Do you/would you charge your family?

[welshie_91]

The only person I won't charge is my mum. She does however pay the cost price of the treatment (ie colour tube) so I'm not losing money. Everyone else pays full cost. I do however have one friend I discount, not because she's a close friend but because she allowed me to use her as a guinea pig when I was training and has been coming to me ever since and she's brought me a lot of custom xx

 

[nicole333]

Hi everyone - not sure if this belongs here but it seemed like the right place to put it.

So, ok here goes. I have just finished up my beauty room, litterally all the thats left to do now is paint. But I've allowed one of my family members over tonight to do her nails and spray tan for her going out at the weekend for a christmas party. Now, I was on the phone to my mum and I explained that she was coming over and she asked how much I'd charge. So I told my mum I said to her I'd only take £20. This is obviously significantly cheaper in what I'd charge non family members. This will be my second spray tan since my training however which im like should I charge less but I am very competent in my gel polish nails. So I now kinda feel bad because my mum says I shouldn't charge her and I should say its her christmas present from me (saves a gift I suppose lol) but on the other hand I think of all the kit I've bought, all the training I've undertook and how much money I've spent on that room. Tables, chairs, paint, furnishings. The whole shabang. And the other half of me is like no I shouldn't feel bad because if they were going anywhere else they'd be charged more and if I do it free once surely it'll be expected I do the rest of the family for free as well? And, on top of it all money isn't exactly something I am swimming in at the moment..so that little bit extra would be nice but I feel so damn bad because of my mum. Help??

I'm glad it worked out for you and she is returning for more treatments, but one way of avoiding the above situation in the future is not to discuss business decisions with anyone who is not directly involved in it.

It's hard to find your way in the beginning and people may feel they need to guide you, but really only a business advisor should be taking this role. So best to keep business out of family/friends talk.

 

[beautyjord]

I was in this situation when I started up and it can get very awkward so decided to set the same rule for all close family and friends. They get treatments half price, that way I'm still covering my costs, and making a little bit of profit. But I think when people see your work it's the best form of advertising so if someone sees a gorgeous tan or set of nails/lashes etc they will always ask where that person got it done, and therefore could bring you in 2/3/4 new clients who will be paying full price and hopefully become regulars x

 

[contouraclinic]

I'm the same as most of what's been said. I don't charge my mum anything, though she does often try to give me a cheeky fiver (she hides it in my handbag lol). My boyfriends mum, sister and nan get half price but they also bring me a lot of custom so I can't complain about loss of profit really!

Some of my friends tried to get everything for nothing when I started out, but after I explained that I couldn't afford to do it for nothing and that my prices were reasonable already I think they got the idea.

My best friend also gets things at a discounted rate - usually rounded down to the nearest £5.

Once you get it into people's heads that it's a business and not just a hobby then they will take you a lot more seriously, and those who don't aren't worth the time of day!

 

[SGordon91]

Thanks for sharing with me everyone

I think my mum doesn't understand how much I've spent on equipment and training. I tend to spare her those numbers because I'll get the "do you REALLY need to spend that much" or something. But I justified it in my head that I charged her the lower amount than what my spray tan and nails actually cost. I followed up with her the next day and she said to me that her tan looked really natural and it wasn't causing her to be itchy (which previously some tans had) the only bit that was lighter was the back of her legs which is normal because her legs don't take to tan well. So I'm actually really pleased and it's given me a great lot of confidence! So she'll be back with my aunt in toe. I don't have a big immediate family but I do have a bigger extended family. So lots of cousins, second cousins etc so hoping that they'll be over too! Now I just need to get the tan off my hand that had managed to run underneath my glove and I'm onto a winner haha.

Thanks very much for your I put guys! It really helped 😍