25 dollars in Canada for gels and acrylics?

[angelnailz]

Hi all

Just a quick question....just got an email asking why I am so expensive for nails as this lady is originally from Canada and says ALL the salons there charge 25 dollars for a full set??

Surely this cannot be right?

Thanks in advance :hug: xxx

 

[shedunlop]

I recently had a holiday in Canada and found the cost of living higher than here in the UK apart from fuel so this does seem low.

 

[deanosnana]

Here's an article that appeared in the FEB issue of Nails Magazine. It may help answer that question, Why do you charge more? HTH!

Why Do You Charge More? - Nails Magazine

 

[dee]

lol theres so many places over here that offer the $25 sets its untrue !!
you can get a spa mani /pedi for about $30 !!! i used to charge £30 just for a spa pedi when i was in uk so its a bit of a shock to the system , lol
the way a big % of salons run over here are a lot different to the way it is in the uk ,
but in a decent salon your average set is about $50 ... which is probably nearly £30 if you work it back to gbp
hth x

 

[angelnailz]

Hi and thanks for your replies :hug:

Wow I`m shocked...I mean are these places that charge this amount good salons? Is it the old white tip and clear overlay and cheap products etc? if not how do they make any money?

xx

 

[Cutesteph]

In ottawa the average price is $40 for L&P and $50 for gel. Minus 5 for rebalances plus 5 with color. My prices are $5 less. So $35 for a full set and $30 for fill.

Ive never seen $25 a set, mind you a never go into chop shops so I wouldnt know...

 

[iam34ouch]

I live in a very small town and charge $55.00CAN for a full set and I am one of the cheapest in town!! For $25.00 they would have to get you in and out lickety split so can't imagine that the quality would be there. $25.00 is what a lot of places charge for infills but full set? Never heard of it myself.

 

[ttarmstrong]

I live in Saskatoon and the average charge for gels in salons is $60- ish for a full set & fills start at $45. I work out of my home and charge $40 - full set & $35 fill - and that's a huge discount!

 

[Megan1390]

I'm in Newfoundland and there are salons here that charge $70 for a full set and $50 for a fill! (this is with gels, I do not know of any salons in my area that do acrylic)

I charge $50 for a set and $35 for a fill, and have never seen anyone here who charges less than $40 for a set.

That being said, I was asked by a potential client why I charge so much, and told that she only pays $25 for her nails in a local salon.
Maybe there's special underground places that good nail techs don't know about....can't you just picture it??!?:lol:

 

[angelnailz]

Thanks Girls...interesting stuff! :hug:

 

[Zondrae]

I have seen a local chop shop here in Australia offering a full set of l&p for $25.00 (that's a bit over 14 gbp and 23.50ish canadian) and infills for $20.00 (about 11 gbp and 18.80ish canadian) Just amazing. It's no wonder people expect so much for so little cash.

 

[angel fingers]

remind her that the cost of nail products is greater here too since we have to import everything we need and pay import tax, hazardous shipping rates, vat and all the rest.

sometimes people tell me that the cost of nails is 2/3 of my price and i just remind them that a comparison can only be made on a like for like basis i.e quality of products, service and outcome which dont really compare .

 

[mely-bely]

There is an NSS salon in my town that has "Gel & Acrylic nails $30" posted everywhere. They get em in the door and then charge them extra for everything. I have had 3 clients complain that it ended up costing them $80 for their set before they could leave - what a gimmick!

I don't see many techs here charging below average prices (approx $50 set) but I do recommend that new techs call themselves "apprentices" for a year and charge less until they have improved their skills. This lets the paying public know they are learning and may need some patience.

IMO it is scandalous for a new tech with zero experience to charge premium pricing for nails that often fall off within 3 days - then refuse to fix them (I see that a lot).

 

[nailsculptress]

Hey....
I live in Edmonton, Alberta, and I charge $50 for a new set at my home-based salon...$25 sounds very much like the NSS prices...Some high-end salons here charge as much as $75-85 for a new set....

No definitely not true Angel!!!

Bethanne

 

[LadyFinger7]

It all depends on where you live and what kind of town it is. Also if you live in a really small town with practically no competetion you can find a niche.

Unfortunately, I live in a tourist town and there are a TON of NSS. There are a ton of nail tech`s in general but really a massive number of not safe salons. It`s either them or a few very upscale $$ salons. Not a lot in between. Although I would NEVER charge the crazy low prices NSS charge (ranges from $15 - $20 acrylic fills) I do have to compete with them somewhat as there are just SO many and I need to get people in the door - and without a complete spa set up people are not going to pay the huge prices. They have to be a little more modest but still not $15!!! GEESH.

I think it`s just a matter of finding your target market and going after them. It`s difficult because alot of people know basically nothing about nails and many just don`t really care about safety or the finished product. The hardest part is re-educating people because there is SO much misinformation going around here. There is a lot of acrylic fills being covered with a UV top then called a UV Gel Enhancement and charged as such (an example - one salon`s acrylic Full-Set is $28, then their powder acrylic which is the acrylic with the UV top coat - is $40 a Full-Set, so you just paid $12 for a UV Top coat!!!!). Organic is the new buzz word with gels, which kills me as people are thinking of the food they eat instead of the chemical side, which is the real meaning. Just say you like the product and you`ve found it`s fab on nails for so and so reason, don`t spread more misconceptions!

The cruddiest thing in Ontario is that you don`t even technically need a license to be a tech! This is where the misinformation comes from because pretty well anyone can decide they want to start a salon. I had the health inspector in here and thorougly go over everything with me but I honestly doubt he`ll be back which is ridiculous. They need to start checking salons as often as they can. And with the crazy number of salons in some towns I have no idea why they aren`t regulating it yet. Nevermind that, we just got a proper nail course in a nearby college that teaches you ALL aspects of being a Nail Tech including the business side which is so so important. We need to stop treating Nail Technicians like they have a cute little hobby job and start giving more options for proper education here in Ont and probubly other areas as well.

 

[LadyFinger7]

Oh right, I forgot to add, you don`t need a license to do nails but they do make you have a health and building inspector in! What sense is that, I`m not saying you shouldn`t have the inspectors in but why be so thorough in that way yet so unthorough (and really unsafe) in another! :irked: