Close to Tears

[cindymun]

Help everyone! I've recently decided to give up hair and dedicate my time to nails. I knew it was time when standing behind the chair all I could think about was nails. I'm finding that so many people are chosing to go to discount salons. I'm offering full sets at discounted prices just to have someone at my table. I am trying to educate my clients on proper procedures and legal products as many I have seen so many that are being duped! I am pretty darn good at this point, not perfect, but good and know that I will get better with time. I am a sculpture girl! I am the only nail tech at the salon. I am getting depressed! Any suggestions would be appreciated.:cry:

 

[AllThumbs]

i'm so sorry your feeling down. Unfortunatly being a nail tech is a lonely job, unless you happen to work in Nail Only salon. time is what you'll need to heal your client woes. I too have to offer $35 sets at $25 prices to keep up. I had to split my pedicures into two catagories to keep up with cheap people. A 30 min on for 25, which is the same as youd get at an asian salon and a 1hour for 35. guess what they choose every time? some clients are just cheap and they don't care. to them your just a machine sitting there so bust your hump and make them pretty. From hair i'm sure you understand this.
don't get down about it, things will look up and your work will speak for itself. If your that good then you dont want clients who don't care how their nails look. they'll only destroy your hard work. go for the type of client you want and you know they have friends and those friends have friends...and they all have wallets that want to pay for quality! don't lower your standards, be the standard.

 

[Zondrae]

I'm finding it nearly impossible to compete with the chop shops here. They are just so cheap, the nails are as tough as rocks and don't come off and they can walk in without an appointment. I just can't compete no matter what I try. Very frustrating indeed. I'm just about ready to give up too and focus on waxing :-(

 

[soniabailey82]

All I could suggest is making what they are paying worth it - I charge $75 for a full set or $45 for an infill. If it's your first time!
At their first visit, each of my clients receives their own ziploc bag with their files, orange woodstick and a small spray bottle of sanitizer. It costs me less than ten dollars. (the hook) I also tell them that their service includes a complimentray manicure, and I always finish with a hand and arm massage (the line).

It only adds about five minutes to your time, but here's the sinker - tell your clients that when they return to you, they'll get $10 off their service price for bringing back their sterile files. Otherwise, they'll have to pay full price to receive new ones.

At first, people will be like - What? I could go to a chop-chop-shop for less. Yes. But they know full well that feeling when they are getting their nails shaped with a grinder, and the last client walks up and says "Ooh, I still have a sharp edge just there" and the asian tech uses the grinder in his hand to smooth her nail, then goes right back on filing their nails!!!

This is a fabulous way of making your clients keepers. I also specialise in acrylic embeds - glitter, shell, flowers, you name it! They can be bought cheaply, stored in tiny jars that can be displayed neatly without risk of contamination.

My two pieces of advice where this is concerned? Checkout glamlabel (an ebay seller; click on advanced search, then items by seller) and youtube for this: "dual system forms" - once you work them out, you won't know how you did without them! You can do a full set of french or coloured tips with your existing gel or acrylic product in UNDER ONE HOUR without reducing your price and without reducing the quality.

There is money to be made in this industry WITHOUT cutting corners and WITHOUT risking cross-contaminations. What I can't figure is - if the asians sell time-saving, contamination reducing products on ebay, why aren't they using them in the chop-chop-shops?

 

[katiebbaby]

All I could suggest is making what they are paying worth it - I charge $75 for a full set or $45 for an infill. If it's your first time!
At their first visit, each of my clients receives their own ziploc bag with their files, orange woodstick and a small spray bottle of sanitizer. It costs me less than ten dollars. (the hook) I also tell them that their service includes a complimentray manicure, and I always finish with a hand and arm massage (the line).

It only adds about five minutes to your time, but here's the sinker - tell your clients that when they return to you, they'll get $10 off their service price for bringing back their sterile files. Otherwise, they'll have to pay full price to receive new ones.

At first, people will be like - What? I could go to a chop-chop-shop for less. Yes. But they know full well that feeling when they are getting their nails shaped with a grinder, and the last client walks up and says "Ooh, I still have a sharp edge just there" and the asian tech uses the grinder in his hand to smooth her nail, then goes right back on filing their nails!!!

This is a fabulous way of making your clients keepers. I also specialise in acrylic embeds - glitter, shell, flowers, you name it! They can be bought cheaply, stored in tiny jars that can be displayed neatly without risk of contamination.

My two pieces of advice where this is concerned? Checkout glamlabel (an ebay seller; click on advanced search, then items by seller) and youtube for this: "dual system forms" - once you work them out, you won't know how you did without them! You can do a full set of french or coloured tips with your existing gel or acrylic product in UNDER ONE HOUR without reducing your price and without reducing the quality.

There is money to be made in this industry WITHOUT cutting corners and WITHOUT risking cross-contaminations. What I can't figure is - if the asians sell time-saving, contamination reducing products on ebay, why aren't they using them in the chop-chop-shops?

#

all I can say is yes i can cut corners,, do I????NOOO...why??? I am not intrested in people whom want nails for special occasions etc........ lets be honest how many nns have regular clients booked for re-balences??? my bread and butter is these clients , not the occasional nail clients xx

 

[Pooh8bear]

Hairdressing is the same, you can have a haircut for £5 or £200 and nails are the same. Maybe if people thought more about cross contamination
ie. Would you feed your children from a dirty fork someone else had eaten from, because for the 2 or 3 weeks of wearing nails your fingers will be in their food!

 

[Nickie]

Awww I know most nss's are Asian but please dont tar them all with the same brush.