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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Hair & beauty business coach, Maddi Cook of Boss Your Salon, shares advice on offering discounted services to family & friends… We’ve all been faced with the dilemma of giving a discount to friends and family. While it may seem like a good deed to hook up your loved ones,…
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Thinking of entering our annual, worldwide photographic competition? The Great Scratch Shoot Out is your chance to collaborate with a creative team, snap a winning shot and share your work with the world – with prizes to be won, too. Open to any skill level with no set theme, the…
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With 91% of clients not complaining after a negative experience in the salon, instead opting to not return, becoming “silent walkers”, Penny Etheridge of Penny Etheridge Creative Business Consultancy discusses how salon software can be utilised to prevent this. “Using your software system to its full potential lets you have the…
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Hair & beauty business coach, Maddi Cook of Boss Your Salon, shares advice to remove those negative thoughts as a nail pro… Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint- hearted. It takes a rock-solid mindset and the ability to navigate challenges and obstacles. Many nail bosses struggle to achieve their goals due to…
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You clean, disinfect and sterilise your nail tools, but on what else should you carry out these processes? Any reusable items that come into contact with clients’ skin or nails must be sanitised, disinfected and sterilised, depending on your country’s regulations. Protocols referred to in this blog are applicable to…
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Waxing specialist & Salon System expert, Andy Rouillard of Axiom Wax Academy, shares his top tips for achieving a perfect finish when performing professional wax treatments in the summer. 1. Cleanse “Hot, sweaty skin is a nightmare to wax, so don’t be stingy with the pre-wax cleanser,” Andy recommends. “Just…
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