EXPERT ADVICE
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
Thinking of making the big move to a new salon location? Consider these pointers when selecting a new location… When choosing a location, consider at the level of passing trade; will you be able to entice this footfall through the salon door? Is this going to affect the success of…
Read More
Multi-award winner and Scratch Stars finalist, Metta Francis of Nails by Mets, shares her top for techs consider the mobile manicuring route. Pick a business name You can choose to trade under a business name e.g. Nails by Mets or your own name e.g. Metta Francis Nails. Before deciding on…
Read More
Hone your Artistic Colour Gloss technique as Scratch probes Carrie-Leigh Allen, educator for Louella Belle, about the ideal application technique for Artistic Colour Gloss… “For the perfect application of Artistic Colour Gloss, ensure cuticle work is performed thoroughly, leaving no non-living tissue on the nail plate. Remove surface shine and file the…
Read More
Naomi Mogg, educator for ASP, reveals why upselling treatments is one of the easiest ways to increase revenue and grow retail sales… Many therapists miss valuable opportunities to upsell because they feel that they are not ‘a salesperson’. However, you don’t need to be a salesperson to upsell – you just…
Read More
Is your appointment diary starting to fill up with bridal clients? Mandy Cook, sales director at Gerrard International, offers some advice for a smooth service and top-notch client care for the big day… “A bridal client is lucrative business for the nail tech as she will need a course of treatments leading up to…
Read More
Educator and award-winning nail technician, Katie Barnes, offers tips on making chrome pigments last on nails, should you experience issues… The chrome nail trend is ever-popular and while most nail techs have tried the technique, not every one applies the products correctly. Each product and brand may have slightly different instructions…
Read More