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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Teaching is a skill in its own right and therefore being well educated, informed and skilled does not mean you’re a natural born teacher, but it does mean you could have the makings of one. Being a phenomenal nail tech doesn’t automatically mean you’re able to educate. In fact, in…
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Kara Kotsonis, owner of the award-winning NailSquad salon in Deal, Kent, shares her top tips for those thinking of renting a space inside a salon… A self-employed position within a salon usually involves renting a space, desk or room for a fixed rent or commission split. However, its not uncommon…
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Taking good quality photographs of your nail work is great for your advertising and marketing materials as it shows off your skills. Regularly photographing your work will also allow you to see room for improvement and highlight areas of concern that may not be obvious when in front of you.…
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Make-up is an extremely lucrative revenue stream for beauty professionals in many ways; especially through retailing. Mintel has reported that online sales of beauty products have increased by 11.4% this year, so as fewer consumers head to shopping centres to purchase make-up items, seize the opportunity to become a one-stop…
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Scratch Stars Natural Nail Specialist of the Year 2019 and CND education ambassador, Helen Burton-Ward, shares her advice on how to increase client spend through add-on services & treatments… One area that I am currently focusing on in my business is average client spend. A great way to maximise your profit is…
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A recent report by Emily Gerstell, Sophie Marchessou, Jennifer Schmidt and Emma Spagnuolo from McKinsey & Company analyses the likely effects of Covid-19 on the beauty industry over the next three to six months, as well as how the pandemic could change the industry in the longterm. “The industry has…
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