Am I just destined to fail ?

[poshpinks]

I am so so so tired right now of trying to become a success and not getting anywere why oh why cant i get my business up and running.Apart from money which i am lacking in how else can i build up my business? I have tryed salons and the first on was ok for awhile then the next was just some1 just wanting to get every1 to pay 4 everything and now just when i thought things were going my way let down again . All i want to do is build my business up and do what i love doing nails and waxing it not a way of making money (that helps tho)i love doing it its not like a job its me know what i mean. I feel if you havent got money you cant make money and if that is the case i am not going to make any money fast. :cry::cry:

 

[deanosnana]

I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time. IMO, no one is 'destined' to fail The fact you are concerned about it tells me you will be successful. Unfortunately, success often doesn't come when we want it. It takes LOTS of hard work and patience.

If you work hard enough, you will be successful. Keep doing what you love, keep plugging along and I guarantee you will 'make it' one day.

Best of luck to you!

 

[collin]

I am so so so tired right now of trying to become a success and not getting anywere why oh why cant i get my business up and running.Apart from money which i am lacking in how else can i build up my business? I have tryed salons and the first on was ok for awhile then the next was just some1 just wanting to get every1 to pay 4 everything and now just when i thought things were going my way let down again . All i want to do is build my business up and do what i love doing nails and waxing it not a way of making money (that helps tho)i love doing it its not like a job its me know what i mean. I feel if you havent got money you cant make money and if that is the case i am not going to make any money fast. :cry::cry:

You don't necessarily need a lot of money to make money...just determination,consistency,grit when the going gets tough,some luck,good products/training,a supportive family as your going to draw on their help and support and so on.

Its a funny thing but growing/starting a business takes a while and just when your thinking OMG im never going to make it something turns up and a year or so later you look back and wonder what all the stress was about.

Seems you've got the desire and passion which is a fantastic start and means to go on and help pull you through to better day's.

How long have you been getting this business off the ground and do you operate from a salon /home or mobile??
:hug:

 

[Lynne Baker]

Get yourself out there and network!
Google "business networking" in your area and put yourself in front of other business people who can spread the word.
Have a look at my thread "more ways to promote your business" for ideas!

 

[poshpinks]

I have been trying for about 2 yrs now and i have worked in a saoln and then i tryed mobile and home but i just never seem to get anywere, i dont expect it to happen over night but i would of thought by now things would of improved. I would love to do more courses to be the best that i can be but to them you need money and i havent got any to do the things i would like to do . I also would like to promote my business but without the funding there is not a lot i can do. I was hoping word of mouth would be good but i have not got anywere with this as the people that i have done nails on say that people r always compementing them but i have not had a response from it i even tryed insentive card were the client has a business card with there name on it and if it comes back to me from a new client then they will get half price on a treatment but i got nothing.

 

[collin]

I have been trying for about 2 yrs now and i have worked in a saoln and then i tryed mobile and home but i just never seem to get anywere, i dont expect it to happen over night but i would of thought by now things would of improved. I would love to do more courses to be the best that i can be but to them you need money and i havent got any to do the things i would like to do . I also would like to promote my business but without the funding there is not a lot i can do. I was hoping word of mouth would be good but i have not got anywere with this as the people that i have done nails on say that people r always compementing them but i have not had a response from it i even tryed insentive card were the client has a business card with there name on it and if it comes back to me from a new client then they will get half price on a treatment but i got nothing.

Two years may seem a long time right now but it really isnt any time at all...give it 3-5years ,passes quickly and lots good stuff to look back on:hug:

 

[Lynne Baker]

You don't need ANY money to go to a lot of the networking events! I launched one today called Ladies Who Latte, in Andover and it's completely free - all you pay for is a cup of coffee. Give away little prizes to the local church/playgroup/NCT/WI raffle. Put your details on every free internet directory there is. Go and stand in your local shopping mall and hand out flyers (you can get these v cheap or even free on Vistaprint).
You can't rely on purely word of mouth - you need to have a multi pronged approach to marketing.
Contact your local newspaper and offer the women's editor a free set of nails in return for some editorial/advertorial.
Contact the local radio station and offer a prize, or a free "Nail Clinic" on air.
You sound very down about this; your potential clients will pick up on your negativity and avoid you like the plague. As difficult as it may be you HAVE to stay upbeat and positive about this. There is a lot of competition out there and you have to tell your potential clients why they should come to you over all the other girls out there.
Stay focussed, stay positive. Ask for suggestions.

