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AI is changing the beauty salon game: here’s how it can help you stay ahead

By Guest Writer | 10 January 2025

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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Goal List

A beauty business coach’s guide to goal setting for 2025

By Guest Writer | 7 January 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

By Lilly Delmage | 3 January 2025

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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2025 Goals

New year, new you: How nail businesses can plan for the year ahead

By Marie-Louise Coster | 1 January 2025

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

By Guest Writer | 30 December 2024

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

By Lilly Delmage | 22 December 2024

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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I’ve been a beauty pro for 30+ years: here’s how I set boundaries with clients

By Marie-Louise Coster | 19 December 2024

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…

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2025 Business Planning

2025 nail business planning: expert tips for new year success

By Guest Writer | 18 December 2024

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…

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Katharin Von Gavel At Work

An insight into ingrown toenails

By Helena Biggs | 28 September 2018

Painful and potentially a source of embarrassment, learn the telltale signs of ingrown toenails and how to tackle them. Katharin von Gavel, Footlogix founder and footcare expert serves up some tips… “An ingrown nail is a condition where the nail pierces or grows into the skin, most commonly found alongside…

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Light Bulb

How to use lighting to advance your social media

By Sophie Nutt | 27 September 2018

Social media is a great way to attract potential new customers by sharing images of your clients’ nails. Lighting, however, can make or break the success of an image online and its impact on followers. Therefore, it is key to ensure you’re using great lighting to produce high quality images…

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Mascara Copy

Mascara revealed as favourite beauty product

By Kat Hill | 25 September 2018

Research has revealed the average number of beauty product women use every day, at just five cosmetics each day including moisturiser. The study from product suppliers, Cosmetify.com, found that Geordie women opt for four beauty products, while women from Plymouth wear the most make-up at seven products on average. The…

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How & why you should vlog

By Scratch Staff | 20 September 2018

Natasha Lee, nail tech and award-winning YouTuber, reveals why video is vital to your nail business… In the ever-changing social world, video takes the forefront on every social media platform. Algorithms give preference to video, which is why you may see many still picture quotes on Facebook produced as a…

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How to maintain professional etiquette in your marketing

By Sophie Nutt | 20 September 2018

You might be putting your energy into social media marketing, advertising, or using a variety of methods to encourage new business – but are you fully utilising this by maintaining professional etiquette? Competition in the beauty industry is rife and, although you may be a dab hand at nail services,…

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Money Girl

How to boost salon retail sales

By Scratch Staff | 19 September 2018

Techs – it’s time to use your nail and beauty knowledge to turn up the heat on product sales and increase revenue. DAVE HORTON, director of ABT, serves up his top retail tips… One of the most overlooked, and easiest to rectify, areas where beauty and nail businesses lose money…

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