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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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I’ve been a beauty pro for 30+ years: here’s how I set boundaries with clients

By Marie-Louise Coster | 19 December 2024

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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Helena Linsky reveals festival beauty trend predictions

By Sophie Nutt | 7 June 2019

Q61 nail and beauty studio co-director, Helena Linsky, reveals her hottest festival beauty trends of 2019… “With festival season about to kick off across Europe and the UK, we’re seeing an influx of clients at our Q61 nail and beauty studios looking for fast, effective ways to switch up their…

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Why you should be offering add-on services

By Sophie Nutt | 6 June 2019

As clients become increasingly time-poor, they may seek to find a professional that can cater to all of their beauty needs in one stint, squeezing treatments around other commitments. As a nail tech, you’ve already earned the trust of your clients, so consider expanding your treatment menu to cater to…

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Margaret Dabbs

Margaret Dabbs on the challenges business women face

By Kat Hill | 28 May 2019

What challenges do you think face women in business today? Margaret Dabbs, foot expert turned founder of a global health and beauty brand, shares her thoughts… What in your view are the biggest challenges facing women seeking to build their own businesses? It is sometimes hard to be taken seriously…

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Why & how you should tailor each nail service to the individual

By Katie Barnes | 28 May 2019

Just as a hairdresser wouldn’t give every customer that sits in their chair the same hairstyle because it wouldn’t suit them or their lifestyle, nail techs should tailor their services for different clients. This leads into the all-important client consultation; the conversation whereby you sit down and chat to your…

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Waxing Pregnancy

Points to consider when waxing pregnant clients

By Scratch Staff | 23 May 2019

Immerse yourself in hair removal tips as ABT director, Dave Horton, discusses pregnancy waxing with ABT accredited trainer, Kim Lawless… Is it medically safe for pregnant women to undergo waxing treatments, and does this differ during the different trimesters? Kim: It’s absolutely safe! I always check with doctors and midwives…

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Festival Beauty

How to capitalise on festival beauty needs

By Scratch Staff | 17 May 2019

Sharon Sandhu, category manager for nails at Salon Services UK & Ireland, serves up advice and ideas for capitalising on beauty needs for festivals this summer… Summer is just around the corner, which means festival season is about to begin – and whether people are planning on going to a…

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