nails as a hobby

[claire 1]

Hi Everyone,

If you have read my profile and previous posts you would have seen that I did nails as a hobby for five years before taking the plunge and chucking in my job and opening my own home salon, (I invested quite a considerable amount of money into this venture) and as I have four young children and am a single mum so it was no mean feat I can tell you.

But ever since I havent enjoyed doing nails at all, I am just not suited to the cut throat world of business, it is even more stressfull than childbirth.

I have a brilliant loyal client base of about twenty, who I will continue to do for the pure enjoyment of doing nails and i will only charge to cover the cost of products so we are all happy and once again the enjoyment is back in my life.

My old boss (I promote skate parks throughout the uk) has very kindly given me my old job back which I start on the 6th of September.

I will continue to come on here if thats ok as i really enjoy it and I would like to say to everyone who is running there own nail business you have my complete and utter admiration, I never realised how cut throat this business can be, which isnt helped by nss salons so hats off to you all I think you are fantastic.

I would also like to say to anyone who does nails as a hobby and is thinking of crossing over, please dont be put off by my experience, I just could never get a handle on charging for everything(business woman of the year I am not) I have lost count of the amount of solar oil, files hand cream that I gave away I just couldnt help myself.

Anyway I am soooooooo happy now I have my regulars who love what I do, and I can again do beautiful nails without all the stress.

Cheers

Claire x

 

[Jo Jo]

Hi Claire!

Well your story sounds similar to mine! I played around with store bought nail products for years and then decided I wanted to do it as a career so took voluntary redundancy from my job of ten years with a lovely salary and spent my redundancy money on training and setting up. I didn't enjoy it atall! I had problems dealing with fussy clients, my salon location was a poor choice and the products I was using initially just were not working for me so after only 6 months and £10,000 later I gave up and went back into an office job, and... I hated it! I hated not being my own boss, I hated the mundane sameness of every day and I eventually missed the nails! Like you I kept a few die hard clients on and found that once I had relaxed... the nails got better and better and I felt more confident, like you I had previously given away solar oil, files, buffers and even the occassional polish, business was not my strong point! I think I just wanted so desperately to keep my clients as the competition in the town I was living in was getting daft. Anyhoo to cut a long and boring story short I have had alot of time recently to perfect my technique, now don't get me wrong whilst I can aspire to create the nails we all see by the masters in the mags I am a long way off but in the whole am happy with what I produce and that has given me the confidence to charge a decent price and to say to myself 'if they don't come back they don't come back' I'm not going to give anything away anymore, part of the tech's job is to be a non pushy sales person and if you believe in the products you are selling it sort of comes as second nature. Anyway I bet in a few months, maybe a year you will be back and will be able to enjoy it more. All best wishes. J xxx

 

[geeg]

Poor Claire,

I have to say, I never considered myself 'cut throat' when I had my salons. I just employed the normal business practices that run any business and of course this included making a living!! :lol:

Some of us can't get away from being womenand this includes being a soft touch. :lol: You can never make a living by giving away stuff that you have paid for and , come to think of it, shame on your friends for taking advantage of you in that way and allowing you to do it. I can't beleive they are still taking advantage and letting you do their nails on just a cost of products basis!!! What about your time and effort?? Really I think this is not a good situation ... but it is your choice of course ..... I would not like friends like this who would use me and my circumstances to gain something for themselves.

Good that you can have your old job back and you have learned something about yourself in the process. Good luck.

 

[talented talons]

I have to say i agree with Geeg that you can't run a business based on favours and handouts. Hat off to you fro doing it as well as runninga home and bringing up kids as well. I only have one child and finf it difficult at times.

It is hard to be business like all the time, but i think if you really want to get any enjoyment and fullfillment from your work then you have to be realistic. I'm still learning a hell of alot and always will as far as nails are concerned, but know that at least i am trying to make something of myself at the end of the day.

At least you have tried and you are happy with what you are doing, hope it continues for you.

 

[Trini]

I understand fully what you are saying and going through I am in the same situation I love doing nails but people are not willing to pay the price and always want some thing for nothing. I will tell you this there is no failure in a try but you can fail by not trying so you live and learn, and keep going if you reach to that place where you feel like trying again please do. After all thats been said and done you must learn from your mistakes and try again. Keep the Faith.


