Diploma in Beauty Brand Business Management
Your Indie Beauty MBA: learn how to turn your formulations into a successful beauty business by following Formula Botanica’s blueprints and expert guidance.
Suitable for: Beginners
Pre-requisites: None
Time: 150 study hours
Course Modules: 6
Coursework: Self-study + peer support
Cost: £2997 (British Pounds)
Next enrolment period: 10 - 15 July 2025
Enrolment opens in:
Enrolment closes in:
Our online Diploma in Beauty Brand Business Management is the ultimate online training program to help you start your indie beauty business. Formula Botanica will teach you how to start a cosmetic business at home and build a beauty brand from scratch. Pair this course with our Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation and you’ll learn how to make your own natural skincare products – and then sell them successfully!
Part online course, part web summit with 30+ influential speakers from all over the world, this course will take you by the hand, introduce you to a large team of global beauty experts who will teach you the ropes, help you create your beauty business plan and teach you to start your beauty business.
Learn from the Best in the Business
We hand picked all of our amazing beauty business web summit speakers, because they can teach you how to start the indie beauty brand of your dreams. Their advice is based on real life experience, so you’ll learn all of the insider secrets that you won’t find in Google.
Become an Indie Beauty Entrepreneur
Do you feel like you have a mission to create a beauty brand that’s bigger than yourself? A skincare brand, haircare line or makeup range that changes people lives? We will help you learn how to start your beauty products business, the professional way.
Create a Life-Changing Beauty Brand
A successful beauty brand is one that changes customers’ lives, even in a small way. Learn what it means to be life-changing and infuse that passion into your beauty business.
Gain an Award-Winning Education
Formula Botanica has won international awards and accolades for its online teaching materials, because we care about making your learning experience the very best it can be.
“An absolute MUST course for all Beauty Brand Entrepreneurs/Owners. This course has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I have finished the course feeling fully equipped and prepared to launch my brand. This has been the best investment in my business. I would highly recommend this course to all beauty brands looking to strengthen their business skills or fine tune the business they already have.”
– Robin Wayman, USA
Why enrol with Formula Botanica?
This course is for you if:
Start or Grow Your Own Life-Changing Indie Beauty Brand with Formula Botanica’s Award-Winning Online Education
20+ Hours of Interviews
Learn how to start or grow your beauty business, by watching our pre-recorded web summit
32 Industry Experts
Get beauty business ideas, by learning directly from experts in the beauty and business community
600+ Course Pages
Our biggest online course to date! Gain all the knowledge you need to start an indie beauty brand.
100+ Workbook Pages
Complete our detailed workbooks and complete self-study activities, as you work through the Diploma.
Your Beauty Business Plan
Work through the Formula Botanica Diploma and create your own cosmetic business plan from scratch.
Exclusive Mastermind
Join your peers to learn from each other in our exclusive Facebook Beauty Business Mastermind.
Interactive Games
Learn by having fun and taking part in the self-study interactive games in the Diploma.
Course Badges
Receive distinction badges for gaining high grades in certain Modules and get your main course badge.
Award-Winning Courses
You’re in safe hands with our gold award-winning and internationally recognised teaching institution.
Graduates & Retailers in Their Own Words
Why every indie beauty brand needs this Diploma
This is the online course that every single beauty brand founder wishes they had when they first started. We take you by the hand and help you create a strong brand that has the potential to change people’s lives. Every beauty brand founder underestimates the amount they don’t know – empower yourself with the right indie beauty management education.
