First Customer - doubts setting in !!!

[Natalielou]

hi Geeks

Any of you who read my last thread 'newbie feeling deflated' will know I have had trouble drumming up business initially - the good news is I have a lady and her daughter booked in for this week one for extensions and the daughter for a manicure and nail art - now I'm not too worried about this, as the lady has never had extensions before and so in a way, won't have any pre-conceived ideas about how they should look. (This is just my lack of confidence and feeling nervous about my first customer - I'm sure I will do a good job!)
However I am also doing extensions on a good friend of mine this week, she is sure that she will be able to get me loads of customers, but needs to show them the nails as they are all asking how good I am - so basically they need to be spot on!
Sorry for rambling but here is where I come undone as i am starting to doubt my own skills and also the way I have been trained, so I thought I'd just jot down how I would do it, and I would be really grateful if any of you could pass comment, (particularly those of you who regularly work with silk) tell me if there's anything I'm doing or not doing etc...

1. Look at nail bed etc, push back cuticle, take shine off nail with grit file, sanitise
2. Apply tip, blend seam with cotton bud dipped in acetone, then file seam smooth
3. apply first layer of silk (self adhesive), resin on top, blot and activate
4. Go over all of nail with a grit file, especially down sides and round cuticle
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 above
6. White sanding block all over to remove scratches, solar oil, buff & polish

Is this right? - only sometimes I notice that when I file over the silk, some bits of silk come away.
I have also tried painting on the white french smile line after the first layer of silk so that its trapped between the 2 silk layers and remains permanent, but again, I have found that when filing the top layer of silk, it scratches off some of the french underneath

Very sorry about the length of this thread, but I just want to be the best I can be, and due to the newness of it all, am starting to have doubts about my own abilities - any help would be greatly appreciated.
Natalie x x

 

[blonde bombsite]

Hiya Natalie Lou,
I am also a complete newbie but my advice to you is 'go for it'! You will be surprised at how well you do. Are you charging full price? Dunno whether it is appropriate for you (dunno whether you've had much practice etc), but one week after I trained, I told a freind who phoned me the day after and told me that she had two mates who wanted them done. Basically, I did them at a cheaper rate, explaining that I had just passed and was looking for paying volunteers to practice on. It was worth it as five of them turned up at her house and I spent the whole day doing nails at the cheaper rate. Whilst this was a lot of work for not very much money, it has worked out okay because they have all booked in for infills at full price and are now walking advertisements. They have all asked for my business cards and are passing them round the local football club which has about 100 female members. It's just a suggestion as a way to get your name round when trying to establish a client base. (It also took the pressure off them having to be perfect as they were aware they were training models). Anyway, good luck. Believe in yourself.
Cheers,
Claire x

hi Geeks

Any of you who read my last thread 'newbie feeling deflated' will know I have had trouble drumming up business initially - the good news is I have a lady and her daughter booked in for this week one for extensions and the daughter for a manicure and nail art - now I'm not too worried about this, as the lady has never had extensions before and so in a way, won't have any pre-conceived ideas about how they should look. (This is just my lack of confidence and feeling nervous about my first customer - I'm sure I will do a good job!)
However I am also doing extensions on a good friend of mine this week, she is sure that she will be able to get me loads of customers, but needs to show them the nails as they are all asking how good I am - so basically they need to be spot on!
Sorry for rambling but here is where I come undone as i am starting to doubt my own skills and also the way I have been trained, so I thought I'd just jot down how I would do it, and I would be really grateful if any of you could pass comment, (particularly those of you who regularly work with silk) tell me if there's anything I'm doing or not doing etc...

