Training as a Nail Tech-Who to train with?

[Sarah P]

Hi

I am looking at taking a course to retrain as a nail technician but am confused by all the different companies on offer!! Should I do a generic manicure/pedicure course or do a course dealing with a specific brand?

I have been doing my own nails with Harmony Gelish for the last couple of months so am quite interested in studying with them, but they're not cheap!! I'm looking at over £300 for a 3 day course plus probably that amount again for their kit. Is it worth the money or should I be looking at different training companies that aren't linked to one particular product?

I have also seen that I can train with Next Step (4 days training plus 1 day review) for £395, or Capital Hair and Beauty for anything between £85 + VAT for a 1 day course to £395 + VAT for a 5 day course.

I'm sure that spending more time (and therefore money) will be give me a better grounding. I want to do this properly, and do a really good course that will get me started with a good technique and confidence.

Can anyone recommend any of the above companies, or any others that they have used.

I live in Hampshire, near the Surrey and Sussex borders.

Many thanks

 

[Maz101]

Firstly you should only be using Gelish if you are trained in Mani/pedi and you'll need these qualifications to get insurance, which is very important.

If its Gelish you want to use then I would train with Nail Harmony who are very good.

 

[Sarah P]

Thank you for your quick response.

Nail Harmony do look very good, and are top of my list (despite the price). I just wasn't sure if I should only train in the one product.

I don't want to waste money on a course that limits me if clients are going to want more than just the Gelish that I offer.

 

[izzidoll]

The price you quote is actually a very fair one.

I would always say if you are wanting to learn nail enhancements to build a business your minimum spend would be £1000 for foundation training and kit.

Generic courses where you buy your own kit or use cheap generic products work out more expensive in the long run as these products are the most difficult to learn with and you tend to move on from them after training to better quality ones so you are paying out again for a Conversion to your better brand and a new kit.
Best to do your homework and start with the brand you want.

Harmony have premium products and a good network of Educators across the country and this is important for your ongoing training, as foundation training is only the beginning.

Good Luck.

 

[Sarah P]

Thank you Izzidoll.

It's nice to know I'm on the right track. I don't want to train the wrong way and make it harder and more expensive for myself.

I had better start saving for the Nail Harmony training then as I do LOVE Gelish!!

 

[anonaw]

training is very expensive and so is getting all the kit, but I'm sure other people will say that its worth it in the end. I certainly feel that way and I'm in the middle of my NVQ and haven't even finished yet. But the training is so worth it. I also did a conversion course with OPI for their gelcolor systems (even though I've learnt it on my course) but it was well worth it. so if your looking at being mobile/home I'd say go straight to the company whose products you want to use. If I wasn't unsure about what I wanted to do I would have just trained in OPI completely.

but everything is completely worth it once you start getting regular clients (I now have three regulars who see me every two weeks) and I have more booked in for their second appointment)

hope this encourages you

 

[Sweetyrex]

At least training with a specific brand you will get to know how to work with their products and how to use them correctly to get the best results. You can always do a conversion course should you ever wish to swap brands. I wouldn't entertain the cheaper training or short courses! I've been there and done that with other treatments and you end up having to either retrain as your not confident enough or you give up all together! Its defiantly worth spending more money and time on your training and kit. If you are serious about making a business out of it then it's worth it.

 

[rachelt73]

Don't forget it's not all about the cost of the training, think about also the support offered by your training provider after your training ends. If you are using Gelish and that is the product you wish to offer then certainly invest in the Nail Harmony training. I completed my 101 Introductory in Natural Nail Care and Gelish Gel Polish and it was worth every penny. I've since completed the one day Design Course which was very informative and great fun. Will probably be investing in some point in Fusion Acrylics but am still building my client base so that's something for the future! My training didn't end on the day, I am able to contact my educator for support and advice at any time and she is always there to help.

Granted it wasn't the cheapest available, but I just think of it as an ongoing investment into the business.

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[Leely]

Would you feel confident with a one day course and being able to offer a nail treatment to a client?

Before you decide on who you will go with, you need to decide if you want to offer all nail treatment's or manicure / pedicure's and a gel / power polish. Or just enchantments.

I have trained with Hand & nail harmony and really rate their training and aftercare.

Good luck with who ever you decide to go with xx

 

[Sarah P]

Many thanks for all your words of encouragement ladies

I will definitely book with Nail Harmony then. Just have to save for a bit longer then!!

I'm looking at this as a new career and not a fly by night thing, so understand that it really is best to invest in that future.

