Education in the global nail sector can be a bit hit and miss, to say the least! Those new to the career ‘don’t know what they don’t know, and advice can be equally hit and miss.
So many take courses, leave them with a varying degree of confidence and then………so often discover what they don’t know. Many then go onto social media to ask for advice only to get 50 different comments including the “are you qualified?” Even more confidence-knocking!
Unfortunately, the answer to many of the “are you qualified?’ questions should often be “yes, I am, but not very well!” A potentially successful career in the nail industry cannot be gained in a few days!
Those just entering the sector very often have a plan to have a ‘home salon’ or work as a mobile nail pro. So many short courses encourage the belief that all you need is to do ‘our course’, and you’ll be earning straight after. NO, you won’t!!! Hence the questions about “how much should I charge?” because there has been no time to learn nor understand any business principles.
A saying used by many of the best educators/teachers is ‘perfect practice makes perfect’! So, those that have picked up an improper practice cannot possibly be perfect.
With all this in mind, I, personally, believe that working with others for a period of time is essential! We work with many different types of ‘people’! Understanding and knowing how to deal with ‘people’ is essential (hence all the multitude of questions on social media “how do I answer this client?”).
My very best advice is to work in a salon with a nail team for at least 6-12 months! There is a serious shortage of workforce following the pandemic. Even beginners can be a welcome addition to a team. Work for a busy salon and learn how to deal with clients; learn from experienced nail pros; discover solutions to very common issues; understand stock ordering, and COP (cost of product), and overheads. Plus, SO much more.
Then, if you are still determined to be self-employed, you will be in a MUCH better place to make your business a success and not have to rely on unknown ‘experts’ who just confuse the issues.
‘Pay your dues’; learn about the sector; become a ‘solopreneur’ with confidence!
