Image Consulting is a minimum 30-year-old industry globally, but at its nascent stage of 8-year-old industry in India. We are the second largest population the in the world and our biggest strength is the young population. As a country, we are always trained technically and there is a huge gap in technical training versus managing their brand. Image consultant works with private clients and corporates assisting them and training on creating a personal brand for themselves.
An image consultant is a coach who brings meaningful, lasting and authentic change in the life of their client by working with them on their appearance, behaviour and communication – based on their aspirations.
Image consulting as a career has a lot to offer, many consultants have found this field as their first or second calling for work – given that it offers entrepreneurship and flexibility both, and here’s why it has become a lucrative career today
The first thing that comes to my mind is Flexibility. I work 24 hours a day, 365 days a week and yet I have the flexibility to work. My work is not location specific on most days. There are days that I have clients visit home or take them personal shopping, or even corporate clients. Locations are important but rest I can literally work from my home in my pyjamas.
The business has Low Startup Cost. In fact, the biggest investment is the course/training itself. Once you have been formally trained, this can be a home-based business or you can hire a small cabin in a co-working space. The startup costs for an initial period when you are just starting out can be as low as you want. You need a good decent website, visiting/name cards and you are good to go.
There is also no prerequisite in terms of educational field or qualification. Which is why people tend to turn to it as their second career. You could be an accountant or a lawyer or a doctor, or a graduate in any field to be an image consultant.
It is a respectable profession. As Image consultants, you work closely with your clients or even if its corporates or schools. You are their coach and hence people value your opinion highly. You will work with clients on their image inside out and see firsthand their transformation
Hiring an Image consultant was like a privilege a few years back, but now the need to project the right image in personal social and professional life, the need for hiring an image consultant is increasing by the day. There is a huge market for image consultants and you can also specify the kind of clients you want to work with.
Image consulting brings you the sense of fulfilment. As a profession, it has the privilege to work with people and positively impact their lives, bring about a change for told them and see the transformation.
This is an entrepreneurial business. There is a high potential to expand in terms of services and in terms of financial gain as well.
Image consulting is not restricted to a particular geography. If you have to change from state to state or change our country, you can still set up the practice.
The whole business can be done online. You can develop coaching modules for clients, or you can be a style blogger, or you can also develop training videos for course aggregators.
Image consulting has so many layers to it, and varied options to take it further. You can become a style coach, soft skills trainer in schools, a personal brand strategist for companies. The possibilities are all available and depending on how much time you want to invest on this, you can take it ahead.
