I’m thinking about not doing pedicures anymore and just specializing in traditional and gel-polish manicures. Most of my clients only get their hands done and honestly that’s what I love doing. I’ve never really enjoyed giving pedicures nor do I think I’m very good at them. A friend of mine is looking to make a change in salons so I thought about renting my room to her and I would move my manicure table into a smaller room in the building. My husband is worried that I’ll lose business to my friend, but I think that I’ll get more business from her and business from being more specialized in one area. Any advice?
If doing manicures is what you really want to do, then working with a friend as a tag team sounds like a great plan. As a salon owner, I always tell my staff that we are stronger as a team than as individual nail techs. We can offer more appointment times, cover for each other when sick or on vacation, and split expenses. However, keep in mind that pedicures are the leading and most popular service in the industry, and you will be giving them up. As long as there is give and take between you and your friend this could be a good thing.
I am always concerned when I talk to fellow nail techs in a mentoring situation and they tell me they only want to do manicures or are only going to offer gel nails. As professional nail techs, we should be able to provide clients with every service — not just pick and choose what we want to do. For example, I love to do acrylics; to me it’s an art form. But I don’t limit my services to just acrylics. I do manicures, pedicures, gels, acrylics, fiberglass nail tips, sculpts, pink-and-whites, colored acrylics, and nail art. If it can be done to a nail I do it! When customers call, I never turn them away because I don’t offer the service they are looking for. I want them to view me as the nail expert who is knowledgeable and capable of providing them with just what they were looking for.
— Shari Finger, owner, Finger’s Nail Studio, W. Dundee, Ill.
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