Nail technicians look after, shape and decorate their clients’ finger and toe nails. Youโll use a variety of techniques to provide manicures, pedicures and/or nail extensions. You may be working directly for a salon, or be self-employed. Youโll need good communication skills as youโll be dealing with a range of clients. If youโre working as a self-employed nail technician, youโll need good business skills too.
Client Satisfaction.
Most nail technicians value pleasing their customers above all else.
Meeting New People
Whether itโs new clients, co-workers or other nail technicians at tradeshows; nail technicians appreciate the opportunity to meet and make new friends.
Financial Rewards
As a nail technician, we are told you get out of your job what you put into it. If you are dedicated and hardworking, this will show in your earnings.
Flexible Schedule
How many clients you want to service in a given day is ultimately up to you.
Challenging Work
No matter how experienced a nail technician you are, every day brings new challenges.
Personal Satisfaction
For many people, job fulfilment is one of the most important reasons for sticking to their career.
Continuing Education
Nail technicians have the opportunity to learn more and more skills and techniques every day.
Creativity
When it comes to nails, you can really exercise your artistic ability and let your imagination run wild.
Competing
A lot of nail technicians say competing is one of the best extra-curricular activities of doing nails and seeing what your competition is, in the area you live in.
Just Doing Nails
The bottom line for most professionals is that they simply love doing nails.
Interested in training to be a Nail Technician? Not sure where to start? We have classroom and distance learning (online) options covering all aspects of nail services. Why not take a look at some of our many Classroom Based Nail Courses or Home Study Nail Courses. You can Chat LIVE with our Advisors as you browse to help you find the right course for you. Or why not give our friendly Advisors a call on Freephone 0800 999 2277? All courses are ACCREDITEDand FULLY INSURABLE allowing you to begin earning offering your treatments upon completion!
Updated 30th October 2024
The key to business start-up success is careful planning. Considering the direction you want your business to take, the scale and the target market. Setting realistic goals with realistic timescales is vital to ensure you stay on track but also stay motivated. It can be challenging starting a new beauty business but also incredibly rewarding when you see the return on your investment in terms of a regular client base building, your treatment results gaining word of mouth or indeed just making a profit! We give you the lowdown on how to get up and running for success…
Have a business plan
Set yourself clear SMART goals. These are specific, measurable, achievable and time bound. So think about where you want your business to be and to take you in say 6 months, a year, 2 years and 5 years. Be realistic and take baby steps. Nothing is more demotivating than setting a goal impossible to achieve. Small, measurable goals are what you need so that with every milestone achieved, whether that is your first regular client, first client referral, tenth client booked etc. you have positive steps towards those bigger, long term goals.
You also need to do the maths and have a fixed budget for starting your own business to cover the cost of insurance, tools and products, business cards / price lists, transport costs such as if you need a bigger car, interest on any business related loans, rent and bills if having a salon space etc. and then also if this is going to be your only source of income, work out how much you need to earn each day/week so you can keep track of your income versus outgoings. Initially you may need to have a buffer and expect it may take a month or more to start breaking even and into profit as you build up your client base.
Have a brand
Think about your branding. What is your company name and logo? Is it obvious what you do from that to stand you apart from others? Is it catchy and memorable? If youโll be using it online as part of a website address, on social media etc., and your clients will be searching for your business online; it must be easy to spell and not similar to existing company names or website addresses. Think about how you will present yourself โ will you wear a beauty tunic and if so, will this have your logo on it?
Get your brand online as soon as possible so a basic website will do to start. Platforms such as wix.com offer free or low cost hosted websites, ideal for web beginners. Social media is also vital โ set up a Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok profile for your business so you can showcase what you do, start building a following and start reaching out to your existing contacts to provide them an easy way to share what you do with their contacts too.
Youโll also want to register your business on Google Business listings so you appear on Google Maps, great when clients are searching the local area for your services (or indeed discover you accidentally when planning a journey). This will only work for those with premises or working from home, so is more tricky for those working mobile.
Have realistic expectations
If you are working your beauty business alongside another job, be realistic as to how much time you can give to the business and let it build gradually rather than trying to do too much, too soon and burning yourself out. You donโt want to lose love for what you do so make sure you still take time for yourself. If youโre going to go full time on your business, be realistic about how long it may take to build a large enough, regular client base to provide you with a solid monthly income. Donโt be disheartened if it takes some months to build up, just keep active in promoting what you do locally and with your contacts. Encourage clients to recommend you through word of mouth and speak with other related local businesses such as hairdressers, florists etc. to help build up clients and contacts. Build a steady projection of income too by always getting your clients booked in for their next appointment, before theyโve even finished their current one. This allows you to manage your appointment diary, always give a sense of urgency to them booking in and that youโre already getting booked up! You never want to give the impression youโre always free, create the sense youโre in demand!