Module 1
Your Entrepreneurial Mindset
How to Develop the Right Mindset for your Beauty Business
Melinda Coss
Skincare Business Mentor
How to be Visible in Your Beauty Brand
Shola Kaye
Speak Up Like A Diva
How to Create Your Beauty Brand Vision & Goals
Tamu Thomas
Live Three Sixty
How to Manage Your Money & Time Mindset
Nicola Rae-Wickham
A Life More Inspired
Module 2
Beauty Branding & Market Research
How to Monitor Beauty Industry Trends
Imogen Matthews
Imogen Matthews Associates
How to Analyse Beauty Trends
Sarirah Hamid
Pretty Analytics
How to Create Your Beauty Brand
Rachel Roberts
Oyl + Water
How to Create a Visual Beauty Brand
Briena Sash
Wellness Stock Shop
How to Create a Sensory Beauty Brand
Lorraine Dallmeier
Formula Botanica
Module 3
Beauty Business Skills & Manufacturing
How to Start a Beauty Brand Side Hustle
Suzanne Soto-Davies
Obloom Haircare
How to Grow a Global Beauty Brand
Elsie Rutterford & Dominika Minarovic
BYBI Beauty
How to Manufacture Cosmetics In-House
Zane Piese
Atlantis Skincare
How to Work with Contract Manufacturers
Laura Badcock
Essential Wholesale & Labs
How to Prepare for Trademarking
Diana Palchik
BeautyMark
How to Set up your business legal systems
Karen Holden
A City Law Firm
How to get vegan certification
Abigail Stevens
The Vegan Society
Module 4
Money
How to Manage Your Business Finances
Arfy Majeed
Know Your Numbers
How to Price Your Beauty Products
Lela Barker
Lucky Break Consulting
How to Work with Beauty Brand Accelerators
Anju Rupal
Abhati Suisse
How to Work with Venture Capitalists
Claire Cherry
True Capital
How to Use Crowdfunding to Raise Investment
Meg Karidis
Crowdcube
Module 5
Beauty Retail & Distribution
How to Work with Beauty Distributors
Catherine Collins
Constellar Consultancy
How to Work with Beauty Retailers
Sonia Kapoor
SoCurated
How to Work with Warehouses
John Heenan
TDS Fulfillment & Distribution
How to Run an eCommerce Business
Lorraine Dallmeier
Formula Botanica
Module 6
Beauty Marketing, PR & Sales
How to Prepare for Retail Marketing
Khulan Davaadorj
Lhamour Skincare
How to Scale Your Beauty Brand through Retail
Jo Chidley
Beauty Kitchen
How to Work with PR Agents
Wren Holmes
Product Development Specialist
How to Market & Sell Direct to Consumer
Lorraine Dallmeier
Formula Botanica
How to Prepare for Digital Advertising
Wayne Moussalli
D2 Integrated Digital
Learn from the best in the business
30+ Business Leaders
The only way you’re going to learn how to start or grow an indie beauty brand is by hearing directly from the people who understand each step of building a business from start to finish. We’ve brought together leaders from across the beauty and wider business communities to share all their knowledge and experience. Listen to some of them in this video.
Diploma Part 2
Beauty Business Course
Follow Formula Botanica’s award-winning online tuition and gain the skills to start your own indie beauty business.
Module 1
Your Mindset
The first step to becoming a successful beauty entrepreneur involves working on yourself. Starting your own makeup, haircare or skincare business will be one of the hardest and yet most rewarding steps you ever take, which means that you need to be prepared. Getting your mindset sorted is critical to starting your journey of launching a beauty product business.
In this Module, the Formula Botanica team and our web summit speakers Melinda Coss, Shola Kaye, Tamu Thomas and Nicola Rae-Wickham tackle topics such as struggling with visibility, managing your money and time mindset and learning how to set goals. Although these topics may not be where you want to begin when starting your beauty brand, we promise you that all of the hard work you put in at the beginning will pay off in the long run. We refer back to this Module in every other part of the Diploma and need you to be prepared for what’s coming. Welcome to Module 1 on Mindset.
