FLEEK TM

Issue 2

BEAUTY AND BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Cover

Doan Van Hau

The Importance Of a Business Plan

Ecommerce Interview Mariia Teterina

C O N T E N T

FLEEK MAGAZINE Our team...................................................6 Letter from the Editor.................................3 Fleek Franchise........................................9 Why FLEEK?............................................13

01 BEAUTY Wet effect...........................................21 Revolution in permanen makeup treatments..........20

02 BUSINESS Introduction to brand promotion.......29 The importance of a business plan.....31 Ecommerce - How to increase revenue and digital presence..............................35 Beauty industry only for dummies.....67

03 INTERVIEW

Mariia Teterina “I Couldn’t choose between school and eyelashes”...........45

04 CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPETITIONS & EVENTS

Mannequin Lash Art.........................53 Colour Lash Art Category..................55 Classic 1-1 Lash Category...................56 Volume 2D-4D Lash Category...........57 Competitions - Why taking part matters...................................................59

FLEEK

Fb group: @fleek

Cover by

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IG : @ fleek_beauty_business_magazine

MAJA KIPROVSKA

London N7 8JB

+44 (0) 7393889812

fleek.magazine20@gmail.com

www.mlbeautyeducation.com/fleek-magazine

Our team MAIN EDITORS

Maja Kiprovska Editor-in- Chief

Jutta Niemi Art Director

SENIOR JOURNALISTS

Danuta Białek

Slađana Miljanić

Piotr Białek

Olga P Villarreal

Sonia Macias

Angelina Salacinski

Zrinka B Vuksan

Jutta Niemi

INTERVIEW

FLEEK

Mariia Teterina

Letter From The Editor

Planning an event or conference is never easy. The process can be long and, often, a little bumpy as planners attempt to balance brand and sponsor interests, attendee must-haves and other high-value integrations. All of this is par for the course when you’re an event professional — it’s part of the good, the bad and the ugly of organizing successful programming, no matter how long you’ve been in business. d nightmare.

The best event planners are always up for a challenge. When hurdles inevitably pop up it’s critical to keep moving forward. Pros know to always expect a few roadblocks. But, instead of panicking, they push ahead and give that challenge a run for its money!

But in my case this time as organiser of “Lash Diamond 2020” was too difficult to make this happened, in the middle of pandemic because of all the restrictions and rules that apply globally for the last 18 months.

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Thank you Ragusa360 a million times

So I want to show my appreciation to Perica Golomeik the General Manager of Ragusa360 rooftop, for all support and help that he provided us so the event can finally happened.

My sincere gratitude for all team of Ragusa360 starting from the professionalism of the staff finishing with the high management and lovely hostess Tamara who helped me last minute on the Gala dinner.

Thank you Ragusa360 a million times from myself Maja Kiprovska editor in chief on FLEEK TM and Organiser of Lash Diamond 2020 https://instagram.com/ragusa360?utm_medium=copy_link https://www.facebook.com/753265475022666/

Editor-in-Chief 8

F R A N C H I S E

C A N A D A C AL I F OR N IA U S A M E X I C O SWITZERLAND F I N L A N D C R O AT I A V I E T N A M S E R B I A B E N E L U X

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www.mlbeautyeducation.com/fleek-magazine

FLEEK Magazine with the headquarters in London, UK is a new magazine devoted to BEAUTY and BUSINESS.

All about make - up, lashes, brows, small businesses, big businesses, artists,competition and championships - all about beauty industry.

If you are interested to be part of this global magazine please don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are interested in Licence for your Country, if you are an artist and want your work to be featured in the next issue or if you are an Editor - we provide many packages and advantages.

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FLEEK MAGAZINE

Beauty & Business

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Elegance, style, attractiveness...that’s what Fleek is!

For any lash artist, it is essential to be able to learn and get inspired by the latest trends in the industry, as well as to have a space to share experiences and work results with other colleague lash artists and, among other cool things, Fleek Magazine offers that and more.

Working with Maja Kiprovska, who is not only an amazing lash artist, but also an extremely successful business woman, is a privilege and a pleasure. To be able to bring the international world of lashes to Mexico has been an incredible journey for me, and now with Fleek Magazine Mexico, we can offer the perfect space for mingling and learning to any lash artist, no matter if they are barely starting or are already masters.

Everyone is certain to benefit from the publication whether it is for inspiration, updating, or mere entertainment.

Contributing to the magazine by sharing my knowledge and experiences is, apart from a responsibility, an incredible opportunity to keep on growing. We never stop learning and having a space such as Fleek, gives us the perfect chance to connect with each other and get the best out of everything and everyone.

I’m more than thrilled to be a part of such an amazing mag!

Sonia Macias, Fleek Mexico

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My name is Zrinka B Vuksan. I’ve been in this industry for 9 years and fell in love with its variety of styles, expressions and possibilities.

Born and raised in Croatia, 3 years ago moved to Vancouver ,Canada.

Its not that easy to write a story that would and will sound so promising so I leave our readers to see for themselves. “ Today in my mind, tomorrow in my hands” is a quote that guides me trough my life.

So meeting Maja Kiprovska long time ago opened this amazing opportunity to show this part of the world many possibilities outside their comfort zone and try and lift standards higher,in all segments and industries.

We gathered in this amazing group of editors to show you and present You beauty and business on many levels.

