Being a nail technician allows you to express your creativity and empower others to feel confident in their appearance. It’s a job that can be a lot of fun, meeting new people and letting your artistic abilities flow. If you’re ready to take the next step in your beauty career, there’s no better option than starting your very own salon.
Opening a nail salon might sound daunting, but owning your own business and being your own boss can be immensely satisfying – not to mention profitable. You’ll need to go into the process with your eyes open and ensure you understand all of the ins and outs that could impact your salon’s success. There’s a lot more to it than just finding the premises and investing in the kit, so you should do your homework and make sure you’re ready to meet the challenges ahead.
Develop Your Business Plan
A business plan is a crucial first step for any new business, as it gives them a concrete set of steps to follow to get their business started. It can also help you work out if there are any specific hurdles you face that will need to be overcome. Most banks or other investment and funding opportunities will want to see a clear and sensible business plan before they provide you with resources, so it is vital to get this step right. There are lots of online resources and templates that can help you get started writing your nail salon business plan.
Choose The Right Location
Location is key when choosing premises for your nail salon. You’ll need a space that has a lot of foot traffic or that is super easy to access by car or public transport – or all three, ideally. It’ll also need to be a space that is suited to a salon business, with plenty of room for nail stations, good lighting and ventilation. Avoid the temptation to choose the first space your realtor shows you, and shop around for a while until you find the perfect spot.
Use A Live Receptionist Service
As a new business, you’ll need to focus on keeping your business costs as low as possible. This is often a major source of worry for business owners, so it’s crucial to look at many different ways to cut costs. A big one is in staffing – hiring an in-house receptionist can be pricy, but you need someone who is always available to take calls.
The last thing you want is for you or one of your techs to have to take time out of their schedules to answer phones. This is where a live receptionist service can be invaluable. Services like the excellent one offered by Signpost provide businesses with 24/7 US-based receptionist services, meaning you’ll never miss a booking or a query, and can respond when it works for you.
Bring In Talented Technicians
Initially, you might be the only technician working in your salon, but if you want to grow your business, it’s a good idea to look at bringing in additional help. There are two ways you could do this:
- Hire talented local technicians to work for you.
- Rent out nail stations to local technicians who will work in your salon as self-employed.
Whichever option you use, you’ll need to make sure that the people you bring in will give your customers the level of service and quality that they could expect from you yourself – or even better. Screen applicants thoroughly, take a good long look at their portfolio, and even consider doing a few trial shifts to see how their work is in practice.
Build Your Online Presence
An online presence is something no business can go without nowadays. Customers expect to be able to find your salon online and often expect to be able to make bookings online. You’ll need a quality website and booking platform and streamlined, entertaining social media profiles. Make sure your branding is consistent throughout and post regularly to social media to generate a good following. It’s best to have profiles on all the major social media sites, especially Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Price Your Services Competitively
You’ll probably find that you’re not the only nail salon in your local area – beauty businesses are popular in almost all well-populated places. Don’t be discouraged by some local competition, and instead, find ways to set yourself apart. Pricing fairly but competitively is one great way to do this. You should be wary of pricing too low, as it will cut into your profits, and some customers may even wonder if they’re getting a good service. Pricing too high, likewise, can put customers off – it is a delicate balancing act to strike.
Take a look at the prices your competitors offer and see how you could price to effectively compete with them. Also, look into ways you can show that your customers will get more value with you than with your competitors – free hand massages or other perks with each treatment can be a good option.
Host A Launch Party
A great way to drum up hype and start your business strong is by hosting a launch party. Make the event exclusive and exciting to get people in your local area talking, and make sure that you pull out all the stops to show everyone what they can expect from your salon. Host the party in the salon itself if possible, or choose a suitable venue. Start promoting the launch party on your socials well in advance, and run competitions to give away tickets to the event. If possible, partner with a local celebrity or influencer to get people even more invested.
Wrapping Up
With persistence, patience and the right tools, you’ll be able to make your new salon venture a success. It’s important to be aware of what you’re letting yourself in for and take steps to manage the stressors and challenges you’ll face. It’s important not to lose sight of the end goal and to make all of your decisions with the future in mind. Take your time to learn exactly what being a business owner means and how you can give your nail salon the best chance of success.