Debate: why are nails so underpriced?

[CFBS]

I decided to charge top end prices for shellac, glitter and nail art following a lower introductory price (which was still lots more than the ones on FB!).
I'm doing nails everyday and get new clients for shellac by recommendation even though there are lots of cheap salons 5 miles away from me.
I keep to the full proper application routine, no short cuts on time or product quality.
As I have many years of experience, this is what I feel I am worth. If a client just wants cheap, then go elsewhere, I'll fill my appointments with full price clients thank you.

 

[Redduck]

In my area there are lots of people charging £10 for a shellac mani and £15 for hands and feet. I charge £24 for a shellac manicure and £24 for shellac pedicure. I've had a few people ask if I will match the cheaper prices. The answer is always no and then they complain to me that the cheaper nails don't usually last. Speaks volumes!

 

[Beauty Tips]

I definitely wish I had found this forum before I started and set my prices etc. the help is priceless! My prices before were set to just over half industry standard in my area
I set my prices low while training and did state this when advertising but it is still difficult to increase prices for regular clients. I now know my cost per treatment etc. and how much I earn from it and at the moment it is hit and miss. Some weeks I'm busy every night after work (I can't afford to quit my day job at the moment) other weeks I won't have any! I've converted the front end of my garage which helped business as I felt so much more comfortable while working.

We do have so many NSS salons around us - there are 3 in the space of about 5 shops in one area of town! We also have a lot of mobile technicians but I have found my niche offering swarovski crystals, foils etc that other techs aren't really offering around here. This helped me pull in some of my younger clients from NSS salons.

I did a 4 day course which didn't offer any info on running a business at all, luckily I have always studied business and also studied Business Mgt. at uni so I do have a business head which meant I can sort my own finances and ensure I am not losing money. I'm still relatively new to the industry (I started actively advertising and offering treatments late last year) but I can already see so many people and have spoken to so many who think it is so easy to run a business just offering cheap treatments. They don't take into account their own time or the fact that new products are released, colour trends change and so they have to up date products. I think this is why there are so many trained technicians out there who are never able to make a living from it.

 

[sarahbonnet08]

I think its because of the nail polish you are using. Cheaper ones don't usually last. Have to consider the treatment/services and the product you are using.

 

[squidgernetball]

The thing which is really good about doing just nails is that every time you work, you do nails. In that, instead of doing a number of different treatment in a day ie waxing, facial, lashes, pedi etc, you will just do nails every time. So in that sense, maybe it's easier to become polished and proficient more quickly if you specialise in one thing? Just my thoughts.

Definitely but your client base is only nails. If you're not brilliant you have nothing else to draw the punters in. And there are many that are brilliant and still struggle for a decent client base x

 

[noreenoconnor]

Where I am we are over run with nail salons....and to be honest, they are banged out day and night!!
I however, cannot get a nail tech to work in my hair salon for love or money!
I would love to have a nail tech, doing a quality job, using great products, and charging a fair price for their service, but I know the nail bars locally will 'turn out' a gel job in 20 mins for around £10.00 - £15.00......and it will look great, and last 3 weeks!
Today's client, is looking for that affordable quick fix.
When they see that busy bar, with it's neon flashing, they are sucked in, regardless of what we try to tell them about the fake this that and the other.

You see i disagree that they look good, Yes they will last, but i don't think they look good.

I think part of the problem is that they are so many bad nail technicians out there that bad nails become the norm.

Every woman would know a dodgy haircut or dodgy highlights if they saw them , but I don't think the same is true about a bad set of nails. Maybe this is part of the problem ?

 

[blossom]

I agree Noreen. I try and turn out nails that look very natural and when clients say people ask if they are their own nails I take that as a compliment.
The cheapy nail bars churn out unbelievably false looking nails, nobody would ever ask that I'm sure!!

 

[noreenoconnor]

So I'm in Canada, close to Toronto and nails here are cheap where as people like nuni (from ig) charges like a beast.
There are way too many nss and people are cheap. Period. Everyone wants to find the cheapest, and are willing to compromise...
Fo myself, I am charging what I want to make and that's it. I dot want the type of clients who are only deal chasing anyways.




(Edited by moderator to removal cultural reference)

I agree that there is a certain type of clientele that will always want the cheapest deal there is, there is no way to change this nor would i want to change this. However, I don't believe that every woman wants this, There is absolutely a market for good quality high priced beauty services and i feel nails should be up there, There is no valid reason in my mind that is stopping nail techs from creating a buzz around really good quality nails that deserve a much high price tag then your low end NSS salons. I wholeheartedly believe there is a market for it. AND I'm going to chase it

 

[noreenoconnor]

To my knowledge, I'm the most expensive in my area and have been for quite a long time but because of this, I've not had a price increase for years. I actually don't think it's needed, nothing else has inflated in the years I've been working for myself so to me it would just be greed.

I don't really care for what other people charge though tbh I'm busy enough in my own diary to not worry about others, perhaps if I was losing clients/not gaining any I'd be worried but that's not the case. I did have a period about 4 years ago when this was the case and I introduced 20% off between 9-3 on Thursday's, this worked really well and brought new and old clients to me.

