BUSINESS
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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’…
Read More
I’ve been a beauty pro for 30+ years: here’s how I set boundaries with clients
Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, shares her experiences with boundary-pushing clients… I imagine most of you went into the nail/beauty industry to make people happy. I also imagine that you expected clients to be grateful and courteous at all times. I don’t suppose you imagined that sometimes…
Read More
2025 nail business planning: expert tips for new year success
Belinda Price, OPI UK&I education and capability manager & owner of Nailspa, Scratch Stars Nail & Beauty Salon of the Year 2024, shares advice… During the busiest season of the year for most nail and beauty professionals, it can be hard to see past 31 December. But as the dust…
Read More
Spread Christmas cheer sustainably: 3 ways to recycle festive items
Decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping gifts, and sending out greeting cards are some of the most cherished Christmas traditions, but after the festivities, how do you dispose of the excess? Gabriella Peace, marketing communications manager of UK Greetings, offers her take on how you can give your Christmas items a…
Read More
Global business & beauty education expert, Kim Ford, shares advice… How to create your future learning strategy It is the end of the academic year and an apt time to consider your strategy for future learning. Whether you’re a nail newbie or wish to develop existing skills, write down your…
Read More
Maddi Cook, the powerhouse behind hair and beauty marketing and mindset coaching company, Boss Your Salon, shares why you shouldn’t be scared to raise your treatment prices… I like maths because it’s an exact science. There’s no room for interpretation, there are no grey areas and it’s not subjective: 2…
Read More
Lauren Taylor welcomes Scratch inside her home salon, where she has created a ‘homely and cleanly’ space within her dining room… Having completed her Level 2 NVQ in Beauty Therapy in 2016, and her Level 3 NVQ in Nails in 2017, Lauren has been a qualified nail tech for seven…
Read More
Whether you’re a seasoned artist or starting out, competitions can be an ideal playground to showcase your skills and creativity, as well as build confidence, learn from industry leaders and challenge yourself. The World’s Star Nail Artist 2023, Katy Pottle, shares her competition tips… The spectrum of choice When it…
Read More
When we complete a set of nails, we have two different finishes: matte or glossy. You may have noticed that glossy is far more difficult to photograph. When light from an object is reflected by a surface, it changes direction. It bounces off the surface at the same angle as…
Read More
Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year 2022, 2023 & 2024, Jiak Hing, explains how to master her six go-to hand poses for nail photos… 1. Relaxed claw Place the back of one hand against a flat surface and position the camera facing the nails, 45 degrees above and…
Read More