Have I made ALL the wrong decisions

[chellebelle004]

I've got these feeling niggling away and I'm almost too worried to ask incase your opinions confirm it for me.
Basically I'm a full time dental nurse, I've always LOVED polishing my nails and playing around with nail art. I'm planning to start a family this year so last year I decided to find a back up plan career that I can work around having children.
I enrolled in a complete nail tech course with next step beauty (I already know deep down that was the WRONG route!)
Although I enjoy acrylics I not confident at all at making them last and hardly do them.
I do mainly manicures and gel polish.
I did a course with Sally's on gel polish. My options there were gelish or asp signature. I chose asp which I don't regret over gelish BUT reading posts here I always wonder should I have looked into CND shellac. It seems to be the leading brand and everyone has heard of it where as asp signature is not well known and difficult to advertise.
I need to do my best at this because I already hire a chair at a hair salon on Saturdays (which I'm struggling to get busy) and I hope to expand when I leave nursing.
One thing asp has over shellac is you can mix the colours but I'm yet to do that anyway!
I've googled CND courses and struggling to find locations other than Manchester and London. I can see the price for the course but not for the nail kit you need and their lamp.
Plus I've invested in the asp course and nearly 30 colours already which I can't afford to waste! That has cost a lot!
I'm also considering an acrylic course with Sally's? Would that be worth the money?
Sorry for the long post but I'd be so grateful if anyone read it and replied. I feel rather worried about my decisions.
Thanks in advance
P.s spending a lot more money would be a bit of an issue

 

[chellebelle004]

Me again.. I've put my heart and soul into starting this business/venture. I've spent hours on a Facebook page, leaflets, business cards and a lot of money in Sally's. I feel like I'm trying to promote something I'm just not sure I've made the right decisions in and it's upsetting me

 

[hazeleyes]

I've got these feeling niggling away and I'm almost too worried to ask incase your opinions confirm it for me.
Basically I'm a full time dental nurse, I've always LOVED polishing my nails and playing around with nail art. I'm planning to start a family this year so last year I decided to find a back up plan career that I can work around having children.
I enrolled in a complete nail tech course with next step beauty (I already know deep down that was the WRONG route!)
Although I enjoy acrylics I not confident at all at making them last and hardly do them.
I do mainly manicures and gel polish.
I did a course with Sally's on gel polish. My options there were gelish or asp signature. I chose asp which I don't regret over gelish BUT reading posts here I always wonder should I have looked into CND shellac. It seems to be the leading brand and everyone has heard of it where as asp signature is not well known and difficult to advertise.
I need to do my best at this because I already hire a chair at a hair salon on Saturdays (which I'm struggling to get busy) and I hope to expand when I leave nursing.
One thing asp has over shellac is you can mix the colours but I'm yet to do that anyway!
I've googled CND courses and struggling to find locations other than Manchester and London. I can see the price for the course but not for the nail kit you need and their lamp.
Plus I've invested in the asp course and nearly 30 colours already which I can't afford to waste! That has cost a lot!
I'm also considering an acrylic course with Sally's? Would that be worth the money?
Sorry for the long post but I'd be so grateful if anyone read it and replied. I feel rather worried about my decisions.
Thanks in advance
P.s spending a lot more money would be a bit of an issue

Hello,

Never have regrets, nothing about your situation can't be fixed. Most of us made mistakes along the way, buying a product which we never use! I bought daisy gel polishes to start with and loads of other cheap bits most of it went in the bin!

I then invested heavily in opi but then made the change to CND recently for similar reasons to what you have mentioned and the fact they are professional only and I sold off all my opi stuff on gumtree! Obviously lost out on money but as it had all been used I still made enough to re stock myself with CND. Perhaps you could sell off your asp stuff?

What acrylic is the Sally's course using? Choose any future courses wisely and learn from the asp mistake! If you want a reputable brand do the acrylic conversion with them. I'm doing mine with CND it's reasonably priced, well known and much easier to up sell to clients as they've all heard of it already.

CND has educators all over the UK where are you based? Maybe Geeg or someone will come in and suggest an educator close to you. Most of the educators are members on here as well!

Failing that give S2 a call and find out or visit their website as it has a search function for educators. I can tell you the price of the CND shellac kit if you PM me I will !

