EXPERT ADVICE
Home gel kit dangers & 6 ways to prevent allergies at the nail desk
Many people turned to DIY nail kits during the coronavirus lockdown. They may have been visiting a nail pro for months, years or even decades – before suddenly, the luxury of a nail appointment was gone, and some saw a solution in home application of gel polish. DIY home kits…
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Self-employment help for nail techs: registration & tax essentials
Are you keen to take the leap into self-employment? Here’s a guide to the registration and tax essentials you need to know… For nail technicians working in salons who seek greater control over their careers, self-employment often feels like a natural next step. It offers professional and creative freedom, aiding…
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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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Do you have a loyalty programme in place? Alice Kirby, director at Lockhart Meyer Salon Marketing, shares her top tips… Why should nail & beauty businesses introduce a loyalty schemes? An effective loyalty scheme can help increase both your retention rates and how long your clients ultimately stay with you.…
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Maddie Regan, Scratch columnist & top tech at 81 Rose Garden, share her top tips to up your Instagram game… As business owners or nail professionals, the majority of us are marketing our salons on social media. So, we are all striving for bigger and better results. Social media is a great way…
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Salon System Waxing Expert and Owner of Waxing Specialist Salon and Academy, Marta Zaczkowska, shares her advice on how to wax pregnant clients… Pregnancy is an exciting time. Women are going through lots of changes, both physically and emotionally. Over nine months, their hormone levels are constantly changing, which can…
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Anna Khanna, founder of Socialista Media, shares some social media content creation ideas for your beauty business… Banking content ready for your social media posts will provide your followers valuable content, whilst helping you achieve your business goals. There are many ways that this can be done quickly and easily,…
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Preparing your nail brush thoroughly and correctly is the first stage to caring for your nail brushes. Read my previous guide for Scratch here. The second is maintaining this level of care throughout its use. Brushes do not last forever and need to be changed from time to time again…
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Widely acknowledged as one of the top nail artists in the world today, Elena Maltseva of Russia, is offering a free class for all nail techs in mixed media art practices. Made famous for her mixed media and fantasy structures, Elena Maltseva is much sought after to judge global nail…
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