Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/618738
38 january/february 2016 F rom advances in skin care and unprecedented industry growth to the evolution of the way we do business, right now may just be the most exciting time yet to be a skin care professional. The innovations are subtle, but profound, and many involve new takes on established practices. The face of business is indeed transforming, and forward-thinking pros are embracing these new trends, which may even carry us all into the next few years. GOT APPS? In the 1990s, we were just learning about email. In the next millennium, everyone had to have a website. Then came blogs, followed by the explosion of social media. Technology is not going to stop evolving, and with so many platforms available to market ourselves and our businesses, neither should we. The newest trend in the beauty industry is apps, which allow you to be mobile and flexible, target your audience with laser-specific marketing, and digitize business tasks like bookings and payments. Take, for example, Glamsquad, Vensette, or Zeel. These apps allow customers in big cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Miami to book stylists, nail pros, makeup artists, and massage therapists who travel to a client's location in less than an hour to perform requested services. Think Uber for estys— spa and beauty services are offered on demand and take the mobile spa concept to the next level. NO STOCKING REQUIRED Just as being online can connect you with endless would-be clients, product manufacturers are creating sites and apps that allow professionals to maintain an infinite virtual inventory without stocking a thing. LoxaBeauty.com is an innovative website that pays you a commission for the retail or professional products you sell from its site or app. We'll likely see more of this trend from manufacturers, making entry-level minimum purchases a thing of the past for business owners. Clients love the convenience of home delivery and no shipping fees, and professionals love being able to offer it all, exclusively, from "their" warehouses. "IT'S ALL ABOUT ME" CONSUMERS We are a more casual and comfortable society as a result of several technology trends that have changed the way people do business. Smartphones allow our clients to stay connected even when at play, and as we're all growing older, experts say we're really growing younger in attitudes. Moreover, the next generation, millennials (a.k.a. Gen Yers)—those born roughly between 1980 and 2000—are now an important driving force in every business sector. This is the stereotypical, entitled "me" generation, so providing a customer-centric business model for this demographic is essential.