Mobile nail tech start up

[LadyGray]

Since my thread has been bumped, it seems like a good time to thank everyone for the advice given on this thread, it was a huge help to me and I'm now up and running and couldn't have done it without this topic.

Thank you all that helped!:Love:

 

[bigtallblonde]

£14.99 from The range, very light and even has a carry handle. Pleanty of rpoom for all your bits and bobs. Camp Table 80x60. At The Range.

 

[Relaxingminds]

I know this is an old thread but I came across it searching for ideas! This is going to be long and at times, random! LOL

I offer pamper parties as well as individual services. and have been for several years but as the years go by I find myself accumulating (you know, buying) more crap and trying to find ways to pack. I just don't want to forget anything. My facial and massage kits are very easy to pull together, it's the nail kit that requires so much just for basic manicures and pedicures. I have gotten my makeup kit and face painting kit down to 3 of the silver tool boxes you can find at lowes or home depot for less than $25. They have thin straps and can get heavy but work. They are too small to consider putting wheels on them. I am not that short!

PLEASE I want input on what is in your mobile nail kit, how u pack it and what u pack it in. I don't generally offer acrylic services so I don't take much, if anything, related to it. I have tons of polish and often, forget to take the acrylic paints for art. There may be as many as 4 techs working from the kits, so I have to have enough stuff for 4 simultaneous manicures/pedicures. I take everything they need! All they do is show up and can feel free to bring any personal implements or tools they desire to use.

I have color coded/labeled spray bottes for water, antiseptic/astringent and alcohol. I may have to go back to the pump bottles for remover instead of just bringing the whole bottle.

PLEASE tell me how you transport things like cotton balls, q-tips, etc, as well. Do you have a container for each item? I generally make individual kits which contain enough disposables (cotton balls, diposable files, 2 viva towels, q-tips, etc) to complete both services (I make them for facials also) and pack them individually into qt size ziploc bags then put 10in a gallon ziploc bag. The techs grab one before they start. I also carry at least 2 containers of cotton balls and q-tips plus a roll of viva towels.

HOw do you determine how many polishes to take and how many. I easily have 50 I take including glitters and crackles. I am considering getting some shellac/gel polishes too. I bought 4 three tier bathrrom racks on clearance at walmart and spray painted them silver. They will hold approximately 48 polishes. I put it down in a plastic bag then set it in a box to transport or sometimes I use a clear square caboodle type case. Luckily, I haven't had any polishes grow legs! They range from Sinful Colors, OPI, Nicole, China Glaze and a little Sally Hansen and Avon. If I like the color, I buy it. I have about 60 OPI polishes I have never used I keep them in a closed cabinet for clients that come to me.

When space is available in my car, I also take a rolling trolley which i pack a lot into but sometimes it won't fit (carrying 2 massage tables) or I don't want to lug it. I use a pretty good size black bag (we got OPI bags in school) and I have 2 of the black and silver metal cases on wheels that we got in school. I don't use those because the product doesn't fit upright and I'm scared it my spill so I use them to store product in the house.


Then how do you quickly set it all up and break it down. All I ask the client to provide is chairs and access to a sink or bathtub with hot water. I bring either a portable manicure table (Sally's Beauty) or several wooden tv trays. I saw a portable manicure tray with wheels (I think) about the size of my tv trays online recently and may get a few of them at some point.

Occasionally I take along the parrafin dip too!

For pedicures, sometimes I bring plug in foot tubs and other times we go waterless (hot towels and gallon ziploc bags) or I bring dish pans/large bowls. We have done waterless manicures also. I have a crock pot and toaster oven dedicated to towels. Towel cabi is too heavy and bulky to lug around. I always pack plastic grocery bags for trash and sometimes bring two little 4 gallon trash cans I caught of clearance after back to school for $1. My towels (mani- blue, Pedi - green) are transported in a HUGE basket (think big baby basket) or cloth hamper with handles. I have a smaller square basket I use for skin care towels (white). Makeup towels are black and face painting- purple. I made arm rest out of rice, fabric and a towel "pillow" case. Essential oil was added befoe sewing it up. The towel is tied with ribbon, so it can be removed washed.

As you can imagine, it takes a few trips to load and unload. I thought about using sme travel size bottles for lotion, cuticle oil, etc but then I gotta remember to refill them! I do use 2 oz plastic cups w/lids for foot soak powder. One for each client. I've found I prefer the foaming hand sanitizer, so I have one available at each station and at the "polish removal" station if we set one up. It contains polish removers for artificial and naturals nails and a bowl of cotton balls wit a note that says "For Faster Service, sanitize hands then remove your polish"

DETAILS are welcome!

Thanks!
Taj

 

[Taylormadenails]

This may help...or it may not...
I use the "st.tropez" box from beauty boxes.com and have EVERYTHING to do with my acrylics in there. I keep all my cotton wool/tools in those bags the old minx used to come in! They are soooo handy! For all my polishes I keep them in a large "tackle box" off eBay. All my shellac is in a seperate beauty box off eBay that fits into a large bag (about the size of a Tesco for life bag) but its pink so I carry my shellac + lamp over my shoulder in 1 bag! My nail art I keep in a small tackle box of eBay (when I say tackle boxes I mean like item number 221138084916) and I take the shelves out, they fit the pump bottled from Cnd in perfectly! And as for Mani and pedi I got it all in 280824208812 (that's not the biggest 1 but it was the 1st one on the list so u would have to write down all the measurements of all the similar boxes and get the biggest 1! So I think that's about it really. If there is anything else u need to no I hope I can help u with it x

 

[Holly Byers]

I've got a 2 sectioned beauty box from beautyboxes.com High Quality Beauty / Vanity Trolleys from Beauty Boxes to carry my stuff in. Its on wheels and holds everything i need. Its heavy!! But more because of all the stuff i carry than the actual box :green: its on wheels so i dont carry it far but flats and apartments are still a pain.
Lots of people use the CND bucket bags but i preferred the box.
I also have 2 small seperate boxes that i had earlier in my career, one now has my lash extension stuff and the other i use to tranfer bits and bobs in if i'm doing a smaller treatment and dont need my whole kit.

The table is similar to this one Manicure Nail Table with Cushion: Amazon.co.uk: Beauty i bought it 2nd hand off someone who had decided not to persue a mobile career so cant tell you exactly where it came from.

My chair.. well that is a saddle stool and i got it from ebay. This is the most annoying bit to carry around!! Its not heavy but bulky but it helps me sit correctly and comfortably.

It sounds like loads but i have a set way of carrying everything. The folded table goes under my right arm with the leg side resting on my hip to keep it stable. The right hand is then free to pull my case. The left hand carries my stool.

As i said, everyone has different ways of doing things and after a while you'll find whats best for you :hug: xxx

Just found this reply not very good at.looking for the notifications.
I'm going to check those links
So far just used a travel suit case and stack nicely.
Do love the cnd zuca bag
Hunting for one