Starting out to cheap

[showson]

Hi Geeks

Just after a little advice, i am a newly trained nail tech and have been doing nails now for around 6 months working for myself mobile.

When i passed my nail tech exam i decided that i wanted to work for myself mobile, but along the past 6 months i have made a rod for my own back and dont really know how to move forward with out loosing the regular clients that i have got.

The first mistake that i have made is under estimating myself and started off with prices that are to cheap and i am not really making any money, i charge on average £22.50 for a set of nails no matter what the client has, glitters, nail art, 3D nail art. So when i take out my petrol cost and the cost of my products and time i am not making anything, but dont really know how to move forward and put my prices up and start charging extra for glitter designs and nail art.

I do advertise prices for nail art but was daft and never charged for it on top as i thought this would be a good way to encourage people to come back. Also over the christmas period i had a few people book and when i got to there houses they were not in and i was not happy cause that last week before christmas i was turning people away.

Have any of you got any advice on how i could go about putting my prices up without loosing the few clients i have got, also with regard nail art would you start charging your old clients or would you start from now on charging new clients.

Do other mobile techs do you charge extra for petrol or do you include that in your price, when i first started doing it mobile i did not realise how much hard it was.

It is starting to get me down as i really love doing nails but if i dont get my prices up a bit and start making some money soon i am going to have to pack it in, i know it takes time for a business to start making a profit but everything i earn is going on more products and i am not even getting a wage out of it . Not sure if it is worth sticking it out or pack it in and try to get a job in a salon.

Sorry to go and i hope this makes sense. any advice would be welcome:cry:

 

[[Gemma]]

I am in the exact same situation.
I am thinking of charging my regular clients a tiny bit more, and charge new clients the real valued price. I am still not sure though. I'm afraid of losing clients. I mean there aren't many nail techs in the area that will do the same job I do, for the same low price. So, I guess there's hope.

 

[showson]

What would you say to your regular clients, would you jsut tell them that as from such and such date there will be a price increase of x amount.:irked:

 

[Gray]

Hi,

I too am newly qualified and have just started out mobile. I would have thought now would be a good time to increase your prices slightly being the start of the new year and all that. Maybe a more experienced tech could comment on this. Can I ask how you are finding being mobile? How do you advertise? It is a very slow process in my case and I get quite frustrated.

Debbie

 

[nails2nails]

Would you expect milk, bread, newspaper to stay the same price forever more? NO facts are prices have to go up, so I would just say to them, that your prices will increase from such a such date as the price of your products have gone up also.

But in a better choice of words

To be honest 22.50 is a very low price and why are you giving your products away ie:glitters/art...is it suprising your not making money...have more confidence re-do your price list and then hand them out to your clients

xx

 

[showson]

how much would you charge for a set of nails, and how much for a set including glitters etc?:irked:

 

[nails2nails]

Hun don't undersell yourself...

I would start at about £25 as you have only been doing nails for 6 months..the questions you have to ask yourself is...do my nails last 2-3weeks without lifting etc as for the glitter etc..I would add at least £5 for this service..you want to make money right? you have to become buisness woman and make the money hunnie lol

 

[nails2nails]

Just had a look at your website..your telling me your giving all that nail art away for free?

your nails are fab x

 

[crazysaz]

£35 for french tips, £40 for forever french/ink and whites, £5 for a soak off, £35 for rebalance, £20plus for infills. My prob is im too lax on infills so people who have had their nails done for 4 wks are paying the same as 2 wks even though they're is a lot of work extra plus its not really fair. another thing would be say I do a soak of and new set, I sometimes only charge the £35, the other day I charged a girl £45 nxt day she was in asking had i ut my prices u, i explained I had actually must ve given her a discount the last day. Moral of the story, they dont appreciate a discount, they will then expect it al the time. Im putting a list of prices in a prety frame on nail bar. An sticking to it!!!
You may just explain to them that you need to put your prices up and see what the min is that you need to do to earn money. Try and get people in same areas on same day then at least your not spending as much on petrol.

 

[showson]

Hi Debbie

I went mobile so i could do nails around my family life, taking kids to school etc, but it is really hard work. Its like anything it has its good points and it's bad points but i do enjoy it.

I advertise through a website that i designed myself, in local magasines and a leaflet drops, adverts put up in local post office windows etc, but you will find you best advert is word of mouth, i am just starting to get business through word of mouth.

It does take time and it is slow going at first, it still is for me now after six months, but i keep telling myself rome was not built in a day. Hang in there and it will work out just do what you can to get your name out there. I am no professional but if you want any help or advise please feel free to message me and i will help if i can.

Good Look X

 

[kezza*]

What price increase are you thinking about?????

Have you spoken to any of your clients about a price increase???

