EXPERT ADVICE
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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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…
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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…
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Brand your salon to ensure it stands out from the crowd with top tips from Andrew Dark, director and co-owner of printwear and branding specialists, Custom Planet Setting up a nail salon can be the start of something exciting, but with so many up and down the country, it can be…
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Yesterday, I caught up with beauty business expert, Liz McKeon, as she shared all of her top tips on how to run a successful nail business. Arranging to meet in The Soho Hotel, London, myself and Liz made ourselves comfortable in the hotel’s drawing rooms, alongside Mark Smith (aka The…
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Educator and award-winning nail technician, Katie Barnes, reveals why nail endurance is dependent on nail structure – and serves up advice on perfecting it… Beauty and endurance are two of the main qualities a client looks for when it comes to their enhancements. Both tech and client don’t want to…
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Wondering why you should enter our annual photographic competition? Organiser of The Great Scratch Shoot Out, Kat Hill, reveals her top reasons… “Nails can seriously make a statement – and it’s time to put them in the frame. Whether you’re an industry newbie or grand master, The Great Scratch Shoot Out…
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Do you know how to help clients with the common yet chronic skin condition of eczema? As sometimes present on the hands and arms, your pre-treatment consultation should see you able to identify the condition, and adapt your treatment if needed. Alice Lambert, director of services at National Eczema Society, shares her advice……
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Do you think your nail business (mobile or salon) could be looked at in a different way? Beauty business expert, Liz McKeon, serves up her six steps to raise your profile and attract those new and important clients: Think about your strategy. What exactly do you want to achieve from…
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