We are finally moved to our new home on the island and loving it! Moving our household (without any outside help) brought my business-building to a screeching halt for about four weeks, but now I can finally re-focus my energies on work.

I'm continually amazed at the sheer number of tasks that are involved in opening and running a nail studio - never mind taking care of actual clients! It can definitely be a little overwhelming to have such a variety of things to do. This week, my to-do list includes re-stocking inventory, marketing planning, poster design, setting up color samples, arranging retail displays, and, of course, doing my own nails. Last week my first order of fimo came in, so I played with it yesterday and included some on my latest "rock star toes."

Now that I am holding more regular hours, rather than only being at the salon for scheduled appointments, I'm seeing an increase in walk-ins, and I'm slowly starting to see new referral business. Since I don't carry nail polish in the studio and bling-y nails are relatively new in this area, I find it takes quite a bit of effort to educate potential clients on my services and am scheduling my time accordingly.

—Candice, Panache Nail Studio, Marysville, Wash.