Updated October 21, 2026
Where customers for beauty work come from in Bordeaux
In a city like Bordeaux, people who need beauty services look in several places. Many search online - either through Google, Websta or Facebook - when they want to find someone nearby who can do the work. Others ask friends, family or colleagues for recommendations, which is still how a lot of local service work gets booked. Smaller numbers come through word of mouth after they have used someone once.
Bordeaux itself has neighbourhoods and city-centre areas where people with money to spend on services live and work, but customers are scattered across the city and suburbs rather than in one concentrated area. Workplaces - offices, shops, gyms, studios - are another source: some people book beauty services close to where they work so they can fit an appointment into a lunch break or after work. Schools and universities bring families to certain parts of the city, and some of those parents will need beauty services.
The honest truth is that finding customers takes time. Your first few bookings will probably come from people you already know or from word of mouth. After that, online search and a profile where people can find you and book matters more.
Setting your first prices
Pricing is something you decide yourself on Websta - the platform does not set it for you. When you are starting out in Bordeaux, you need to know what people in your area actually pay for beauty work, not what you hope they will pay. Look at what other beauty specialists in Bordeaux charge for the same services. Call a few, visit their profiles online, ask around. This gives you a real baseline.
Your first price does not have to be your final price. Many people start lower than they might later, to get customers in the door and build a reputation. As you get more bookings and experience, you can raise prices. Some specialists in Bordeaux will charge differently depending on whether they travel to the customer or work from a fixed location, or whether the service takes thirty minutes or two hours.
Talking about money with customers needs to be straightforward. Tell them the price upfront - in your profile, in messages, when they book. If the work takes longer than expected, or they want something extra, talk about price again before you do it. Being clear about this from the start avoids arguments later.
What to handle as an independent person in France
Working as a beauty specialist for money in France means you need to register as an independent worker (travailleur indépendant) or sole trader. The rules are there, but they are not simple, and they change. You need to check with your local chamber of commerce (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which covers Bordeaux) or your local tax office (Direction des Finances Publiques) for what applies to you specifically - whether you need to register with social security, what tax you owe, what insurance you need, and what records you have to keep.
Payment matters too. When customers pay you through Websta via Stripe, the payment goes to your own bank account - you are not paid by Websta or Stripe, they are just the tools. This means you see the money yourself, but you also have to keep track of it for tax purposes. Keep records of what you earn and what you spend on equipment, products or travel.
Do not guess about any of this. Before you take your first customer payment, contact the chamber of commerce in Bordeaux or a tax adviser (conseil fiscal) to find out exactly what you have to do. Getting this wrong later is costly.
What your first ten customers usually look like
Your first customers will probably be people who already know you, or who come through word of mouth from someone who does. They may not be the easiest customers, but they are how most service businesses start. After that, you will get customers who find you through online search or through Websta - these are people you do not know, who chose you because they could find you, see your work, and book a time that suited them.
In the first months, do not expect to be busy all the time. One or two bookings a week is common when you start. As time goes on and more people know about you, bookings may increase, but this is not fast. Some specialists stay at two or three bookings a week because that is all they want; others build up to more. How many customers you get depends on how much you promote yourself, how good your work is, and how much of Bordeaux's market for beauty services you can reach.
The customers who book through a Websta profile tend to be people who want to see prices and availability before they call, and who like being able to book online. This can be a good match if you want to work without constant phone calls.
What goes wrong in the first months
Most beauty specialists in Bordeaux who struggle in the first months hit the same problems. They set prices too low and then feel they have to keep them there. They take every booking even if the time or location does not suit them, which burns them out. They do not tell people about their services, so nobody finds them. They are unclear about what they charge or what is included, which leads to arguments over money.
Another common problem is not showing your work properly. If people cannot see photos of what you do, or cannot find you online, they will book someone else. A Websta profile with clear photos of your work and a description of your services helps with this, but only if you keep it up to date and actually use it to take bookings.
Do not expect to be fully booked after a month. That is not how it works. Most people take several months to build enough customers to feel stable. Some never do, and either stop or keep it as a side income.
How a Websta profile helps
A Websta profile is a page that works like a simple website. You put up your services, the prices you charge, photos of your work, your location in Bordeaux, and a contact form. Customers nearby can find you when they search for beauty specialists in Bordeaux on Websta, and they can book a time directly on your profile or send you a message. When they pay, the money goes to your own bank account through Stripe - you are paid by the customer, not by Websta.
This profile is useful because it gives you one place to send people when they ask about your work. It saves time because people can see your prices and photos without calling you, and it means you can book customers outside your immediate circle. Over time, people in Bordeaux who search for beauty services may find your profile in search results.
But a Websta profile alone is not enough. You still need to tell people about your work - through word of mouth, through your own social media or messaging if you have it, through recommendations from other people. The profile is the tool that makes it easy for interested customers to book, but you have to get them to the profile in the first place.
Earning money takes work and time
The reality of earning money as a beauty specialist in Bordeaux is that it takes real effort. You do the work itself - your skill and time. You find customers and keep them booking. You handle money, tax and records. You show your work to the people who might hire you. None of this happens by itself, and none of it is fast.
If you are doing this as a side income while working another job, you will need to manage your time carefully. If you want it to be your full income, you need to spend months building up enough bookings to earn what you need. Some people in Bordeaux do this successfully; others find it does not work for them and go back to employment.
The best way to start is to be honest with yourself about how much time you can spend, to set prices that actually cover your work, to learn the rules you have to follow as an independent person, and to use tools like a Websta profile to make it easy for customers to find and book you. After that, it is work.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to register as self-employed to take money for beauty work in Bordeaux?
- Yes. In France, earning money from work as an independent person requires registration as a travailleur indépendant or sole trader. You must check with your local chamber of commerce (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Nouvelle-Aquitaine for Bordeaux) or your tax office to find out what registration, tax, insurance and record-keeping you need. Do this before you take your first payment.
- How do I get paid when customers book through a Websta profile?
- Customers pay through Stripe on your Websta profile, and the money goes directly to your own bank account. You keep all the money - Websta and Stripe take no payment from you. You are responsible for keeping records of what you earn for tax purposes.
- How many customers can I expect in my first month?
- This varies widely. Most people get a small number of bookings in the first month - often from people they already know or word of mouth. Growing to a steady customer base takes several months. Do not expect to be fully booked quickly.
- Should I set low prices to attract customers when I start?
- Pricing is up to you. Some people start lower to build a customer base, then raise prices later. But prices that are too low can make the work unsustainable. Look at what other beauty specialists charge in Bordeaux and set prices that cover your time and costs. You can adjust as you go.
- What if I cannot find customers?
- Finding customers takes work. Tell people about your services through word of mouth, ask for recommendations, use a Websta profile so people can find you online. If you do not actively promote your work, it will be slow. Some people combine beauty work with another job if customers are hard to find.
About the numbers
Counts in this guide were read from the Websta catalogue when the text was written and are refreshed above from the live catalogue. Part of the catalogue was built from the public business register and is marked as such on each profile.
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