Welcome to the first podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 9 Things an Image Consultant Can Do for Clients
First, who is an image consultant? An image consultant is also known as a fashion consultant, personal shopper, personal stylist, wardrobe consultant or a makeover consultant.

To become an image consultant, you need to know about the different bodyshapes, the right styles of clothing for each and the secrets to acquiring an ideal balanced bodyshape (figure-eight or hourglass) using exercise, colours, accessories and underwear. Also, you need to know about the various human face shapes and how using colour in makeup, together with the right hairstyles and earrings can help one achieve a balanced oval face shape.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. What are the nine things an image consultant can do for her or his clients?
1. Closet/wardrobe consultations at the client’s home
That means you sort through the clothes in your client’s closet, leaving what suits their figure, highlights their best features and throwing away what doesn't work
2. Clothes, shoes and accessories shopping
You can do this for and with your clients, choosing the right clothes, shoes and accessories (for example bags, jewelry, scarves) everything that blesses your client's bodyshape and skin colour
3. Mix and match outfits
This means, for example, selecting the right tops to go with the right skirts, the particular jacket that gives the illusion of a figure-eight shape, which colours to wear closest to the face and more
4. Provide clothing alterations
Tightening clothes that are too loose, letting out clothes that are too tight, reducing the hems of trousers and skirts
5. Bodyshape analysis
Is the client an apple, hourglass, wedge, boy or pear bodyshape? Knowing how to determine a client's bodyshape is critical.
6. Hairstyle analysis
Is the client’s current hairstyle the best fit for the client's particular face shape? What hairstyles should the client use? Centre-parted styles? Side-styles? Updos? What are the right hair colours that go best with the client’s skin tone?
7. Face shape analysis
Does your client have an oval face, a diamond, round, pear, square or oblong face shape? What hairstyles suit them best? What shapes of earrings and eyeglasses highlight their most attractive feature? What's the colour of their skin? You have to know how to determine your client's face shape.
8. Makeup analysis
What is the colour of your client's skintone? Does she have a warm or cold skin? Is she a Winter, Summer, Spring or Fall skin? Or does she have Dark, Medium or Fair skin? What colours should the client use for her foundation, powder, eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush and lipstick?
9. Social and corporate etiquette
You educate your clients on how to dress and act in various social situations. For example, at a dinner party, you may instruct your clients on the clothes to wear, the cutlery to use for meals… At work, you may direct your clients on what to wear for a major business presentation, how to speak, the body language gestures to use…

So, those are nine of the things an image consultant does for clients. Just to recap…
First, closet consultations; second, shopping for or with clients; third, mix and match outfits; fourth, provide clothing alterations; fifth, bodyshape analysis; sixth, hairstyle analysis; seventh, face shape analysis; eight, makeup analysis; and finally, nine, social and corporate etiquette.

I’m sure you’re wondering where you can acquire the knowledge you need to become an image consultant. Well, you can start by reading the book:
Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPFM-e8ACqY][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPFM-e8ACqY]

Welcome to the second podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 12 Kinds of Clients Who Need a Fashion Consultant:
In the last episode, I explained who a fashion consultant, otherwise known as an image consultant is. I also talked about the knowledge a fashion consultant needs to have to be able to work with clients and make money.

Fashion or Image consultants can work with both individuals and corporate organizations. Image consultants, as the name suggests, are concerned with images. Which means you can work on both a person’s image and a company’s image.

A person’s image is reflected in their clothing, tone of voice, facial expressions, vocabulary, social etiquette, body language and gestures.

A company’s image is reflected in the behavior of their customer service reps on the phone, their office environment, the look and feel of their corporate websites, etc.

Working as an image consultant usually means you will do individual consultations, seminars, workshops, coaching and presentations for your clients.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. Who are the 12 kinds of clients that need a fashion consultant?
1. Brides-to-be
Obviously women about to get married are serious about looking fantastic at their wedding. That's where a fashion consultant comes in
2. Television anchors and TV show hosts
These people are in the public eye; therefore, they always need to look great
3. Senior business executives
Dressing for success... top executives must look the part, especially those whose jobs involve meeting with clients. Therefore they need the help of a fashion consultant
4. Actors
On the red carpet, on the screen, they must always look great. Actors definitely need the help of an image consultant
5. Public speakers
Because their work requires that they stand in front of crowds of people, they need the help of a fashion consultant
6. Celebrities
They're stars! The general public has certain expectations about their celebs and that includes their style and fashion-sense. Celebs are desperate for the help of personal stylists
7. People wanting a makeover
This kind of person wants to change their image, for whatever reason. They require the assistance of a fashion consultant
8. Beauty pageant contestants
These contestants need the help of a fashion stylist to give them an edge over their competition
9. Wannabe models
Girls who aspire to be models need to know how to walk, what makeup colours to use on their face and many other things that a fashion consultant can teach them
10. Lawyers
Even lawyers, especially those arguing a big case, need the help of an image consultant. They want to look smart, to impress the judge, jury and the media
11. Politicians
What image does the politician want to project? Woman-of-the-people? Intelligent and honest? Whatever it is, a personal shopper can help
12. Singles seeking a mate
Sometimes singles that have been unlucky in love feel they need to makeover their image to attract the opposite sex. They need the advice of a fashion consultant

So, those are the 12 clients a fashion consultant can have. Just to recap, your clients range from singles seeking a mate, politicians, celebs and brides-to-be to lawyers, models and beauty pageant contestants.

