Of course it could be Bluesky Shellac in the bottles...
Strange that no other company has tried to create a hybrid gel polish - perhaps they are afraid of infringing CND's patents.
During the next year you will see a shed-load of low-cost gel polish kits coming to the UK market - expect to find them in Boots, Argus and the local supermarkets soon. I bought one last week in the USA for $49.95 and it included a LED lamp! These Kits are aimed at consumers to do at home.
The important thing to remember in the best tradition of Dads Army is "Don't Panic"! ;-)
Most customers come to you for these reasons:
- They want someone to pamper them and give a service (think of monkeys grooming - we really haven't changed so much!)
- They don't want to do it themselves
- They like you and enjoy the contact
- They want to step out of their mad world for a few moments of calm.
In other words, YOU are the brand - NOT the nail products you use! (even though it grieves me to say this as a nail product manufacturer - LOL!). Buying a professional camera does not make you a professional photographer - although it's true with commitment and dedication some people do become as skilled because they are enthusiasts, but how many salon customers will have the time and determination to do this?
What this may do is introduce more people to the idea of a long lasting manicure and drive them to the salon door. (Despite all the advertising a great many people never heard of gel polish - including nail techs who don't bother to read Scratch).
This just may backfire on these DIY Kit manufacturers. Using gel polish is not as easy as coloring your hair at home - and I think that is the benchmark for most consumers. WHen they get wrinkles, shrinkage, damage after only a few days and their nails look crap, most will simply give up and many may return the product and ask for their money back.
In Ukraine and Russia (and probably other countries too), it's always been possible for the consumer to buy any professional nail, hair or beauty product. There are a lot of DIY'ers, but most of them don't just use the products for themselves and make nails for customers on their kitchen table to earn extra money (it's possible the same could happen in the UK with these new Kits). But still these countries have produced some of the world's best nail technicians and nail artists, there are better schools there than you find in Western Europe, and the professional salons keep on making good money (more than most salons in Europe make if you consider their tax system).
The way the pro salons in Ukraine and Russia compete to win business, is to keep taking classes and developing their skills. They totally understand that THEY are the brand and this is something that more European nail techs need to learn. Once you understand this and start to invest in yourself every year as part of a long term business plan, then discount salons and DIY'ers will never affect you, and you will also win customers from other professional salons in your area who don't make that investment.
The only salons that fail do so because they are poor at business and/or make below average nails. To be honest, it's good for the overall industry that they do fail. If you are too lazy to read a book on marketing or to take a class, then you deserve all you get.
Unfortunately, as I have traveled to different countries I have come to understand that there are many companies in this nail business that simply want to make a buck and don't care less about nail techs or the professionalism of the industry. They pander to the inexperienced nail techs who want to buy cheap, want to buy the latest gimmick, or want to do nail art - without first learning their craft. Many of these companies don't even employ a nail tech and are simply grey suits feeding on young ignorance.
So rather that spending money on junk, I strongly encourage all nail techs to save their money and take a class with the best educator you can find. Not all educators are good at everything - look for the specialists and spend your money wisely on something that will benefit you for the rest of your career.
Then you will be developing your OWN brand, and perhaps one day you work can be on the cover of Scratch! (just imagine your customers response when they see THAT hanging on your salon wall! Then you hit them with the price increase!! LOL!!).
So don't panic. There is something you can do and it's called acting like a professional ;-)
Hugs from Sweden!
Bob
P.S. If you have any doubt that you are the brand - login to Facebook and see how we teach our new nail techs. Do you think that they will worry about discount salons?
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.248356551919646.61900.100002359080370&type=1
Two of our Educators are competing at the World Championships in Dusseldorf next month. They started their own salon and school in Tallin (Estonia) one year ago. But because of their skills, they now have a waiting list for new customers and are looking to expand.