Coronavirus: 6 ways to make the most of your extra time

Julie-Anne Larivière, Salon System nail expert and salon owner of Sketched by J-A Nails, shares top tips for how techs can utilise the extra time they have as a result of Covid-19…

As difficult as this time is for most self-employed nail technicians, it is, for some, a blessing in disguise. We don’t often take a step back and look at what we have achieved or what we could achieve if we did have the spare time – we just work our butts off! If you have found yourself with a ton of time to spare due to lockdown, now is your chance to utilise it.

1. Spruce up the salon
If your salon is at home or easily accessible, why not go and give it a deep clean? You have all the time to make sure all the shelves/drawers are emptied and cleaned thoroughly and that chairs, desks, floors and walls are scrubbed. It’s also a good time to look at your inventory properly and stock up on all of your goodies online, as most suppliers still offer home delivery.

Were you planning a refurb soon? Take this opportunity to redecorate and refurbish your place if you have everything to hand. Give the walls a fresh lick of paint, change your flooring, update your furniture or

repair something that needs fixing!

2. Stay active on social media
Catch up with your social media pages and engage with your audience. They are also spending a lot more time online. You can create lots of new content to keep your pages alive and interesting. Ask your followers to send you their ideas of what they would like you to create or participate in challenges set up by other users.

Julie-Anne Larivière

3. Practice your skills
Remember those nail designs you’ve always wanted to try but none of your clients were up for it? Now is your chance to have a go and find the best and quickest way to create them. Maybe you have just finished a course a few months or weeks ago and never found time to really practice your new skill – seize the opportunity!

4. Enrol in online classes
There are lots of great online classes out there and now more than ever brands are offering online masterclasses/workshops. You now have much more time to focus on it all and practice what you learn. Purchase nail books and get reading, it’s also a great way of learning new things without having to go anywhere.

5. Do your own nails!
If you are like me and always make sure your clients’ nails are in tip top shape but never get a chance to do your own, now is the time to treat yourself to a nice manciure that will last.

6. Reflect on your achievements
It’s easy to be hard on ourselves since we don’t have the time to reflect on what we have achieved in our professional lives, but sometimes taking a moment and giving yourself credit for all of what you have done gives you a great boost of confidence. Confidence is key to running a successful business.

Get your diary out and write down some goals you want to be hitting in the next year or so and how you can achieve them – once this is all over you can go back and read them and remind yourself of what’s important.

Don’t forget to take a little time out, too. It’s difficult to take holidays when you are self-employed without feeling a little guilty about leaving your clients but this time you have no choice and your clients can’t go anywhere! So, take a moment for yourself and chill. You’ll come back to work a much better, calmer person. You deserve it.