New Salon Jitters!!!

[Layrex9]

Hello everyone,

I am opening a new nail salon on Tuesday and I am feeling absolutely sick with nerves. There is not another nail salon round here for about 15 miles, but there are a few nail techs who do mobile and one at the local hair-dressers. The salon looks great, my Mum has been to help me decorate (it is a brand new unit so we have done it from scratch) but I have never worked in a salon so I am frightened to death :cry:. I kind of fell into nails about three years ago and eventually I went to creative, worked very hard and thoroughly enjoyed myself and got my L&P masters, also did courses Brisa and Fibreglass. I am hoping to be a grand master in the New Year. But as much as the nails that I do seem to be good, I start panicking about lifting (although I know this is not a problem) but I take two hours to do a full set (probably can be cut down to an hour and a half) because when I have practiced on family members I end up chatting and stopping what I am doing. Also I suppose in a salon all your things are out in front of you which must cut time down as well. Mum has had lifting for 10 years until I started doing her nails with Creative and the lifting has miraculously ceased!! My carpets went down today and all my furniture turned up. If I eat anything, I feel sick. My step-dad said "Build it and they will come..." but I am panicking like mad! What if they don't want to sit there for two hours and say I am way too slow? Oh dear!! I love doing nails and I have plenty of goodies to retail as well but oh my word I am nervous! Is there any easy way of getting through this or is it just nerves of steel that get you through?

 

[hippy-chick]

firstly,

breathe!!!!

take some rescue remedy

then

repeat after me....

'I am a professional nail tech and am capable of doing nails, otherwise I wouldn't have passed all my exams. My salon looks fab and I have fab retail products'

btw I love where you're at.

Why not make up some mulled wine and have your mum stand outside with a tray for passing trade. You could hover inside with a tray of mince pies. Bribe a few friends and family to help you celebrate and be 'rent a crowd'

 

[maguire]

I am sure that when your clients start coming in your timings will settle down, just tell them if they want quality then it takes time, congrats on your new buisness anyway I am sure everything will go great, and the jitters will stop, hopefully you will be too busy to think about jitters, so good luck.:hug:

 

[maguire]

Why not make up some mulled wine and have your mum stand outside with a tray for passing trade. You could hover inside with a tray of mince pies. Bribe a few friends and family to help you celebrate and be 'rent a crowd'[/quote]


I will come for the mulled wine and mince pies, pity she is not closer.

 

[poppyloo]

firstly congratulations on your new adventure :green:

I love the mulled wine and minced pies idea, will really get you noticed on the all important opening day.

rent a crowd also fab idea, people create people. Noone likes to miss out on what others are doing!!

Remember to have fun and try to stay calm. You gotta be good to be a masters so take confidence in your work and so will your clients. 2hours is not a long time and all of my clients have been more than happy with timings like that. But yes you are right, your timings will drop once in a salon environment with all your bits set out ready (untill you really get to know your clients and then the chat will again take up most of the appointment!!!)

Enjoy this new chapter hun, good luck

xxxx

 

[Layrex9]

Thank you, thank you, thank you all of you!! I feel a lot better! Great ideas about the mince pies and mulled wine - and the Rescue Remedy, I'd forgotten about that little gem! Thank you so much for your words of comfort it has really made me feel better xxxx

 

[sknight]

Thank you, thank you, thank you all of you!! I feel a lot better! Great ideas about the mince pies and mulled wine - and the Rescue Remedy, I'd forgotten about that little gem! Thank you so much for your words of comfort it has really made me feel better xxxx

babe, dont worry, you use a great product and your clients will be relaxed as long as you are!! just chill and do your magic. Your clients will return as long as you remember that you are great at your job and compliment your work. Remember there are many amzaing techs here to help you when you have a problem and dont be afraid to air your views. Good luck hun, i am sure you will be a success!!

All the best,

Stephen xx

 

[blossom]

Try to relax and enjoy this fabulously exciting time, good luck for Tuesday hun :hug:

 

[Nailtrix]

Take a deep breathe and relax:hug:
I think, if at the end of the two hours clients are walking away with a beautiful set of nails I'm sure they won't be complaining.

Good luck!

 

[loubylou]

Don't worry hun you will be fine, after your first day it wont be new to you anymore and you will feel much better,
loving the wine and mince pie idea,
yes your timing's will improve in a matter of weeks when working in a salon, remember hun to talk to the hand and not the face, just glance at them every now and again and give them a smile, they do understand
good luck hun it sounds like you are in a great spot :hug:

 

[Cathie!]

Talk to the nail....it will really cut your time down! Clients don't mind, I always tolk to the nail but have some really good chats with clients.

Something I learned when I was in the hair salon, renting, was how to manage my appointment book, make sure that you dictate as much as possible the time for your clients to come in so that you don't have silly 15, 30 minute appointments left that you can't really do anything with.

Say a client wants a full set and you need to book 2 hours and you have 4 hours free say between 12 and 4, either book her in at 12 or 2 and then you can fit another one in, but if you booked her at 1 you would have 1 hour either side....ok maybe a mani but not a new enhancement client....brad and butter.

Good luck with your venture! xxx

 

[Layrex9]

Thank you ever so much all of you! Aggghhhh - it is the night before!! I am going for a bath now and a nice early night! The photographer came today and took loads of pictures of me and the salon, and he took some of me with bottles of polish and me creating a nail as well! The salon looks lovely and I have had lots of "good luck" cards from friends. I can't believe it, it is all happeneing at last!! Will let you know how my first day went! :hug: Once again thank you so much for your words of wisdom xxx

 

[Coppertop]

Hope it all goes well hun :hug:
Will be on tomorrow eveing to hear all.

 

[Layrex9]

Hope it all goes well hun :hug:
Will be on tomorrow eveing to hear all.

I am sooooo sorry I didn't e-mail to let you all know how it all went. Your advice means so much and I remembered it when I was feeling really nervous the next day (and the rescue remedy)! The opening went really well and it seems to be picking up now, I have had a really busy day today and I have also just had a big article in the Gazette as well. All my customers have been word of mouth so far and a few have seen the ads I put in the paper (I put some ads in for the last fortnight) so I have had some customers from that also! I am having my house ripped part as well at the moment so the salon is a haven away from all the clouds of wall-dust, grotty carpets and DIY smells!

Will keep you all posted,

Much love and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 

[nailzandbeauty]

Aww good luck with it all mate,sounds like its going well for you.
Whats this rescue remedy as i suffer really bad with my nerves x

Any chance of some piucs n here so we can have a look please?