Nail tech tips & tricks: What you need to start a nail salon

Starting a business you’re passionate about can be so exciting! Especially if you get to custom and create everything about your brand. As an aspiring nail salon owner, there are various things to look forward to such as tailoring your own services, customizing your own nail designs, being your own boss and even setting up your own salon theme.

But before all that, you first have to know what you’re going to need to turn your dream into a reality. There are tons of things to consider as a business owner such as equipment, staff, service hosting, budget and so much more. 

But you don’t have to worry since you can find everything you need to start your own nail salon down below!

What do you need to start a nail business?

Register your business!

The first thing you should do before starting operations is to get your salon registered! Making your business legal will not only save you the worry of getting your shop shut down but also make you more credible to the public. So to get your nail salon registered here is a list of things you’ll be needing:

• A record of your income and outcome throughout the year.
• A national insurance number.
• Send in your self-assessed tax return every year.
• And pay tax.

Get your business insured

Next is getting your shop insurance! To be able to register, you’ll need a national insurance number and for you to have one is by getting your business covered. As a starting business, a great type of insurance you should consider getting is sme business insurance. This is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses since this insurance policy is tailored to fit all your needs as a starting business.

This is an important step to consider since this will give you a financial safety net that’ll catch you when calamities, accidents or disasters occur. Thus, preventing setbacks that can potentially be the demise of any starting business.

Create a business plan

Have a business plan! Having one will help you map out your business goals, budget and so on. This will keep your business in check and on track. This step is an essential part of any business since this is one of the main ingredients to success.

In addition to outlining your financial projections and daily operations, a business plan for a nail salon should also consider the finer details of customer service and employee compensation. For instance, understanding client expectations, such as proper tipping etiquette (click here to learn about tipping), can enhance the overall experience for both customers and staff. In service-oriented industries like salons, where personal attention is key, acknowledging your team’s efforts through gratuities contributes to a more motivated workforce and higher customer satisfaction.

Have a marketing plan

Next is focusing on how to attract customers by creating a marketing plan! Every marketing plan has to start with who your target audience is, your advertising budget, a theme and of course a medium to market. You can choose to get into as many mediums as you’d like such as social media, radio, newspaper, magazines and television.

Pick out a great location

Now you can now choose the location of your shop! When choosing where to set up your nail salon, make sure it’s accessible and easy to spot. Complicated locations can drive away potential customers. Plus location makes such a huge difference when it comes to attracting clients since most people lean on convenience when deciding where to go.

Get all necessary items

Get everything you’ll be needing from materials, equipment, furniture and even appliances. For a starting nail salon, you can start out with items that are enough to cater to two clients at a time. Here’s a list of things you’ll be needing:

• Comfortable chairs and stools.
• Hand rests.
• Medium-sized basins.
• Nail clippers.
• Nail file and an electric nail drill.
• Cuticle pusher and nipper.
• Nail buff and brush.
• Nail scissors.
• Nail cleaner.
• Desks and manicure tables.
• A fan or two.
• A lamp.
• Nail colours (Regular polish, gel polish, dip powders and so on.)
• Acrylic nail kit.
• Polish remover.
• Dust collector.
• Moisturizing cuticle oil.
• Nail artist chair.
• Nail tips and glue.
• UV lamps.
• Apron, cloves, mask and nail nets.
• Nail accents such as glitters, stickers, foils and so on.
• Disinfectant for your stations, tools and customers.

Advertise your shop!

Now you have everything you need to run a nail salon, you can now advertise your shop. A great marketing strategy is by announcing your shop’s opening date and giving out ‘opening day’ discounts for the first 10 clients. This will give people the chance to set time aside to visit your shop.

Plus using big social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr to advertise your shop will help you out tremendously! Since most people are on these sites for almost half of their day, they’re bound to stumble across your ad and posts!