New-lost and need course advice

[Hazyinnuendo]

Hi!
I’m looking for some general advice , I’m wanting to do nails from home offering gel manicures and nail art to begin with then moving onto acrylic and gel extensions, my local college doesn’t offer a part time course which I would need , I’ve seen a level 2 vtct course but as yet to get any details if I can do this part time , and of course there are absolutely tons of online courses available (which I am reluctant to peruse as they don’t offer any practical assessment which seems crazy) I’ve looked at CND and gelish but I simply can’t afford it. Any advice would be much appreciated !
Thanks in advance
Rachel

 

[7th-Heaven]

No matter what course you go with, you are going to need to part with a considerable amount of money for training and products. If your college doesn't offer courses to tailor to your schedule, then your option could be to do branded training like a lot of people (myself included) have done, like with CND, or Young Nails, NSI etc. If you cannot afford the branded training right now, then it would be better to save up for a few months and then do the training. If you don't have enough money at the moment to train, then you don't have enough money to purchase all the supplies you will need either, so you'd be just as far. With branded training, you should also pick whether you prefer to train in gel enhancements or acrylic enhancedments. Both are viable, and long lasting, but require different techniques. (In my opinion) it doesn't really matter which one is "easier" to learn, because if you apply yourself and make an effort, you will make it through that learning curve anyway GOOD LUCK!

 

[7th-Heaven]

Adding to my post above... I know the cost seems high at first, but also keep in mind you will be able to deduct those expenses on your tax return too, so in the end, it won't be as pricey as it initially seems

 

[Hazyinnuendo]

Thanks , I’ve emailed the college about the vctc and If they can’t offer this part time I’ll probably go for it , I’ll look into a branded course but in just the gel polish for now as I’d rather be competent and comfortable just offering one service for now instead of diving too deep and Not being 100% confident , I think it’d be better (for me at least) to baby step it

 

[Beautiful-you]

College courses often state they're full time but actually aren't! (Bit silly I know!) so definitely worth checking how many actual days the course is per week. It will take you longer to do a college course, but that can be a positive as you'll get lots more hands on experience, but not all college courses are the same quality! It will depend on your tutor.

If college isn't for you, I would recommend branded training with one of the big brands with a good reputation like CND etc. You are right to be wary of online courses!

As 7th Heaven says, it's not cheap to train properly and set up a nail business, but it's just not worth cutting corners. Oh, and do your research before buying into any brands too! I'd honestly recommend only buying professional brands from reputable sources (i.e. Not eBay!)

 

[Hazyinnuendo]

College courses often state they're full time but actually aren't! (Bit silly I know!) so definitely worth checking how many actual days the course is per week. It will take you longer to do a college course, but that can be a positive as you'll get lots more hands on experience, but not all college courses are the same quality! It will depend on your tutor.

If college isn't for you, I would recommend branded training with one of the big brands with a good reputation like CND etc. You are right to be wary of online courses!

As 7th Heaven says, it's not cheap to train properly and set up a nail business, but it's just not worth cutting corners. Oh, and do your research before buying into any brands too! I'd honestly recommend only buying professional brands from reputable sources (i.e. Not eBay!)

Thank you !
I’m still to hear from college I’ve had a look at the nsi foundation course which comes with a starter kit , that’s around 600 pounds plus vat which I didn’t think was too bad plus you can get a discount on their products , I’ll keep doing my research I don’t want to rush into anything , if I do end up doing my training with a brand I want it to be one where I really love the products too

 

[Beachy Waves]

In Middlesbrough, North England where I live there are companies offering one day training courses in loads of different beauty services that are accredited by The Guild and I did the Gel Polish course with them for £99 and walked away with my certificate on the day (after a practical demonstration assessment on applying and removing gel polish on a model)
Maybe look outside of your local area as their courses are such great prices that I managed to build up my entire salon business using them.
I would say that you need to understand that they are an ‘intensive’ training course, and that you will have not have had the amount of client practice that you would get on a college course so it may be advisable to line up a few friends and family to do your first few treatments on afterwards to get a bit of practice and build your technique.

 

[Hazyinnuendo]

In Middlesbrough, North England where I live there are companies offering one day training courses in loads of different beauty services that are accredited by The Guild and I did the Gel Polish course with them for £99 and walked away with my certificate on the day (after a practical demonstration assessment on applying and removing gel polish on a model)
Maybe look outside of your local area as their courses are such great prices that I managed to build up my entire salon business using them.
I would say that you need to understand that they are an ‘intensive’ training course, and that you will have not have had the amount of client practice that you would get on a college course so it may be advisable to line up a few friends and family to do your first few treatments on afterwards to get a bit of practice and build your technique.