 

[Jolicatellas]

There is a lot of competition out there and you have to tell your potential clients why they should come to you over all the other girls out there.

You have been given some very good advise & I do hope things pick up for you soon. I agree, 2 years is not that long in this industry. According to business advisers it takes 3 years to break even... before the profit comes. I don't think you need to spend more on new courses to improve, leave the courses alone for now and focus on what you have to offer at present.
Further to what Cala said (above) YOU NEED TO KNOW WHY clients should come to you!! Right now you sound as though you feel you have little to offer them... we all have days like this but take a look at the thread "Be Inspired" and you will see you have more to offer than you realise. And also look at the thread about advertising - as well as the advise given hear about networking & handing out pamphlets in shopping centers... I'm sure you'll see some very good ideas.

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-geek/91234-inspired.html?highlight=be+inspired
http://www.salongeek.com/biz-geek/92555-need-help-advertising-my-nails-n-tanning-new-post.html

Chin up :green:

 

[cro-mari]

Sit down, calm yourself and think clearly. Clearly meaning thinking things through without letting depressive, selfpitty, desperate or blaming someone else thoughts in.

1. Do you really want to do nails as you say, or you're just hanging on it because someone would say you did not finnished what you started or that you're not good enough? Think of what YOU want, not what others would say.

2. Starting out is hard. This is my second year of business. The first one was just learning, gathering clientele and going more into debt. I earned next to nothing. Now I'm getting more and more busy and slowly repaying my debts. I've seen people that were making huge money from the start. Not me. Why? Not because 'I had no luck', but it was strongly related to the quality of my work. Now people come from far, and I'm making good money, I'm expencive. I'm at the 4th floor, homebased, no sign outside, so no walkins, just recommendations and web site. Get yourself a web site. You really don't have to have a fancy high end salon to succeed.

3. To fail or not. Whenever I did let depressive, selfpitty, desperate or blaming someone else thoughts in, everything went wrong. Sounds crazy, but maybe it is not. Because:

90 % of what I did or not was strictly connected to my selfconfidence.
Sad mind cannot make your hands work. Sadness, depression and selfpitty blures your judgement, you cannot work properly, you cannot judge your own work properly, everything goes to hell.

Clients will somehow feel your lack of confidence. When they come to you, they WANT to feel nice, secure, easy. They are paying to feel nice. You have to be secure, fluent and easy. And then you can name your price.

4. And no one has to go to hell.
I know I sound harsh, but I'm talking things that I went through.
Get yourself together, believe in yourself.
You have to be a little crazy in this, you know. Even when numbers are saying hell, even when people say - oh, get a proper job, stick to what you love and result will surely come. I promisse. Wanting something means you have what it takes to do it. Just get up and start doing it.

 

[essentia]

To add to Cro-Mari get yourself a website - there are plenty of free ones. In this situation I would always take an objective view of the business and try and see it from a different point of view. What are you offering in terms of treatments, products, service compared to your area? I do not think it matters how small you are if you offer the very best your clients will feel special. I have never found offering cut price treatments work for me - I think they can be a turn-off although I offer a referral system which works but even then it is only a small discount. The hardest for you right now is positivity - believe in yourself and have an action plan on how to get from where you are now to a successful business.:hug:

 

[SunSpray]

Get yourself out there and network!
Google "business networking" in your area and put yourself in front of other business people who can spread the word.
Have a look at my thread "more ways to promote your business" for ideas!

Calla is absolutely right and I've been following her great advice for months now, with a very reasonable rate of success.

You haven't mentioned where you've been advertising? Most of my business is now through word of mouth, but my "unknown" business comes mainly from:

www.freeindex.co.uk
www.netmums.com (both on the Noticeboard and in Household Help)
Facebook - create a group and invite everyone to join (and invite your Facebook friends to invite their friends to join. You can then send a message to all members every month or so with any "promotion"
Facebook - create a (free) ad in the Facebook MarketPlace

All this advertising/networking is free - it just takes your time. If you keep at it, you'll eventually see favourable results. I had an email from someone yesterday who I had a conversation with last September about my new spray tanning business. She just googled "spray tan south bucks" and up my name came on freeindex, and she's now booked me for 2 tans.