If you’re interested in starting a career as a fashion consultant, you’ll need to acquire the skills and knowledge that will enable you provide the image makeover services to your clients. Start by reading the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptxa4tzcUZQ][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptxa4tzcUZQ]

Welcome to the third podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 5 First Steps to Set Up Your Personal Stylist Home-Based Business

In the last episode, I listed out the twelve kinds of clients a fashion consultant can work with. As a personal stylist, fashion consultant or image consultant, some of your work could involve giving presentations to employees in companies about office dressing and corporate etiquette. Or you could make presentations and organize seminars to new graduates on how to dress for interviews.

You could work onsite (the client’s home or office), from your own office or from home. From home, you can work remotely, using communication tools like Skype. Busy professional women working from home, can manage both business and family.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. What are the 5 steps to setting up your home-based image consultancy business?
1. Decide on the fees you’ll charge your clients
What services will you offer? Just wardrobe consultation or will you also handle shopping for the client, plus social etiquette? Whatever services you choose to offer, decide on what you will charge your clients
2. Select a business name and register it with the Corporate Affairs Commission
Make sure the name is unique, that means no one else is using it. Go to the CAC, fill the forms, pay the fees and submit the forms.
3. Write a business plan
This is one of the most important parts of starting a new business. You can start with a short list of things you need for the business and then as you gather more information, add more details. Don't forget to add any projected costs of running the business like transport, utilities, equipment, software, etc.
4. Get a graphic designer to design a logo, a business card, and invoices
Choose the colours that represent your brand, design the logo and use the colours and logo in all your communications, online and offline. On your business card, to your name and title, add your social media and web links in front.
5. Print out your new business cards and other documentation

So, those are the five steps you can take to set up your personal stylist business at home. Just to recap, the five steps are:
First, decide on the fees you’ll charge; second, select a business name and register it; third, write your business plan; fourth, design your correspondence and fifth, print out your business cards, flyers, catalogues, etc.

If you’re interested in starting a career as a personal stylist, you’ll need to acquire the right skills and knowledge. How can you do that? Well, you can start by reading the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3-ydYDFEMk][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3-ydYDFEMk]

Welcome to the fourth podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 4 Steps to Set up Your Image Consultancy Website

In the last episode, I discussed the 5 basic steps you can take to start a home-based business as a personal stylist or image consultant.

Part of the work an image consultant does is to create brands for celeb clients such as singers, actors and reality TV stars. To do this effectively, you need to have a website to advertise your business.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. What 4 steps do you need to take to set up your image consultancy website?
1. Buy a domain name for your new business
If you can get your business name as your domain name, that would be great. Make sure your domain name tells people in a few short words what your business is about
2. Buy a hosting plan from a reliable hosting service provider
3. Get a good website designer to design an effective website that showcases your knowledge and experience. Ensure you use an experienced copywriter to write the copy (text) on your website and an SEO expert to make sure the text and photos on the pages are optimized for search engines.
4. What else can you add to your website? What about before-and-after photographs of your clients? You can even create slideshows of the photos on the homepage. Videos are very engaging; consider adding a video to your site. Ensure you add either your site URL or logo on the images and video

So, those are the 4 steps to take to set up image consultancy website. Just to recap, those four steps are buying a domain name and hosting plan, getting someone to design the website for you (or you can design it by yourself) and then uploading all the relevant info to your website.

How can you acquire the skills and knowledge to become an image consultant? Well, you can start by reading the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kofYOqojwzs][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kofYOqojwzs]

Welcome to the fifth podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 6 Ways to Market Your Beauty and Fashion Consultant Business on Social Media

In the last episode, I listed the four steps you can take to set up your very own first website advertising your fashion consultancy business.
Fashion consultants or image consultants provide a very important service. For example, they can help their clients get a new job, a promotion or a new lover, in many cases, by just improving their clients’ appearance and style.

Basically, as a fashion consultant, what you do is advise your clients on their clothing, shoes, hairstyle, makeup and accessories.
Now, you have your website set up, it’s time to market your business to potential clients. What’s the fastest and cheapest way to reach your clients? Social Media!

