Is nail art becoming lost within the wealth of acrylic and gel colours now available to us today? Are overcomplicated design nails what we need to bring in additional income? I started my love affair with colour through nail art, painting on everything and anything I used nails as mini canvases which brought me an enjoyable income and helped me perfect my skills for design.
It is normal, when we first start out in this industry, to use nail art when we want to bring a lift to our tips, adding colour and something different to our craft which allows us a natural release to our creativity. As a new technician we learn a lot about how we should apply acrylic, create the perfect smile line and file the nails in to the correct shape, but nothing brings us more pleasure then adding a bit of tint and sparkle to the nails. Just a few moments of fun with your striping brush and a bright colour will help us remember why we try so hard to perfect our skills. There are some that say nail art is over rated and shouldn’t play a part within the industry, but it is not the industry which is important. It is your clients and what they want, that will pay your rent and put food on the table. Think about how your clients perceive you, and what your business can offer them. By showing them a range of decorated tips, you show your clients a range of skills, letting them have a choice gives them power to decide you’re the best tech for them. We ultimately want to help these clients remember us as a nail professional with an edge over the competition. This of course can be done with a range of different gels and acrylics in a rainbow of colours ready for use to use in neat little pots and tubes. But we don’t want to disregard nail art and hand painted designs, what you must always remember, is that the simple solutions is sometimes the most effective.
Perhaps we should start thinking of nail art not as a creative medium but instead as a marketing tool, which will increase profitability to your business. With a little swipe of paint we can change the look of a nail which costs us next to nothing. Imagine for example you have just rebalanced Mrs Smith with pearly white tips and a blush pink to make her nail beds healthy, now you turn to her and say, “would you like me to enhance your nails to match your outfit for that wedding, this weekend”? “oh” she replies “what did you have in mind”? “ well with a thin brush I will run a small stripe of gold and copper along your smile line, this will go perfectly with your dress, and after the wedding you can remove this if you like, giving you the best of two looks”! “well, now that sounds like a grand idea” Mrs Smith smiles and looks at your shiny new nails “how much will it cost me”? “oh not much at all” you reply, “it is very simple” and as you start to get the paints out you tell her it will only take a few moment and cost just an extra £5.
Strips, circles, flicks and flowers, little snow men and holly bunches, hearts and kisses or just a simple pattern over the tips, whatever you do think about incorporating the nails your clients are already wearing within your nail art. Making the most of their shape and style, and bring the best out of them with colour and design. For example; dotting different size spots in three shades of the same colour over one corner of the nail is fun for your younger clients. Using block colours and highlighting them with paler shades will add depth to your art. Whatever takes your fancy, don’t be afraid to offer it to the Mrs Smith’s of today. You need to do all you can to help your business survive, and by offering a quick and cost effective service with a high profit margin, then you can be one step closer to staying open.
By adding nail art to your menu of services, and making it common practice throughout the day, you will develop your skills, learning how to draw your inspiration from things around you. In time your designs will develop into true masterpieces which you should then think about
showing other nail professionals. Utilizing the competition circuit will not only help you grow as a technician, the rewards also extend to your business. With trophy’s littering your shelves and certificates against the walls, your clients can have faith they are paying for a winner. Word soon spreads and your abilities will be sort after, your confidence will be boosted.
Don’t dismiss nails art as something too simple, boring or un inspiring, it might just be that added extra which turns your business around, inspiring you to develop your craft and moving you in a new, exciting and colourful direction.
It is normal, when we first start out in this industry, to use nail art when we want to bring a lift to our tips, adding colour and something different to our craft which allows us a natural release to our creativity. As a new technician we learn a lot about how we should apply acrylic, create the perfect smile line and file the nails in to the correct shape, but nothing brings us more pleasure then adding a bit of tint and sparkle to the nails. Just a few moments of fun with your striping brush and a bright colour will help us remember why we try so hard to perfect our skills. There are some that say nail art is over rated and shouldn’t play a part within the industry, but it is not the industry which is important. It is your clients and what they want, that will pay your rent and put food on the table. Think about how your clients perceive you, and what your business can offer them. By showing them a range of decorated tips, you show your clients a range of skills, letting them have a choice gives them power to decide you’re the best tech for them. We ultimately want to help these clients remember us as a nail professional with an edge over the competition. This of course can be done with a range of different gels and acrylics in a rainbow of colours ready for use to use in neat little pots and tubes. But we don’t want to disregard nail art and hand painted designs, what you must always remember, is that the simple solutions is sometimes the most effective.