Having children, most of my on-line advertising/networking is done late at night when they're in bed, and it requires updating every so often too.

I'm sure other peeps have got loads of other positive advertising/networking experiences they can share too.

Keep your pecker up and just raise your game. Your efforts will surely pay off some time soon.

xx

 

[poshpinks]

Thank you so much everyone i feel more postive today thanks to all your comments, and it nice to know that everyone goes though this.better get on with looking at all this new imformation. xx

 

[bralynstudio]

I have been trying for about 2 yrs now and i have worked in a saoln and then i tryed mobile and home but i just never seem to get anywere, i dont expect it to happen over night but i would of thought by now things would of improved. I would love to do more courses to be the best that i can be but to them you need money and i havent got any to do the things i would like to do . I also would like to promote my business but without the funding there is not a lot i can do. I was hoping word of mouth would be good but i have not got anywere with this as the people that i have done nails on say that people r always compementing them but i have not had a response from it i even tryed insentive card were the client has a business card with there name on it and if it comes back to me from a new client then they will get half price on a treatment but i got nothing.

first hand out 5 cards to friends to give out to toher friends. you should expect about 25 calls for about every 125 cards - make sure these cards have a photo of YOUR work on them. print them at home on your computer with inexpensive business card blanks using a program that is free download on the internet.

make up flyers with some sort of monthly special...say $50 for two full sets, to do this have someone bring a friend do the first person for the $50 (or what ever you charge for a full set) do the second for free, that makes 2 fill that should be booked before leaving the salon.

Do gift certificates...let them buy a set for a friend, mother, sister, whoever. or any other service.

offer discounts on certain services - BUT NEVER ON A FILL!!

offer a cheaper set rate for school girls for special school events, remeber to always book a fill before they leave the salon.

i know how hard it is to start up, but get creative for as inexpensive as possible...

i came up with tons of ideas for a year or two before i even went to school so that if one thing was not bringing in clients, i could try something else without lossing my butt.

remember, its not just the nails that bring them back, but the trust, confiednce in your skills, and your great personality that combined with the skills bring them back.

lastely, and most importantly, dont expect to have a full appoinment book until you've been in business in the same place for at least 2-3 years. yes it can and does take that long to build a successful business.

good luck. if you want more ideas on inexpensive ideas to bring customers in, just email me at [email protected]

kristie

 

[SammiG]

Hi!

I know exactly how you feel. I felt like that for two years as well and thought I would end up getting a divorce or working in Tescos!


This might not be any help but I offered discount on all the local barmaids and landladys of my local pubs and clubs. In return, they were happy to give my card to anybody who asked and leave a leaflet in the ladies loos.

As people see their nails regularly, I gained lots of clients.

Also, a discount on the school prom too. I am so busy at that time of year. The girls went home, their mums loved their nails and a couple booked in afterwards.

Sam XX

 

[gemini]

You don't need ANY money to go to a lot of the networking events! I launched one today called Ladies Who Latte, in Andover and it's completely free - all you pay for is a cup of coffee. Give away little prizes to the local church/playgroup/NCT/WI raffle. Put your details on every free internet directory there is. Go and stand in your local shopping mall and hand out flyers (you can get these v cheap or even free on Vistaprint).
You can't rely on purely word of mouth - you need to have a multi pronged approach to marketing.
Contact your local newspaper and offer the women's editor a free set of nails in return for some editorial/advertorial.
Contact the local radio station and offer a prize, or a free "Nail Clinic" on air.
You sound very down about this; your potential clients will pick up on your negativity and avoid you like the plague. As difficult as it may be you HAVE to stay upbeat and positive about this. There is a lot of competition out there and you have to tell your potential clients why they should come to you over all the other girls out there.
Stay focussed, stay positive. Ask for suggestions.

Completely agree with Calla. There lots of ways you can promote your business for nothing! This time of year is fab. Summers coming, why not offer a special holiday package with nails and waxing. Proms are also coming up which could be good for you because of nails. See what your competition are offering? You've got to stay positive chik. I know it's really hard when things aren't going your way, but they will. Persevere with it sweetie. Things will change.:hug:

 

[***juice***]

Some really good advice from Calla there :green: