Going self employed - things you wish you knew?

[moonmother]

Hello all, after years of doing my own nails & thinking there might be something there, I've decided to get qualified and start working as a self employed nail tech. I have 2 young children & currently work in a supermarket 6 hours a week, which I'll be hoping to give up once my business gets going.

However I'm a bit nervous about the whole process!! Is there anything you wish you had known before you went self employed? Any tips for getting your first clients and getting your name out there?

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies to this. This is my first post but I've been reading lots of posts on here for advice.

 

[thenailbusiness]

Welcome to the wacky world of nails so it’s so amazing to hear you are going for it and that’s the only thing you really do need. The passion to go ahead. In 2018 it’s really difficult to say what the answer is to starting up on your own. I am getting back into nails after a few years of and it has changed so much and the passion is bigger among techs then ever before. If there is one tip I can give you is to get your head around the business part of the job as much as the creative side. It’s not rocket science (even though it sometimes seems like it) but keep it basic, simple and organised. The greatest tool you will have is tracking your financial progress as well as the creative and technical. A strong and sensible mind for the business will get you far. Don’t overthink it, but don’t let it run wild. Set goals, make business plans and spend time calculating how the business will work for you before you jump in the deep end of being a busy nail tech. It’s all fun and games until you fully booked and bad choices come to haunt you. The biggest mistake I see in new techs/hairdressers/therapists/makeup artist is that they let their passion and wish to work full time with what they love cloud the reality of what it takes. There are so many resources to look into and established amazing techs that you can talk to and mentor with. Maybe look into finding some classes on how to start up. In my mind when you start up a business you need to give 50 % of your time to your craft and technical part and 50 % to the business side. You can do this and you can be successful if you go all in and I wish you the best of luck

 

[7th-Heaven]

Oh there are loads of things I wish I had known! But I guess I will think of a couple things that innocent me was a bit unprepared for.

1) The tax forms and returns hassle for a newbie! I'm sure it's slightly different from country to country, but where I live, the self employed tax forms are issued by the devil himself. Make sure you set aside ample time to really immerse yourself in this, or do a free online short accounting course if you start from scratch with 0 knowledge like I did. If your turnover gets bigger and you open your own salon, then getting an accountant to sort it out will probably be more advisable. But they don't come cheap, and if (like me) you were just starting out and part time, all your earnings would go towards that. So do make sure you read up, ask people for help, be prepared for hassle come tax time.
2) "Friends" might expect freebies and won't respect you. The lack of respect wasn't clear before, since people tend to just hang out together at home or at a cafe, etc. But they might try to take advantage, so make sure you set out the rules beforehand. BEFORE doing the service lol.
3) Good way to get customers starting out is to use facebook Marketplace, and set up a facebook page. You won't get a very high-end clientele this way to begin with, because you will probably be charging a lower fee to start with, but just to practice, build a reputation and get photos it's good.
4) On your FB page, use the "boost post" feature to occasionally get more traffic to your site.

 

[ella_buff]

Hello! First of all, congratulations! Let it be scary, exciting, but these emotions are definitely worth the result. Above other members have already shared excellent advice, and I will add that I was very helped by the page in the Instagram where I upload out my works (or Facebook, if it's more popular in your area). You can also try to sign up on any sites where customers are looking for a specialist (but for me, they are quite pricey).
Good luck!

 

[The Gem Nail Artist]

I'd like to be self-employed as well. I want to work with the elderly specifically. Do you know how to get into that niche market? What kind of services do they ask for most? What should I be prepared for?

 

[thenailbusiness]

I'd like to be self-employed as well. I want to work with the elderly specifically. Do you know how to get into that niche market? What kind of services do they ask for most? What should I be prepared for?

That’s so cool you want to get into that type of market. I would suggest to start by researching your area and looking for retirement communities and marketing in those types of area. If your willing to be mobile I am sure that they would love you to travel between communities or if they have social clubs or centres you can set up in and do pre booking or drop by days.

