19 Useful Things To Do During The COVID-19 Lockdown

A lot of you will have made the difficult decision to temporarily close your doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we know that this can feel really scary, but it is important to remember that this is temporary! Things will return to normal and there are lots of things you can be doing to keep busy, stay sane and get yourself ready for when you reopen!

Self-Care!

First things first, you need to take some time for a little self-care! This has probably been very stressful and with a little more time on your hands this is the perfect opportunity to breathe and reset. 

1. Read a Book

This is the perfect way to escape from the stresses of everyday life. Whether it’s a trashy romance novel or something a little more educational, take a break from your screens, grab a cuppa and get lost in a book!

2. Self-Care Skincare

Put on a face mask, have a bubble bath and give yourself a manicure…but most importantly don’t neglect your skincare routine! With all other routines out the window it is easy for your skincare routine to follow but it is so important that you look after your skin during stressful times, especially when stuck indoors – and you will feel so much better if you do! Tracie Giles London is offering free video skincare consultations and can create you a lockdown survival kit if you need some product recommendations!

3. Call Your Loved Ones

Loneliness is awful…and so is being trapped indoors with the same people 24/7. Call your parents, grandparents, friends, neighbours – anyone that you love. It will mean so much to them and will also be great for you!

4. Move Your Body

Exercise makes us happy! Get outdoors for a run, walk, cycle or hiit workout in the park if you can (but follow social distancing guidelines) – you’ll feel so much better, get some much-needed Vitamin D and breathe fresh air! We also love these at home workouts and yoga sessions:

Home Workouts:

• The Body Coach
• RWL
• Zanna Van Dijk
• Courtney Black
• Alice Liveing

Yoga Sessions:

• Lululemon
• Boho Beautiful
• Lillyoga
• Livestrong
• Tone It Up

5. Make a Playlist

Make yourself a feel-good playlist, a wind-down playlist, a work-out playlist – whatever playlists you need to get through lockdown! Plus make a playlist for your salon so that you have the perfect soundtrack for your reopening.

 

Skill-Up!

So you’ve taken some time for R&R and are now ready to get back to business. This is the perfect opportunity to skill-up and to really become an expert in your trade!

 

6. Practice Makes Perfect

Have you been struggling to get those perfectly defined brow hairstrokes or to make sure that a client’s lip blush is symmetrical? Purchase some practice latex skins (or if you can’t get hold of any, banana skins or pig skins are also great) and get practicing!

7. Take an Online Course

Online courses are not a substitute for first-hand practice, but they are a great way to learn the theory behind permanent makeup and how you can advance your skills! We don’t currently offer online training courses…but watch this space!

8. Dig Out Your Training Manual

If you have already completed a training course, find your old training manuals and refresh your knowledge of theory, best hygiene practises, contraindications…or anything else you learnt on your course!

If you trained with ID Liner by Tracie Giles and cannot find your old manuals, just email training@traciegiles.co.uk.

9. Join an Online Community

There are loads of Permanent Makeup and Microblading groups on Facebook. Join them to talk to other artists, get support, share your work and get expert tips! One of our favourites is the Microblading & PMU Sisterhood.

 

Build Your Business!

You’re feeling refreshed and equipped with all the knowledge and skills you need to be the best PMU or Microblading artist you can be…now how do you make sure your business survives and, even better, continues to grow?

10. Gift Cards!

Create gift cards that can be sold online and sent either digitally or in the post to your clients. This is a great way of keeping a steady flow of money coming into the business whilst you are closed and commits clients to a treatment with you in the future.

11. Make Money Online

Do you have anything that you sell online related to your business? Shopify is a great option for a quick, easy to build webshop. Or you can just email, call or text your clients to let them know what you have available and take payments over the phone!

12. Offer Virtual Consultations

Pick up your smart phone and offer telephone or video consultations to your clients! You can discuss their future treatment and get them booked in for when you reopen.

13. Build Your Website

In today’s digital society improving your online presence is so important and with platforms like WordPress it is easy to build a beautiful, professional-looking website. Already have a website? Now is the time to improve it! Update your content, use the best images you have, and make sure it is functioning properly. 

14. Communication is Key

Make sure you stay in touch with your clients, let them know what your policies are, reassure as much as possible and let them know that you will still be there when all this is over! Pick up the phone and give them a call, send out some emails and make sure that your social media accounts are regularly updated.

15. Send a Thank You Note

You need to make sure your most loyal clients stay loyal! Send a thank you note (in the post or by text or email) thanking them for their business and offering them an incentive for rebooking with you when you reopen.

16. Update Your Treatment Portfolio

A treatment portfolio in the waiting area of your salon is a great way of showing clients what other treatments you have available. Buy yourself a folder (we get ours from Amazon) and design a portfolio showing off your best work! This can be something basic but we like to get a bit arty in Canva which is also great for social posts!

17. Get Active on Social Media

Social Media is an extremely powerful tool for building brand awareness and expanding your client base. Use this time to get active on social media and engage with your community! It’s also a good idea to edit your photos and save lots of posts in your Instagram drafts so that you have plenty to use when you are busier! You can also use a scheduling tool like Hootsuite to help make sure you are posting regularly.

18. Create a Refer a Friend Policy

If you don’t have a refer a friend policy – now is the time to create one that works for you! Word of mouth is a quick, free and easy way of building a loyal client base for when you reopen. The policy will need to work with your pricing but something like ‘Refer a friend and both get £50 off your next treatment’ works well.

19. Tidy Salon, Tidy Mind

You may not be able to travel to your salon, but if you are now is a great time for a deep clean and a bit of redecorating - throw out those old cushions and get your certificates framed and on the walls!