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Nail & beauty apprenticeships: salons share benefits, their experiences & advice

By Rebecca Hitchon | 11 February 2025

In a recent poll on Scratch’s Instagram, almost 80% of respondents shared that they’re considering taking on apprentices. Here, two UK salons share how they’ve reaped the rewards of the apprenticeship process.. Nailspa, West Yorkshire “As a business owner, I believe that when it comes to employees, you cannot beat…

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Self-employment help for nail techs: legal, financial & operational considerations

By Lilly Delmage | 5 February 2025

All the legal, financial and operational factors to consider before making those all-important choices… Deciding to become a self-employed nail tech is just the beginning, and we’re here to help you navigate it all. From choosing whether to work from home or as a mobile tech, to deciding which insurance…

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Nail Competition Ssas24

Top reasons to enter nail competitions & expert tips for success

By Guest Writer | 3 February 2025

Esteemed beauty business expert & CEO of PHAB Service Stars, Nergish Wadia-Austin, shares advice for budding nail competitors… The nail industry is vibrant, with competitions like the Scratch Stars Awards and Nailympia showcasing the best in creativity and artistry. Prestigious events like these are essential for any nail technician wishing…

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Read the latest issue

How To Grow Nails

Nail science: how they grow & what makes them grow faster

By Katie Barnes | 7 October 2024

Although it may sound like there’s no rhyme or reason to how nails grow, award-winning nail tech, Katie Barnes, shares the few basic factors that affect the speed of growth. The standard rate of growth of a normal fingernail is between 0.5 – 1.2mm per week, but this differs from…

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Nail Salon Event

Nail salon events: the business benefits & how to organise a successful event

By Marie-Louise Coster | 6 October 2024

Nail salon events were once very popular, but that popularity has waned over recent years, says session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster. I think the pandemic caused us to fall out of the habit of in-salon events; we got so used to not being able to gather…

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E File Bits Kb Blog

What’s the difference between diamond, carbide & silicone E-file bits? A nail expert explains

By Katie Barnes | 4 October 2024

E-file bits are made from different materials, come in different shapes, sizes and styles and have different purposes and benefits, says Katie Clark, award-winning nail tech & founder of Katie Barnes Tool Range & Education. There are some bits which must only be used for certain techniques, otherwise it is…

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Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome for nail techs: What it is & how to overcome it

By Lilly Delmage | 30 September 2024

Nail pros share their experiences with imposter syndrome and offer tips to help overcome it… Have you ever felt undeserving or that success is beyond your means? Perhaps you’ve felt like your career journey has been down to luck, or you’re worried that clients won’t return. These are all common…

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Do You Suffer With Comparisonitis

Nail pros: Do you compare yourself to other techs? Here’s how to combat it

By Jo Tompkins | 27 September 2024

As nail techs and beauty professionals, we often catch ‘comparisonitis’, where we constantly measure our success against others. We see the flawless work and fully booked schedules of other nail techs on social media, and suddenly, we feel like we’re not doing enough.  In the Nail Business Success Club, a…

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Client Complaints

How beauty businesses should deal with client complaints, according to an expert

By Guest Writer | 23 September 2024

Global business & beauty education expert, Kim Ford, shares her expert advice on how to deal with client complaints… I am sure many of you have experienced a customer complaint at some time, and it can be a difficult situation to resolve. Let’s explore how dealing with complaints can be…

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