As for hair costing more, I'm not sure about anyone else but my hair apps are 4-6 weeks therefore the actual result lasts much longer, if routine nail apps were that length of time I'd perhaps have a rethink of pricing...

With all due respect i think your mindset is also part of the problem, and its a mindset that i believe most nail techs have, including me in the past.
You say you don't think you deserve a pay rise because nothing has inflated, your wrong , the cost of living goes up every year. Also you are 4 years more experienced and that surely deserves a higher price tag? There is nothing greedy about it If you were working in you local Tesco on the tills for 4 years you would have a pay rise due to your increased experience do you not think you deserve the same just because you work for yourself?

Also the length of time a treatment lasts is irrelevant IMO, Clients get twice as long out of file and polish on their toes as they do their fingernails, do you charge double for toes? I doubt it You are paying for expertise and the amount of time spent with someone

 

[noreenoconnor]

I'm pretty new to this industry, and I'll be perfectly honest, In the beginning I plucked a price out of thin air... A price that sounded reasonable, fairly inline with my area and that would stand to make me a profit - I didn't calculate that profit m, because at that point ANY profit seemed enough!

Now 7months later I have upped my prices (only by £2) but I did that when i actually worked out my cost per service against my 'hourly' rate and i realised I Was selling myself short and also that, even though I am still fairly new, I like to think I am pretty good and that should stand for something!

I had a new client this week who used to get her shellac done at a local salon to her job in Liverpool Street. She paid £30 for the treatment and said she was in and out in 20 minutes. No prep, no cuticle care - just whacked the shellac straight on the nail.... And she wondered why she never got more than a few days from it! She also tried A local salon who she said charged her £20 for blue sky with no prep - I don't know HOW these people think this is acceptable!!

I have just passed my master painter (yesterday [emoji13]) and use the full CND system and charge £22 for standard shellac - when I compare this to above, I know I could charge more but I also don't want to raise my prices again so am standing firm at £22 hands and £25 feet for the time being xx

Good of you Helen, you are on the right track! I agree we should be charging more, but you can't exactly double your prices overnight and expect to keep you clientele Raise your prices slowly and I know you will have no resistance because they just won't get the same treatment for any less where ever they go!

We need more mindsets like this !!!

AND can i just say how amazing it is to have an adult discussion about nails that doesn't involve the same ole threads that get recycled week after week, we need more discussions like this on salon geek!

 

[noreenoconnor]

I agree Noreen. I try and turn out nails that look very natural and when clients say people ask if they are their own nails I take that as a compliment.
The cheapy nail bars churn out unbelievably false looking nails, nobody would ever ask that I'm sure!!

This is what we must market, Yes we produce false nails but you don't have to tell anyone if you they are false if you don't want to

 

[Gee_geeee]

You see i disagree that they look good, Yes they will last, but i don't think they look good.

I think part of the problem is that they are so many bad nail technicians out there that bad nails become the norm.

Every woman would know a dodgy haircut or dodgy highlights if they saw them , but I don't think the same is true about a bad set of nails. Maybe this is part of the problem ?

I've had this conversation a lot over the past few weeks Noreen with quite a few clients that are coming to me from a "nail tech" close to me. as well as bad nails becoming the norm, people think it is completely normal to have burning, sore nails & just expect that their nails are going to be in tatters when Acrylics/Gels are removed because this is all they know. I am blue in the face sharing little bits of info about Nail treatments on Facebook and to my clients to try and get it through to them that this is not normal! Having your natural nails attacked with an efile is not normal, but some people know no different!! And then there is the people that don't want to know as long as their getting cheap nails!!

 

[Cathi44]

Where my business is in Spain there are a few great Nail Techs and A LOT of poor 'nail techs'. The Spanish approach to treatments is very different to UK trained techs, so I don't tend to see them as much competition (although most are ridiculously cheap) However, it seems every other week there's a new ex-pat nail tech setting up, some of them offering gel polish hands & feet for as little as 10-15e. I don't & never have offered enhancements, acrylics etc and when I do get asked, I have 2 excellent nail techs I refer them to (and also use for Pamper Parties / group bookings) I'm now phasing out gel polish as it's a small part of my business, not my area of expertise (!) and quite honestly, I'm sick of losing clients to girls who've done a 1-day nail course & will be heading back to the UK in 6 months. I'm not going to lose sleep over it..... I've got a thriving beauty business & great clients. BUT... I've worked too hard here to slog my guts out competing for nail work that isn't going to make me any money. I looked into adding some more nail training a couple of years ago but spending thousands on nail courses will not bring me a raft of new clients and I can not charge enough to make it worth while. Mind you, when my clients come for a facial / wax / pedi and sit there with their nasty nail art & lifting acrylics it does make my blood boil !! Rant over, but in reply to Noreen's original post..... I would rather shut up shop altogether than under charge my worth. Luckily I absolutely love my job!!