I will make sure to highlight every proud Canadian moment and artist and have Your support.

Thank you and good read Zrinka B Vuksan, Fleek Canada

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I wanted to join the FLEEK family because I saw the opportunity to be involved in something that the beauty industry around the world desperately needs.

Magazine that includes everything from brand building, business, beauty and interesting & Inspirational stories.

I myself have focused on Quality and development In my own work and The beauty sector has become more than just a job.

Aune Vourinen, Fleek Finland

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Owner of the well-known salon M’s Beauty land in Karlovac Official Trainer for Flawless lashes by Loreta for Croatia.

Matea started as a Lash artist in 2015. She was trained by world famous trainers.

Her work was several times published in Lash Inc. Croatia and she was a Senior Journalist and team member.

She is a multiple awarded Lash Artist, Judge and a Speaker. Matea is also a Nail Technician, Lash Lift and Brow Trainer but her passion are lashes and trainings. She loves to travel and meet new people.

When Maja told her that will do Fleek magazine, she saw great opportunity to show the world what she can do. She want to artists, not just lash artists, all artists from beauty world - to show what they have to say and show off their beautiful talents.

That is the reason why she took franchise for Croatia.

Matea Lipošćak, Fleek Croatia

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It is indeed a pleasure for me to become the Editor in Chief of the FLEEK Magazine in America.

FLEEK represents the past, the present, and the future of today’s tremendous beauty industry.

Humanity has witnessed the significant evolution of the beauty industry, thanks to countless artists dedication. I have been working hard to build up the legacy from our previous pioneers.

Together with the FLEEK Magazine community, I hope to promote the ongoing growth, as well as to provide a fresh perspective for the beauty industry in the new era.

Tiffany Nguyen, Fleek USA

I started in 2015 with the nanoring hair extensions and brought them to Switzerland. I opened up my first Beauty Salon in 2016 - specialized in lashes and hair extensions.

After 3 years in business I started teaching.

Since Summer 2020 we are the first company that is producing Nanoring Hair Extensions in Switzerland. Also in 2020 we started with our second Online shop together with Ameeya Cosmetics to bring more lash product brands to our Swiss Stylists.

With Fleek I would like to ensure a platform for Swiss Beauty Stylists, to show off their talents - their artistry and education.

Mine Bolinski, Fleek Switzerland

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My name is Djurdjija Ilic I am 36 years old and I have been in the world of beauty for 9 years.

Winner of eyelash and permanent makeup awards, presented in Lash Inc. magazine.

Also a Distributor of ML Pro products and now Editor of Fleek Serbia!

I come from Serbia and I am very glad to be part of the Fleek family. I owe the greatest gratitude to the lioness woman Maja Kiprovska for this opportunity and I will try to justify it.

At Fleek I would like to present many artists from my country and they are going to, believe me, show of their best skills and present themselves in the best light. In the magazine, I will cover many topics and useful tips for all reader profiles. Thanks for the trust! I can’t wait to embark this magical business.

Djurdjija Ilic, Fleek Serbia Thank you Maja and Fleek Magazine team to give me this amazing opportunity to join and be part of this global magazine .

I promise I will work with all amazing members in our team to deliver as many knowledgeable content in Lash and Brow and Beauty industry.

Thank you for your support.

Hien Tina, Fleek Vietnam

It’s my honour to join the FLEEK magazine to share my skills, expertise and knowledge in permanent makeup industry.

Thank you so much for having me!

Ashley Luu, Fleek Vietnam

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Wet Effect

by Sonia Macias

This effect became very popular during 2020 and it is coming way stronger for 2021.

The idea of a wet effect design is to mimic damp lashes.

To create this effect, we form closed fans and we apply them in all lashes, through each layer.

We can make different types of fans which we distinguish by its base. A thick base or flat base is recommended for natural lashes that don’t grow so close together, hence, allowing us to cover the space in between and to create volume. For such kind of lashes we can stick the fans to the left or the right side of the natural lash.

The think base fans, we use in thicker, closer natural lashes. In this case, it is better to apply the fans on top or under the natural lash.

When we make the fans, we take the lash extensions from blisters 2D to 5D, thickness of 0.05 or 0.07 are recommended. We do not open the fan as we would normally do for a volume set, we apply the fan being closed.

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REVOLUTION IN PERMANENT MAKEUP TREATMENTS

by Sladjana Miljanic

The needs of the modern way of life of today’s woman are very different compared to the period about ten years ago, so the standards have changed and the boundaries in the beauty industry have expanded.

We are witnesses of the fast pace of life of a business woman, who tries to grab a few minutes more for herself on a daily basis. A great burden of the notion of beauty as well as the set standards of beauty, create quite a lot of pressure for every woman, so makeup artists try to ease the daily routine for every woman.

Permanent makeup now and then is very different. Former permanent makeup treatments looked completely different on a face. At that time, the equipment was unsophisticated and inadequate, so the treatments were much more aggressive and caused severe traumas.

These treatments of permanent makeup are remembered for their rather rough eyebrow shapes, sharp and thick contour lines on the lips, and quite frequent cases of colour migration on the eyelids. It was extremely difficult to adapt the treatments to every client and their skin condition, so the treatment very often lasted for many years with a completely changed colour in the skin.