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. What are the 6 steps you need to take to market your fashion consultancy business on social media?
1. Join (if you haven’t already) LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and market your business to your friends on this sites. Keyword optimize your social media profiles. Follow relevant people on social media. You can create a group for lovers of beauty, fashion and style on Facebook and LinkedIn and then invite your friends to join.
2. Set up a Facebook Business Page
Here you can post photos and videos about your business and invite your friends to like the page
3. Upload the before-and-after photos of your clients you have on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Make sure you add attractive captions to your photos. Tag your friends
4. Create and upload videos to YouTube. Post the link to the video on Twitter
5. Set up paid ads on Facebook that allows you to choose age group, gender, interests as well as location
6. Join relevant LinkedIn Groups and network with promising connections
So, those are the 6 steps to market your fashion consultancy business on social media. Just to recap, this means joining those social media sites where your clients frequent, setting up a FB business page, setting up paid FB ads and uploading photos and videos to your social media accounts and inviting friends and connections

How can you acquire the skills and knowledge to become a fashion consultant? Well, you can start by reading the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd43oiRYdz4][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd43oiRYdz4]

Welcome to the sixth podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 4 Ways to Market Your Beauty and Fashion Consultant Business Online

Last episode, I mentioned the six ways you can market your fashion consultant business on social media. Now you have a website and various accounts in social media sites your clients tend to be active on. But aside from a website and social media, you can also advertise your new business in other ways on the internet.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. What 4 ways can you market your fashion consultancy business on the internet?
1. Send email blasts to your friends and people you know
In your email signature, add info about your business, and the URL to your blog, if you have one. Plus, you can promote special offers. In the email itself, introduce your new business; add links to your website and social sharing buttons
2. Share your new business with your friends through Whatsapp Groups
Post photos and videos about your business to your friends in existing groups on Whatsapp. You can also create a new group aimed at people interested in fashion and style and invite your friends to join
3. Create free ads on classified ads websites.
In Nigeria, examples of such sites are , jiji.com.ng, ady.ng, mobofree.com. Create ads for your business.
4. Create a free webinar (an online seminar).
In a previous podcast, I mentioned that an image consultant may do individual consultations, seminars, workshops, coaching and presentations for clients. Examples of such seminars could be to employees in companies about office dressing and corporate etiquette or to new graduates on how to dress for interviews. You can repurpose one of these seminars and offer it for free as a marketing tool.
Upload the webinar on YouTube and your FB page; send emails to your contacts to view, comment and share.

So, those are the 4 ways to market your fashion consultancy business online. First, send emails to your friends and connections; second, use Whatsapp; third, create ads on classified ads websites; and fourth, create and share a free webinar.
Are you interested in becoming a fashion consultant? Well, the first thing you need to do is to acquire the right skills and knowledge. How can you do that? Start by reading the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xO74rNisqU][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xO74rNisqU]

Welcome to the seventh podcast in the Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women Series
These podcast series are taken from the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too!

Hi, I’m Areta

Today’s episode: 5 Ways to Market Your Beauty and Fashion Consultant Business Offline

I mentioned earlier that fashion consultants are also known as makeover consultants, image consultants, personal shoppers and personal stylists and that they work with images, either a person’s image or a company’s image.

In previous episodes, I also talked about the ways a fashion consultant can set up a website for their business, as well as the ways they can market their business online and on social media. Let’s leave the internet now and move onto more traditional footing. Marketing your business offline.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of this episode. What are the 5 ways you can market your fashion consultancy business offline?
1. Organize free and paid seminars. For example, as I mentioned in a previous episode, you can give a seminar on office dressing and corporate etiquette to office workers. The free seminars can be held in your home or in a company office . For the paid seminars, you can rent a hall in a hotel. Tell your friends and colleagues about the seminars. Advertise the seminar on the radio, TV and in the newspapers.
2. Advertise your business in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV
Take out ads for your business in local papers and magazines. Depending on your marketing budget, you can also go for ads on radio and TV.
3. Create and distribute fliers and handbills in target areas. Remember, the logo and colours you use for the fliers must be consistent with your brand. Make sure your company name, website and social media links are very visible. Use an attractive photo.
4. Distribute your business cards to everyone you know. You can give some to your hair stylist at your salon, to people in your church. With your business cards also, remember to put your name, title, social media and web links in front. I talked about creating business cards and other correspondence in podcast #three: 5 First Steps to Set Up Your Personal Stylist Home-Based Business
5. Work with an event planner, or go it alone, if you're feeling confident enough, to throw a launch party for your new business. Invite your friends, family, colleagues, and prospective clients. Get the media to cover the event. After the party, upload the photos and videos of all that happened at the party
Other ways to advertise yourself as a fashion consultant are: one, positioning yourself as an expert and writing interesting columns for fashion magazines, and two, writing a book. An extra advantage to that is you can sell the book and make additional income from sales and royalties.

So, those are the 5 ways you can market your beauty and fashion consultancy business offline. Let’s go back over them quickly. First, organize seminars; second, run ads in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV; third, use flyers; fourth, distribute your business cards and fifth, throw a launch party.

Are you wondering where you can acquire the knowledge you need to become an image consultant? Well, you can start by reading the book: Bodyshape Intelligence for Busy Professional Women: How to Dress to Impress and Make Money Helping Others Look Good Too! [https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167][/https://okadabooks.com/book/about/bodyshape_intelligence_for_busy_professional_women/16167]

We’ve come to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening.
Goodbye and catch you on the next podcast!

Listen to the podcast here: [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqz6NW3WyGE][/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqz6NW3WyGE]