Like someone has a really said everything is going up just explain that the products have gone up and what with petrol forver going up and also bear in mind that tax goes back up to 17.5% soon so if you hang on properly til April (that's the begining of the tax year),,,you'll properly find that your clients will understand,,,,some may drop off but don't worry,,,,,I change £25.00 for a full set mine are too cheap I know but I did that so people would try me and I will be increasing mine I think in April..
Good luck and just remember charge what your worth and your worth more than your charging lol
Kerry

 

[sophie..]

hiya i charge 25 for a full set & include glitters & lil flower sticker & gems ect with this. the way i think of it is.. it really doesnt cost much extra to do and having that different choice of things does get clients to come back.. for example.. ive got quite a few clients that rarely have just white nails. if they didnt have the choice of different things i dont think they would be as regular. thats how i think of it anyway. i have that many glitters and things now, they rarely need replacing so i dont charge any more. if i do dried flowers or something new thats cost me quite a bit, il charge 50p a flower for dried flowers and people are happy to pay it as they understand im just covering the cost of them. i do feel i should be charging more but its whats worked for me so far & dont want to loose clients!
if things are taking you alot of extra time to do like they 3d sculpting, charge extra and just explain its because it takes you longer.. i dont do the 3d sculpting or the nail art pen designs as there wasnt much demand & i prefer playing around with they glitters instead! so my nail art that i do doesnt take me much more than 5mins extra time onto what im already taking! sorry to go on but hope this helps!

 

[sophie..]

hiya again.. just had a look of some of the nails on ur website! u should defo charge for those designs & stuf! i usually just do the glittered tips with the odd gem or flower on 1 finger but most people just go for plain glittered tips & no more which is why i dont charge much extra. sorry forgot to say.. on a full set i dont charge any extra but with maintenance its £1.50 ontop of regular pink/white price

 

[Scottish_girl]

lookin at others prices i can tell im deff charging far too low!!!

i charge the following

£10 white tip and overlay
£12 coloured tip and overlay
£15 sculptured (p&w, glitter etc)

dont think ive ever charged over £20 yet and i do ALOT of nail art, the other day i done a tip and over lay and she had 60 nail gems on her nails and i charged £15 :S

i work from home so dont have petrol charges etc but think its about time i stop being such a idiot!!

 

[[Gemma]]

What I was thinking on doing was something similar to a reply in a post above. I will just tell my clients that due to the increase in product price, I too will be increasing prices, but not by much.
I personally base my prices mostly on the product I use, not so much the work I put into it. Unless whatever it is they want takes a good amount of time, like 3D.

15 Full set, polish
18 Full set, white tip or color tip
20 Full set, polish & some Nail Art.
24-26 Full set, Glitter & a couple of rhinestones & Nail Art.
25-35 Full set, Glitter, Robbons, 3D, ALOT of rhinestones & even some nail Art.

I work in the US, so this is in dollars.

I too work from home and absolutely like it. It's simply more convinient. Once in a blue moon I will be mobile, but that only applies if it's more than 2 or 3 sets at a home and if it's close.
Girls come to me because they know my work is good, and they will not pay that price anywhere else.

HTH.

 

[katiebbaby]

My view is you charge for your time and experience and qualification, if I was to spend best part of 2hrs doing someones nails and charge say £20 that would be £10 an hr minus cost so say about £8 an hr,,,,why did I pay all that money for education??????? mmmmm dont make sense

If it takes more time it costs more,,, that to me is more than products... food for thought

 

[aangel]

hi. i too am newly trained but just a thought to help you put your prices up.
once you have a full price list create a little pretty folded brochure on publisher, print it off and give to all your clients. this is another thing they can keep hold of with your contact details on, show friends etc, and will also make them aware of the price increase and from what date. put the date 4 weeks from the first client you get to after printing them out and just say when you give them it that due to increases all round, your new price list comes into effect as of XXdate.

you could always, on the back of the brochure, put a referal discount, this would encourage old clients as they could easily get the prices back to the old price if not cheeper by refering new clients you way.

good luck xxxxx

 

[kezza*]

U could always up your prices and to make your regular clients happy give them a discount and say it's because they have been a loyal client?????

 

[ADiva1]

U could always up your prices and to make your regular clients happy give them a discount and say it's because they have been a loyal client?????

Dont give discount, your business will lose money!

Be confident! Put your prices up annually, give your regulars notice about it. If they really want to stay with you, they will pay what you charge! Believe in yourself!:hug:

 

[angelnailz]

Hi

I think what it`s all about is keeping clients coming back, thats what will really make your business work. If clients are coming to you because your prices are cheap then trust me it`s only a matter of time before you loose them anyway when someone else comes on the scene charging ridiculously low rates, (there will always be someone out there cheaper) BUT if clients are coming to you because they like you and your work believe me they WILL pay your prices even if you put them up.

Good luck :hug: