to discuss your ideas with us, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
As an international beauty and wellness consultancy, we are proud to work alongside clients from different regions of the world – Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, Canada, US, Europe and the UK . We love collaborating with entrepreneurs, multi-award-winning beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, distributors, embassies and trade bodies across the retail sector, and the professional sector, including those selling into the hair care market, hotels, spas, professional nail care market and aesthetics market.
If you need support with devising a new strategy, developing a new product range, designing your packaging or rebranding your current product range, managing your PR, or with planning your market-entry into international markets, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
Bespoke is a brand management expert with deep industry knowledge, extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of the beauty and personal industry in the UK and Europe, complemented by an extensive network of contacts in the relevant market segments. Bespoke’s expertise, experience and contacts significantly contributed the success of the UK/Europe project with the companies that Bespoke assisted successfully entering or well on track to enter the UK and European markets. The Bespoke team was very professional, responsive and obliging and always delivered within timeframes. It was a pleasure to work with them.
Working with Janet over the past year has been a real pleasure, she has fantastic industry experience and knowledge of the UK beauty market. She has delivered a number of webinars for my clients looking at how to enter the UK market, providing an overview of the market and how to build a strategy. She took the briefs we provided and added real value to them, included key insights and information that my clients have found incredibly useful. Feedback on these sessions has been very positive. Janet is a clear communicator and has always delivered as agreed and on time. We are continuing to work together on other projects and I very much value the conversations we share.
‘Janet has a wealth of experience across retail, buying and marketing. She conducted a full strategic review of our cross functional business and the travel retail market to develop a comprehensive buying and quality control strategy that was signed off at board level. I highly recommend her as an asset to any business.’
‘As a Queensland-based company, we were determined to tap into the European market and establish a strong presence. From the very beginning, Bespoke Advantage demonstrated a deep understanding of our export goals and objectives. Their comprehensive knowledge of the European market, coupled with their extensive network of contacts, enabled them to connect us with key decision-makers and influential stakeholders in our target countries. Their strategic guidance and insights were invaluable in shaping our export strategy and positioning us for long-term success.’
‘Through Janet’s management skills, expertise and proven track record on the job she successfully managed the purchasing of our retail operations and ensured the integrity of our brands in-stores. Her enthusiasm and total dedication, delivered results in any project she was involved in.’
‘Janet has excellent beauty market knowledge. Level headed with clear vision, direction and the ability to drive business forward, Janet led the teams through a complete product design change advising on what the key marketing messages should be, incorporating her technical knowledge and beauty expertise.’
‘Absolutely fantastic course. Condensed learning from Janet, an expert in developing beauty brands. Also, valuable introductions to expert professionals, in the Masterclass sessions. In 12 weeks, you will learn from Janet, what would take years to learn by yourself. A very worthwhile investment’