 

[chellebelle004]

Thank you. What does S2 mean?
I live in Northampton.
I'll try to work out how to pm you now

 

[hazeleyes]

Thank you. What does S2 mean?
I live in Northampton.
I'll try to work out how to pm you now

Oh I'm really sure they have an educator near Northampton I think there's one in Milton Keynes!!!!
I will PM you now
X

 

[shelldavis]

Hi Hun I think we have all done this at some point but don't give up, call s2 & find out more about the courses but be prepared to travel? If your qualified in manicure ellisons do shellac courses in Leicester Coventry & other places but I would advise s2? I travelled all over London Peterborough & Leeds there is nothing in Nottingham where we are but the travel time is worth it x

 

[hazeleyes]

Oh and s2 is sweet squared they are the distributors for CND here in the uk!

 

[chellebelle004]

Thank you

 

[Susan@Irisana]

are you good at and do you like your current job???

I ask because it doesn't seem on the face of it like a job that would be incompatible with having a family (unless you are a dental nurse on an oilrig of for the army or something lol!). In fact if you have a good employer, who might be flexible about returning to work maybe PT and you have worked there long enough to qualify for maternity leave/pay it would seem counterintitive to jack it in and become self employed.

Don't get me wrong being self-employed is great and can be lucrative and sometimes flexible but it is hard work and especially the first few years it is a money pitt and a time drain. If you were starting a family in 3 years I would say go for it, but it would be bloody hard work to do both at the same time! Anyway, sorry that is not to do with nails so tell me to butt out if it's none of my business!

I wouldn't say the training you have had so far is useless but as with any training it is the first steps and it's an ongoing process. No such thing as a 'fully qualified' tech in my opinion as you should always be undertaking courses and learning new things. Just look at what you have as a foundation and you now have the opoortunity to build on it.

I would recommend that offering a more recognsibile brand, along with their support and accompanying marketing and advertising, salon locators etc would be helpful, and this doesn't have to costthe earth (also check out the bsiness forum on here for loads of marketing techniques)

If you want to use cnd shellac, give sweet squared a call on monday. It may be they will accept yor current qualification and let you have an account so you could buy shellac straight away and skip the complete course (which incidentally incldes all the kit in the price including lamp) and go onto the more affordable top up courses like shellac brings them back.... ask them for an education brochure.

re: acrylic training do some research in your area. I hardly ever get asked for it but I know other areas it is more poular. Personally I find the amout you can charge vs the time for a service and the investment needed in training to do it well is not nearly as good as gel/power polish and spa services so if money is tight I would hold off on that but others may disagree.

 

[chellebelle004]

are you good at and do you like your current job???

I ask because it doesn't seem on the face of it like a job that would be incompatible with having a family (unless you are a dental nurse on an oilrig of for the army or something lol!). In fact if you have a good employer, who might be flexible about returning to work maybe PT and you have worked there long enough to qualify for maternity leave/pay it would seem counterintitive to jack it in and become self employed.

Don't get me wrong being self-employed is great and can be lucrative and sometimes flexible but it is hard work and especially the first few years it is a money pitt and a time drain. If you were starting a family in 3 years I would say go for it, but it would be bloody hard work to do both at the same time! Anyway, sorry that is not to do with nails so tell me to butt out if it's none of my business!

I wouldn't say the training you have had so far is useless but as with any training it is the first steps and it's an ongoing process. No such thing as a 'fully qualified' tech in my opinion as you should always be undertaking courses and learning new things. Just look at what you have as a foundation and you now have the opoortunity to build on it.

I would recommend that offering a more recognsibile brand, along with their support and accompanying marketing and advertising, salon locators etc would be helpful, and this doesn't have to costthe earth (also check out the bsiness forum on here for loads of marketing techniques)

If you want to use cnd shellac, give sweet squared a call on monday. It may be they will accept yor current qualification and let you have an account so you could buy shellac straight away and skip the complete course (which incidentally incldes all the kit in the price including lamp) and go onto the more affordable top up courses like shellac brings them back.... ask them for an education brochure.

re: acrylic training do some research in your area. I hardly ever get asked for it but I know other areas it is more poular. Personally I find the amout you can charge vs the time for a service and the investment needed in training to do it well is not nearly as good as gel/power polish and spa services so if money is tight I would hold off on that but others may disagree.

No I wouldn't tell you to butt out for that.
I've been dental nursing for 10 yrs, over 7 at the same practice. I have a very good relationship with my boss and be thinks the world of me.
BUT my issues are.. I'm getting board with it and I have a 45 min commute to work which might be a pain when I have children.
I can see your point though. Being a self employed nail tech is never going to be guaranteed regular income and it is hard work. If I'm going to really go for it I need to get it right.
At the moment I'm doing nails in the evenings and wkends along side working full time. It's tiring but it's gone very quiet after Christmas which doesn't worry me too much as I'm not relying on it for an income.. Yet!

