Working from home, how much do you charge?

[sibel]

Hi thier..
Can anyone help me PLEASE.......
i have been working from home now for about 2 months now i use NSI which is not cheap, but i am thinking my price are to low i am charging £20 full set with colour, £15 for infils with a colour... i am thinking to do gel aswell, i am not sure on whot to charge on this can anyone give me an idea on how much you would charge?
many thanks

 

[Nickie]

Yes I think you are undercharging, going rate around here is £40 full set french and£22-£25 for re-balance, as you say your using NSI and that is a very good top quility product and idd not cheap, therefore dont sell yourself short. (ob a small hand massage after nails are finished using Senscantions or nurture lotion is inc)

 

[Ruthlm]

why not have a look online and see what is being charged around your area, salons will be more expensive than a home based salon as they have overheads that will have to be covered, but it can give you an idea, you might find other mobile nail tech's in your area advertising as well, you can get an idea from there, hth x

 

[sibel]

Thankyou, yes i think iam selling myself short, i think since i have been working from home i dont feel as professional as i would as if i was working in a shop...
many thanks...

 

[Nickie]

You are just as pro as a shop Hun, you have trained and worked hard, and still are. So be proud of yourself and your work Ruthlm is right, look around at what is charged in your area.

 

[ceekress]

I agree with Nickie, working at home doesn't mean that you are an amateur. If your services are superior than the shops in the hood you can even charge more IMHO.

 

[LadyFinger7]

I definetely think you need to check your area and see what people are pricing their services. If you can get a complete price list of everything your using, then price it out as best you can for a single service. Then atleast you know your costs and it gives you a place to start. I'm a Gel only gal, my prices are $40 Full-Set of traditional gels (plain overlay to apply polish over) and $20 for a fill. The inlaid french (P&W) or french twist/gel colours are $50 for a Full-Set and $30 for a fill. Any extra addictives/art on top of it is extra. Hand painted nail art is extra.

The nice thing about being at home is you don't have the overhead so you can slightly undercut your competition. Howevor, don't ever think being home-based makes you less professional. In fact, a lot of people prefer to come to a home based business (provided your place looks professional, you are as talented as others and their positive of your cleaning procedures - that's a big one at home) because it is private and has a more inclusive feeling because you have to book an appointment. You really can cater to every client and make them feel special -totally comfortable and relaxed. You generally form close relationships with your clients this way, especially being that their coming into your home.

Plus there is nothing worse for some people than having to walk into a packed salon and not being paid attention to. Or worse - being glared at by the other professionals who wished they'de gotten your business. I've heard of a lot of people who don't even bother looking for a new tech/hair dresser because of the bad experiences they've had in salons. All salons are certainly not like this but one bad experience is all it takes for some people. I've had this experience myself so I've learned a big part of keeping a client is making them feel like you really care about their needs and that their happy with your service. Also, that your actually really glad to see them and appreciate their business.

P.s - It was very hush hush but the most successful tech in my area was this woman was working out of her home on 100's of clients. I am in a city where there are a TON of nail salons ranging from NSS to high quality spas. And this woman probubly had more business than the whole lot of them. In fact the first woman I worked for worked was in the city over with the same sort of market. She worked out of her home and also had literally 100's of clients. It does take time to build up a respectable clientelle but I've found home-based salons can be even more successful in some cases. It all depends on your area, your expertise and your business/organizational skills.

 

[sibel]

Thanks thats sweet of you, its scary doing it alone..x

 

[busybee32]

I agree with the others, you are selling yourself short.
I work from home and have a dedicated nail room upstairs, yes salons have overheads but so do you if you work from home too, higher electric bills, water usage for washing, manis and pedis etc.
Then on top of that you have your products.
I am not cheap and in fact I charge slightly more than a lot of the salons in town because of A, My experience, B, My education, c, My products.
Just because you work from home doesn't make you an less of a professional, many clients prefer to go to an english speaking home based salon as the experience is one on one and is mre relaxing than a salon just focusing on getting bums on seats and out the door as quickly as possible.
Even though my prices are higher I feel the quality of the service I provide, my knowledge and my work is what keeps my clients coming back for more.
HTH
Jen

 

[sibel]

Thank you so much for your reply it means a lot, I am so use to being in a busy nail bar and having people round me, music playing great girls to work, fantastic buzz in the salon i realy miss it, At home its lonely and inviting strangers in to my home is wierd i do the best i can to make them feel welcome offer them tea or a cold drink, but iam a people person so i get along well with others, i have had a year off aswell so i need to brush up on my skills and gain my confindence back...
thanks again xx

 

[sibel]

Thanks, i didnt think of it like im not thinking about the little hidden cost and being my own boss i should be more professional and change my attiude towards the way i come across because i am getting more clients and i wouldnt want to think that im giving it away because one lady says im to cheap fot the work and the time i put in...
many thanks..xx

 

[LadyFinger7]

You will love it when you get a few good clients that you enjoy having over. It's just so comfortable!! Plus you can play with your products whenever you feel like it. And your the boss!! A service isn't selling so well? Take it off! You wanna run a special on some new nail art you adore? Go for it! It's all your choice. It's overwhelming but once you get the hang of it and have your basis covered - I wouldn't have it any other way!! I can decide what specials I want to run, I can schedule my day however I please, I work the hours I choose, it's fabulous.

Of course this means your in charge of all the business stuff too - but I personally think entrepreneurship is one of the greatest learning experiences you can have in life. I mean, business and organizational skills are absolutely not useless life skills to have. As far as I'm concerned even if I fail miserably I will come out of it having learned WAY more about business than if I'd just worked for someone. Starting a business is no small feat, you should be proud you had the gall to do it. However, it is great that you already worked for someone so you got the hang of a salon environment and you can see what worked and what didn't from that. But I'll bet you'll never learn a lesson like the ones you learn when it's your own business. In a salon you do learn your craft really well and you get used to dealing with clients. In a home based business you do all that plus about a thousand other things. You become a master at business planning out of necessity. And I personally, wouldn't change that experience for the world. As a business/sales person (which besides a Nail Tech, is what we all are) I have grown hugely from starting a home based business.

 

[sibel]

yes i agree,
its nice to able to work around my kid and earn the money i would never earn if i was employed by someone eles so thats a plus..but i need time to get my head round of being my own boss im always so use to having the boss tell me wot to do and who i have in and suppling all the products and not having to worrying about overheads its wierd, sounds crazy i know, but i will have to get my business brain into gear and be more professional and get on with it...xxx