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The permanent makeup industry is much more advanced now, technology is at its peak and precise equipment, with other good performances, can bring you great results in work. To that, we have to add that the regulations on product safety and sanitary requirements have tightened the measures a lot and it leads to a greater number of competitive manufacturers of appliances and sterile disposable modules (cartridges) on the global market, with extremely high quality ratings.

In this way, the safety of a permanent makeup treatment is very good for both, the artist and the client.

Besides equipment and consumables, the third unavoidable item is pigments for permanent makeup.

There have been a lot of discussions about pigments, but experienced makeup artists know well how to choose pigments which are tested, healthy and safe for a client.

When you have good equipment and consumables, you also have to be well-educated, so that you can perform the treatments correctly and with good results after the healing process.

From a technical point of view, a high-quality treatment of permanent eyebrow or lip makeup implies pigmentation of the higher layers of skin, including as little trauma as possible, regardless of the name of the technique.

Different techniques and procedures within the treatment itself distinguish a certain artists and their incredible skill to perform their treatments perfectly and easily.

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From a technical point of view, a high-quality treatment of permanent eyebrow or lip makeup implies pigmentation of the higher layers of skin, including as little trauma as possible, regardless of the name of the technique

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Therefore, we believe that for the treatment of permanent makeup, a good knowledge of the matter itself is necessary, but above all, work experience.

An experienced artist knows the condition of the client’s skin, and accordingly, suggests the best possible solution to the client through the treatment of permanent makeup. Regardless of which part of the face the treatment was performed on, a well-performed treatment does not cause a trauma (such as swelling or redness), neither any type of bleeding nor superficial injury to the skin.

In accordance with the chosen technique, we also choose the diameter of a needle, so that we can reduce the strong thrust of the hand. As a result, we get an elegant and nice piece of work, with little trauma on the zone that was treated.

The finished treatment on the client’s face has certain stages during the healing process, so in accordance with the metabolism of every individual, the necessary prolonged home care is suggested.

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Four weeks after the treatment, the client enjoys the healed result of the treated zone. If necessary, another slight control correction can be performed and it will finally complete the whole treatment.

The final result will be a natural and light airy form, without rough forms of inadequate colour and size and deep colour tones in the skin.

The persistence of such treatments will depend on the age of the client, the skin itself, the chosen technique, but also on many other factors. The average permanence is one or two years, but small refreshments on an annual basis are desirable.

After a period of one or two years, if the client does not decide to undergo a treatment again, the skin will gradually and evenly reabsorb the pigment.

Satisfied clients enjoy all the benefits of the new generation of permanent makeup treatments, thanks to the revolution in the beauty industry, returning again and again to their artists for the joy and well-being of both sides.

SLADJANA MILJANIC, International permanent makeup instructor

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B U S I N E S S

Introduction to brand promotion

by Danuta & Piotr Białek

“In the previous issue, I briefly discussed the steps to take to start your own brand. It is not an easy endeavour, but with sufficient persistence and determination it can be an extremely successful step in your career.

If this step is behind us, I think it’s time for the next one.”

This step is to focus on marketing, which is extremely important nowadays, where the era of computers and electronics has dominated the market and everyone has access to whatever they need without leaving their home.

Well thought-out marketing is the key to success. Imagine that you are the owner of a small neighbourhood shop tucked around the corner that hardly anyone notices due to its location.

This shop is your business in the maze of huge office buildings which are larger and longer operating companies.

It makes no sense - you may think. On the contrary, the wheel is already rolling, so why would you stop?

Prepare an action plan, set a goal and start.

Google – essential and free.

Do you have a small studio at home? Or maybe you own a place somewhere in the city? Place a virtual sign wherever you are so that your potential customers can find you.

Create and verify your Google Business Profile. It’s what allows your business to show up on Google Maps so people can find you and as the platform gets better and better at delivering accurate results to the searcher’s location it should be one of the very first steps of promotion as it comes completely for free!

Don’t forget to verify ownership of your listing as soon as it’s registered. You can do it via Google My Business account.

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Google SEO It is one thing for you to promote your business, another for Google to promote your business. Search Engine Optimization is a set of practices that align your business with Google’s ranking algorithm. But because this algorithm has evolved to use machine learning and user behaviour to produce the most accurate and quality results for searchers, optimizing for search engines is really just optimizing for searchers - particularly those searching for what you have to offer.

SEO is not the solution, but one of supportive tools that collectively work together with other activities to improve your rank. Also, because Google has amazing results focused around Searcher’s location, you have just as much of a chance as other, bigger lash salons, suppliers from your area to show up on Google’s first page without spending a penny!

Except for the costs to get a website…

Website In my opinion every business needs one.

Even if customer finds you on Google or social media, they will want to go to your website to check the full offer.

And remember, it serves to promote your business 24/7.

A good business website not only serves as a promotional tool in and of itself - it tells the story of your business and what you offer, provides contact information, and reflects your brand’s personality- but it is also essential for measuring and improving the success of your other promotional tactics.

Imagine that whatever you do online – promotion, recommendation, social media sharing or just helpful information that might lead to potential customer gains, it should link to its home on your website. you can use analytics to see which strategies are working best and get invaluable insights about your audience. There are free options to have a website on but it is worth investing and move to one of paid website providers as they offer amazing tools that help with business promotion.