Feeling very excited and positive about the future

 

[Danielle0904]

just adding my vote for harmony training,

i did a 18 week VTCT in my local college in nail technology, however i learnt more on the 1 day translation course with gelish

 

[gems-gem's]

I have an old school friend who did the next step nail tech. She qualified fast , but she said she wishes she had done it differently as you get so little practical training with a tutor she still charges training rates 3 months later. Gelish is fantastic so go for it, don't think you would go wrong starting with manicure cert and gelish then adding to your services. Gel polish is so popular you would build a nice client base and know what they would like ie add hard gel or fusion acrylic. Good luck! X

 

[Arty*Rox]

Many thanks for all your words of encouragement ladies

I will definitely book with Nail Harmony then. Just have to save for a bit longer then!!

I'm looking at this as a new career and not a fly by night thing, so understand that it really is best to invest in that future.

Feeling very excited and positive about the future

Great choice, don't forget to pop on here and let us know how you get on, this is an excellent site for professionals full of experienced technicians and educators.

Good luck

 

[Sarah P]

Thanks peeps.

This is a great site. It was the views on here that helped me decide which gel to trial on myself at home. Having trialled gelish I now know that I want to offer these to clients.

Just got to save for the training and the Harmony lamp now (as the lamp I bought was a cheap LED one on Amazon. Fine for trying it out at home but not to paying clients).

Very excited about the future

 

[westnails]

Hi

I read this thread and having had an awful and then great training experience with gel treatments, I wanted to share my mixed experiences.

I attended training at a very well known beauty training group and after 2 days of the course had only covered applying gel extensions to one hand the course ended early both days, we had no real assesment and i'd spent over 7 hours of the 2 days have another trainee overbuff and damage my nails by incorrectly applying extensions. The course cost over £500 not including an additional kit. It was a complete waste of my time and money and whilst I had learnt some very basic skills I was not confident that I would be able to carry out a professional service to clients, instead I would probably have damaged their nails and got a bad reputation.


After 3 months of complaints I received a full refund, their response was not one of surprise that I was unhappy. I then retrained with Pronails Wales, a local training academy and successful nail and beauty salon in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. My trainer Lisa has and still works as a nail technician for 13 years and I can't praise the course content and products enough. The course consisted of 5 days of training spread out over 2 weeks and we each completed full nailsets on 5 clients, an assessment of a full set of nails from scratch on a model 6 weeks after training to ensure we were at the standard required. For 12months following the course I could use a training table in the salon if I felt I needed more help and could call them anytime with questions or support and because of this I have attended many other courses with them.

I would definitely suggest
1) to do training with the company whose products you will be using, many techniques are product specific and to be successful you need to be passionate and knowledgeable about the products you use. It will make it so much easier in marketing your business. This helps to advise clients and make sure you can attend ongoing training to develop your skills further.
2) find a trainer who still works as a nail technician - they will be able to tell you about how to deal with common issues such as hang nails, missing nails, fixing a broken nail etc. many trainers often train in many beauty treatments and are not specialised in nails or have not done complete sets of nails for years, you want to become aq professional so make sure you are going to one for training.
3) make sure the course uses models so you are not spending hours having other trianees practising on you when you could be improving your skills.
4) make sure before training that you can get insurance with and are accredited by main beauty organisations e.g. Beauty Guild, BABTAC, HABIA
5)you get of comprehensive manual covering all techniques, products and processes and ongoing support in your nail tech career
6) Research how much each treatment will cost you using your selected Brand, how much your competitors are charging and what you want to chargecan you make a good profit ...you need to make it worth your while especially when you are building a client base. Sadly, I know people who spent a lot of money on products and training and have given up because they weren't making money as they didn't research the market before starting.


Pronails have been a great brand for me as I love and trust in the products and equipment, I am able to buy my products locally and can go back to them if I'm struggling with a client with a nail problem or want to do some more training to offer more treatments. The products aren't cheap but are cost effective as I don't have problems and my clients love them. The training cost £600 including a full gel kit (you would need to buy more colour gels to provide options for clients) they also do a conversion course for people wanted to swap to the Pronails brand. The manicure and pedicure training is additional. They have a huge range of products including polishes, gel polishes, soak off gels, buff off gels and tips for all nail types and much more. They are not as well known here as they are a European company just moving into the UK distribution.

Sorry for the long post :biggrin: but I feel really strongly that getting a good start to your training and understanding of the products you use is so important. If I hadn't found the local training centre and the brand I now use by luck I would definitely have given up on what is growing into a successful business. I wish you all the best for your training and it's a great business to be starting!

I hope this might be of some help.