Required Reading

On My Mind: Grades Are Important

October 1, 2010

Some states, like North Carolina, require salons to post their inspection scores where consumers can see them. While I’m not necessarily a proponent of more rules and regulations for the nail industry, I do believe that since most salons are already being inspected, why not post the grade?

A Vietnamese American Dynasty

March 1, 2006

The Fall of Saigon brought a wave of Vietnamese immigrants to the U.S. who ultimately helped build today's booming nail industry.

Lessons From the Discount Salon Front

January 1, 1999

There are a couple of practices found in most discount salons that I think all nail salons could learn from.

Related Articles

• Why Do You Charge More? Responding to Client Questions About Discount Salons.

  Train your staff — and yourself — to answer this sensitive question so you’re able to respond quickly and confidently to clients’ concerns.

• Dear Shari: November 2008

  Salon owner Shari Finger answers your questions on building a clientele, regaining the trust of a discount salon-goer, listening to clients’ personal issues, and clients who mistreat their nails.

• Are Discount Salons a Threat?

  When NAILS polled its readers about their top salon challenges, competition from discount salons ranked second on the list, just behind attracting and retaining new clients. But for every tech feeling the sting of low-priced competitors popping up on nearly every street corner, there are many who have made peace with the problem; some have even used the competition to spur them to adopt higher levels of customer service and more stringent sanitation standards.

• A Vietnamese American Dynasty

  The Fall of Saigon brought a wave of Vietnamese immigrants to the U.S. who ultimately helped build today's booming nail industry.

• Nails-Only Programs on the Decline

  Around the country, enrollment in nails-only programs at traditional cosmetology schools is down. Meanwhile, students are flocking to skin-care programs. But despite the challenges these changes pose for schools, employment opportunities for nail graduates remains strong.