You've completed your very first nail enhancement course!! You are going into a new career as a nail technician...FAB!!
Now drop the credit card.....step away from the shiny things and have a really good think about the things you NEED.
One of the very first hurdles to get over is that you need to be REALISTIC about your purchases.
The vast array of products can make any new tech excitable and also make you want to purchase and create EVERYTHING....but first you need to go home and practice the basics of the course you have completed..and keep on practising over and over again.

You should have purchased a basic kit or indeed had one provided on the course that contains the products needed to create many sets of enhancements in the system you have chosen. Try to keep a list of essentials and stick to it.

Some techs think "I'm not paying for decent products just to practice!!"
You must!!!
The only way to know your chosen product is to work with it. If you are using a less superior product for practice or mixing products (that perhaps a friend gave to you with the very best intentions) you are wasting your time.
You need to think about prep and practising mix ratios first and foremost.

Prep
Before you even think about starting out purchase a good hand sanitiser.
Purchase a good quality metal pusher that is sanitisable and rust proof. You will need this EVERY time you work.

Getting started
A pipette although inexpensive is extremely useful for decanting small amounts of liquid monomer safely without the risk of spillage.
A good nailbrush for the removal of dust...a make up brush will be too soft to actually get to the places the dust could be trapped which will cause improper prep problems.
Stock up on a good supply of sanitisable files and buffers in various grits.
Quality tips and forms should be purchased, the better quality of tip the easier it should be to blend.
A really good quality brush for the system of your choice. Look after your brush and it, in turn, will look after you!

People
This unfortunately is one of the hardest things to obtain....willing models who are prepared to dedicate their time for you to practice. Friends and family members are ideal but one of the best things to purchase is a nail trainer or a practice finger. This way you can get endless practice at home, in your own time, to perfect your skills and make the inevitable mistakes that will happen when you first start out, and enable you to rectify them over time.
If you cannot purchase one at the moment then purchase a supply of orangesticks on which to attach tips for practice.
For this you will also need bluetack.

Essential Items
A couple of hand towels are needed to protect the area you choose to work on whilst practising....they need not be Harrods finest, just old clean towels that you will no longer need for the home.
Kitchen towel/roll is ideal for practice purposes at home as a cheaper alternative to couch roll. You will need this for primer if you use it and wiping your brush. As time goes on and your skills get better you will not need quite as much!
Bluetack is always a handy item to have around. It can be used to attach tips to orangesticks as stated above and also hold your dappen dish or primer safely on your nail desk without you inadvertantly causing spillage.
Plastic bin bags whilst working put these in a metal bin and dispose of them as soon as you are finished.

Reading material
We live in an age where we learn and read a lot on the internet...this is great but remember to print off any useful tutorials and articles that you read on the site and have them to hand whilst working.
There are many books available that are invaluable when first starting out.
I'll name a few to give you some ideas....
Nail Structure and Product Chemistry by Douglas D Schoon
Nailclass by Gigi Rouse
The Complete Nail Technician by Marian Newman
The Encyclopedia of Nails by Jacqui Jefford and Anne Swain

A good way to know what is going on in the industry is to get a magazine subscription. Scratch is a great mag for nail techs in the UK for example, and there are others available to techs in other countries. These magazines cannot be purchased in the shops so lookout for special offers at shows where you can quite often save £££ on subscription or receive various free gifts.

Insurance
You must obtain this in order to carry out any treatments on the general public. This is for your own and clients safety and peace of mind.
DO NOT work without it!!

Control the urge to purchase too many products at this point. You have your certificate and will enevitably go back for more supplies but don't buy things you have no idea how to use just yet..give it time.

I hope you find this useful and feel free to add your top tips for starting out!!