Facebook it is safe to say that it is the largest social platform nowadays.

Imagine that Facebook had 32 million registered users in the UK alone in 2020. so where better to look for recipients of your products or services if not on Facebook.

From its powerful advertisement options to Facebook groups, Facebook has many tools small businesses can and should use. A solid Facebook presence helps you engage potential customers and grow your business

as Jack McKenzie said: “Having a Facebook page helps to legitimize your business in the customer’s eye”.

With so many ways to promote your business on Facebook, it can be difficult to know where to start so here’s my idea of the most important steps you should take to help your brand.

Business page.

If you want to have a solid and professional Facebook presence, you need to create a separate page for your business - your personal Facebook profile will not cut it. A page is like a regular profile, but it’s for brands and business. Also, instead of asking to “friend” someone, users must “like” or follow a page to see its posts.

By making few simple steps you can sign up, create username and start telling your story by being present in social media as genuine business.

Create your first post which will be interesting and full of relevant information then publish it and start inviting followers.

Regular posts.

That is right. What is the point of having business page if you’re not present in social media? Post as frequently as you can, at least once or twice a day.

While it is important to post regularly, it is just as important to post quality content. Focus on information that share behind the scenes information and photos about your business and that shows off your products and services. This will present your dedication to quality and transparency. Post variety of content, end posts with a question for better engagement and to attract your audience for interaction.

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Featured Artist A M Y N G U Y E N

Featured Artist K A T A R Z Y N A W O L N Y

The importance of a business plan It’s important to know how to write a business plan, because it helps you answer questions about your business and recognise potential obstacles before you set it up properly.

By Maja Kiprovska

While not all new businesses start out by writing a business plan, for many it’s an important step. It acts as your guiding document, helping you establish and grow your business, and it has a life well beyond just setting up or applying for finance.

It doesn’t have to be detailed – and in fact being too long and descriptive can put your readers off. You should be able to explain your idea clearly, structuring your plan into sections including: - the problem – what gap or need is your business answering?

- the solution – how will your business meet those needs?

- competitor analysis – what other businesses are you up against?

-SWOT analysis – SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – can you identify those for your business?

What is a business plan?

Starting a business is exciting. You’re bursting with so many ideas, you might be tempted to rush your plan to get to the fun stuff.

But a business plan isn’t something you write down when you’re setting up and never look at again. You’ll refer back to it often, making sure you’re hitting your goals and getting the best from the brilliant ideas you come up with at the beginning.

And if you’re looking for funding, your business plan needs to convince people to back your idea.

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So it’s not an overstatement to call your business plan the ‘bible’ you’ll use to help establish your company.

And while business plans come in different formats, most of them include the same core sections. Below, we explain how to write a simple business plan.

How to write a business plan?

The executive summary goes at the beginning of your business plan. As it’s a snapshot of your plan, it’s often best to write it last.

This section is common in many business documents, from client reports to pitches for new projects.

It’s designed to hook readers with your idea, giving an overview of your plan – including what makes you different, how you’re going to market your ideas, and how much money you expect to make (and spend).

As the executive summary is at the beginning of the document, it’s important to make a good impression on your readers. We’ve got a guide on how to write an executive summary, with a quick six-paragraph plan you can use to structure yours effectively.

Your business This is where you jump in and start talking about your idea. This section should include: The problem – what’s the need for your business? What’s the problem you’re solving, or what’s the opportunity? Why would people want what you’re selling?

The solution – how are you solving the problem? What will your business do? How does it meet the needs you’ve identified? And importantly, how is it different?

Your history – how long has your business been established? If it’s new, what’s your experience in the sector or industry?

Business structure – who are its owners and what is its legal structure?

Where you’re selling (and who to) – who are your potential customers and what are their characteristics? How will you target them? How many customers are you targeting? Will that number grow? Where do those customers shop at the moment? Do you have any existing customers, or confirmed orders?

Market trends – how is the market changing?

Is it growing? Are tastes changing? What are the reasons?

The competition – what businesses are you competing with? How will you attract customers from your competitors? What advantages and disadvantages do you have against them? How do you think your competitors will react when you start out?

How will you respond?

The market Here you explain industry trends and the competitors you’re up against. It’s where you include the market research you’ve carried out.

This research can be quantitative (based on measurable data and statistics), qualitative (based on gathering individual experiences and opinions), or ideally both. This section should answer:

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SWOT analysis

Financials

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is a very important part of your business plan, because it helps you drill down into your idea. You usually format a SWOT analysis in a grid on one page – four squares, one for each section. Then you make notes in each square.

Here you detail the numbers – especially important if you’re looking for investment.

The financials need to be realistic, accurate and watertight.

Formatting the SWOT analysis in a grid helps you see how the different elements of your idea interact. For example:

Sales forecasts and the cost of goods sold – estimate what your sales will be in the future, listing the goods or services you’re selling as well as the cost of each unit. From this, you can estimate profit

How will your strengths help you capitalise on opportunities?

How will your weaknesses amplify threats – and what strengths can help you overcome them?

Completing SWOT charts for your competitors too should help you see how to win business from them.

Strategy and execution Now that you’ve done some analysis, in this section you can explain how you’re actually going to run your business.

Here you’ll include a number of sub-sections: Marketing and sales – explain more about your product and service, including its features and benefits. Talk about your pricing strategy, and how you’re going to promote your product.

