Do your friends take advantage of your career?

[Dolly6410]

Oohh I've already let this friend do it though so harder to stop once you've started maybe!
x

lol noooo, you dont have to be mean and say it, next time she asks for a treatment just say 'i cant do it for free/'x' amount anymore because i'm out of pocket' and change it to a percent off x

 

[Lou x]

lol noooo, you dont have to be mean and say it, next time she asks for a treatment just say 'i cant do it for free/'x' amount anymore because i'm out of pocket' and change it to a percent off x

She asks me to my blimmin face though so its harder and I'm sure she knows she is doing it!
Also i always here "oh I'll pay you back for that" when she borrows money ect and i never see it again!
And if she texts me saying she will pay me back i say okay and she then asks me to my face how much it was which is awkward so i end up saying don't worry about it, and she knows how much it was cause it would of been the day before and stuff x

Hard cause it's straining our friendship im just getting the right hump! As she knows im so skint aswell vie only just started up and brought all my kits ect x

My first bottle of solution I'm not joking i reckon about half of it went away for free on her x

 

[Dolly6410]

She asks me to my blimmin face though so its harder and I'm sure she knows she is doing it!
Also i always here "oh I'll pay you back for that" when she borrows money ect and i never see it again!
And if she texts me saying she will pay me back i say okay and she then asks me to my face how much it was which is awkward so i end up saying don't worry about it, and she knows how much it was cause it would of been the day before and stuff x

Hard cause it's straining our friendship im just getting the right hump! As she knows im so skint aswell vie only just started up and brought all my kits ect x

My first bottle of solution I'm not joking i reckon about half of it went away for free on her x

i suggest you sit down this evening and add up everything she owes you and then you'll know for next time she asks you to your face, and next time she asks for a treatment just say 'yeh thats fine hun, i've had to start charging though because i can't afford to replace my products, i do a ...% mates rate though ' don't let her take the mick, easier said than done but i'd rather loose her as a client than fall out with her completly over something which could of been resolved x

 

[Lou x]

i suggest you sit down this evening and add up everything she owes you and then you'll know for next time she asks you to your face, and next time she asks for a treatment just say 'yeh thats fine hun, i've had to start charging though because i can't afford to replace my products, i do a ...% mates rate though ' don't let her take the mick, easier said than done but i'd rather loose her as a client than fall out with her completly over something which could of been resolved x

Oh Jesus I'd be too scared to add that up :/
I think I'll wait until she asks again and just say I can't afford to do anything for free anymore as it's not my time it's the products being used.

Just annoys me that once it's not free she wont be interested anymore! x

 

[Dolly6410]

Oh Jesus I'd be too scared to add that up :/
I think I'll wait until she asks again and just say I can't afford to do anything for free anymore as it's not my time it's the products being used.

Just annoys me that once it's not free she wont be interested anymore! x

i know what you mean, my friends are more than happy to be models and have free stuff done, but when it comes to paying they just say no, and they always text and say 'need a model for a bikini wax' and its like... no i qualified like a year ago...' x

 

[Lou x]

i know what you mean, my friends are more than happy to be models and have free stuff done, but when it comes to paying they just say no, and they always text and say 'need a model for a bikini wax' and its like... no i qualified like a year ago...' x

Lmao that's so cheeky! Do you need a model lmao oh yes please after a year of being qualified and have real clients I'd love to still "practise" on you for free!
As we speak I just got a text from my friend saying "I'm so skint do you want to do lunch next Wednesday" so I said I'd see how my weekend goes with money ect and she replied "oh no I will pay as you paid for my train fare the other day" (was £15) she then put, I'm soo poor boohoo x

It's like she wants me to say oh don't worry I'll pay then? x

 

[Dolly6410]

Lmao that's so cheeky! Do you need a model lmao oh yes please after a year of being qualified and have real clients I'd love to still "practise" on you for free!
As we speak I just got a text from my friend saying "I'm so skint do you want to do lunch next Monday" so I said I'd see how my weekend goes with money ect and she replied "oh no I will pay as you paid for my train fare the other day" (was £13) she then put, I'm soo poor boohoo x

It's like she wants me to say oh don't worry I'll pay then? x

just text back saying 'aww thanks hun cant wait, will see you then xx' and then order everything off the menu and only take cash with you, no card, so if she does turn round and say she cant afford to pay, you can only afford to pay for urself lol x

 

[Lou x]

just text back saying 'aww thanks hun cant wait, will see you then xx' and then order everything off the menu and only take cash with you, no card, so if she does turn round and say she cant afford to pay, you can only afford to pay for urself lol x

Yeah good plan I'll stop eating now and get ready hehe x

 

[gr8nailz]

I wish I could be like that!

You CAN be like that. :green:

 

[gr8nailz]

I think maby you should say something about your accounts, say you have gone over your earnings for the year and its way below what you thaught it was... Plus drop heavy hints that you love you job because it make people feel good, but your so glad your not a surgeon who has to do jobs that are ESSENTIAL to people and you are providing a luxuary and fun things for your clients, so they cant do the whole I NEED a tan.

I'm not trying to be contrary but I'd never say something about my financial picture. And I think being direct is the best way. Dropping "heavy hints" leaves too much to conjecture. A client will read into your hint what they wish.

