Why you should introduce pamper parties to your nail business
By Chloe Randall | 25 August 2023 | Feature
Whether you offer mobile nail and beauty services or run a home or high street salon, pamper parties are an offering that can help boost profits and broaden your clientele.
From children’s parties to corporate gatherings, hen ‘dos and baby showers, a pamper party brings together a group of people to immerse in treatments or try out retail items, while sipping a glass of prosecco or indulging in cake and music. Not just an enjoyable event, pamper parties can create memories for clients that will set you apart from the competition.
Scratch explores the benefits of this service and what you need to consider before introducing a pamper party offering to your business…
Why introduce pamper parties?
“Our services are usually booked weeks if not months in advance,” reveals Charlotte Every, founder of The Perfect Pamper, which offers beauty and wellness services in offices, online and at events.
“This enables our therapists and nail techs to schedule their work to fit their own lifestyle. “The duration of our average pamper party is three to four hours, which is guaranteed income for at least three hours, per event.
“Also, if you are a mobile tech, working can feel quite solitary. Pamper parties are often sociable and fun and often professionals work within a team.”
“We love making our clients feel amazing about themselves and we believe that pamper sessions are an amazing way to introduce beauty treatments into their life, in a safe and exciting way,” adds Alison Horner, founder of Kent salon brand, The Makeup & Hair Bar, which offers beauty and hair services at events.
“It is an amazing experience for both the parents and children, and great to see children excited by nail colour options. We believe that self-care is important and should be taught from a young age, and pamper parties offer the ideal opportunity for this.”
Child considerations
Charlotte Every of The Perfect Pamper suggests points to consider when hosting pamper parties for children…
- Adult supervision
“When booking a children’s party, establish the itinerary. If the party numbers are over 10, how many adults will be present? Who will be managing the children?
“Depending on the age range of the party, enquire to whether the children will be supervised while the treatments are in place. Our terms and conditions request an adult to always be present in the same room, where the treatments are hosted. Our policy is for children to be supervised throughout.”
2. Pricing
“Determine what age groups you would like to offer services to, adjusting the price range to the age of the group. For example, 10-minute mini treatments are great for younger children, but you might want to consider 15 to 20-minute treatments for teenagers.”
3. Check
“Create a health check and disclaimer for guests, parents and guardians so you are aware of any health issues or allergies that may affect their experience with you.”
Marketing magic
“Having a dedicated pamper party page on my website is the main way people find me online,” reveals Metta Francis, Scratch Stars Awards Ultimate Mobile Nailist & founder of mobile business, Nails by Mets.
“This means that if someone searches ‘Nail Pamper Parties in [area]’, my website will appear in the search results. I also post photos from pamper parties and updates on my Google business page and encourage previous pamper party clients to leave feedback.
“Having a Google business page is free and is not utilised by so many, yet it does wonders for generating business. Think about how many times you use Google to find something!
“Word of mouth and referrals are also a brilliant way to promote pamper parties and let people know you offer this service via your social media channels to showcase your work and offerings. People won’t know you offer this service if you don’t talk about it. Testimonials, reviews and high quality images help to showcase your work and build credibility with potential clients too.”
The challenges
While partying and pampering sounds fun, running group events does not come without its challenges. Techs share how to overcome them…
“At social events, clients often drink alcohol – and too much can make the treatment challenging,” comments Charlotte. “If you are a mobile business and you notice drinking when you arrive, gently but firmly speak to the organiser and remind them that you are unable to treat intoxicated clients for their health and for insurance purposes. You can also implement a no-alcohol policy in the salon unless you introduce a prosecco extra which is limited at your discretion.
“When working with groups such as hen parties, it’s important to establish the treatment packages before you book the party with the client. Ensure that the client knows what to expect from the treatment they receive. If you have other nail techs working with you, they must be able to deliver the same treatment within the allocated time frame.
“Timings are essential for pamper parties. If you are treating a group of eight guests and you run over by five minutes per guest, this will increase duration of the party by 40 minutes. This may have an impact on the client, especially if they are limited on time.”
Metta Francis adds: “There is often a lot of back of forth in the beginning stages of organising a pamper party, so make it clear to the client that nothing is confirmed until a non-refundable booking fee is received. You don’t want to save a date for a potential pamper party and lose out on other work if it is unconfirmed.”