When I first started doing henna, I didn't get paid for them and I didn't mind! I started doodling with henna cones before I could even learn to say "mummy". I'm just kidding. Henna has been my favourite past time since I was a child and when I started schooling, friends started queuing to have their henna done by me. I remember getting into trouble with the school's discipline master for encouraging body modifications. Yep, they sure used that phrase.Β
Luckily for me, I had the support of my teachers and friends and I was invited to open a henna booth for sports day events and many more events in the future to raise funds for the school. Again, still not paid. However I saw that as a stepping stone for me.
I never saw henna as a business, not until one of my friends suggested that they should start paying me. I was a little reluctant at first but they insisted, and even came up with a name for the business, HENNABYAINI.Β When HENNABYAINI became official, my mind went into ful business modes. I started exploring the pricing tiers for the different designs i had, as well as ways to make HENNABYAINI to the mass market - at the age of 15.Β
One of the most important things about being a henna artist who wants to market themselves, would be to understand your skills, and how much they are worth. You can price your services at competitive market rates, however, if you're just starting out and take 1 hour to complete a simple henna party design, you may choose to modify your pricing on what suits you the most. Remember, we should always take things slow. These competitive rates exist because the artists who have their henna priced as such have probably had 6 years of experience ahead of you. Use their prices as a benchmark, and don't pressure yourself to be copying their prices exactly.Β
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