1. Look at nail bed etc, push back cuticle, take shine off nail with grit file, sanitise
2. Apply tip, blend seam with cotton bud dipped in acetone, then file seam smooth
3. apply first layer of silk (self adhesive), resin on top, blot and activate
4. Go over all of nail with a grit file, especially down sides and round cuticle
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 above
6. White sanding block all over to remove scratches, solar oil, buff & polish

Is this right? - only sometimes I notice that when I file over the silk, some bits of silk come away.
I have also tried painting on the white french smile line after the first layer of silk so that its trapped between the 2 silk layers and remains permanent, but again, I have found that when filing the top layer of silk, it scratches off some of the french underneath

Very sorry about the length of this thread, but I just want to be the best I can be, and due to the newness of it all, am starting to have doubts about my own abilities - any help would be greatly appreciated.
Natalie x x

 

[talon-teaser]

I'm not really an expert with silk, just touched on it at college but I'm pretty sure that before your first silk application, you should apply resin and activator...and I could be wrong but I don't think you need to file over silk until you have completed your final layer of resin...if I've got this all totally wrong please forgive me...but I'm sure someone will be along soon to put us right!!

 

[suey]

Whose products do you use Natalie? Then you can get advice suited to your chosen products!

 

[Natalielou]

The trouble is, the new customers who my friend says she can get me, already have their nails done, but in a salon in a different city - two of them are older ladies who always have coloured polish and she reckons that if I do mobile they will 'convert' - thing is, as they are already prepared to pay full price for nails, if i offer them cheaper and say I'm still practising, i don't think they will be as keen to have an 'amateur' if you know what I mean.
Thank you for your reply, I am hoping that these ladies too will be walking adverts ! x

 

[Cameo Val]

Dont worry, we have all had to do our first cumtomers. You sound really lovely and like the other reply said, just tell them you are new, do your best, and send them off with lots of business cards. Also you could tell them that if they bring you 2 new customers you will give them a free infill as a reward system.

If you wanted some constructive advice....... after reading your list of how you intend to do the nails, all I can say is that even though I dont do silks, the only thing in what you have written that made me think was when you wrote....'take shine off with grit file'. Well I was taught this way too, but with experience I have since found that the grit file is too harsh on the natural nail, and so I would recommend taking the shine off with the white sanding block as it is a lot more gentler and also it is easy to do the very edge of the side wall with the block. when I had finished my training, my nail beds were really sore as they had been over filed with the grit file as we practiced on each other.

Good luck hun and go out there and give it your best shot. You sound lovely and I am sure your nice nature will win them over

Love Val

 

[suey]

First of all Natalie you must make sure you remove all living tissue from the nail. I always apply a layer of resin after sanitising, and with the more than white, that then gets applied to the tips before applying your silk! You must make sure this is completely dry before going onto the next stage.

Sorry i can't be more help, i obviously use a different system, but i am sure someone will help!

You'll be fine hun :hug:

 

[geeg]

Dont worry, we have all had to do our first cumtomers. You sound really lovely and like the other reply said, just tell them you are new, do your best, and send them off with lots of business cards. Also you could tell them that if they bring you 2 new customers you will give them a free infill as a reward system.

If you wanted some constructive advice....... after reading your list of how you intend to do the nails, all I can say is that even though I dont do silks, the only thing in what you have written that made me think was when you wrote....'take shine off with grit file'. Well I was taught this way too, but with experience I have since found that the grit file is too harsh on the natural nail, and so I would recommend taking the shine off with the white sanding block as it is a lot more gentler and also it is easy to do the very edge of the side wall with the block. when I had finished my training, my nail beds were really sore as they had been over filed with the grit file as we practiced on each other.

Good luck hun and go out there and give it your best shot. You sound lovely and I am sure your nice nature will win them over

Love Val

It depends on what grit abrasive you are using! All abrasives have a grit size.
100 grit would be too harsh to use on a natural nail whereas 240 is perfectly acceptable.

I myself would not recommend a white sanding block (although it is the right grit to use) on a natural nail BUT it is immediately contaminated and tends to soak up any oils and debris from the nail plate and you cannot wash or sanitize it. It is a sponge after all.

Use a 240 grit abrasive that can be sanitized between clients and that will not soak up the oils and contamination from the nail plate.