And how exactly are you going to sell? Which channels will you use – is it direct to the customer, online, or through other retailers?

Operations – where’s your location and what premises are you looking at? Is it suitable for long-term growth? How are you going to keep accurate records (for example, of stock, sales, accounts and quality control)?

Your team – are you the only one running your business or are you planning on hiring staff?

How will you structure your team? Outline each team member’s experience, and what they bring. You might also want to include any outside advisors and experts you’re using, like accountants

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Here’s what to include, presented in raw figures and charts:

A profit and loss forecast – an overview of sales, cost of sales, overheads, profit and loss Cash flow statement – cash flow is what keeps you afloat – with no money coming in, you can’t run your business.

The cash flow statement shows you how much money you generate over a specific time period, as well as what you’re paying out. Read more about writing a cash flow forecast Balance sheet – shows an overall picture of your financials at a specific point in time.

It summarises your assets (what you own), liabilities (what you owe) and equity (the net difference when you subtract liabilities from assets) The detail you need here depends on what stage you’re at with your business, as well as the size of your business. You might want to ask for expert help and advice on crunching the forecasts.

Appendices While the business plan itself shouldn’t be long and complicated, there might be information you choose not to include in the body of the plan itself that people should refer to.

This can include graphs, tables and notes.

You can signpost the relevant appendices people should look at throughout the body of the business plan.

Top tips for writing a business plan When you’re using our business plan template, keep the following in mind.

Know your audience. Remember who you’re writing for – is the business plan primarily for your own use, or are you looking for a loan, or even equity investment? Keeping your audience in mind will help you stay on track.

Keep it concise. Keep your plan snappy. While you don’t want to miss out crucial detail, you should also bear in mind people’s attention spans. Don’t turn in a 100-page plan.

Keep it simple. It’s likely your plan will be seen by people who don’t have intimate knowledge of your industry, so you need to make sure that it’s written in language that’s accessible to people without specialist experience.

Don’t forget the presentation. Tables, graphs and charts can help you get information across better than blocks of text. It’s also worth thinking about how to ‘pitch’ your plan to investors, potentially in a presentation that gives the toplines from your plan.

Know your audience. Remember who you’re writing for – is the business plan primarily for your own use, or are you looking for a loan, or even equity investment?

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Featured Artist L O R E N A L E O N

Featured Artist L I L I YA L E H E T A

Ecommerce - How to increase revenue and digital presence In the last decade the use of the internet has doubled. This means that consumers have changed their purchasing behavior and are more willing to do their shopping online.

by Jutta Niemi

Who am I and why am I telling you about ecommerce?

My name is Jutta Niemi. I am the owner and founder of a marketing agency JN-Marketing.

I have been doing different types of marketing and ecommerce for more than five years. During this time, I have seen and been a part of a lot of different projects, cases and scenarios.

I am also a cosmetician, which gives me the ability to see the issues and possibilities in the beauty business. Therefore I feel confident to tell you about the importance of ecommerce in beauty business, especially during these challenging times.

In the last decade the use of the internet has doubled. This means that consumers have changed their purchasing behavior and are more willing to do their shopping online. This also means that the interaction between the consumers and companies has changed tremendously. In today’s world it is rather normal for the consumer to want to know the company and their brand before becoming a customer. This opens up a whole new playing field for companies.

DIGITAL PRESENCE Digital presence for a company is essential and it became even more important during this past year, as a lot of companies were forced to close their doors. For many this was a fight or flight type of situation. If they chose to fight this mostly meant taking their business online. For the beauty industry, bringing your services online can be tricky, and in some departments impossible. Still, with that being said, there is a lot one can do online, if we are willing to think outside of the box and get creative.

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Digital presence at its simplicity means that a company is present online. This means social media, webpages and so on. In order for a company to have a well-functioning digital presence they need to have a set of digital tools from which they can improve their digital presence. First and foremost a company needs a webpage. Webpages are like a window to your company and therefore the webpages are extremely important.

To be able to give a good user experience the webpages must be easy to use, clear, well-functioning and pleasing for the eye. When we take a look at the visitors in our pages, we can see that the use of mobile devices has increased. In my pages the mobile users count for over 80% of the visitors. This tells us, that scaling the pages is crucial. Scaling the pages means that the pages are scaled to fit the parameters of mobile phones, computer screens and other devices, without the content looking funny.

ECOMMERCE When we have a well-functioning webpage, we can move on to building the ecommerce.

Often webpages have the ability to integrate an ecommerce platform right then and there. The most used one for example in WordPress platform is WooCommerce.

This is a simple add-on to your webpages, but it can make all the difference. The actual WooCommerce itself is free to use in most parts, but what brings additional costs is the payment service. There are a lot of different payment service providers who all have different plans. What is often a shared feature is that they charge a small percentage from every payment transaction. This is more or less the only additional payment the ecommerce will have.

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First and foremost a company

needs a webpage. Webpages are like a

window to your company and therefore the webpages are extremely important.

If you are for example a wholesaler and want to have an ecommerce, which requires additional features such as log in, hiding the prices etc. you might need to purchase an additional plugin for that. The cost for these plugins can range from tens to hundreds, depending on the desired features. However, investing in your ecommerce platform is essential if we want to increase revenue with it.