DBBBM 1001
The Importance of Mindset
- Study the difference between a fixed & growth mindset
- Learn how to develop a growth mindset, using our 11-point plan
- Put actionable steps in place to develop a growth mindset
DBBBM 1001
Your Positive Mindset
- Understand the importance of a positive mindset for your beauty business
- Discover what motivates you in your beauty business
- Undertake your own business SWOT analysis
DBBBM 1002
Create Your Beauty Brand Vision
- Learn what it means to change someone’s life with your beauty business
- Get clarity on your business vision
- Plan out your year ahead
- Bonus: Formula Botanica Mind Map Template
- Bonus: Digital Vision Board Tools
- Bonus: Annual Plan Template
DBBBM 1003
Time Management
- Learn the three steps to managing your time successfully for your beauty business
- Understand how to motivate yourself to get stuff done
- Learn how to prioritise your tasks
- Study how to schedule your time
- Bonus: Time management tools
Module 2
Beauty Branding & Market Research
It’s easy to think that you can formulate a beauty line, create a logo in-house and then start selling. However, a successful beauty business has a clear vision and purpose. Module 2 requires you to establish why you are creating this beauty brand. We’ll start by taking you through all of the market research you need to conduct, including establishing your niche, your target customer, your competitors and the beauty trends you want to cater for.
You will need to ask yourself some very challenging questions in this Module and come up with a life-changing vision for your beauty business. Once you know who you are and what you stand for, it’s then time to create your sensory brand. Visual beauty branding alone is not sufficient in this competitive market, so we’ll also teach you how to bring tactile, olfactory, audio, gustatory and emotional branding into your business. In this Module, the Formula Botanica team welcomes Sarirah Hamid, Imogen Matthews, Rachel Roberts, Briena Sash and Lorraine Dallmeier to teach you the intricacies of beauty branding.
DBBBM 2001
Market Research
- Learn how to find your beauty business niche
- Know how to determine your ideal customer
- Study how to analyse your competitors
- Determine the main trends for your beauty brand
DBBBM 2002
Beauty Branding Elements
- Create & shape your beauty brand identity, personality, story, values, promise, voice, experience and perception.
- Find your Unique Selling Point
- Choose your beauty business name, strapline and product names
DBBBM 2002
Find Your Beauty Brand Archetype
- Find your beauty brand archetype, which will influence your entire business
- Meet the 12 Formula Botanica plant goddesses and our 12 beauty brand archetypes (based on Carl Jung’s philosophy)
DBBBM 2003
Audio Beauty Branding
- Learn how to create an audio beauty brand
- Map your audio vocabulary
- Develop your audio brand personality
- Bonus: Your Audio Beauty Branding Checklist
DBBBM 2003
Gustatory Beauty Branding
- Learn how to create a gustatory beauty brand: beauty formulations can have a taste, but your gustatory brand extends way beyond your products alone.
- Study the 5 tastes and how to apply them to your beauty brand
- Bonus: Your Gustatory Beauty Branding Checklist
DBBBM 2003
Emotional Beauty Branding
- Learn how to create an emotional beauty brand
- Study how to connect with your customers
- Learn the 10 commandments of emotional branding
- Bonus: Your Emotional Beauty Branding Checklist
DBBBM 2003
Visual Beauty Branding
- Learn how to create a visual beauty brand
- Create your beauty business logo, colour palette and typography
- Study the best way to represent your beauty product packaging and labels
- Understand how augmented reality could play a role for your beauty brand
- Bonus: Your Visual Beauty Branding Checklist
DBBBM 2003
Tactile Beauty Branding
- Learn how to create a tactile beauty brand
- Study tactile branding for your formulations and packaging
- Develop your tactile brand personality
- Bonus: Your Tactile Beauty Branding Checklist
DBBBM 2003
Olfactory Beauty Branding
- Learn how to create an olfactory beauty brand
- Study scents and the emotions they evoke
- Develop your olfactory brand personality
- Bonus: Your Olfactory / Scent Beauty Branding Checklist
“I wished the Beauty Brand Business Management would have existed at the time I started my own business as it would have saved me from so much headaches, time and energy with the knowledge acquired in this course. Excellent programme and high quality content. It will now help in improving what I was already doing for my business.”
