I finally had time last week to get the iPhone I bartered for a month ago set up. By the end of this week I will be set up to take credit cards. After talking to some other independent salon professionals I have decided to go with the Square. I got mine in the mail (for free!) this week and I just have to link it to my bank account and download the app to my phone. I have gotten great response from my current clientele, who are excited that they will be able to use credit and debit cards with me very soon!

I have been having a very busy month so far and it’s not even over yet. I always, always, always, work Saturdays; they are too lucrative for me not too. Sometimes I am off by 1 p.m. Other times I have been known to work as late as 7 p.m. My client demand dictates my Saturday schedule 100%, and since I don’t take walk-ins, I leave when I am done. This month has been pretty tricky for me though. Last Saturday was my one-year wedding anniversary so I took that day off. The Saturday after I had two separate in-home appointments and a retirement party to attend, so I was out of the office again on a Saturday. This has made my Fridays and Mondays even busier then they usually are, which has been wonderful for me.

This Saturday I will be in San Diego. I am getting to have a vacation that includes Disneyland, but I will be working a wedding on June 25. I get to do manicures and pedicures for a very dear friend and her bridal party. The greatest part is that all my mileage, my hotel room for that night, and any meal that I pay that day for are all a write off since I am going down there to work! Not only to I get to celebrate Lauren’s nuptials, I get to take advantage of one of the best parts of being self-employed.

My other very dear friend Jen’s oldest child is performing in Disneyland that same weekend, so I also get to have a couple of days to play in L.A. Unfortunately since I cannot link going to Disneyland as being relevant to being a part of my business trip I cannot take that as part of my trip as a write off, not legally anyway. I wish that the Magic Kingdom had a spa located inside of it so I could get a service, then I could take the write off for sure! But since that is not a possibility and since I am not treating clients to their day in Disneyland there is no sure way to make it tax deductible, at least via the inquiry I made to my accountant this last week.

I am looking forward to my mini-vacation that includes a lot of driving and I look forward to sharing Lauren’s wedding nails with you all later next month!

—Karyn, Body Skin and Nails by Karyn, Roseville, Calif.