Having a fast, easy and well-functioning payment service is one of the most important factors when we want to increase our ecommerce sales and our company’s revenue.

The most common reasons for abandoning a shopping cart in ecommerce are slow ecommerce platform, un-optimized cash-page, not enough payment options and technical problems. Most of these are related to payment or the payment page, so make sure it is working well. Of course, there are numerous reasons to abandon a shopping cart and it is important for a company to keep track of the phase where customers leave the shop. This can give you an idea if there is something wrong in the process.

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INCREASING REVENUE WITH ECOMMERCE As mentioned in the beginning of this article, customers have started to purchase their products and services online. What the modern-day customer appreciates is fast and smooth service. This is even more crucial in ecommerce as the shopping cart can be abandoned so easily. This means that the process of purchasing has to be as seamless as possible.

There are a few points one must take a closer look at, when designing the ecommerce experience. It is important to have good photos and pictures from the products. The look of the products contributes a lot to the purchasing desire. No one wants to buy a product that you can hardly see if the picture is blurry or has bad lighting, let alone if the picture is missing. Therefore, pay attention to the pictures and shoot new ones if you are not a 100% happy. The overall look of the ecommerce product page can be the reason a customer either stays or leaves your ecommerce, so it is important.

What also boosts up the sales is to have a clear, yet descriptive product presentation text. It is not enough to just have the facts listed. Beauty products, especially when sold to consumers, are the gateway for relaxation and a person’s own time. Highlight all of these facts in addition to the ingredients list and other factors. Maybe have a small “how to use” video with a few massage movements.

Remember to bring added value to the customer each step of the way.

Bring in new products, educational material, trainings or whatever you can think of! The beauty in ecommerce is that you can sell pretty much anything. With such times that we have on hand it has been important for companies to react fast and come up with other ways to make money. Ecommerce gives you the opportunity to make sales even when you are not “actively” working.

HOW DOES MY SHOP STAND OUT? As many companies have hopped on to the online business it is more difficult to stand out. In order to get customers to visit your ecommerce you need marketing. This forms a triangle which,

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includes webpages, ecommerce and marketing.

They all need each other to work well and increase the company’s revenue. The saying “you gotta spend money to make money” applies well here.

Even though marketing doesn’t necessarily need to cost hundreds of euros every month, it might be a good idea to give a boost for some ads every now and then. Having a steady marketing strategy means you can do marketing free and still gain benefits from it. In this, the importance of your company’s branding is highlighted.

When your company’s webpage has been optimized correctly to please search engines it gives you an advantage in the search results. Most of the customers start their purchasing journey with search engines, so it is crucial for your company to be found there. Optimizing your pages and ecommerce can mean multiple things, but first and foremost you need to have your webpages technical side and content optimized.

This means that the webpage has all the technical features covered (e.g a sitemap, indexing etc.) and that the content is constructed in a way that pleases the search engine robots (e.g have enough text content at the pages, internal and external links, key words etc.)

USING OTHER PLATFORMS TO PROMOTE ECOMMERCE Having a multi-platform marketing strategy is the way to go in the modern-day marketing. First identify where your customers or potential customers are and based on this choose the right platforms for you. This might be a social media platform, email, magazine, you name it! Having a digital presence in many platforms guarantees more visibility for your company and your brand.

This then increases the probability of customers in your ecommerce.

KEY STEPS TO DIGITAL PRESENCE

Personal & company brand

Product & service

Social media platforms

Service path

Webpage & ecommerce

Marketing

Beauty industry only for dummies?

How many times have you heard somebody say:” oh you do nails!?” and in that moment you felt low?

by Zrinka B. Vuksan

How many times have you felt embarrassed to say what you do for life because society judges people like you , us?

Recent event on social media , one of the

In every industry there are people who try, people who will make it because they didn’t fake it ,and then people who did it for the sake of wrong reasons. And those will leave.

our skills and why are we looked down at ?

Choose your skills and invest all you got in that skill set.

Work hard, learn harder and express yourself publicly so others can hear you loud and clear.

I was told since I do nails and obviously have lack of intelligence, who gives me right to comment things outside of “my box” ?

“This is my passion, this is my strive , look at me succeeding “

social media I am on, made me think about

I was shocked. People were shocked.

21st century , middle aged woman approached and said that publicly.

I personally went to college in my late teens and realized that part of life is not meant for me. That I do not want to be defined by the number of college diplomas, by the number of hours spent in college my soul doesn’t feel like its for me.

As somebody who cares for all people, and understands that we are not for everything, I came to realize that we unfortunately are considered low income people, people with lack of intelligence for college so we chose “easy life” for dummies.

This needs to stop .

I

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More and more there are bullies all over the world, and we need to find a way to “fight”.

Being part of the organization like Fleek , we are on the good path .

Because You , the person who reads this, know that every woman and man here , once we’re kids, realizes what path to choose.

We chosed our paths, we weren’t forced due to lack of intelligence or ability to think.

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This is my passion, this is my strive , look at me succeeding I am a woman, mother, wife and daughter.

More and more there are bullies all over the world, and we need to find a way to “fight

I am a 35 year old woman that chose this career and traveled across the world to share my skills.

For me, one of the best skills I have ever had.

Do not let a school degree define who you are, don’t let people tell you what boxes you fit.