 

[Maz101]

There is some fab advise here, one thing tho I would def check with your council about the special treatment licence in your area, a lot of councils now as it's trying to be brought in across the whole of England need you trained to a certain level to do mani/pedi, enhancements as well as other beauty treatments, these are classed under the special treatment licence and you may find that you need to do further education/qualifications to qualify. Every hairdressers, beauty place etc must have a special treatment licence for their premises and everyone working there has to be on it if their job qualifies. Do check hun as I know a few people who've come unstuck because of this.

You can still work mobile and from home, it's just working premises that need this and every member of staff to have right qualifications. (It doesn't matter if employed, self employed, renting desk etc, it's because your working on a trading licenced premises)

Some councils are different, the smaller ones but they could be changing so I'd make a call or 2 because if you don't have the right qualification it will numb n void your insurance and cause probs for salon as they'd be liable (well person whose name is on the licence)

It's something a lot of nail techs don't realise and or check with their council, but so so important as you could be working in a salon/bar/hairdressers or rented space without the correct licence, each place if needed must have a special treatment licence (occ a council may have it named slightly diff) if any treatment that qualify are being done and only one licence for each address. The only time a licence isn't required is for your own residential address or if your going into a clients home.

 

[souz]

There are CNd educators in Peterborough, London, also at ellisons I. Coventry and Leicester so quite near to you and well worth it, as said contact s2 for all the information you need on courses and kits. It really is worth it though express that enough.

We have all wasted time and money on other brands at some point in our journeys but as long as you can have the conviction to change when you know you have the chosen the wrong path then all will be well. There are places you can sell your kit to other techs so that you won't lose as much money.

If you do decide to switch brands and you want some advice I'd be happy to chat with you. I use shellac and all other CNd systems but also have bio sculpture in my salon although want to become a CNd only salon, shellac has changed my business for the better, I've never looked back!! As for acrylic training and converting, is it popular in your area? Who are your target market? Could that money on training etc be better used on something else that your clients would like? Do some research first and start building a business on what you already have xx

 

[ProjectPretty]

I've read the original post and understand where you are coming from. What I would advise is to ALWAYS believe in yourself and your services. what works for somebody else may not always work for you and what works for you may not necessarily work for another nail tech. It's what you find comfortable using and what you have confidence in. You could use your products as a starting point to build a client base and then introduce new systems later on?

Remember that not everybody gets it perfectly right from the word go once leaving college. I finished my course back in September last year. And only because I have constantly made a conscious effort to practice on family and friends I've managed to build confidence and correct technique so I could start 2014 with a bang. at first my acrylics weren't lasting long, my shellac was chipping, I'd take 2 and half hours doing nail enhancements. Only with continuous practice I've picked up real techniques and speed.

It's a little bit like driving. Once you pass your test and attempt driving by yourself with no instructor next to you or no friends or family helping you... That's when you really learn to drive.

Keep doing what your doing and BELIEVE in yourself. don't take it as bad decisions, take it as a choice you made as a starting point to build your work up from.

x


xProjectPrettyx

 

[lores]

My advice would be to go back part time to your current job and save money and practise with your asp building up a small fair paying (no 5 quid a set nonsense) client base, then in time you would have gained confidence, got yourself some good paying clients and saved to invest in small shellac kit and some additional shellac training. Trust me without going into detail of my situation which involves redundancy, children, part time work etc etc if you need to work after your child arrives to earn money to pay bills, I'm not confident you will see much return for a fair while doing nails as you need to put in a lot more than you get out xx

Sent from my HTC Desire X using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[chellebelle004]

Thank you everyone for your advice.
It's all really giving me food for thought like should I throw away 10 years of dental nursing after having a baby!
My husband and I have had z good chat about it all this morning, he's always so supportive about things but I'm afraid I bottle things up, chew them over abc stressing myself before speaking to anyone and I'm glad my concerns have come out now. I guess you can see now I was worrying about more than just should I change to CND!
Perhaps I'd find going back part time more rewarding than working full time when I know I'm fed up and wanting a baby.
I love doing manicures and gel polish so there's no way in giving it up but perhaps it doesn't need to okay such a huge part in making a living
Than you ladies

 

[chellebelle004]

Sorry I should have read that back before posting, hope you can read around the mistakes there

 

[Dani04]

I have pmd u x

 

[chellebelle004]

Thanks just waiting for it