2. What's the look?

Whether you've got a wedding to attend, office party or you just want to look fab, there are mobile hairdressers for every occasion. Although many of them will be able to provide their service to suit your needs, some specialise in certain areas. Something that helps hairdressers enormously is a clear brief.  The best way to tell your hairdresser what you'd like done is by using visual aids.

Get online, find a bunch of images that reflect the look you'd like, and try to narrow it down to one or two shots to show your hairdresser. There are some pitfalls to watch out for when doing this. Here's a quick list of DOs and DON'Ts

• Do use a clear image that closely represents the cut, look and style you'd like.

• Don't choose images that are blurry or unclear

• Do use Pinterest to create a moodboard of looks to show your hairdresser (they will be able to advise how this look will suit your facial structure and style).

• Don't presume the hairdresser can create a look with hair you don't have. 

• Do let the hairdresser know if you require extensions, colour, or any specific requirements that they may need to prepare for.

What type of hairdresser are you looking for? We run through some of the most common sectors and provide typical services and costs. 

Wedding Hair

The basics: When hiring a mobile hairdresser for a wedding, ensure that you provide a clear brief about the look you'd like and when the wedding day is. Some cuts benefit from a few days or weeks to 'settle'. Let the hairdresser if you'd like them to style your hair on your big day too.  State if you'd like your makeup done as well as many hairdressers offer both services, and if you have any skin allergies or makeup preferences, let them know.

A mobile hairdresser will normally send you a portfolio to look through that you can use as a guide when choosing the type of look you want. Feel free to send links of looks that you like to help the freelancer provide you with the best look possible.

Top Tip: Post a job for a Hair and Makeup Artist to save money.

Cost: Depending on where you are in the world will determine the price but expect to pay anywhere from £80 - £200 for hair on the day. Some hairdressers will offer a reduced fee if you book them for the day.

Private Hire of a Mobile Hairdresser

The basics: A great hairdresser is worth hanging onto and finding someone who will come to your home is often cheaper than a trip to the salon. Special occasions, prom, Halloween, office parties or you just fancy a professional look on a Friday night. Another great benefit of hiring a freelance hairdresser is that they often come to you. You'll be able to get your hair done in the comfort of your own home and spend more time working on your outfit for the night. Private hires tend to be quick jobs to get you ready for your night out. Timing and punctuality are all important. Ensure that you tell the hairdresser when you would like him or her to arrive and how long they have to complete the look. Any images or references you have are also good to send to the freelancer before the day of the job so they have plenty of time to buy any kit they don't have. 

Top Tip: Ask plenty of questions when the pro hairdresser is working on you. Not only will you receive a professional look that you'd find hard to do yourself but you can get great tips on what suits your face shape and product recommendations. Should your friends want to get a pro look too, get them round for a group discount. You'll save money and all look incredible. 

Cost: A mobile hairdresser would generally be booked for 2 hours minimum and you can expect to pay between £50 - £150.

Fashion

Fashion covers a lot of types of shoots so let's list a few to clarify.

• High fashion or an editorial shoot would involve a full fashion team of a photographer, hair, makeup, stylist and model. Ensure the makeup artist has the moodboard or concept well in advance of the shoot and ideally images of the models you'll be shooting on the day. Knowledge of their skin tone and face shape will help the makeup artist plan the looks. 

• Commercial fashion is often less conceptual and more practical. Online fashion retail or e-commerce is a booming sector and the importance of a good makeup artist can not be underestimated. 

• Beauty, whilst technically not fashion, often falls under the same umbrella. A beauty shoot will often focus on the models face, a skin product or fragrance. The makeup artist is the star of the show here and imperative to choose wisely. 

3. How to choose the right mobile hairdresser 

When you post a job on The Freelancer Club you'll receive a bunch of applications from highly talented hairdressers and hair stylists in London. You can even post your own questions for the hairdresser to answer. You'll be presented with each of their profiles including their portfolio, a message, and quote for the job. To speed up the process and make it as easy as possible, you can move each candidate into different categories such as 'Shortlist' or 'Unsuccessful'.  Here is a list of the main areas to consider when choosing your London hairdresser.

1. Portfolio - do they have experience and have they got the images to prove it? Look at the quality of the hairdresser as well as the professionalism of the shot. How much Photoshop has gone into the image and how much is the hairdresser's own?

2. Professionalism - see how much experience they have and whether their application has been professionally written. Do they have a website with a business email address? These points may seem minor but they all add up to show how serious the applicant is.

3. Price - everyone loves a bargain but too cheap could spell disaster. It's your hair for crying out loud! Weigh up all the factors when making the final call.

4. Personality - talent is one thing but you also want to get on with your hairdresser. After all, a good hairdresser often doubles as a personal confidant.

4. What can you expect on the day?

Whether it's your wedding day, a big night out or on a fashion set, your mobile hairdresser will arrive with all the necessary kit in place. They will typically have a sit-down consultation to begin with that can be conducted casually over a cup of tea or in a production meeting. Meeting a client in person will often bring with it slight changes to the original plan due to face shape or condition of the hair.

Once the consultation is done, it's time to get into the chair and get to work. In regards to a mobile hairdresser who comes into your property, it's a good idea to have a set up already in place so you're not wasting time. A chair in front of a mirror at eye line with natural light will do the job in many cases. Don't worry if you don't have a suitable set up as most mobile hairdressers are well used to working in sparse conditions and can perform at a high level in the majority of scenarios.

Another good time saver is to prep your hair beforehand unless you've stated that you'd like a wash as well as a cut. This will speed up the process although we always recommend you ask the hairdresser about this before they arrive. Most standard looks take around an hour but, again, it's a good idea to ask your freelancer how long he or she will need to finish the job.

5. I'm ready to go. 

Now you've got a pretty good understanding of the hairdressing world and how to hire a mobile hairdresser, it's time to post your job. To help with the process we've created a checklist for you to follow and an example to use as a reference.

Should you require more than one freelancer (eg: Makeup Artist or Photographer), include them in the post or create separate jobs for each role.

Enter the date you require the hairdresser or the expiry date of the job.

Insert the location of the job. Should you be getting married in Surrey for instance but live in London, enter Surrey into the location field.

Write a description with as much info as possible. The more precise you can be the better.

Choose your budget range. If you're still not sure what to pay, you'll get more applicants with a higher budget.

Choose how long you require the hairdresser for.

Add in any additional questions you'd like to ask.

Choose whether you'd like to receive individual notifications for each application (recommended for urgent jobs) or a daily summary.

6. Mobile Hairdresser

The capital city hosts hundreds of wonderfully talented hairdressers to cater for all your needs. What's more, they are a lot more affordable than you might think. Once you've posted the job, the Freelancer Club site makes it so easy to manage all your applicants in one place and source the best person for the job. Once you've posted your job (for free), you'll be able to post as many jobs as you like in the future for makeup artists, photographers, hair stylists, nail techs, videographers or even models. Take a look at our quick video tutorial on how to manage a job.