Be You and do You .

All the love Zrinka B

Featured Artist T R A N D O A N

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INTERVIEW Mariia Teterina

“ I worked at school as a geography teacher, in my specialty. And in my free time worked in the studio as an lash technician (lashmaker). Torn between two jobs.”

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“I Couldn’t choose between school and eyelashes”

Mariia Teterina, 24 years old Now Maria is a judge of Lash International Championships, make training corses in St. Petersburg, consults lash makers online, author of many courses and tutorials for lashmakers. …

I received my first certificate over 5 years ago. After these course, I thought for a very long time that it was not mine. For half a year after completing the courses, I studied, ask friends to be my models. For a long time I use a sofa instead of a massage table and instead of a professional lamp an ordinary table lamp. I don’t know how many times I wanted to quit, how many times I lost my heart.

But I could not quit, I thought, since I started, I should become a good master, and then decide whether to continue working.

At that time I was a student at the Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg. And eyelashes was just a part-time job for me.

After University I worked at school as a geography teacher, in my specialty. And in my free time worked in the studio as an lash technician (lashmaker).

Torn between two jobs. By that time, I had already become a very popular lashmaker in my city. I loved working with eyelashes, I loved my clients, but I also loved working at school, loved teaching, loved my students.

Pretty soon I had to choose. I chose eyelashes and decided to open my own small lash studio. At that time I already had a small store with all lash staff «Forlashmaker». I thought that I would never return to teaching. But soon some girls began to ask me if I could make a lash course for them. I hesitated for a long time. Although I regularly visit lash trainings, lash conferences, and understood perfectly well that I could do it. But I was missing something.

I decided to take part in my first lash championship. What a pity that I started late - these are my first thoughts after the championship. Now I understand that the championship is not scary. On the contrary, you start communicating with the best in the lash world. You develop your skills as a master when you prepare for the championship. I advise every lashmaker to start participating in competitions.

After the championship I made up my mind and wrote my first Training program. Conducted the first trainings. And I realized that this is what I want. I was a teacher, but still working in beauty industry - it was the perfect job for me. Soon I was invited to work on a permanent basis in the beauty training center as an eyelash trainer. I continue to work as a master, but most of the time I am teaching, I participate in championships as a judge, making training programs and courses.

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I often wore sneakers with my dresses, took naps in between working, tried to get good nutrition, but it felt like I was encased in concrete.

This could not be the way the rest of my life is going to be. I wasn’t ready to give up to MS (Multiple Sclerosis). The medication that I was taking for MS was making the symptoms worse, yet my neurologist was happy pushing these. I had to do my own research. I had to fight.

Along came HSCT, I knew instantly that this was going to be the ticket. How was I going to pay for it? Where was I going to have the procedure done? How would I get there?.....well, I’d figure that out later.

A stem-cell transplant is where they take your stem-cells from your blood after they have given you shots twice a day to get the cells out of your bones. You undergo intense chemotherapy to totally destroy your old immune system, then they put the harvested stem-cells back into your body, so it can grow you a new immune system. MS causes your immune system to attack your nerves. It made sense to me that this would work.

My friends and family helped me with donations and fundraisers.

We had raised $35,000 out of the $73,000 needed to go to the clinic in Mexico, and the bank loaned me the remainder.

I could have gotten it in Canada if I wanted to wait 5-8 years, and there is no way I had that kind of time. The Stem-cell transplant was scheduled for May 2020, however, now COVID-19 was looming, and the clinic had to close for a few months. It felt like I was climbing huge obstacles, now I had to schedule a new date, but it happened for August 2020. A letter was issued from the clinic, making it possible to travel during the pandemic, and I crossed my fingers that the flights wouldn’t get cancelled.

It finally happened. I went to Mexico in a walker full time, with no balance but a hopeful heart. The thirty-day treatment was gruelling but worth it. I had regained my balance and haven’t used a walker since coming home. The clinic tells you not to work for six months after the treatment, but you know I’m a bit of a rule-breaker sometimes. Lashing is my meditation or Yoga, it was three weeks since coming home, and I was back at it.

It has now been a little over four months since treatment, and it’s a long road to recovery.

Do I know if the treatment worked? Yes, I know it like I know the sun rises every day, even if we don’t see it. I also know that there is something one hundred times better coming our way for every awful thing we go through.

2020 was a crazy year, with so many jobs lost, broken homes, and uncertainty. Knowing what I know now, 2021 will be an amazing year. I am very hopeful!

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T C T D T T N

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COMPETITIONS

CHAMPIONSHIPS

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DOLL UP Competition Winners Strip Lash Art Categor y

Expert

‘21 Doll Up Competition Winners

Desiree Hollinger, Austria

Sandra Matulyte, United Kingdom

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Marija Misiuk, United Kingdom

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DOLL UP Competition Winners Mannequin Lash Art

Doll Up Competition Winners

Master

‘21

Iwona Patiek, United Kingdom

Jennifer Lapossy, Hungary

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Gintare Konovalova, Lithuania

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DOLL UP Competition Winners Mannequin Lash Art

