Introduction

Congratulations on your decision to start a henna business.  This is the information and experience that I have accumulated as a professional in the henna industry over the past two years.  I actually wrote this book a year ago, and this newer version includes another year’s worth of hard-earned wisdom.  In writing this book, I hoped to provide a solid foundation for anyone to start a successful henna body art business.  Your success is dependent upon how much you are willing to work at getting what you want.  While I have had some jobs seemingly “fall in my lap,” the truth is that if you want fruit, you have to plant the seeds and tend your garden.  Success is a relative term that you will have to define yourself.  You may just wish to henna a few friends and do the occasional party, or you may want to work full time in a shop and at festivals.  For me, “success” is doing a job that I love, that can be worked into my family life, and that compensates me well for the time that I spend on it.  I recently finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Business, and I am now working towards my Master’s Degree in International Business.  Much of what I have learned in school has helped to make henna body art into a business for me, rather than just a hobby. 

I started doing henna on myself after attending an Indian Festival.  I stood in line for about 40 minutes and paid three bucks to have a crooked little squiggle put on my wrist.  I looked at my design and at the long line of customers and told myself, “I can do this.”  I bought a pre-mixed tube of paste, but it did not give a very good stain.  So I started researching recipes and designs online. One fortunate day, a friend noticed my designs and asked me to do henna at a bridal shower. I was a bit skeptical, afraid that I wasn’t good enough to go professional, but everyone had a great time and I even booked another party with one of the guests.  Since then, my skills have improved rapidly and my henna career has snowballed. 

Business tends to be a bit slower in the winter months, since there are fewer festivals and henna doesn’t stain as well in cold weather, but during the warmer months, I can usually make a decent living and only have to work on weekends.  When business is slow, I try to do other things to keep me in the loop, like henna classes and henna art projects.  I sell a lot of kits around the winter holidays.  I also use my henna as a bartering tool.  I have a friend who cuts my family’s hair in exchange for keeping her supplied with henna paste.  I have another friend who does face painting at parties.  I did a henna party for her, in exchange for her working at my son’s birthday party.  I once set up to do henna at a zoo fund-raiser.  I knew I wouldn’t make much money, but my family “helped” me so they got to visit the zoo and to attend a concert for free.  Just make sure that you are donating a percentage and not a flat fee to set up for that type of thing.  In case you don’t make much money, at least you won’t lose any.

It is not a get-rich-quick kind of business, but it is a great supplemental income that lets you make your own hours and lets you do something that hopefully you enjoy.  If you find yourself starting to make excuses for not wanting to do henna appointments, even when nothing else is going on, then you are probably experiencing burn-out.  Just take a break for a couple of weeks until you are feeling better. 

Want to buy "How to Start Your Own Henna Business"?

Back to TapDancing Lizard Main Page:
TapDancing Lizard is your online Henna Bookstore