How to Start a Successful Nail Salon [Complete Guide]

You have to choose an area that is seasonally prone to this beauty industry. And since well-groomed hands are considered a sign of good taste, urban women today rarely do without a manicure. You don’t have to go to the hairdresser for months, everyone does makeup themselves in everyday life, not everyone visits the beautician, and you need to update the nail polish at least 2 times a month.

With such a high and stable demand for the services of nail salon service masters, a nail salon can become a profitable business. We will analyze all the nuances.

Business Idea How to Open a Manicure Cabinet

Before you open a manicure cabinet, you should weigh the pros and cons. The target audience, in this case, is girls and women under the age of 55. There is a demand for services, but you need to choose the right niche – from an economy class office to a luxury salon.

You can Open a Nail Salon in Different Formats:

• The standard, option where the owner pays the rent, makes repairs, buys all the equipment. Masters work on salaries and usually receive a fixed percentage from each client.

• Lease of premises to craftsmen: Moreover, each master comes with his equipment and materials and takes all the profits for himself, and the owner of the salon pays the agreed rent.

• Salon at home: A good option for beginners without starting capital.

You can open a nail salon or an office in a beauty salon, where other beauty services are also provided – haircuts, hair-dyeing, services of a cosmetologist/makeup artist.

We will analyze a step-by-step plan for opening a nail salon in the first version.

A Step-by-Step Plan on How to Open a Nail Salon from Scratch

Let’s analyze a step-by-step plan for renting a cabin:

• To start working on how to open a nail salon from scratch, you need to draw up a business plan. It will help assess the size of investments and the feasibility of launching such a business in the selected area, as well as attract investors, if necessary.

• Rental space – The exact amount depends on the size of the city and the selected area.

• Repair of the premises

• The purchase of working equipment – 2 manicure tables and chairs, 2 lamps for nail extensions, upholstered furniture for the lobby area, a table for magazines, reception desk, etc.

• Hiring

• The purchase of consumables

• Registration of a business and obtaining the necessary permits from the city administration and fire service.

• Advertising

Read Also: How to Successfully Start A Fashion Boutique

Business Plan Nail Salon

The project summary includes a description of the nail salon, a description of the target audience, competitors, the benefits of your salon, a description of its location and services.

The production plan includes a list of all necessary equipment, materials, repair costs.

The salon’s financial plan should include an analysis of all expenses – both start-up and monthly, as well as income calculation based on the price list and the expected number of customers.

A Marketing Plan For Nail Salon may Include:

• leaflets and business cards

• posters with advertising

• advertising sign

• own site or landing page

• social networks. For speedy development, you need to launch a target on social networks, advertise on Instagram, organize an e-mail newsletter, and also maintain pages on social networks, especially on Instagram. If desired, this can be done independently, but it is better to hire a specialist.

What You Need to Open a Nail Salon

According to modern standards, such requirements are set for manicure rooms:

• availability of medical books for all staff and their periodic renewal (at least every 6 months);

• not less than 6 square meters m. area per one working master;

• the presence of a sink for hand hygiene and a sterilizer for processing tools;

• the ability to disinfect devices after each client.

Indoors, you need storage space for equipment and supplies. Ideally, find a room that already worked as an office, and open a business on its basis.

It is better to choose a room near clothing stores, inside shopping centers and residential complexes, in the city center. Another option – on the contrary, choose sleeping areas where there are few such establishments. If the master opens the cabinet himself, then you can start from your own apartment – to build up the client base.

To start a manicure cabinet, you need:

• 2-3 manicure masters – for shift work.

• 2 administrators – also for shift work.

• cleaning lady – at the start, it will be enough coming.

• Accountant

The most productive in the field of the beauty industry are employees under 30 years of age with relevant qualifications and experience. Sociability is extremely important – in this business, customers return to a particular master, and not to the salon.

Masters and administrators should be friendly, professional, and well-groomed. On the walls, you need to hang their diplomas and certificates.

Manicure Design

The design of the manicure cabinet, first of all, should be ergonomic. At the entrance, there is a reception desk and a soft waiting area with a coffee table. It is also advised to place a sales area here – a rack with professional tools.

A good solution is to install a full-length mirror in the waiting area, and the interior logo on the wall behind it. Customers like to take selfies and this will be an additional advertisement.

For zoning the interior, you can use curtains or floor partitions. They can also act as extra stands if they are made up to 1 meter high and with a width of 10-15 cm. The room can also be zoned with different coatings and shades.

The design of a nail salon is best done in a neutral base or other pastel colors, but with bright accents. Furniture items, lamps, appliances, textiles, etc. can stand out. It is also an opportunity to quickly change the color scheme of the cabinet, without starting a major repair.

The main thing is to provide customers with convenient access to the workplace of the master and a comfortable stay.

Is a Manicure Business Possible at Home?

Manicure business at home is a good solution for a novice master. It almost does not require financial investments. It is enough for the master to allocate a place for work in the apartment – a table with a lamp and tools.

For some customers, such services are even preferable, because you can sign up at any time. But many, on the contrary, do not trust cabinets at home, since there is no guarantee of the quality of manicure. Therefore, this is rather the initial stage before launching your salon.

Read Also: 10 High Demand and Fast Selling Products To Sell Online in Nigeria

Conclusion

Opening your own nail salon is a promising enterprise, giving you the opportunity to build a business in your favorite pastime. For the opening of the salon, millions of investments are not needed, and the profit is stable and almost independent of the season.

Also in this business, there are good opportunities for scaling – you can add a hairdresser and a solarium to the existing office, you can sell various care products in it.

But the main thing is to hire professional masters and provide a full range of nail services – manicures and pedicures of various types, nail extensions, gel polish.