 

[jayneym]

HI SWEETIE go for it girl - I still feel nervous & constantly doubt my work especially when I've got a new lady in !! Thats part of the thrill , challenge & excitment of nails & the thing that I really love !! I'm constantly learning , constantly trying harder to look at my work & improve - I just love it !!!
Youre being up front with everyone & they will respect you for it , plus they will see how much your work will improve every time you do their nails.You go for it !!! ENJOY the experience - learn from each & every set you do - ask peoples opinions , ask them if they have any problems etc - its all part of the learning curve. I dont know who you trained with & personally use acrylic myself so I cant comment on your application , but if your after a good french effect have you thought about training with acrylic for this? Creative do a forever frech course which is fab for a lasting frech look - which people llluuuuvv!!
When youve got a few pennies behind you after doing a few sets -mayb you could take a look into it and see what you think !!
Anyway - good luck with youre new clients - go 4 it and enjoy the practice and experience - if there's any problems theres plent of geeks to help you out - your definately in the right place !!!!!
lol Jayneym
ps let us know how everything goes - I'm sure you'll b fine !!

hi Geeks

Any of you who read my last thread 'newbie feeling deflated' will know I have had trouble drumming up business initially - the good news is I have a lady and her daughter booked in for this week one for extensions and the daughter for a manicure and nail art - now I'm not too worried about this, as the lady has never had extensions before and so in a way, won't have any pre-conceived ideas about how they should look. (This is just my lack of confidence and feeling nervous about my first customer - I'm sure I will do a good job!)
However I am also doing extensions on a good friend of mine this week, she is sure that she will be able to get me loads of customers, but needs to show them the nails as they are all asking how good I am - so basically they need to be spot on!
Sorry for rambling but here is where I come undone as i am starting to doubt my own skills and also the way I have been trained, so I thought I'd just jot down how I would do it, and I would be really grateful if any of you could pass comment, (particularly those of you who regularly work with silk) tell me if there's anything I'm doing or not doing etc...

1. Look at nail bed etc, push back cuticle, take shine off nail with grit file, sanitise
2. Apply tip, blend seam with cotton bud dipped in acetone, then file seam smooth
3. apply first layer of silk (self adhesive), resin on top, blot and activate
4. Go over all of nail with a grit file, especially down sides and round cuticle
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 above
6. White sanding block all over to remove scratches, solar oil, buff & polish

Is this right? - only sometimes I notice that when I file over the silk, some bits of silk come away.
I have also tried painting on the white french smile line after the first layer of silk so that its trapped between the 2 silk layers and remains permanent, but again, I have found that when filing the top layer of silk, it scratches off some of the french underneath

Very sorry about the length of this thread, but I just want to be the best I can be, and due to the newness of it all, am starting to have doubts about my own abilities - any help would be greatly appreciated.
Natalie x x

 

[geeg]

First of all Natalie you must make sure you remove all living tissue from the nail. I always apply a layer of resin after sanitising, and with the more than white, that then gets applied to the tips before applying your silk! You must make sure this is completely dry before going onto the next stage.

Sorry i can't be more help, i obviously use a different system, but i am sure someone will help!

You'll be fine hun :hug:

I KNOW you meant NON LIVING tissue didn't you?? In other words cuticle.

 

[Natalielou]

Thank you - you have been a help, while Ive been waiting for replies, Ive read through a few previous posts, and it seems that you should apply a layer of resin to the natural nail before anything else - I will do this in future - also about the french - so your'e saying that rather than sandwich it between the two layers of silk, I should apply the 'more than white' to the tip before I do anything else?

natalie x

First of all Natalie you must make sure you remove all living tissue from the nail. I always apply a layer of resin after sanitising, and with the more than white, that then gets applied to the tips before applying your silk! You must make sure this is completely dry before going onto the next stage.

Sorry i can't be more help, i obviously use a different system, but i am sure someone will help!

You'll be fine hun :hug: