New business venture with Shellac-brave it or not?

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Littleboosmum

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Jun 3, 2013
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Location
Norwich
Hello everyone
I am currently having a dilemma on which route to take at this point in my life and thought who better to ask than those already doing it!

I am on maternity leave but have been made redundant, I was intending to return part time. However, I am trained in beauty and bio sculpture. I used to do nails part time several years ago but was never busy although I also worked full time in my office job. I gave it up a as i felt working both jobs was just too much.

I have always loved all things nails and am considering training with cnd to offer shellac and brisa lite on a part time mobile basis. There are lots of salons and mobile nail techs around the area (norwich, norfolk) therefore lots of competition and lots of cheaply priced nails around. My thinking was that I would train and then spend the next couple of years practicing hard to become very good and once my baby is older will get the business off the ground once I feel fully competent in nails. I want to offer a luxury service with the best quality products and workmanship.

I have worked out some pricing to see what sort of profit I could make. if I work out the hourly rate I wish to be paid and then the cost of products, petrol, insurance etc, my pricing is a little on the high side for the area. I am then worried I cannot compete with the lower priced services, particularly those based in salons. I realise money is not all its about but if you want to make a living you do realistically need to earn enough to pay your bills.

I think my family feel I should not go ahead as there is too much competition and it won't work. How will I make it work this time when it didn't last time?

My other thing is this, you never see more mature nail technicians and Beauty therapists, most seem to be young. I am 33 now so by time business is properly running will be mid 30s. When is too old to be a nail tech? Where are all you guys who have been successfully running nail businesses for years? Is it becuase by the time you are more mature you have your own salons? My partner asked me where i want to end up if take this route but i know I will prob never be in a position to own a salon so what then?

Sorry for my very lengthy first ever post but wanted to give a clear pic to get some opinions.

Thank you so much for your time and look forward to some replies

Xx
 
I'm 38 and have just trained ! I never considered I was too old ! I wouldn't worry on the age front really x

Good luck I'm wondering a lot of the same questions but I have a day job so I can rely on this for income but it restricts my availability.

Look forward to hearing how you get on x
 
You don't see too many older 35+ nail techs 'around' because they are too smart to be doing the donkey work of a mobile service, and have invested their hard earned money in a Salon, a home salon or renting space where they know they can make much more money with less strenuous amount of activity.

I would go so far as to say that 90% the ''names'' in the industry and the superstars and the best educators and the most talented and successful salon owners and nail technicians are the other side of 35 and probably 40.

It would also be true to say that it is primarily YOU and your attitude, personality and talent as well as your being smart enough to make the right choices product-wise and business-wise that will determine whether or not you make a success of things.

It simply never occurred to me that I wouldn't be successful and I think that is the attitude you have to have. If you are doubting yourself before you even start that is not a positive attitude.
I'm not saying you shouldn't be a little anxious ... that is just being out of your comfort zone and it is part of forging ahead into a new venture. Good luck.

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I am 53 and never really thought about age. But depending where you are it can be hard with so much competition. Work out how much profit you would earn if you tried to compete with the low cost techs as that would be your worse case scenario. You could add more services which may be more profitable.

But I would say follow your dreams. Make it work for you. Get all the facts and make it work.

Good luck x
 
I am the wrong side of 35 and just starting out! There isn't a CND mobile nail tech in my town (as far as I can see anyway) so hopefully I will do ok.
 
Thank you for the super quick responses and advice, very much appreciated.

Oh Geeg, Eventually I would love, love, love to rent a room in a salon but felt that building a client base mobile first was the best way forward so that I had a client base to take with me before committing to a contract with a salon. I certainly don't regard age as a problem now but just wondered what everyone did as they matured with their businesses!

What i Do know is that nails excite me... Working in an office does not! I enjoy it but its not the same. I will still need to work two days in an office to begin with until I can afford to give it up, unfortunately my partner does not earn enough to cover the bills entirely but I would have enough redundancy money to get the business off the ground, fingers crossed!

Do you need to be uber confident in order to run a successful business? I know I will struggle with putting myself forward with marketing etc but once I have done it a few times and pushed myself out of that comfort zone I would hope I would overcome that. I am quite an anxious personality but don't want that to hold me back.

Xx
 
Good luck to you all taking the plunge also, let me know how things are going x
 
I took the plunge and trained at 40! I don't 'do' mobile, I have set up a salon in my garden and I work from there part-time and my other part-time I work for the NHS (because I've got a great old style pension!!). It was the best thing I ever did, my business is as successful as I need it to be right now, and I love all my clients. I don't tend to get the young girls - they seem to prefer the nail shops in town where you don't need an appt. My clients are probably 90% over 30, but are reliable, on time, good company and they book up months in advance! I love my little business :hug:
 
I personally think you are being smart and sensible as youre not just going into it wly nilly and are thinking things through. I must admit I worked in a salon when I first qualified to gain the working experience then after 2 years I left to start my own business doing mobile(with a bed which is really hard graft) and rented a room in a hair salon which was silly as I didn't have a client base. I lost money even though I had clients. Later on things changed and I was lucky enough to have my own salon for 5 years and I was 46!! Follow your heart but work things out in your head too and best wishes.:)
 
I'm 36, trained years ago, but have just set up mobile. It is what works for me and my family, I do not have the option of a home salon, and I do not have the money to open a salon. But that doesnt mean I'm not "smart" or that i am doing "donkey work". I make a good wage, i pick and choose my own hours, holidays etc, and above all - I love it! Each to their own, and if you want it to work, it will do!
 

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