– Kristele Sun, Denmark
Module 3
Beauty Business Skills & Manufacturing
It’s almost time to start designing your beauty product range! However, you’ll first need to choose the right business model for your brand. Will you go global or will you keep your beauty business as a side hustle? In Module 3, we’ll explore the huge range of business models on the market and help you choose what success means to you. Once you know your business model, it’s time to determine the personal care products you intend to sell and your manufacturing method. We’ll give you detailed blueprints for manufacturing in-house, with contractors or even private label.
We’ll next look at the professional business framework you need to create for your beauty brand, including your legal requirements. Finally, you’ll finish this Module by reviewing over 50 different types of certification you can choose for your business. In this Module, the Formula Botanica team welcomes Zaffrin O’Sullivan, Elsie Rutterford, Dominika Minarovic, Zane Piese, Laura Badcock, Diana Palchik, Karen Holden and Abigail Stevens to help you with your beauty business and manufacturing skills.
DBBBM 3001
Your Business Model
- Study the different types of beauty business model
- Receive 3 business model blueprints
- Learn how to choose the right business for your beauty brand
- Bonus: Your Beauty Business Model Quiz
DBBBM 3002
Your Product Range
- Design your own beauty product range
- Study the 6 elements you must consider when designing a beauty line
- Understand how selling strategies affect your beauty range design
DBBBM 3002
In-House Manufacturing
- Learn how to set up your own artisan cosmetics lab
- Design the layout for your formulation lab
- Study detailed GMP requirements, according to ISO22716:2007
- Bonus: In-House Manufacturing Checklist & Blueprint
DBBBM 3002
Contract Manufacturing
- Understand how to find a contract manufacturer
- Study the 10 criteria for choosing a contract manufacturer
- Learn how to work with a contract manufacturer
- Bonus: Contract Manufacturing Checklist & Blueprint
DBBBM 3002
Private Label
- Understand how to find and work with the right private label manufacturer
- Study the 14 criteria for choosing a private label manufacturer
- Learn the different types of private label manufacturers
- Bonus: Your Beauty Manufacturing Model Quiz
DBBBM 3003
Legal & Business Skills
- Create your beauty business legal framework
- Study the contracts you’ll need to put in place for NDAs, Intellectual Property Protection, Trademarking, Patenting, Copyright, Employment, Contracting, Manufacturing, Co-Founders, Sales
- Learn the 8 most important points you must include in your website’s Terms & Conditions
- Bonus: Your Beauty Business Legal Framework Checklist
DBBBM 3004
Certifying Your Beauty Brand
- Study more than 50 types of certification that might be suitable for your beauty business, including cruelty-free, organic, natural, vegan, Halal, Kosher, gluten-free, paleo and more.
- Learn how certification works and how much it typically costs
- Understand what happens once your beauty business becomes certified
Module 4
Money
Running a successful makeup, haircare or skincare business requires you to know your numbers – which is also what our summit speakers will continuously tell you in Module 4. Many beauty entrepreneurs have never run a business before, so we’ll take you back to basics and teach you how to manage the finances for your business. You will then learn how to cost and price your beauty products, and to help you out, we’ve thrown in many helpful calculators along the way.
Finally, a beauty brand can’t scale without investment and it’s common for beauty entrepreneurs to seek funding in this competitive industry. We’ll show you the 11 different types of investment source you can seek and teach you how to pitch for them. In this Module, the Formula Botanica welcomes Arfy Majeed, Lela Barker, Anju Rupal, Meg Karidis and Claire Cherry to teach you how to manage the money in your beauty business.
