“MANY OF MY BEST ENTREPRENEURS WERE LOUSY IN SCHOOL LIKE ME. BUT IN THE REAL WORLD, SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY WHAT YOU CAN DO.”
-- BARBARA CORCORAN, SHARK TANK MOGUL, BUSINESS INVESTOR & MULTI-MILLIONAIRE
Welcome to your new adventure as a nail professional! A huge round of applause for earning your license. Enjoy it. Revel in it. Next, prepare to go back to square one...such is the journey of business building. Starting out, you might have an intense desire to drain the bank account in the name of the profession. Here we share how you can wisely go about scratching that itch. Enjoy our top five investment essentials for your new nail business.
PATIENCE, PLANNING & EDUCATION
The items at the top of your shopping list are actually free. Hoard a serious supply of patience and take your time to plan out your big expenditures. Where should you invest your money? What can you do to really make it count? Slow down and trust the process of growing. Tap into patience. Make a plan. How and when will refresh your competitive edge with ongoing education. You're welcome.
Create a plan for spending. What supplies and materials can you afford today to earn? What will you save up for? What is your strategy for service add ons and business development? What type of work would you like to specialize in standard classic nails or more complicated nail looks? Do you have a vision for how to build your clientele? Don’t worry if the starting budget is on the smaller side. Prioritize the essential items that can produce the most satisfying results. Are you able to think of it as a capsule collection of nail supplies like you would build a killer wardrobe or slowly furnish your first apartment? Don’t go for the impulsive and unnecessary splurge. Reward your daily nail practice with a well thought out luxury buy. For example, if you can’t afford to start off with either gel or acrylic what product can you afford to get into? We recommend two things for starters: The Pro Gel Kit and The Pro Acrylic Kit.
THINK & ACT LOCAL
Take the time to enjoy and investigate the local flora, in this case develop an understanding of the local market in your town. This would be a product decision. Regardless of gel and acrylic enhancements, that's what we do. What are some of those essentials? Two things we can’t recommend enough for when you are ready are our Pro Gel Kit and Pro Acrylic Kit. They come at very reasonable price points with everything you might need minus the UV light.
THE BIG SPURGE
If you must splurge, purchase a good UV lamp. The super splurge upgrade would be to buy two so you can cure both hands at the same time and avoid annoying smudges from cross-over. The other major investment would be an E-File. Yes, it is expensive. In nails, time is money. Transitioning from the hand file to E-File is a hard transition. So set yourself up right from the top, avoiding physical ailments and retraining a bad habit. Transitioning from the hand file to E-File is a hard transition. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get a 20 year veteran to turn over a new leaf compared to the novice. The other thing to splurge on is the best quality chair your current budget can afford. Your health and well-being is truly priceless. Your body needs all the support it can get. If you start out with a cheap chair, make you save a small amount from every service to upgrade as soon as possible.
EXTRA EXTRA
Every nail artist needs to have that moment in the mirror for self-reflections. For the nail pro, it’s important to weigh your wants against your needs. When it comes to glitters, mylars, and color acrylics, we have it all.
Stick to the rule of twelve when first stocking up. You can accomplish ingenious looks with 12 glitters and 12 color acrylics. The color combinations are unlimited. Follow the same rule with gel polish. Get your basics and slowly add to it over time. Keep in mind the best-sellers are nudes and reds. Then pop in the trend colors of the season. Curated color is a wonderful thing. Just don’t binge on glitter and skimp on the gel light. If you prioritize the relaxation and efficiency of the customer’s experience, you’ll be fully booked in no time.
LIKE A MOTHER
Please put a good amount of thought into your work area. Keep your work surface and the back of the house immaculate. Our OWC classroom is set up with Ikea furniture. It’s easy on the budget and convenient for cleaning up. It’s not too precious that you have to worry about it and be changed out yet look awesome.
The perfect work station for nails is a table that measures any length but the crucial measurement is the one between you and the client. The perfect width is 18”-22”. We don’t recommend 23”-24” wide because it’s really hard on your body when reaching out to maneuver the client’s hands. Over time it will really place a lot of stress on your back, especially when sculpting extensions.
CLEAR THE AIR
There is so much in the business we cannot control. Let’s ensure the things that we can get ahead of like our work environment is healthy and safe. Wrangle fumes or dust on the regular with a legit ventilation system. Maybe you're a lucky thing renting in a well ventilated salon. Nail techs have been gloved and masked before it was a thing to protect from pesky dust particles. Prioritize your health and wellness. It will be your greatest investment.
**This is an adaptation from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, BIZ TALK: ESSENTIALS FOR GETTING STARTED IN THE NAIL INDUSTRY which originally aired on March 16, 2021.
***Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion:
19 July 2021