Perhaps we should start thinking of nail art not as a creative medium but instead as a marketing tool, which will increase profitability to your business. With a little swipe of paint we can change the look of a nail which costs us next to nothing. Imagine for example you have just rebalanced Mrs Smith with pearly white tips and a blush pink to make her nail beds healthy, now you turn to her and say, “would you like me to enhance your nails to match your outfit for that wedding, this weekend”? “oh” she replies “what did you have in mind”? “ well with a thin brush I will run a small stripe of gold and copper along your smile line, this will go perfectly with your dress, and after the wedding you can remove this if you like, giving you the best of two looks”! “well, now that sounds like a grand idea” Mrs Smith smiles and looks at your shiny new nails “how much will it cost me”? “oh not much at all” you reply, “it is very simple” and as you start to get the paints out you tell her it will only take a few moment and cost just an extra £5.
Strips, circles, flicks and flowers, little snow men and holly bunches, hearts and kisses or just a simple pattern over the tips, whatever you do think about incorporating the nails your clients are already wearing within your nail art. Making the most of their shape and style, and bring the best out of them with colour and design. For example; dotting different size spots in three shades of the same colour over one corner of the nail is fun for your younger clients. Using block colours and highlighting them with paler shades will add depth to your art. Whatever takes your fancy, don’t be afraid to offer it to the Mrs Smith’s of today. You need to do all you can to help your business survive, and by offering a quick and cost effective service with a high profit margin, then you can be one step closer to staying open.By adding nail art to your menu of services, and making it common practice throughout the day, you will develop your skills, learning how to draw your inspiration from things around you. In time your designs will develop into true masterpieces which you should then think about
showing other nail professionals. Utilizing the competition circuit will not only help you grow as a technician, the rewards also extend to your business. With trophy’s littering your shelves and certificates against the walls, your clients can have faith they are paying for a winner. Word soon spreads and your abilities will be sort after, your confidence will be boosted.Don’t dismiss nails art as something too simple, boring or un inspiring, it might just be that added extra which turns your business around, inspiring you to develop your craft and moving you in a new, exciting and colourful direction.
This article, written by Sam Biddle was featured in an article published in SCRATCH magazine March 2009, titled NAIL ART IN THE NOUGHTIES.
2 comments:
Nail art is an excellent way market yourself and to DIFFERENTIATE your salon from a competitiors.
Acrylic, gel, pink and white, blah, blah, blah. All your competitors do them. Why not offer services with a theme? You can base nail art the theme on the season you are in, local events, sports, holidays, etc. Create a little buzz and excitement for your nail salon.
Be the trendiest salon in your area. Have techs and employees wear the newest colors and nail art designs. More than likely, customers will ask about the products used and that opens up a dialogue to discuss new services.
Jessie Burkhardt
Sales/Marketing Coordinator for NSI
www.nsinails.com
Good information.
I came across many queries in several forums where people have been asking for advice on the best glue that can be used on nails and that is not only strong but also safe on nails. This was the same question I had sometime back when I used to apply nail gel myself. Initially the glue I got would never hold on the way it used to when done in the salon. I then came across the nail glue being sold on gel-nails which lasts very long and is pretty easy to apply. It provides a strong bonding for my nails and also does a great job in repairing the nail tips.
Most important of all is that this is strong glue I was actually looking out for and this is used by nail salons and nail artists for professional applications. It is available at a cheap price at gel-nails and I remember seeing it at a discount of 74% which is great. Maybe this can help if you also face problems relating to poor glue quality as I did earlier.
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