DBBBM 4001
Financial Planning
- Learn how to calculate your beauty brand’s revenue and expenditure
- Understand how to manage your cash flow
- Study cash flow forecasting, profit & loss statements and balance sheets
- Bonus: Beauty Business Budget Spreadsheet Template
- Bonus: Cash Forecasting Spreadsheet Template
- Bonus: Profit & Loss Spreadsheet Template
DBBBM 4002
Costing & Pricing
- Learn how to calculate your beauty product’s cost price
- Understand how to calculate your margin and mark up
- Learn how to calculate your beauty product’s retail and wholesale price
- Study how to price for distributors
- Bonus: Beauty Product Cost Price Calculator
- Bonus: Beauty Product Mark Up + Margin Calculator
DBBBM 4003
Raising Investment
- Understand the 11 types of investment funding you could seek for your beauty business, including Angel investors, Venture Capitalists, bank loans, accelerators and more.
- Study our 8 tips for making yourself investable
- Create an investment pitch for your beauty business
- Know what to look for in an investor
Module 5
Retail & Distribution
Most successful beauty brands consider a model of retail and digital selling, so you’ll need to know how to work with distributors, agents, retailers and warehouses. You’ll also need to know how to set up and run your own eCommerce website. We’ll start by teaching you all about distributors and agents – what they do, how to find them and how to work with them. Next we’ll look at the best way to work with retailers, both online and bricks and mortar.
Finally, we’ll look at beauty logistics, warehousing and the complexities of selling from your business’ website. In this Module, the Formula Botanica team welcomes Catherine Collins, Sonia Kapoor, Sonia White, Rachel Whittaker, John Heenan and Lorraine Dallmeier to help you create your beauty brand’s retail and distribution strategy.
DBBBM 5001
Distributors & Agents
- Understand what distributors and agents do and how to work with them
- Study the pros and cons of working with distributors and agents
- Look at the 17 contractual points you must consider when working with a distributor
DBBBM 5002
Beauty Retailers
- Understand the main retail categories and 12 main types of retail channel for beauty brands
- Learn how to create your own brand toolkit
- Study our detailed guide for approaching beauty retailers
- Bonus: Professional Beauty Brand Presentation
- Bonus: Your Retail Pitch Email Template
- Bonus: Retail / Distribution Terminology Cheat Sheet
- Bonus: Listing Agreement Template
DBBBM 5003
Fulfilment & Shipping
- Understand the 13 tools required to sell beauty products directly to your customers
- Study inventory management systems and inventory essentials
- Learn when to consider a fulfilment centre and how to find the right one
- Review 10 important contractual points to negotiate with fulfilment centres
- Bonus: Shipping & Logistics Terminology Cheat Sheet
“The Diploma in Beauty Brand Business Management was a god-send for me as it gave me the tools and knowledge to finish my business plan and prepare me for the journey ahead. This course does not leave anything out and covers pretty much everything you need to know to prepare for a successful launch in the beauty industry. Definitely money well spent and I would urge anyone who either lacks the business acumen or needs general guidance to take this course.”
– ZCB, UK
Module 6
Marketing, PR & Sales
We left the best till last. By the time you’ve reached Module 6, you have created your brand, sorted out your manufacturing strategy and business framework, costed and priced up your products and chosen your retail strategy. You’re now ready to start marketing and selling. We start this Module with an in-depth look at beauty retail marketing and sales, which requires you to be a hands-on business partner to your retail accounts. Next, we’ll cover your PR strategy – how to work with the media, influencers and agencies. We’ll also create your beauty retail marketing calendar.
Finally, we’ll cover the topic every beauty entrepreneur must know inside-out: digital marketing & sales and selling beauty products direct to consumer. This lesson is also the biggest part of the whole Diploma and walks you step-by-step through your customer journey and marketing/sales funnel, including your paid advertising strategy. In this Module, the Formula Botanica team welcomes Khulan Davaadorj, Fab Giovanetti, Wayne Moussalli and Lorraine Dallmeier to teach you about marketing, PR and sales.
