EXPERT ADVICE

Katie Barnes Canva Allergy

Home gel kit dangers & 6 ways to prevent allergies at the nail desk

By Katie Barnes | 11 January 2025

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

By Lilly Delmage | 11 January 2025

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

By Guest Writer | 10 January 2025

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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Goal List

A beauty business coach’s guide to goal setting for 2025

By Guest Writer | 7 January 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

By Lilly Delmage | 3 January 2025

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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2025 Goals

New year, new you: How nail businesses can plan for the year ahead

By Marie-Louise Coster | 1 January 2025

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

By Guest Writer | 30 December 2024

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

By Lilly Delmage | 22 December 2024

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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Sharon Sandhu Bride Nails

Help your business rise to all occasions this summer

By Scratch Staff | 1 July 2019

Sharon Sandhu, category manager for nails at Salon Services UK & Ireland, serves up top tips to help clients prepare for summer events – while you boost your bottom line… Summer has finally arrived, and with it, so has occasion season. With so many weddings, parties and other notable events taking…

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Makeup Hair Beauty

How to raise your profile in the beauty & hair sectors

By Scratch Staff | 27 June 2019

Dave Horton, director of Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT), reveals how you can increase your impact in the wider industry & show off your skills successfully… When was the last time you shouted about how great you are? You have a loyal group of clients who, no doubt, love to recommend…

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Why you should add waxing to your treatment menu

By Sophie Nutt | 27 June 2019

Waxing is a treatment for which clients will seek out a recommended therapist with whom they feel comfortable, and is convenient for regular, repeat bookings all year round. It’s also a treatment that offers high profit margins. Whether you own a large or small salon or work as a mobile…

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Katie Barnes Arch

Why the arch is integral to a well balanced nail enhancement

By Katie Barnes | 25 June 2019

The extension side line that comes out from the natural sidewall that you see is known as the lower arch. Along with the c-curve and apex, the lower arch is one of the most important elements of a successfully structured nail enhancement as these three components work in harmony together.…

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Raison d’Etre shares tips on how to avoid therapist burnout

By Sophie Nutt | 21 June 2019

In a job which is dedicated to caring for others and one that can have lots of back to back appointments, many spa therapists forget to give themselves breaks throughout the day or even the time to rest and stretch between clients. Spa therapists are on their feet all day…

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Robbie Tomkins reveals what’s in his kit bag

By Sophie Nutt | 20 June 2019

Here, I’m giving you a little peek inside my kit bag – I’m going to reveal the products I love, the ones I simply couldn’t live without and my Fashion Week essentials. I’ve never worked in a salon, so I’ve only ever worked with a session kit. The obvious main…

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