Expert

‘21

1st Place

Doll Up Competition Winners

Agnieszka Naus-Peacock, United Kingdom

Nikolett Molnat, Germany

2nd Place

3rd Place

Desiree Hollinger, Austria

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Doll Up Competition Winners

DOLL UP Competition Winners C olour L ash Art Categor y

1st Place

‘21 Expert

Desiree Hollinger, Austria

3rd Place

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Expert

Miroslava Pittnerova, United Kingdom

2nd Place

Expert Claire Schneider, France

‘21

Classis 1-1 Lash Category

1st place

Natalija Ahrens, United Kingdom

Jolita Brazauskaite, Northern Ireland

2 place

3 place

Jennifer Lapossy, Hungary

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‘21

Elite Lash Competition Winners

Vo l u m e 2 D - 4 D L a s h Category

1st place

Marcelina Ozog, United Kingdom

Beata Posluszny, Poland

2 place

2D - 4D VOLUME M A S T E R

3 place 57

Anna Voglhuber, Austria

Vo l u m e 2 D - 4 D L a s h Category

Supornpan Leusch, Germany

1st place

Elite Lash Competition Winners

Bozena Jakubowicz, United Kingdom

‘21

2 place

2D - 4D EXPERT

3 place Marta Janaszek, United Kingdom

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Competitions Why Taking Part Does Matter

by Angelina Selacinski

Online, National, International, Fantasy Art… No matter where you’re located or what your niche is, there’s a lash competition for you.

These contests play a bigger role in the industry than many techs may realise. Of course, placing high brings exposure, helping to further careers. However, there’s more to simply taking part than meets the eye…

The Fear of Entering Sadly, I hear techs talking themselves out of entering competitions all the time. Phrases like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘It’s a waste of time entering as I won’t win anything’ or ‘There’s so many good people already entering so I won’t stand a chance’ are commonplace around competition time.

Every Christmas I run an online competition. It’s free and there are spot prizes to be won, yet some techs are still scared to enter.

With prizes available for taking part it’s a shame to hear that some people are too afraid to get involved.

I decided to dig deeper…

It seems that some people were scared of critique. However, it’s important to remember that critique is good. It gives you an indication of where you went wrong and how to improve in the future. Some were scared of what their peers would think, when in actual fact the majority of your peers will be supportive and you may even inspire them to enter themselves!

One of the biggest fears is the thought of coming last.

Competitions don’t generally say who came last; they usually give the final 3 results in reverse order. And finally, if you’re one of the many people that think they’re not good enough, there have been plenty of competition WINNERS who had that same mentality – don’t underestimate your own strengths!

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“

One of the biggest fears is the thought of coming last.

Live competitions are where I have witnessed the most nervous competition energy. Lashing at a competition is different from lashing in your own lash space. You can’t control your surroundings and you won’t have your familiar things around you. If you travel abroad for a competition then you may not have even met your model until the day of the competition. These things can cause some techs to panic.

Networking is a big part of competitions.

Making friends and connections in the industry helps us to build each other up and continue the upwards success of our niche. Not only that, but we can start to target the stereotypes of beauty therapists by empowering one another, leaving behind the pettiness and gossip.

Feedback is a huge bonus of getting involved.

Whether it’s positive or constructive criticism, having experienced industry leaders critique your work allows you to grow and improve. At most competitions you will probably get some useful comments from the judges, allowing you to work on specifics when bettering your practice.

It goes without saying that the more competitions you enter the more experience Competition Camaraderie you’ll have. Stepping outside your comfort zone will build your confidence, as well as allowing During my latest Christmas competition I had a you to reap the other rewards of taking part. separate Facebook page detailing all the information. Most participants joined this page Taking the Plunge and it quickly became a social hub. As they awaited the results from the judges they started For a first competition it’s good to go into it with chatting to each other every day, posting funny a positive attitude. Some things may be out of GIF’s, posts and generally just having fun. your control, like the temperature or humidity, but just remember that everyone else is facing In fact, a lot of them made really good the same challenges - you’re not alone! friendships that are still going strong today. They all supported each other and even though some Each competition will come with its own rules people didn’t place in the competition, they really so it’s important to familiarise yourself with enjoyed the experience and the camaraderie. those beforehand. This will help you to feel prepared and composed on competition day.

I spoke to a lot of people who were worried about There’s also no need to feel out of your depth. entering and managed to persuade a lot of them There will be different categories for different to have a go. abilities, so if you have been lashing for less than a year then you won’t be competing with They were worried about the bitchiness that can techs that have been lashing for a lot longer. sometimes blight this industry, but after entering So you need to try and stay relaxed, focused the competition they said they would definitely and positive. The more relaxed you are the enter again next year. This was all thanks to them less likely you are to make mistakes. The having a really enjoyable experience and finding more focused you the less likely you are to the other entrants really amicable and great fun. feel rushed, as your mind won’t be wandering.

So their opinion of the industry and the people in The more positive you are the happier you will it had completely changed just by entering one feel during the competition. competition.

Yes, it’s a challenge and yes you can get some nerves, but just embrace it. Think of it as stepIt’s More Than Winning ping stone, stay calm but most importantly, enjoy it!

My experience as a competition host and judge has given me real insight into the benefits of tak- Happy lashing! ing part - and trust me it’s more than winning.

If things are out of your control then it’s important to stay as calm as possible. Stress is not a great problem resolver. As a judge it’s been enlightening to see people shocked when they have won or placed in their category. With so much talent it’s a reminder that most people aren’t expecting to win – you’re all in the same boat!

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