If things are slower than hoped to start, stay proactive and think about what you could do to boost business such as a launch event hosted in a local hair salon or coffee store where you do mini treatments, pampering evening in connection with a local charity or school, advertising in local press, handing out price lists at the school drop off etc. And donโt underestimate the importance of social media and your website to help business find you. Plan marketing strategy so promotions you run throughout the year, retail products you could sell to boost sales, treatment packages for wedding or holiday season etc. The key is stay busy but stay positive. Most beauty businesses take around 6-9 months to become well established but once you are, your earning potential is uncapped so itโs definitely worth investing the time and effort.
Cover the legalities
Make sure you have beauty insurance in place and that it ideally covers your beauty kit. We recommend Balens, Radius, Insync or ABT for insurance. You can purchase a policy directly from your preferred insurer.
Check your car insurance policy will cover you for business related mileage and also any car contents in the event of damage or loss/theft. Make sure you are working safely and hygienically at all times. Think about waste disposal and if you need to apply for yellow bins or commercial waste collection.
If you are working from a room in your home, check your home insurance and mortgage / rental agreement permits this. If you are converting part of your home into permanent salon premises, you may wish to consult with your local council regarding planning restrictions, change of use and if business rates would be applicable. When inviting clients into your home, check if you need insurance in the event of accident/injury unrelated to treatments. You may also wish to take a first aid course and have a first aid kit and fire extinguisher or blanket on site for emergencies.
If you are renting a room in a salon or even your own premises, you may need to consider any additional insurance for the business premises such as employee or third party insurance to protect visitors and clients at your premises in the event of an accident/injury. If employing other therapists, take legal advice in regards to contracts and qualifications / insurance they must hold. Some local authorities require special treatments licensing in some areas for salons so this must be checked out before committing to premises. If you are working alongside another job, check your employment contract to make sure there are no clauses against this.
Finally donโt forget your safety. Make sure if you are working mobile that someone knows where you are at all times and check in with someone when arriving and leaving a clientโs home having given an indication of how long you will be there so that you always remain safe. Finally donโt forget to register with HMRC for tax purposes if working self-employed. You will usually need to submit an annual self assessment to declare your earnings and to correctly pay tax and NI contributions so make sure you register in a timely manner online and keep adequate records of your income and outgoings in relation to your business.
There is a lot to consider when running your own business but with careful planning, you can ensure you are always one step ahead with no surprises. Having written down goals that you can regularly review against is great for staying on track with progress and also helping stay motivated. Donโt forget it is important to keep learning as a beauty therapist so that you can stay ahead of the competition and offer something new to delight your regular clientele. There are huge rewards to running your own business including flexibility to work around your children or other dependents, pride of owning your own business, opportunity to have uncapped earnings and the chance to earn doing something you are truly passionate about.
Want to learn more about starting your own beauty business? Need more help to break your planning down? Our Online Starting a Business in Beauty Course is for you! Completed entirely online through our Student Portal which can be accessed from mobile devices 24/7, study at your own pace and receive support from our expert team throughout. Click below to find out moreโฆ
When looking to start a new career in the beauty industry, it can be so easy to fall into the trap of thinking you MUST train in every single treatment on the market from the get-go. But the cost of this and also just knowing how then to launch your business without any particular unique selling features or areas of specialism can be really difficult when coming to an industry with a lot of competition already. Our blog highlights why it can actually be great to start small, focusing on particular treatments, building your brand and then moving on to other treatments as your client base actually wants, rather than what you think they will want…
Our offers this month are all about helping you to focus on learning a particular set of beauty skills so that you have a ready to launch business. Whether that is focusing on being a lash and brow artist, make up artist also offering lash treatments, a nail technician or a beauty therapist offering the Big 4 (facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures). This is because we know the industry well and we know what works.
Be a Specialist in your Chosen Field
While having a diverse range of beauty skills from the off is great for those looking to gain employment in a salon (where they will be expecting you to be able to offer treatment to every client that may walk through the door); when starting your own business this is not always feasible and rarely necessary. Most beauty start-ups will focus on a niche within beauty so that they can be offering treatments that are their passion, work to their best natural talents but also ensure they are 6specialists in what they have to offer through having day to day, in-depth knowledge and practice of offering those treatments. It also allows you to focus on learning all you can within the industry around those specific treatments, whether that is through taking advanced courses or reading up on industry expert blogs and publications.
More Affordable and Profitable
It also makes starting your own business much more affordable. You can focus on booking onto the best training courses within the treatments you want to learn and then commit remaining funds to getting started with insurance, kits, products and tools as you need to start building your client base. If you try to learn everything, it can be very costly both in training and kit requirements meaning you may not then be able to afford the best products or tools to work with once you start working with clients which can make your treatments less attractive versus competitorsโ. It also puts a huge pressure on you in the first year to have to make too much money to reclaim your costs and before you get to enjoythe boost of being in a profit.