Thank you !
I found a course through a company called the gel bottle inc , they seem like great products and they offer just the gel polish course and a section using their builder (I presume this is for broken nails I’m not quite sure as I said I’m completely new) it covers quite a lot and they hold their courses all over the place so I’m thinking of starting it there , they also offer a years insurance and the certificate etc , it seems like a great place to kick things off at least ‍

 

[Beautiful-you]

Thank you !
I found a course through a company called the gel bottle inc , they seem like great products and they offer just the gel polish course and a section using their builder (I presume this is for broken nails I’m not quite sure as I said I’m completely new) it covers quite a lot and they hold their courses all over the place so I’m thinking of starting it there , they also offer a years insurance and the certificate etc , it seems like a great place to kick things off at least ‍

Before you book a course with TGB, have you also looked at courses with other brands, CND (SweetSquared), Nail Harmony (Gelish), INK London, Cuccio etc? For a one day beginners course it does seem very expensive! I assume it contains a kit? But as they still haven't got their own lamp yet, I can't see that a lamp would be included? Also, one day for a complete beginner just isn't long enough in my opinion. The other brands mentioned offer longer courses, including full kit and lamp and seem much better value for money. A one day gel polish course is fine if you already hold a manicure and pedicure certificate or are using it as a conversion course from another brand, but not for a complete beginner x

 

[Hazyinnuendo]

I’ve looked at that many courses they’re all merging into one big mess at the moment , yes tgb company is expensive isn’t it for some reason I thought it was cheaper , I’m looking into all sorts of companies at the moment and trying to decipher which is best etc x

 

[Hazyinnuendo]

Just to say a big thank you for all your advice so far , finally college have been back in touch with the vtct details and it’s on a Tuesday evening each week for the college year , I’m enrolling on this as I feel it will gain me the most experience and confidence in what I want to peruse in my new exciting career , I will most likely follow this along with some courses by well known brands in the industry in the future , for now though this suits me perfectly as a novice and they are able to spread the cost of the course for me ! I’m super excited and no doubt will be back here pestering people for further advice thank you once again !
Rachel x

 

[Beautiful-you]

Just to say a big thank you for all your advice so far , finally college have been back in touch with the vtct details and it’s on a Tuesday evening each week for the college year , I’m enrolling on this as I feel it will gain me the most experience and confidence in what I want to peruse in my new exciting career , I will most likely follow this along with some courses by well known brands in the industry in the future , for now though this suits me perfectly as a novice and they are able to spread the cost of the course for me ! I’m super excited and no doubt will be back here pestering people for further advice thank you once again !
Rachel x

That sounds perfect! And once you start your course you'll feel much more confident about choosing brands etc for any further training You are right, its so confusing for a complete beginner to make choices about brands and even after you're qualified, it might still be a case of trial and error, (it has been for me!), but getting a good training under your belt is definitely a great start! I wish you all the best for your course and new career x

 

[Acrylic83]

Why dont you check out gelish they've got a couple of courses that last 12 weeks and are pay as you go the 1st deposit is arounnd £300 then you can pay and go per week for £30 ×12 weeks. They also do affordable gel, manicure and pedicure training. Heres a link
http://www.nailtraininguk.com/nail-training-courses.html

 

[Sarah1316]

In Middlesbrough, North England where I live there are companies offering one day training courses in loads of different beauty services that are accredited by The Guild and I did the Gel Polish course with them for £99 and walked away with my certificate on the day (after a practical demonstration assessment on applying and removing gel polish on a model)
Maybe look outside of your local area as their courses are such great prices that I managed to build up my entire salon business using them.
I would say that you need to understand that they are an ‘intensive’ training course, and that you will have not have had the amount of client practice that you would get on a college course so it may be advisable to line up a few friends and family to do your first few treatments on afterwards to get a bit of practice and build your technique.

In Middlesbrough, North England where I live there are companies offering one day training courses in loads of different beauty services that are accredited by The Guild and I did the Gel Polish course with them for £99 and walked away with my certificate on the day (after a practical demonstration assessment on applying and removing gel polish on a model)
Maybe look outside of your local area as their courses are such great prices that I managed to build up my entire salon business using them.
I would say that you need to understand that they are an ‘intensive’ training course, and that you will have not have had the amount of client practice that you would get on a college course so it may be advisable to line up a few friends and family to do your first few treatments on afterwards to get a bit of practice and build your technique.

hi can I ask where in Middlesbrough did you do your courses ? Looking for recommendations thanks

 

[Alison Pilkington-Child]

I think you chose well, VCTC accreditation won’t tie you to a brand and you can select your insurer freely. You’ll have plenty of time to experiment and settle on your ideal brand that way, rather than rush into something and have regrets later.

 

[Hazyinnuendo]

I’ve since discovered my college is changing the course to btec level 2 nail technology, which I’m even happier with as it seems to be more widely acknowledged, just waiting for my kit list now! I’m so excited !!!

 

[Beachy Waves]

hi can I ask where in Middlesbrough did you do your courses ? Looking for recommendations thanks

Total Training Stockton

 

[Sarah1316]

Thanks

 

[SBNailSpa]

For future reference, I have taken CND training classes and it was wonderful! They are very high quality products, which means you can charge a little more for your services. Also, I received starter kits for my Shellac, gel and acrylic classes I took. The Shellac class was actually where I received my LED light! It wound up being a great value, in my opinion. Good luck!