Successfully starting an Aesthetics Business during a pandemic - interview with Dr. Chloe Aucott

1/3/2021 0 Comments

Successfully starting an Aesthetics Business during a pandemic - interview with Dr. Chloe Aucott

E: Hi Dr. Chloe, thanks for offering to share your words of wisdom about establishing yourself as an aesthetics practitioner. Could you tell us a little more about yourself and your professional background before entering the world of aesthetics?

C: I studied biomedical science in Bradford and got my first degree in 2014, from there I went straight into my second degree in Dentistry at Leeds. I qualified as a dentist in 2019 and qualified with distinction. From there I moved to the North East for my dental foundation training which I completed in August this year. I started my position as an associate dentist in September and I provide both NHS and private dental treatment.

E: For you, what was the main driving force to make you want to train in medical aesthetics?

C: Since dental school I always knew that I wanted to do aesthetics and it is something I have always been passionate about. I absolutely love the results that can be produced and the confidence it gives people. I also felt it was a fantastic addition to dentistry and I feel the two compliment each other well.

I have been getting both Toxin and Dermal filler treatments myself for around 7 years now and I know first hand just how much of a difference it can make to self-esteem. Being able to provide that for other people really drove me into the world of aesthetics.

"I know first hand just how much of a difference it can make to self-esteem. Being able to provide that for other people really drove me into the world of aesthetics."

E: Could you tell us more about the courses you have taken? What's on your wish list for future courses?

C: I have taken the combined foundation and advanced toxin and dermal filler course with Acquisition Aesthetics. I felt I wanted to be able to provide as many treatments as possible in order to take a holistic approach to the face and treat combined areas to achieve the right look and balance.

I have also done a skincare course with ZO skin health allowing me to prescribe medical grade skincare. This is fantastic to offer alongside dermal filler and toxin as many patients are concerned with fine lines and wrinkles in areas which dermal filler/toxin may not be suitable for. As well as this healthy glowing skin, free of imperfections is associated with beauty and youth, we can enhance features with dermal filler but if they have skin conditions such as acne this is often the first thing we will notice.

My wish list for courses is endless, but the next courses I will undertake are; tear trough and non-surgical rhinoplasties, which I hope to have completed by spring. I also want to provide more skin care treatments in the near future so I will be doing some training for this as well. I am also looking at starting the level 7 diploma next year with Acquisition Aesthetics, which will solidify my knowledge and will help me to fulfil my goal of becoming a trainer in aesthetics.

Learn about training

E: .It is safe to say you have hit the ground running since completing your training. The biggest barrier I found when I started as an aesthetics practitioner was getting the ball rolling and building a client base. Could you share any advice on how you have successfully started to build a client base and reputation for yourself during these challenging times?

C: Starting a social media page early is a great start to building a reputation and getting yourself known. Not only can you showcase your skills but you can also showcase you. You are your brand. I have found that people love to see who is injecting them and like to see personality.

Show your knowledge and passion for aesthetics, people will trust in you if they see that you have the right knowledge and people want to come to see someone who truly love what they do. This is also a great way to add content to your page as it is difficult in the beginning to have content to post when clients may be limited.

I had some amazing friends who trusted me to do some treatment on them and this meant I could get some photos of my work posted on social media. This really boosted my presence and I had more people approach me for treatment after seeing the results I could produce.
I always say that there is nothing that works better than word of mouth. Make sure you build rapport with every person that walks through your door and every single person who contacts you. If people like you, they will tell others about you and people will come to you when you have been recommended from a friend/family member. I also make sure that when possible clients contact me I give them as much information as possible and I always showcase my knowledge and passion and people really do notice. I have a lot of “You really know your stuff” comments, it truly does make a difference.

"Show your knowledge and passion for aesthetics, people will trust in you if they see that you have the right knowledge and people want to come to see someone who truly love what they do."

E: I frequently get asked about providing treatment at a dental practice vs out of a salon. Have you decided to provide your treatments in Dental Practice or have you chosen to practice out of a rented room? What influenced your decision?

C: I provide treatments in both settings, I work from the dental practice mon-fri and I rent a room in a salon 2-3x a month. I wanted to get myself out there as much as I possibly could and I felt that the salon was a perfect addition and would allow me to reach more potential clients. I spent a lot of time finding the right salon I wanted to work from, as for me the right environment and the right clientele was fundamental. I wanted a salon I could provide holistic care in and could offer more than just lip filler services.

There is added pressure with the room rental as you need to make sure there is enough clients to cover the cost of the room and also make a profit. I also find record keeping more difficult at the salon compared with the dental practice, as I am currently using paper notes and this is time consuming until I switch over to digital. However it has been worth the added stress as I have reached a client base that I never would have from the dental practice. These clients have always received treatment within salons rather than a medical environment. I have also gained clients who were afraid of getting treatment and associated both toxin and dermal filler with a “fake” appearance. I feel I have been able to educate them and allow them to trust in aesthetics, and they have been delighted with the results.

I find working from the dental practice is less stressful as it is my everyday environment and I feel more comfortable in my surroundings. I am very lucky that my practice is so supportive of my aesthetics journey and understand this is where my passion lies. We work together to promote aesthetics at the practice and on social media and it has been very successful so far.
I have built 2 completely different client bases and reached more people working from both the dental practice and salon, and I feel this is helping me build my business.

Learn about training

E: From what you have learnt so far, could you give any advice to doctors, dentists or nurses thinking about training?

C: My four best pieces of advice would be:

Learn about aesthetics before your training to really get the most out of it. Already having knowledge of the basics really helps as you can really focus your attention on the practical side of things.
Decide where you will be providing treatment and get this in place ready for after your training. You want to put your skills into action quickly after and this will allow you to have people lined up ready to inject.
Have your social media ready to go, start building your page as soon as possible. Know what you want your brand to look like, what you want to post etc.
I thought the clients would come rolling in, and that it would be easy to build a reputation. It is hard work, be prepared for a slow start and be ready for weeks where you won’t have anybody in at all. Try not to rely solely on aesthetics when first starting out as it will be stressful.
Don’t stress yourself with worrying what everyone else is doing or how many clients other people have in. Focus on you and building your brand.

E: Finally, I personally love your logo and branding and the overall look of your social media - could you share your three favourite apps you use for creating content?

C:I am genuinely awful with technology, so I keep it as simple as possible. My 3 favourite apps I use for content are;

Photoshop- For adding my logo onto content, making leaflets, price lists etc
Layout - For before and after pics
Instagram- For making educational content and quotes – I simply add my logos white marble background on a story and add writing.

I would love at some point in the future to have something less simple and higher end. However for me right now my social media is working and getting attention so I am focusing more on other areas of my business.
I always want to be able to upload content wherever I am, and I want to be able to do this quickly. If I had to sit for long periods creating posts, I just don’t think I would post regular content. I want to always have a healthy work/life balance, working 6 day weeks means limited time at home, so when I’m there I want to make the most of it. I love the simplicity of my social media and I love it even more knowing how quickly I can do it.

To see more of Dr. Chloe Aucott have a look on Instagram @drchloeaucott, for information about training look up @acquisitionaesthetics, visit Acquisition Aesthetics site or drop me a DM on Instagram via @dr.elleclairereid.

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