With inflation eating away at people's bank accounts, things perceived as luxuries—such as beauty services—are usually the first to go when people try to save money. If you want to maintain a steady flow of clients and cash in your beauty career, here are two things you can do to achieve that goal.

Expand Your Skill Set

One way to keep your beauty career sailing smoothly during turbulent economic times is to expand your skill set so you can offer more services to clients. For instance, if you only did hair styling and cutting, learning to do makeup and nails can help you attract more clientele and increase the number of services your current clients buy.

Of course, this will mean returning to beauty school to complete the appropriate program, which can take anywhere from 300 to 1,600 hours, depending on the skills you want to learn. While it may seem challenging to incorporate classes into your busy schedule, many beauty schools offer flexible learning options, such as online and evening courses, to address their students' needs.

If you're more concerned about the cost, the skills you learn will likely pay for you within a short time after graduating. However, many states offer grants and scholarships that can be used to pay some or the entire cost of your tuition, so it's a good idea to research what's available in your state.

To help you determine if returning to beauty school is the right option for you, connect with a career counselor at your local cosmetology school for information and advice.

Change Your Clientele

Another option to make sure your beauty career stays on top is to change or expand your client base. For instance, if you primarily serviced business clients, you may want to expand to clients seeking services for formal events, such as weddings or proms. You can even partner up with other local businesses to offer package services. For example, connect with a nail salon to offer a hair and nail package for brides.

If marketing is not your strong point, contact your local beauty school about classes on how to promote and manage your beauty business. Although beauty schools primarily focus on teaching practical skills, many also offer management classes to prepare students for working at salons or operating their businesses. Contact a school in your area for information about this option.

For assistance with recession-proofing your career or to learn how beauty school programs can help, contact a career counselor at a cosmetology school near you.