5 ways your nail & beauty business can save money

We are all feeling the pinch, so check out money-saving solutions for your nail and beauty business…

1. Be economical with your products

Let’s use a nail file as an example. When you consider how much of a nail file you use in each service, it is rare that you use the whole file, especially if you are performing prep or filing a free edge. This leads to waste: both environmentally and financially.

By cutting your nail files into two or three pieces, you can use the entire file while remaining sanitary and avoiding reusing. Working with a smaller nail file is also easier to control. This technique can also be performed with peel-off nail files that have a metal or plastic central core. Simply cut the peel-off file to the size you require for that service.

Follow this tutorial on cutting your nail files.

How much money can this save you? Let’s say your nail files costs £1.99 each. In a typical nail service, you use:

• 240-grit for prep
• 150-grit for refining
• 220-grit buffer

At £1.99 each, that’s a total of £5.97 per client. Cut those in half and it instantly brings the cost per service down to £2.99. Cut them into three and it’s £1.99 per service.

This technique can also be used for other disposable items, such as cotton wool rounds, foils, wax strips, orange wood sticks, spatulas and so on.

Here are some other tips:

• You don’t have to invest in costly products. You can cut up microfibre cloths or muslin cloth for nail wipes ,which can be washed and reused.
• Halve couch roll and such products.
• Cut cotton pads for removal of product into eight.
• Purchase refills where possible, as this is often cheaper.

2. Switch to LED bulbs

LED is potentially over 80% more energy efficient than traditional bulbs. This includes for visual lightbulbs and those used in nail lamps. Making this switch is more positive on the environment and your energy bills.

3. Become paperless

Direct customers to online materials, and use paperless invoicing and booking systems. Offer e-receipts and change your business’s paper bills to online billing.

Educators can produce e-manuals and e-certificates (making them easier not to misplace), and use paperless booking and invoicing systems.

If you still wish to produce printed materials, source sustainable printing companies and materials, and print double-sided where you can.

4. Upgrade and assess your equipment

For example, by using a newer, high efficiency washing machine, water use can be reduced by up to 50% and electrical use by as much as 40%. Alternatively, swap to single use or biodegradable linens. There are several government schemes which may help you upgrade your equipment without cost to your business. You can check these with your local authority.

The KB Powerbank – photo by AJ Feather Photography.

Changing to or using more equipment that is rechargeable will also help keep your energy bills down. Lighting which can be powered by power banks, USB and rechargeable e-files will all reduce the time and consumption of electricity.

5. Address your timings

Time is money. It can be so easy to pause work and chat. Doing this for five minutes per nail service, when performing five nail services a day, accumulates 25 minutes – enough for an additional gel polish service. Follow my time-saving tips in my previous blog for Scratch here.

Love Katie B x

www.katiebarnesacademy.com

Originally published October 2022.