Where to start?

[Gemma Williams]

Hi all!!

I have been researching on how to become a nail technician for the last 6 months and I just don't seem to be getting anywhere!! All the information seems so confusing, with people recommending all different places and then others disagreeing!

As I work full time, I am looking for an evening/weekend course that would cover all aspects of becoming a nail technician. Do you think this is realistic?

Or am I better of with individual courses that cover more specifically? If so, could anyone advise on what to start with? I am a complete beginner!!

and lastly where is best to look for these courses? I would say my budget is medium!

Thank you all so much!!!!!!!!! x

 

[NailtechJoe]

and lastly where is best to look for these courses? I would say my budget is medium!

What's a medium budget? Can you define what medium means?

Nail courses usually tend to be expensive depending which school and qualification you want. There are two types of nail qualifications: Those offered by private schools which give you a certificate of attainment which may give you insurance indemnity. These courses may follow the NVQ and/or NOS standard required to be a nail technician on your chosen system. The other route is the vocational qualification route by doing an NVQ/VTCT related qualification in nail technology and are usually offered in colleges and some beauty salons.

I had difficulties in finding a local school to teach me, so I opted for Essential Nails as a starting point. Their course prices is not what I would say "medium". If you feel that you require face to face tuition to progress through a hands on course, then Essential Nails will not be suited for you.

 

[user 25446]

To be honest, I think it is a mistake to try to find a class that finds around your free time like this, as it is a mistake made by some to choose a class because it is local. The nail salon market is highly competitive and riddled with low-cost salons - so if you want to make a serious business, you need to focus on how you will stand out from the competition. The key to this (speaking as someone who has created successful salons in three countries), is to get the best education possible. Many schools are teaching old techniques, so you should find a school that has a national or international reputation and take one or two weeks holiday to attend.

I understand that cost is an issue and that the additional cost of a hotel or B&B adds up. But if the training is mediocre, you will lose a lot more money on lost business over the first year.

 

[Beckiebuns]

I really struggled to find a good school who ran evening courses so I ended up booking annual leave during the week to attend my course.

What sort of qualification you need depends on what you want to do also. I’m finding a lot of salons are asking for Beauty’s Therapy L2 as a minimum, I’m getting turned away for having Nail Tech L3. If you’re looking to go mobile I’d suggest asking an insurance company what qualifications they accept and take it from there.

It’s worth mentioning you can get funding from the government if you’re doing a L3 and are legible which helped me out massively, it’s worth checking which reputable colleges offer this funding if it’s a diploma you’re after.

Hope you find the right course for you soon!