Business secrets to a profitable nail salon

Business secrets to a profitable nail salon

Are nail salons a good business venture to make a profit from? Of course! Will success be instantaneous? Almost never - and this is one thing that many would-be and current nail salon owners find hard to accept. Making a substantial profit takes time, investment and a white-collar approach. Although this sounds like your dreams of a fairytale nail salon will never come true, that doesn’t necessarily have to be so! With these vital business secrets, you’ll be closer to bringing your salon to life!

Take a salon success course

By now, you’ve taken a number of nail and beauty courses to help improve your techniques and to get a certification that cements your professionalism. However, there might have been a few things your instructor left out, like how to hire staff, gain customers, what expenses you can expect to see once you’re running your own nail salon, how to set up staff commission rates, and how to distribute your budget between marketing, supplies, equipment maintenance and bills. This doesn’t mean your beauty course was all for nought - it simply covered one topic. A salon success course, on the other hand, will cover the majority of the aforementioned issues and is usually run by a person who has experience in running or working in a salon, which you can relate to. If you have a knowledgeable instructor, they will teach you all you need to know about effectively and efficiently running and managing a business, as well as increasing your nail salon business revenue.

Think like a marketer

Here’s a trivia question that most nail salon owners who lack marketing finesse will not be able to answer - a client asks: “why should I choose to get my nails done by you, when I can get them done for half the price at another business”? If it takes you more than ten seconds to come up with a compelling answer, then you need to change your mindset. You’ve taken numerous courses, paid for your licenses, follow health precautions and utilise quality products - and that’s saying something! What this customer might not know, however, is that there are knock-off businesses, which may be cheap, but often reuse disposable tools, utilise cheap nail products that contain the harmful bonding agent, methyl methacrylate (MMA), don’t offer a quality experience and may even be illegally operating. Businesses that charge outrageously low prices on their treatments often don’t invest in their quality, which is beneficial for you, as potential customers who are looking for a great experience will come flocking to your salon instead. Besides informing your customers of the benefits of visiting your salon over cheaper alternatives, you should also partake in actively promoting your enterprise or the services you offer. Consider trying something new, like investing in Facebook or Instagram ads for getting the word out about your business, or send an SMS message blast to all of your customers, inviting them to book your latest treatment. With Booksy - nail salon scheduling software, you can select a specific group of customers or all of them and message them directly. Additionally, clients will receive a message after their visit encouraging them to leave a review on their experience which will also be shared on the online booking page. When looking to increase nail salon business profits, you should also do in-depth research on your customers, and Booksy can help with that. If you’re looking to improve the sales of a specific treatment, focus on those complementary to it - now filter your customer list and find clients who had that service. Here’s where the magic begins! Send a message blast to them, mentioning that they had a treatment in the past that would go well with what you’re currently offering, and make sure to include the benefits of doing so. Your clients will appreciate the advice and that you remember their appointment history, which will make them more likely to book that treatment!

Work with your regulars

Are nail salons profitable when they have a significant amount of customers? The answer might surprise you, because there are businesses that close down even though they have loads of foot traffic. So how does this happen? In most cases, such salons become a one time stop for customers. They get their nails done - which might not be that bad, but the experience as a whole isn’t good enough to tempt the client to return - and eventually, the business’s reputation catches up with it. Loyal customers are the lifeblood of every nail salon, as they not only promote your business to their friends and family but keep coming back for your amazing nail work! In most cases, salon owners simply say “thank you” or give a small discount the next time the client visits them, which is alright, but it’s not making waves. If you’re looking to truly make a profit from working with your clients, start by rewarding them accordingly. Using Booksy, you can edit their customer card to add a regular discount or use the Tags section to mark them your VIPs, so that you can easily message them your limited/special offers. When looking to unlock your nail salon’s hidden potential, you need the right mindset, patience and tools for the job. Do your research and find a reputable salon success coach who has the right experience to help you run your salon like a true businessperson - and don’t forget to employ the perfect profit-making tool! Grab your Booksy account and increase your nail salon revenue!