When it comes to services what mature women (and some men) don’t like a good manicure. I think manicures, gel manicures and maybe some enhancement would be needed. The one thing I can tell you is that you need to take really good care of the natural nail plate in more mature clients. The older we nail services can affect the condition of the nail and surrounding skin because it’s more sensitive to damage. But one great thing is that a lot of mature women who are retired and don’t work are not so ruff on their hands hand nails as they use to so they tend to keep longer lasting results because of lesser wear and tear. Just remember to have them use cuticle oil. I find the number one service breakdown with mature women is dehydrated nails and skin.

Another great service is pedicure, but here is where you need to be careful. There are so many mature clients and older women and men who have had a long life on their feet and need some tlc but they also need to be treated carefully. You will have clients with diabetes, on blood thinning medications and other medical conditions that needs to be taken seriously. I would suggest you get in touch with a local podiatrist and start a cooperation with them so you can work off each other. With their knowledge and yours combined you can create an amazing service that will really make a difference with this client group.

So I wish you the best of luck and keep us updated on how things go!

 

[Cindy2021]

I’d advise lots of research. I spent hour upon hour on here reading posts whilst I was training so I hit the ground running once I was qualified. There are very experienced and helpful geeks on here willing to share their knowledge and experience and not everyone has accepted that graciously lol. They have busy careers and spend their free time helping others so make the most of it if you can.

Get social media pages set up and ask friends and family to follow and share your page and posts. Find pages to follow and see what catches your eye, how good are their photos, engagement with followers etc.
Try brands and decide which you’re going to invest in. I contacted the companies i wanted to stock and set up trade accounts and built up my stock whilst I was training. Watch out for vat free days and sales. Ask them when they are scheduled and how often etc and stock up then.

As others recommended....plan it. Write everything down and keep adding to it until you can pick out the best of it and go with it.

I qualified 3 years ago and have 3 children so I can understand your enthusiasm and apprehension. It is very hard work but I can honestly say I’ve never regretted it.
I eat, sleep and breathe nails lol. My clients love my enthusiasm.
In the beginning I worked all hours to build up my client base and I still work long hours but I can be more choosy now.

My last bit of advice is to enjoy it!

 

[Nail Angel 1971]

Oh there are loads of things I wish I had known! But I guess I will think of a couple things that innocent me was a bit unprepared for.

1) The tax forms and returns hassle for a newbie! I'm sure it's slightly different from country to country, but where I live, the self employed tax forms are issued by the devil himself. Make sure you set aside ample time to really immerse yourself in this, or do a free online short accounting course if you start from scratch with 0 knowledge like I did. If your turnover gets bigger and you open your own salon, then getting an accountant to sort it out will probably be more advisable. But they don't come cheap, and if (like me) you were just starting out and part time, all your earnings would go towards that. So do make sure you read up, ask people for help, be prepared for hassle come tax time.
2) "Friends" might expect freebies and won't respect you. The lack of respect wasn't clear before, since people tend to just hang out together at home or at a cafe, etc. But they might try to take advantage, so make sure you set out the rules beforehand. BEFORE doing the service lol.
3) Good way to get customers starting out is to use facebook Marketplace, and set up a facebook page. You won't get a very high-end clientele this way to begin with, because you will probably be charging a lower fee to start with, but just to practice, build a reputation and get photos it's good.
4) On your FB page, use the "boost post" feature to occasionally get more traffic to your site.

Very good advice, I totally agree x

 

[moonmother]

Thank you everyone for such lovely, encouraging and helpful replies!!

My husband is actually an accountant so I'm going to let him deal with that side of things. I'd have no idea where to start otherwise!

Lots of amazing ideas here which I've taken on board. I'm more excited than nervous now haha. It's good to know there's somewhere to turn to if I ever get stuck. What a fab community you all are!

 

[The Gem Nail Artist]

Thank you so much for all your advise. I really appreciate it. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Good luck to all of you!