Just tell her..."You are my friend and I love you; however, I have a business to run and I cannot perform your services for free/discount any longer. It's not good for my business and it's not good for our friendship."

 

[jurate]

I have to say im lucky in this regard, as im only just training and need as many people i can get to practise on. I told my two close friends that id do them free until im qualified, not only do they let me do whatever i want to do on them, but they pay me any way just to cover my costs(without me asking!) They also got me some of their friends that pay me a normal price just to practise on! I love my friends

i feel like i finally found my path and actually being paid for something i love doing is a big bonus plus, the word is spreading already and i cant wait to be fully qualified to finally be able to do things on people

Sent from my HTC Desire using SalonGeek

 

[gr8nailz]

I told my two close friends that id do them free until im qualified,

Therein lies the difference. You told them "...until I'm qualified." Good call. Good friends. :green:

 

[pretty-in-pink]

i find it hard to give a final price to friends and family because i want to give them a little bit of a discount but you do get some that say its expensive and i'm like go have a look at the price in a salon them come back and tell me the services im offering are expensive....what a joke i'm practically doing them for pence!

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Ok people, I have been thinking about this subject. Its a tough one, on one hand, there are threads asking if your F and F support your career choice or not. Others where we all are annoyed with them about wanting discounts etc, but others saying kind of "use" your friends and family to promote your business, by getting them to model, hand out cards etc. Before anyone starts, im not saying any of these things are wrong or right, im just saying this is what have seen alot of on my time on here. Also I dont think you can say that this makes your job more of a hobby than a business. Im sure we all started training because we were interested in the creative side of it and not to make millions. If I wanted easy money, I would not have started this career lol, as easy money it is not.

I know when I first started my training, I was so interested in it, I could not have imagined doing it as a job, and not a hobby, as I was enjoying it so much, and was DESPERATE to start putting nails on everyone, weather they payed me or not. Same with my hairdressing course, as soon as I did my first practicle (a french plait) I finished college and was as a friends house, and I was going around french plaiting every girl that would let me!

Maby there is confusion between friends, we can go on about how much we love our job and do it for the passion of it and making money is a bonus, that our friends think that we enjoy it so much we dont mind doing it for free. Also another thing to remember, girls are always grooming each other, helping with tans, makeup, advising on clothes when out shopping, doing make over nights etc, maby they confuse our job with normal grooming. Maby we are being too hard on people who we were desperate to do treatments on in the beginning, thanking them for their help, then didtching them when we no longer need them. So unless you are going to get models off the street, we need our friends and family at the beginning of our career. I think I was obsessed with doing nails for the love of it, then I became obsessed with building my business up and a few friends felt a bit left out and I still now kind of book time with them into my appointments. I am just saying maby as this seems to be happening so much and there are so many threads about it, maby this is another angle to look at it, in SOME CASES, not all! Dont come down on me like a ton of bricks now ladies lOL XX

 

[Miss Hair]

This is such a tough one, I haven't even started college yet but I've had friends and family saying oh you can start doing my hair and oh you can practise on me! Some of them I know are saying it to help me out but some of them are thinking oh great free hair! I'm the type of person that would never let anyone do something for free I would always pay them even if it meant sneaking the money into their purse but on the other hand I would not charge someone for doing their hair if they were friends or family! I shall probably be posting on here in 2 years time saying Help, I'm doing everyones hair for free!!!! My sister in law has said if your stuck and need a model for college then I'll come in, which is nice cus its helping me out but others I know will be a nightmare! I think some people just take the pee and take advantage, I guess its more difficult with beauty cus there are more treatments and they need regular maintenance like nails eyelashes spray tans etc! My aunt has an ironing business but I would never dream of saying oh ill drop my ironing round saturday afternoon and you can do it for free!

 

[Martin Duffy]

Whilst I agree it could possibly be an uncomfortable conversation, the bottom line is sometimes in life we have to take control of our lives and likewise our businesses. No-one walks over people without them laying down first. It's a very simple answer, tell them your products cost money as does your time and that you will need to charge them to cover these costs, if they say it's too expensive then either explain why you've set your prices at that level or just let them go somewhere cheaper. Take control of your BUSINESS!!!

 

[Karen-Nail Tech]

My original post was about friends asking for me to get them equipment and products so that they could do treatments themselves and not about them wanting free services (which in fairness they don't ask for) but I appreciate the replies

x

 

[gr8nailz]

So sorry. This happens sometimes....unintentional thread hi-jacking. Our intentions were good.

 

[Lou x]

I also got the wrong end of the stick sorry just thought the main thing was about people taking advantage of what you do...

I've not had anybody ask me to get anything but then I'm not a nail geek (well I am but I mainly offer tanning and lashes)
So not 100% sure on what she's asking for from where but if these things can be sold to the public perhaps you could sell them?
Or just spin a story that as you buy them professionally its quite hard to make orders ect or maybe say you can only buy them from where you do in bulk so that she may be better getting stuff elsewhere (that way she'll think your doing her a favour) x

 

[Dolly6410]

So sorry. This happens sometimes....unintentional thread hi-jacking. Our intentions were good.

haha i do it all the time, i apologise to the people whose threads i have hi-jacked and in advance to the ones that i will :lol: i blame Lou though, whenever i hi-jack she's there along side me, its a joint effort!