I agree wholeheartedly with Gigi and Cro-Mari.

I understand the differences between NSS and other nail techs, and how this can cause problems, resentment etc; however you cannot make sweeping statements and assume they are all bad. One of the first things I was taught was never to criticise another therapist. It's something I have never forgotten.

At the end of the day, we live in a free country and business is business. Gigi is absolutely correct, you need to compete in a businesslike fashion. If you have confidence in yourself and your abilities, then ask yourself this question - does the existence of NSS make any difference to you personally? i.e. if they all disappeared overnight what impact would it have on your business?

And why would it have to have anything with you?
And do you think it has? Just because I saw your work?
Well, I saw lots of work and sent more PM critiques and yet you
felt the one called out

And at last - those things are dealt through PM,

and I'm sorry to see that you noticed the wrong part of my post.

Well i did take it as though it was about me due to as it was me who started this thread.

Of course ive got flaws im happy to admit that i have i only trained 2 weeks ago its expected.

Isn't this a touch hypocritical?

I have to say i agree with you, I agree 100%.. I think Nail Zoo's post was amazing and tbh is food for thought for sure..

I think if you stick to your own standards then why bother about others.. sure i have seen somethings that have made me go eeek, but that's normal for people who love what they do isn't it?

That said, I would never presume to tell others how to feel about something.. especially my clients..

there is a lot to be said for this thread.. but a whole point is being missed..

I'm all for competition.. but FAIR competition.. I don't care what your nationality is.. or how you go about creating it.. but surely if we were all under the same umbrella it would be easier for everyone to get a fair go??

If we could get regulated we would no longer have imperfect competition.



AMEN!

I see your point,
but as my nana said (bless her),
you cannot bake enough cake for everyone in the willage,
and certanly not everyone will like it.

I will likely take a lot of flak for this opinion, and I certainly don't mean to offend.....

But I have to admit to some surprise at how some people think.

It's all fine and dandy to focus on one's own business and ignore the competitors (or 'non' competitors, however you want to put it) but I personally feel that it's "shame on me" if I don't try to change things.

I don't object to the tech that churns out clients faster with less than perfect nails. I don't mind the tech that uses cheaper name-brand products.
Hey variety is the spice of life and that's why McDonald's exists right next door to Wendy's and Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Family or Gourmet restaurants.

But I DO mind the tech that causes damage knowingly (or otherwise) to clients and/or may use MMA products.
And to assume the attitude that it's not my problem......... to me that's like turning a blind eye to an animal abuser next door. Hey, my dog and cat are safe, so who the heck cares and why on earth should I report them? (or similar scenario). It's his dog, his business and none of mine... Who gives a crap if people abuse animals and torture them. Why bother causing a ruckus and signing petitions to create laws to protect the poor dumb animals that can't protect themselves. After all, they're dumb, and don't know any better, so it doesn't really matter.
Can't say as I care for that attitude.

Ummmm since when is it ok to turn a blind eye to someone hurting someone else? Since when is it ok to watch a business rob someone, selling something that's not what they advertise it to be (acrylic and claiming it to be gel)? Last I heard, it was fraudulent.

Many times in history... people turned a blind eye to some pretty serious stuff (ok, granted.. this is just nail enhancements, but still....) and looking back, we were later ashamed. And many times in history, people whined and complained that something would never change and never get better. BUT HEY HO!! We now have an African American as the President of the United States. OH my gosh! Something actually changed!
Ok, yes, comparing apples to oranges.....or maybe even apples to frogs... But I think my point is made.

I would rather look back in history, and know I tried to make changes, and tried to improve the situation and not feel ashamed for turning a blind eye. And I would rather TRY to effect change as opposed to claiming that it can't be done when it most indeed can, if people put effort into it.
And if that change doesn't happen in the span of my career, then so be it. AT LEAST I tried.

If everyone worried ONLY about their own backyards....... can you imagine what sort of world we'd be living in right now?
How many people are NEVER affected by cancer, nor their families and YET they contribute via donations to cancer research etc?
What about the millions starving around the world, that people help every day.
Hurricane Katrina... I don't personally know anyone in New Orleans.. and yet I contributed. Wasn't my backyard.... but hey, they needed help.
Again.... gross differences, but it's 1am and past my bedtime and coming up with 'smaller' examples of what I mean is a tad bit of a challenge at this late hour.

Sooo sorry for my unpopular opinion that we are indeed responsible for effecting changes in the industry, and that it is our duty to try to protect people.
But... I can't bite my tongue.. family curse and all that.
I just wanted to put some food for thought out there.



ps: it's also our job/duty to ask for a better education and to make it mandatory for those that don't know that they need it. If they don't know, they can't ask. Not everyone trolls the web looking for a forum such as this one. Had I not found this site, I'd be a VERY crap tech... I'm not great yet, but I'm working on it and thankfully, now have some tools to reach that end.
BUT what of the techs that don't find this forum? .... they may very well wind up 'becoming' nss... (as I well could have, from my abysmal education).....
Additional food for the thought that popped into my head after re-reading my post.