Your Business is Focused
Starting with treatments you know are popular in your area, which you enjoy offering and you know you have knowledge of (whether from having previous treatments yourself or through beauty magazines you read for example); really is the best way to getting your business started on the best foot forward. It allows you to focus your marketing whether that is a website, Facebook business page or adverts in local press to really shout about what you do. You can have a very clear branding message too on your price list and business card, rather than being confused by trying to offer too many services too soon. The greatest advantage is that you start with a popular service, start establishing clients and from there you can ask your target market what else they like receiving and would like you to offer so you can be sure to enrol for further courses that allow you to capitalise on this. Once you get working in the industry you can see what you enjoy too. So many therapists have fallen into doing treatments they donโt really enjoy, simply because they feel they must, to justify training within them. Start with what inspires and excites you and you canโt go far wrong in building a business and a career you truly love.
Be More Competitive
By training in specific treatments to begin with, you can keep your costs down which allows you to launch with very competitive prices versus your local competition. Once you have experience under your belt, you can raise your prices to become a premium service but having that initial competitive edge really does help to springboard you into a thriving business very quickly. Also focusing your treatment offer allows you to put together lucrative packages (both for you and your clients e.g. offering a brow service alongside lashes to frame those windows to the soul; or indeed waxing alongside pedicures to help with those fluffy toes!). Having a specialist business within beauty also allows you to have less kit lying around unused, taking up your precious workspace and minimising the amount of kit you have to take around with you if working mobile.
You Can Always Diversify Later
Remember by taking a couple of specific courses or indeed a package which focuses on a niche of the beauty industry, you are in no way limiting yourself. You can always take additional courses, whether further 1 day fast track, accredited courses or indeed our flexible, online, recognised learning courses. You could even upgrade to an internationally recognised qualification such as the VTCT awards in order to gain employment in a salon or spa, once you have gained experience or should a further opportunity arise beyond self-employment. You might even go on to training to teach beyond a VTCT award, so there really are huge options ahead.
All you have to do is take the first step, decide which 1-3 treatments you love the most and give us a call on Freephone 0800 999 2277 to arrange booking onto the best training course option for you. Itโs no obligation and our course advisors are all fully qualified beauty therapists with vast experience of the industry, so can certainly point you in the right direction.
Lash techs in the industry don’t want you to discover the benefits of working with mature clients, who typically have more disposable income and can become some of your most loyal, regular clients. Techs circulate ideas that lashing mature clients is difficult or even near impossible and yet with the right know-how it can be profitable and an enjoyable challenge.
Mature clients can have hooded eyelids which make application of the lashes more difficult. However correct placement of your lash tape to the upper lids to help โliftโ the lid to give better access to the lashes will help with application. Use two thin strips of tape applied vertically from above lash line to brow area, sitting approximately 0.5cm from the inner and outer corners of the eyes to get this lift and improve ease of lash application.
Mature clients may have naturally more sparse or even thinning lashes due to many reasons including hormonal changes brought about by menopause. Using the Russian Volume technique can help to build the appearance of greater lash thickness and disguise any gaps in growth although care should be taken with the size of fan utilised. Stick with 3D lashes, no greater or the effect will not be optimally flattering and will look unnatural. If using pre-made, stick with short root styles or keep the base shorter if creating your own.
Top tip: combining both the classic individual and Russian volume techniques to create a โhybridโ lash look is ideal for mature clients. The individual lashes will give a framework to help give definition and open up the eye area, while fans will help give fullness and youth to the lash line.
Avoid use of D curl lashes which give a very dramatic look, stick with C or CC curls for a flattering look which most mature clients will prefer.
Donโt be tempted to go overboard and apply too many lashes. Select shorter lash lengths to compliment the natural lashes, longer does not mean thicker and using shorter lengths will detract from spareness and avoid over-defining the lash line. Avoid long lash lengths to outer corners too which will make the eyes appear to droop, a few shorter lengths to outer corners will lift the eyes and give a more open-eyed, youthful look. The same goes for lash thickness, using thicker lashes will not create fullness but over-emphasise any gaps.
Top tip: Using a lash that is too thick will be poorly supported by the natural lashes and lead to premature lash loss or even breakage and damage. 0.10mm lashes are usually best for mature clients
Ensure your mature clients, in particular, are rigorous with the lash care. Suggest a lash safe serum to help improve natural lash growth and strength and ensure they return every 2-3 weeks for infills to ensure lashes remain looking their best. Lost lash extensions will only exaggerate any sparsity to lashes so it is key they upkeep their infills.
Expand your skills today with our Fast track, Accredited Courses or benefit from our recognised Online training coursesโฆ
We highly recommend the following courses for those looking to offer lash extension treatments. If you need any advice on the best course for you, give our friendly Advisors a call on 0800 999 2277 or connect through Live Chat now.