TRICIA BARBASTE
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[email protected]

 

[geeg]

people are not willing to pay the price and always want some thing for nothing. [/email]

No you are so wrong XXXXX People ARE willing to pay the price. They pay plenty of us the price.

People sense vulnerability and they 'try it on' and allot of them win because women weaken and give in.

Every nail technician should go on a business course if they are going to run a business ....end of story. Or at least have some idea.

The reason why we are 'done' so often is because often we don't go into nails as a business .. some go into it for fun, a hobby, they want to decorate a saoln and play at being a salon owner .... so many reasons. THIS is precisely why nail technicians have not got the respect the hard working professional ones deserve. Because there are so many doing nails who are not professionals.

I'm not saying that because you don't own a salon or aren't doing nails full time you are not a professional. One can be professional at any level. Giving stuff away and apologising all the time for the price is not being a professional and of course you simply cannot run a successful business that way. Anyone doing nails for a living needs to get serious about it if they want not to fail.

 

[Jo Jo]

No you are so wrong XXXXX People ARE willing to pay the price. They pay plenty of us the price.

People sense vulnerability and they 'try it on' and allot of them win because women weaken and give in.

Every nail technician should go on a business course if they are going to run a business ....end of story. Or at least have some idea.

The reason why we are 'done' so often is because often we don't go into nails as a business .. some go into it for fun, a hobby, they want to decorate a saoln and play at being a salon owner .... so many reasons. THIS is precisely why nail technicians have not got the respect the hard working professional ones deserve. Because there are so many doing nails who are not professionals.

I'm not saying that because you don't own a salon or aren't doing nails full time you are not a professional. One can be professional at any level. Giving stuff away and apologising all the time for the price is not being a professional and of course you simply cannot run a successful business that way. Anyone doing nails for a living needs to get serious about it if they want not to fail.

I remember us having a similar conversation to this one a while back (last year I think) Geeg and I remember I got all huffy about it (who me??) but it definitely gave me the kick up the **** I needed to see I was being too soft and how was anyone going to take me seriously as a business women. I think alot of peoples nature is to get whatever they can for as little as possible and of course there is always an element that will take from you whatever they can for free, I definitely HAD to toughen up thats for sure. There is this famous quote from Jennifer Lopez that before she was famous she called her mum crying as she hadn't got the part she wanted in a play and her mum said 'you wanted to be in this industry Jennifer so don't ever call me crying again, get a backbone and do your job' and well, she definitely did that huh!? J xx

 

[Trini]

I agree fully with what you are saying. I am on an island with the total population of 3000. beeing that limited I was talking from that point of view.
of a limted clientel sorry to have offended you. Business is business and as all business I agree that giving product away is no profit. All I was trying to say is we learn from our mistakes, and business class is not a bad idea.

sorry to have ofended any one.
Tricia Barbaste

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

Oh yes they pay me lol...................
You have to be firm but fair to get out what you put in.........
My friends where charged when I first started a fee to cover the cost of my products......
But all where told that when I went out into the big wide world of nails, to work publicly ,they would have to pay me what I thought was fair, not the other way round!!!!!
My pricelist is structured around time and profit........
There is nothing cut throat about a pricelist and it is not open to negotiation lol......
I wouldn't try to negotiate prices with my hairresser who comes to my house........
I respect her prices and other respect mine......thats what it boils down to I think, is respecting somebodys profession and the time and money it took to get there. Somebody has to pay for all those courses , courses are an investment towards the future not a free for all !!!!!
As I say be firm, be fair and be final !!!!!!!
JMHO

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

I agree fully with what you are saying. I am on an island with the total population of 3000. beeing that limited I was talking from that point of view.
of a limted clientel sorry to have offended you. Business is business and as all business I agree that giving product away is no profit. All I was trying to say is we learn from our mistakes, and business class is not a bad idea.

sorry to have ofended any one.
Tricia Barbaste

Oh Trini you havn't offended anyone babe xxxxxx
and I can see your point off view !!!!!!
Be happy in what you do , then you will have a happy life xxxxx

 

[Trini]

Thanks Ruth
I love this a talk with all of you diffrent points of view I feel like a school girl again lots of friends and teachers who are willing to help and all about a subject I LOVE.

Thanks alot.
Trini.