Which is better, doing nails at nail salon or doing nails from home??

[Dante]

hello
I got my certificate for nail technician this spring and I have been working at a nail salon now.
My dream was to do it from home, but they (a worker is a friend of mine) asked me to work there after I finished school so I started working there.
It is really good for me since I get a lot of experience and I learn a lot there.

I still hope to do nails from home in the future.

Would anyone think I should stay in a salon for a certain period of time before I go on my own?
I was just wondering if other nail techs started working for a salon first and then got independent or did it other ways...

Please tell me your story when you first started if you have time to write to me.
Thank you!:Grope:

 

[geeg]

I started from a home salon and then owned and operated a larger salon in town after about a year and eventually 3 salons and a school.

You have to consider what you WANT to get from your work. How far do you want to go with it?

My expenses from home were certainly less of course and I had a good business so I made money but my family weren't keen on all the coming and going of people at all hours of the day (and night) even though I had a separate room for the salon.

I had to make much more money in the salon to cover the overheads there which meant taking on staff and extra responsibility (plus allot more worry if someone was ill and couldn't work or if they were doing things they shouldn't etc) which all falls onto ones shoulders if one owns the business.

There is allot to weigh up when making the decision. Start with your END GOAL and then decide which is the best way to get there.

 

[Dante]

Thank you, geeg.
I am impressed that you could own your own salon after a year!! wow!

I understand how hard it is to have a salon where all the responsibility is on you...
I would love to have a small room for nails in my house, but I wonder if I can get enough clients.
If you don't mind me asking you, how did you find clients to come to your home salon?

Thanks.

 

[geeg]

The hardest thing about a home salon is getting the exposure you need to build a clientèle. You can't sit around and wait, you have to go out there and grab the bull by the horns and meet people and network and communicate with them to let them know where you are and what you offer ... word of mouth is good but slow you can't rely on it.

What I DID WAS TO SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO WOMEN. I volunteered to talk to women's groups and do demonstrations -- this is easy as there are always groups wanting women to speak about what they do --- I left my cards everywhere I went .... did wedding fairs and local business fairs .... everything and anything where I could get exposure.

One of my best promotions of my business was to offer to do a full set for free for selected women in the public eye and to maintain them if I got bookings through their recommendation. I did a couple of check out girls in the local supermarkets (women were always commenting on their nails) and I did the owner of the local wedding shop and ladies dress shop (nice one). They displayed my cards in their shops and my work on their nails. I got tonnes of clients this way and tonnes of people talking about my work.

It ain't easy but it is what you have to do if you are serious about business and these few free ones keep you busy, give you good feed back and really only cost you your time and not much in product.

 

[Ditzy]

One of my best promotions of my business was to offer to do a full set for free for selected women in the public eye and to maintain them if I got bookings through their recommendation. I did a couple of check out girls in the local supermarkets (women were always commenting on their nails) and I did the owner of the local wedding shop and ladies dress shop (nice one). They displayed my cards in their shops and my work on their nails. I got tonnes of clients this way and tonnes of people talking about my work.

It ain't easy but it is what you have to do if you are serious about business and these few free ones keep you busy, give you good feed back and really only cost you your time and not much in product.

What a fantastic promotion idea, think I'll keep this one in mind for future use!

 

[Dante]

Thank you!!
that was so helpful.
you have great ideas! how to advertise your work is most important. thanks for sharing. I will try that.
Doing nails from home is a lot more work, but I think it will be worth it and I want to try.
I was so happy to hear other people's story.
Thank you so much for your advice!!