 

[Emily S]

With all due respect i think your mindset is also part of the problem, and its a mindset that i believe most nail techs have, including me in the past.
You say you don't think you deserve a pay rise because nothing has inflated, your wrong , the cost of living goes up every year. Also you are 4 years more experienced and that surely deserves a higher price tag? There is nothing greedy about it If you were working in you local Tesco on the tills for 4 years you would have a pay rise due to your increased experience do you not think you deserve the same just because you work for yourself?

Also the length of time a treatment lasts is irrelevant IMO, Clients get twice as long out of file and polish on their toes as they do their fingernails, do you charge double for toes? I doubt it You are paying for expertise and the amount of time spent with someone

I see what you're saying but I'm certainly not at a loss and charge the average (possibly more than) of what I see on here.

Acrylic extension and overlay with nude acrylic £24

Acrylic extension with Shellac £30

As above with any glitter/art £34

So I think if I was to increase my prices I'd be pushing my luck, the most that I know of in my area is £30 for full set with glitter so I'm already £4 more... There's only so much you can keep going before it becomes unrealistic for people to pay as a regular treatment.

As for toes vs fingers I charge the same, I didn't mean it in relation to the nail business, just an explanation that I see fits for the hair industry, I've no idea why they charge more but I see it as reasonable from a client's point of view.. I'm sure hair products cost more than nails and so do the consequences if hair goes wrong... You can change the colour of nails all day long with no damage but you can't with hair so the risk factor is greater with hair...

 

[noreenoconnor]

I see what you're saying but I'm certainly not at a loss and charge the average (possibly more than) of what I see on here.

Acrylic extension and overlay with nude acrylic £24

Acrylic extension with Shellac £30

As above with any glitter/art £34

So I think if I was to increase my prices I'd be pushing my luck, the most that I know of in my area is £30 for full set with glitter so I'm already £4 more... There's only so much you can keep going before it becomes unrealistic for people to pay as a regular treatment.

if you raised your prices 10% I don't think anyone would bat an eyelid... and even if you then lost 10-15 % of your clientele you would be working less for the same money ... and room to fit new clients in. Just a thought [emoji12]

 

[Emily S]

if you raised your prices 10% I don't think anyone would bat an eyelid... and even if you then lost 10-15 % of your clientele you would be working less for the same money ... and room to fit new clients in. Just a thought [emoji12]

I really don't feel the need to, I work from home so very little over heads and very flexible for fitting people in so not often I'd turn work away, it genuinely seems like greed to me to do so when my electric, products etc haven't gone up in price.. No way would I charge £37, it would turn away more than a couple of people I'm sure, it would certainly lose potential clients.

 

[noreenoconnor]

I really don't feel the need to, I work from home so very little over heads and very flexible for fitting people in so not often I'd turn work away, it genuinely seems like greed to me to do so when my electric, products etc haven't gone up in price.. No way would I charge £37, it would turn away more than a couple of people I'm sure, it would certainly lose potential clients.

Your electricity or supplies may not have gone up, but what about rent, food, even tax - direct or indirect ?

If your happy with what you earn then great! But I think we should all realise that sticking with the same price for years is actually taking a pay cut!

 

[Emily S]

Your electricity or supplies may not have gone up, but what about rent, food, even tax - direct or indirect ?

If your happy with what you earn then great! But I think we should all realise that sticking with the same price for years is actually taking a pay cut!

We'll agree to disagree. I don't know many/if any people who's salary goes up by £3/4 an hour every year

 

[beauty bits]

There's way to many people who use nails as a side job, especially near me. They seem to class it more as a hobby that brings in a tiny profit. The amount of times I read on here it's a "job on the side" Me and my husband have just started another business and neither of them would I class as a job on the side. They are both my businesses x

 

[coco.]

I know of a few people who do it just as a hobby and just for something too do along side they're job

They don't live off the money it's just a bit of fun for them and can have a chat to a friend whilst doing their nails for £10 with their bits and bobs off eBay which they have won for 99pence that's filled with God knows what from God knows where

I've had people say 'oh you should get so and so too do your nails she only charges £10'
No thank you, I don't want cheap rubbish on my nails which I will then put in my mouth (sort of) whilst eating and touching my face whilst putting my makeup on etc

This cheap rubbish off eBay and these rubbish day courses have really cheapened this industry and it only takes 1 person to charge a silly amount and it has a knock on effect and soon enough your surrounded by everyone who only charges £10

I'm not saying all people who do it along side they're day to day jobs are like this, I'm sure there are plenty of people who use shellac etc and charge a decent amount

And what's more annoying is people who don't train or learn properly and who arnt prepared to shell out around £3,000 to train and they just win some things off eBay for a couple of pounds and off they go

The industry needs to be more regulated to help stop all of this, your using tools on people's hands, your touching them, your applying products etc!
There should be something in place to make people learn properly and get qualifications

Plus the industry is over saturated, there are so many shops opened and I see advertisements everywhere for mobile and home salons, they even have a beauty section in my local post office

Another thing I have noticed regarding the hair and nails conversations - I NEVER see any local salons advertise offers, where as all the beauty salons do and I've got a few local salons who do both hair and beauty on my Facebook page that I have liked and they are forever posting beauty and nail offers but there's never any hairdressing offers, is that because they are busy and don't need too?