Victoria I don't think anybody will take offence at that post. I admire you so much for having that oppinion, and for caring. You set a standard for me regarding the passion and commitment of this industry. Hey I think you will be a big shot some day overthere
However were you are an optimist, I'm a bit of a pessimist (spelling?) And to be totally honest I want my government in Denmark focusing on bringing down crime, helping the elder and sick people before attending to nails.
Not that I don't hear what you say, but we are talking about grownup people who should be able to think for themselves, and I believe that knowledge is the way to go (apart from speed in treatment) I would love to see the some regulation, but at least during the last hype about nails (just a few month ago) my government has recommended on a website, who's link was postet in several medias, to make sure to go to an educated tech, avoid doing nails on yourselves and be careful of which products used.
This is a start, but unfortunately it seems like theres only so many things the government can/will do, so I'm picking my fights carefully, if you know what I mean. I'm not proud of it, but I do.

I am so glad you did not take that as nasty.. i am trying so hard to post in a way where i can make points without offending, unfortunately i find my foot in my mouth when having conversations in real time, let alone on a forum!!
so thank you.. and your nan's very right!

I guess i just feel if we all kept our heads down and focused on our own work, then what would we learn? would we ever challenge ourselves to do better? or feel some form of joy when we see how much we have improved by comparing?

I rarely speak badly of other techs.. i wont say never because i am human after all.. but I feel i set my own standards by judging others work and working conditions.. I know what i like and what i do not and i know what i want to offer..

I think there is a huge market for specialized nails.. After working both at home and at a salon I found out that I am not happy to pound out P&W after P&W, and while i may never be a millionaire from nails, Im pretty sure if i find my target market.. (the market i left behind to go work in a salon ) then i will work enough to
a)feed my kids and live comfortably..
and
B) never get bored with my job.

So not only am I not bothered by nss.. (as far as my part in this business goes.. but certainly there standards concern me) I am thankful that they are too busy to offer anything other then what they do (P&W & Generic nail art).. because they certainly seem to be getting a monopoly on this industry.. IMO of course.

This isnt about flaws and i wouldnt pick fault in what the NSS salons nails as i think sometimes they can produce beautiful nails.

The point of the matter is that why should they be able to produce nails and in the mean time are harming peoples nails and be able to get away with it?

I 100% agree with you V x

Trouble is Violet, if you re-read your posts in this thread, (as I have just done) you will see that you have picked many flaws in so called NSS salons. You have also made huge and damning assumptions about their working practices. Maybe they are true? maybe they are not? Maybe they are true in some cases only?

So ... you cannot really say that you wouldn't pick flaws. There has been a huge amount of very good and very sensible advice given in this thread without being critical of other businesses. You really must be very careful what you say about other people. If you spoke some of the comments you have made on this thread to your clients then potentially you could be sued for slander.

I don't mean to be critical - but as I tell my students - you must now put your professional head on - when you walk out of my classroom you are a professional.

OK I know im a "skinny" and not a "cutie" so the technical aspects of this thread somehow simply fly over my head and hopefully I haven't misinterpreted whats being said hear and that as a "skinny" you guy's don't get offended with my penny's worth.

Unfortunately no matter what business sector one operates a business within there will always be good and ..well erm ..less than good service providers who prowl on unsuspecting or gullable individuals.

Unfortunately the mass consumers are ..generally speaking...ignorant of what is good or substandard...some are simply price driven going for cheap options,some are simply unaware of something better and some simply don't give a dam.

The reality is that no manner of lobbying by therapists who believe there services are better than others will really have any impact whatsoever in situations such as this.

What is annoying is that services providers who offer substandard services often generate huge amounts of cash income revenue stream which is ploughed back into marketing which further entices those consumers as mentioned above through the doors and it is therefore far to often that those companies are more commercially successful than those of us who choose a different culture...such a shame the consumer can be so gullible.

How to fight this situation...well its a difficult one..revel in believing you offer the best there is and be dam proud of it.

If this is a load of tat ..please ignore and move on

Even if we were regulated there will always be imperfect competition - regulation is only a piece of paper if no-one enforces that regulation..... If clients who have their nails dones don't understand the difference between a high-end and low-end service how will an independent regulator?

I used to work within the financial services sector, which is highly regulated within the UK but there are companies up to all sorts of shenanigans - pushing regulations to the point of breaking them in some cases. My point? It's as tightly regulated as any industry but the competition are still imperfect......

I really admire the optimism of geeks like Chels and Victoria but I am pessimistic that things will change in the short term or ever have bad practice eradicated in the long-term.

Because we live in a free country and people have the choice on where to have their nails done. Clients have to take personal responsibillity as to whether it's a service they are willing to pay for and they can (and do) vote with their feet. Education is the key, and consumer magazines have a part to play in this (but choose not to).

People's standards are different and some people will see NSS as providing an acceptable service for them, other will not and will look elsewhere.

I think I am probably very lucky in my area. We do have quite a few nss salons, but I still get asked on a weekly basis, if I do nail enhancements as they "dont want to go to the nail bars where they use drills", (their words, not mine)
The nss salons are very busy, their is no ignoring that fact, but i do think that word is getting round. Even though I have only just starting offering nail enhancements again, (after a 3 yr break) I have always spoken to my clients about what they should be looking for in salons if they wanted their nails enhanced, but i would NEVER bad mouth other salons, that just not professional. Most listen, lol.
I certainly do not feel envious of the bussiness of these salons, if anything it makes me determined to be AS busy. I do think it is about speed AND money. I cant count the amount of times i have heard people say "oh your in and out in 45 mins for £18" (thats what they charge for infills)!!!
My plan is to carry on talking to my clients, carry on educating myself, carry on practising, (sp) and doing my best to create beautiful nails! These are my weapons against these nss salons, lol!

makes perfect sense..