DBBBM 6001
Beauty Retail Marketing
- Learn the requirements for supporting a retail account
- Study the different types of Point of Sale (PoS) materials that might be required
- Understand staffing and training requirements for selling through retailers
- Prepare yourself for hosting in-store events and pop ups
- Bonus: Trade Shows 101
DBBBM 6002
PR, Media & Influencers
- Learn the 4 main steps to a successful PR strategy
- Practise being visible for your beauty business
- Study how to find, connect with, pitch to and work with beauty influencers
- Learn how to prepare a press kit, write a press release and pitch to journalists
- Bonus: Influencer Pitch Email Template
- Bonus: Visibility Work Sheet
DBBBM 6002
Your Marketing Calendar
- Understand what a marketing calendar is and why you need one
- Study the 8 steps to creating a successful marketing calendar
- Learn how to tie your marketing calendar together with your social media planner
- Bonus: Marketing Calendar Template & Worked Example
DBBBM 6003
Digital Marketing & Sales
- Learn how to sell Direct to Consumer (D2C) and create your beauty brand’s digital marketing and sales funnels
- Study your digital customer journey in detail, from becoming aware of your beauty business, to becoming your biggest and most loyal fan
- Understand why paid digital marketing comes last and why you need to spend time building your systems and data analysis tools first
Our Beauty Business Web Summit
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Our Online Course for Beauty Entrepreneurs, by Beauty Entrepreneurs
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The Ultimate Program to Start a Beauty Brand, Anywhere in the World
Course Bonuses
When you study with Formula Botanica, you become part of a close-knit international community of students and graduates all around the world. We support you all throughout your studies and beyond, and we give you access to our expert botanical skincare science and business files while you are enrolled on your courses.
Bonus 1
Exclusive Beauty Business Mastermind
We provide Business Tutor support through our Facebook-based Beauty Business Mastermind group, where you’ll work together with your peers to learn how to start or grow your indie beauty brand.
We’ll livestream into the group on a regular basis to answer your questions and help you work through your self-study course materials. Make friends, grow relationships and meet potential business partners in Formula Botanica’s exclusive Beauty Business Mastermind.
Bonus 2
Access our Student Library
When you become a student with Formula Botanica, you also gain exclusive access to our Student Resources Library for the duration of your course. Access our:
- Preferred supplier guide which contains hundreds of global companies
- Extensive ingredients directory with listings of over 100 natural ingredients
- Formulation percentage-to-weight calculator
- Scientific research collection
- Useful links section to additional resources
Bonus 3
Ongoing Support After Graduation
The support doesn’t finish when you graduate. You remain a member of our Beauty Business Mastermind for life, because we want to keep in touch and support you and your beauty brand. We reach over 1,000,000 people per month through our digital networks and will help you get your brand in front of the world.
Bonus 4
Earn Formula Botanica Bonus Badges
The support doesn’t finish when you graduate. You remain a member of our Beauty Business Mastermind for life, because we want to keep in touch and support you and your beauty brand. We reach over 1,000,000 people per month through our digital networks and will help you get your brand in front of the world.
Change your life and become an Indie Beauty Entrepreneur
Pre-enrol for our next termPrerequisites
None. Suitable for beginners.
Start Date
Term Times. Self-paced training where you have up to 2 years to complete your Diploma.
Assessment
Detailed self-study workbooks. Each Module ends with a short test.
Mastermind
Mastermind with your peers and our Business Tutors in a private Facebook group.
Accreditation
Formula Botanica is accredited by the Open & Distance Learning Quality Council.
Expert Support
Our Business Tutor Team has a background in beauty management, branding, retail, distribution, marketing & sales. Let us support you.
Formula Botanica operates a term time system, so we can get all of our students started at the same time and run online study groups.
Term times run in the following months:
- Winter Term: January
- Summer Term: July
Enrolment for all of our courses will be open during this period. If you want to be the first to hear when we open enrolment, make sure you pre-register for this course.
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