Nails are your bread and butter. And whether your specialty is painstakingly perfect pink-and-whites, gorgeous gels, or pampering pedicures, you’re making your living doing nails. If you’re like many other readers, you may have already added body waxing or eyebrow shaping (59% and 51% of you offer these services respectively, according to our statistics). A good many of you also offer skin care (45%) and makeup application (33%) in your salon.

For those of you who aren’t branching outside of the realm of nails, have you considered it? Sure, some of these services (like skin care and waxing) require additional schooling and licensing, but many of them don’t. Non-nail services could be a great way to boost your bottom line with minimal training and expense.

How’s this for a revenue-booster: Did you know you can charge as much as $350 for a set of high-quality eyelash extensions? All you need to do is purchase the kit and take the manufacturer’s training course to get a certificate. (I had a set applied at a show recently and loved it.)

Teeth whitening services, another huge trend, can be likewise added for a small expense, yielding a high profit margin. Salons are charging around $125 for the 20-minute service. Both teeth whitening and lash extensions are recurring services: Lashes, like nail enhancements, need to be refilled as they grow and fall out. And nobody’s teeth can withstand the usual barrage of coffee and red wine without additional whitening.

The other great thing about both of these particular services is they require take-home products. (Lash wearers need a special eye makeup remover and mascara that won’t cause adhesive breakdown. And your clients with their newly whitened teeth need the take-home kits to keep the service looking fresh.)

Maybe lash extensions or teeth whitening services aren’t for you, but have you opened your mind to the possibility that your growth could come from something other than nails? These are just two examples that have become quite popular over the last several years. They also both require little to no training, they don’t require an additional license, and they can be high profit.

How about reflexology or ear candling? Ear piercing or airbrush tanning?

I’m not trying to turn your nail salon into a swap meet, but if any of these alternative services fit in with your salon philosophy or current offerings, maybe there is a place for these extras in your salon. Basically, I’m trying to add a side of jam to your bread and butter. 

— Hannah