After owning and operating several businesses over the past 25 years and working in the salon industry for the last 11, I've learned what it takes to be a winner in our field. There are definite reasons why some nail technicians succeed and others never will. Great technical skills will only take you so fan but success is within reach if you follow these sometimes not-so-simple steps.

  1. Give your clients more than they expect. Make sure you always smile, make eye contact, use correct body language, and maintain a dean and sanitary station. The more you think of your client’s needs before your own, the more added value you give to her and the more she will appreciate you.
  2. Become a team player. The sooner you realize that greatness can never be achieved alone, the faster you will get where you want to go. Help out a coworker without expecting anything in return and watch what happens.
  3. Look the part. The dress code in my salons is to look as if you are going out to dinner to a lovely restaurant on a Saturday night.
  4. Be consistent. For true excellence in this or any field you must learn to be at your best every day with every client. Never take your clients for granted — they can and will find what they want (and deserve) elsewhere.
  5. Whoever talks to the most people wins. If you are in a slump and your productivity is low, tell everyone about your business, including the secretaries at your doctor’s office, the checkout girl at your supermarket, as well as all of your friends, relatives, and your friends’ relatives.

Kurland owns a chain of B Natural Cosmetics salons based in Baltimore.

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