Well, I finally got my nails redone but had to stay until almost 10 o'clock to accomplish it. I figured if I'm only going to do them every six weeks I'm going all out! October has been a really great month so far. My clients have been a lot of fun, and people seem to be getting into the holiday mood already. I have my retail all stocked up, including two new retail lines -- fudge (eight flavors!) and pottery. I'm thrilled that these are both products made right here in Washington! It was fun that I got to meet both vendors in person. If you don't already carry something sweet to retail, I highly recommend Big Bear Chocolates in Spokane, Wash. I haven't had a day without a sale since I brought them in!

I was very surprised to find that last week ended up being my best money week to date. What made it even better is that it was not the most services I've done in a week, but my service ticket average was higher and retail sales were excellent!

I don't have my six month special calendar done, but I do have a special posted (shown in the photo) and have booked six specials so far, four of which are for the RockStar Toes. The best thing about my special is that instead of lowering my price for a Spa Pedicure, I raised it $5 and added a ton of value with an add-on hand treatment and some product for the client to take home to extend the treat for them! While the profit goes down a bit for the service, the upgraded service should be a nice boost to my overall profit for the next six weeks.

In addition to the special, I've added a few add-on services -- a conditioning hand treatment and a "between pedi" callus treatment. A few clients are already booking them. I'm still working on revamping my menu and hope to get it printed next week. As we move into the slower time of year (not counting December, of course) I think that having more add-ons and fun specials will really make a difference in keeping my books full.

— Candice, Panache Nail Studio, Stanwood, Wash.