Words of advice needed, please....!

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Shazzar

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Hi Everyone

I can't believe how brilliant this site is and how helpful you are to each other!!

Hence the reason for posting.......!! I will be doing my acrylic foundation course at Creative next week and I'm really excited. I work full time at the moment (secretary), but will be looking to leave in the next few months and would dearly love to work from home.

  • Has anybody got any words of advice/wisdom and very much needed ideas on how to make this possible?
  • Conversion of which room - spare room or garage?
  • I read somewhere of somebody having a converted summer house - if so, how big is it and how do you go on for electricty supplies and clients needing the loo?!!
  • I love the idea of building a conservatory and using it solely for my business but seeing as I have no experience in this field yet, I don't know what I'm going to need.
Does anybody have any really good ideas that they don't mind sharing with me? Anything..... absolutely anything would be welcome and appreciated.

Cheers

Shaz
 
Hi Shaz,

Nails are all new to you - without wanting to put a downer on your enthusiasm - definately not meant - but how would you feel if you spent X thousand of pounds building a conservatory specifically for doing nails and after a couple of months and some grotty nails - you hated nails - it does happen.

Walk before you try to run - do your course and start off with a small table in an existing room and build up your clientelle - then as the money comes in gradually expand.

I started with an ironing board sized piece of wood which I clamped to my dining table and everything had to get put away at night - then I moved to a desk in the corner of the dining room and last year we built an extension to the house which gives me a room for work which has its own entrance and also a loo.

Good luck.
 
Hi Shaz, i have just set up my small spare room as my work place and am presently dressing it up to make it look and feel nicer but even that has cost me quite a bit and i only have a very basic desk etc but i am pleased with what ive got. i work full time as a secretary too and am looking to do nails on a part time basis at least until i have built up some clientele and my confidence and then maybe look to invest in somewhere bigger and better as i would like to eventually offer beauty treatments too, but i definately agree with Fiona's advice. I am finding it quite hard to build up a clientele at the moment and am hoping that things start looking up very soon but other wise i really love what i am doing and am quite comfortable with my work place, anyway good luck x x x p.s this is a fab site x
 
I agree with Kelly, you really have to start small. I am like yourself, want it all and want it now.:cry: Money can be a factor of when you do extensions, but i firmly agree with the others that you really need to get a clientel built up first and get a few regulars then you can work on inprovements.

As long as you are professional in your approach and professional in what you do the client won't mind if you have a very simple set up, your work or should i say nails speak for themselves.

Hope this helps.
 
WELCOME:p

Im sure your going to love the foundation course and am sure you will soon b a nail addict like the rest ov us!

I would think carfully about changing your spare room into a nail room as that sounds like your clients would have to come right into your home! (I live with my parents and they said that they wouldn't like that). At least if you set up in the garage people don't see what you hav in your home and your home stays more separate from your working environment.

Im sure when you get a busier clientel u may feel comfortable with them and not mind these people coming into your home but until then there maybe one or two strange characters that u might not want through your door!

Good luck and enjoy!
 
Hi, Have you considered starting off doing mobile? I have done this as all the items I have purchase e.g. lamp, stool so far can then be used in my home salon when I start to offer this service in the next couple of months. I plan to convert my box room already have a table in there with shelving but I will continue to offer mobile. So far I have found the fabulous plus to mobile is that you get the customers that cant get to the salons that dont do many evenings...I work most evenings upto 10pm if necessary to build up my business and because I enjoy this it the hours dont worry me...(I too work 9-5)....maybe you could consider mobile for the first 6 months before you start with trying to set up at home. Anyway whichever you choose to do the best of luck and i hope you enjoy nails as much as I do
 
hi....i agree i started out using an existing room and doing some mobile ...now i am just having plans drawn up for an extension with its own enterance and a small room at the back for a toilet and shower room ... if you are going to build something have an idea of what you could use it for if you decide nails is not for you or if you get another job etc... and you usually find some people still like you to go to them instead of coming to you if they have children etc..

good luck on your course (its fantastic X) hope this helps you...
 
Thanks everyone for your replies.


I'm going to leave the extension idea for a while and probably go more towards using a summer house. That way it doesn't encroach on my private space, it is a building on it's own and should nails not be for me in the future, then it can revert back to being what it was made for.....summer!!

Thanks everyone.
 
One thing I would be cautious about would be the heat. I used to do nails from my parents' conservatory before I moved into my salon and it was cold in the winter (not too much of a problem... we just wore jumpers and has electric heaters!! :lol: ) but absolutely impossible in the summer. The heat was absolutely no good for me or my products - I just couldn't work in there. Still, did force me to make the decision to move, so that was a good thing!! :lol:

G. xx
 
Out of interest, of those of you who have or are thinking of extensions, what size room have you created and is it just for nails or do you do other treatments?
 
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