BUSINESS
Home gel kit dangers & 6 ways to prevent allergies at the nail desk
Many people turned to DIY nail kits during the coronavirus lockdown. They may have been visiting a nail pro for months, years or even decades – before suddenly, the luxury of a nail appointment was gone, and some saw a solution in home application of gel polish. DIY home kits…
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Self-employment help for nail techs: registration & tax essentials
Are you keen to take the leap into self-employment? Here’s a guide to the registration and tax essentials you need to know… For nail technicians working in salons who seek greater control over their careers, self-employment often feels like a natural next step. It offers professional and creative freedom, aiding…
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AI is changing the beauty salon game: here’s how it can help you stay ahead
Richard McCabe, aka the Lifestyle Salon Coach, shares how artificial intelligence can benefit your beauty business… Love it or hate it, AI is changing how businesses work – and that includes salons. Just like past tech revolutions, if you jump on board early, you’re more likely to come out on…
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A beauty business coach’s guide to goal setting for 2025
Beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, offers up advice for the new year… It’s time to consider how you wish to make your mark on the industry over the next 12 months. You get to choose how you show up, what you offer clients and how you make a…
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Why nail technicians should enter the Scratch Stars Awards: tips from a nail competition maestro
Bespoke nail artist, Jiak Hing, who has won the Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year accolade for three consecutive years, shares insight into the competition, what to expect on the day and the benefits of entering. Why did you decide to enter the Scratch Stars Awards? To…
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New year, new you: How nail businesses can plan for the year ahead
Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, shares her tips for reviewing the last year and preparing for the next, in order to achieve success… Here we are again, another year gone and a new one in front of us full of opportunity, possibility and hope. It is…
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4 updates to make to your beauty business in 2025
Kim Ford, global business & beauty education expert, shares ways to make the most of quiet spells to improve your business long-term… The beginning of a new year is a great time to focus on business administration, such as updating operational and legal documents, and to consider if your marketing…
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Introverted nail techs: how to grow your skills & clientele comfortably
Do you love the creative aspect of being a nail professional: perfecting enhancements and getting arty, but find it challenging to converse with clients and colleagues? You’re not alone. A need to recharge after client interactions or feeling most comfortable in quiet environments are signs of introversion. The word ‘introvert’…
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Esteemed salon & spa business consultant, Susan Routledge, serves up advice on how & why you should make the most of retail opportunities… 1 Why is it so important for a nail business to offer retail products? Retailing is such an integral and important part of any nail business. It is…
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As well as experimenting with your creative skills, adding nail art to your services is an opportunity to increase your revenue – so make sure you are charging correctly for it. A question I come across at least once a day, is how much should I be charging for my…
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Negotiating prices. We’ve all been there – using vouchers at a restaurant, making use of Groupon deals, entering codes at checkout for online shopping – but asking for a discount at a nail salon can have a serious impact on business and should not be encouraged. Here Scratch chats to…
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Some nail techs have always worn it, with others only introducing it since the Covid-19 outbreak. But should you always wear PPE? The short answer is yes. PPE has always been a requirement of COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) for nail techs. PPE can include items such as…
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From the creators of the successful LeSalon beauty service finder app comes Storefront – a handy app to help mobile beauty pros organise and promote bookings. Launching at the end of 2021, Storefront ‘helps mobile therapists be their own boss’ with a booking management facility, option for a website optimised…
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It was an ordinary Monday morning when I logged on to Sam Marshall and Keri Blue’s Transgender and Inclusivity Awareness Training via Zoom. But little did I know that this ordinary morning was going to be turned upside down, with my eyes and mind about to opened in the most…
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