I want to start doing nails in my house, what would you like to see?

[cultkid]

I'm going to start doing nails using dipping powder from my home. I have a really nice house with free parking outside and a big spacious lounge. I am a mom and I like to be able to bring my baby with me when I have nails done etc.
I was thinking to let people bring their small children if they need and to only do dipping powder nails. Also make nice tea/ coffee / sparkling wine and snacks
Is there anything that would enhance your experience having nails done or perhaps something I should think to buy to set me apart from other home nail people?

Thank you

Oh and agree a clean, tidy, clutter free environment would be something I would look for.

Business is a numbers game. How can to reach the largest number of consumers on the larger margin? You need to start by looking at prices in your local area and undercutting them. The consumers you are angling towards don’t really care more about the experience as much as the cost. If they did they’d go to a nice salon instead. You just need to work out a way to deliver a good quality product (things like hygiene etc come into that) at a lower price than your competitors.

I think you've been given really solid, practical business advice really. This will be far more useful to you then knowing someone's preference over what sort of snacks they like. For me getting my nails done is a purely functional thing and I like my technician to be professional, fast and business like about it. It's not in anyway a social thing for me so it doesn't need enhancing.

I would look at doing shellac kind of nails. The place I go to only does this. She started off at home, advertised on FB, guaranteed you are in and out in half an hour, is very cheap and her reputation grew. She now has 2 salons only doing gels, there’s no faffing about and you’re in and out in half an hour, they do hands and feet at the same time if you want both. Think about your USP

OP you've had a bit of hard time here, people love to be the know it all, you didn't ask about the regulation, you asked what people enjoyed. I live in a small village and we have a few home beauticians, I love not having to travel to the nearest town. Pets out the way, children out the way too where possible (especially with nails), nice clean room, and yes I'd expect prices lower than in a salon.

When you get settled I think mobile is an excellent thing to offer for people who struggle to get out because of childcare etc, the mobile beauticians do very well around here.

Good luck!

Don't offer wine or snacks. It will eat into your profits.

I get a cup of tea in the salon I go to
for gel nails, I drink it when the technician is getting the lid off the next bottle, or as soon as I take my hand out from under the lamp. No snacks and no wine though, I can't imagine drinking alcohol at a routine daytime appointment. A really good range of colours is important. Also you need a decent method of booking appointments, preferably with an online method, you don't want to be answering the phone while you work and leaving voicemails is hit and miss.

Also have a cancellation policy so you don't get let down by too many last minute cancellations, however I imagine if your target market is mothers of young children some flexibility is going to be needed.

Sorry you feel hurt by the responses but they might have raised some things you hadn’t considered and you can therefore write it off as a bad idea before you pursue it further.

As a pp said, there are probably good reasons why more people are not doing this as a business in their own home.

• Cleanliness, I’m amazed at how grubby some work areas in high street beauticians are, I never go back. Your work area needs to be spotless and uncluttered.
• Peace, make sure you are not interrupted and that dogs, partner and children are out of the way. Don’t answer your mobile phone mid treatment. Have an online booking system or set your phone to go straight to a message asking callers to leave their name, number a preferred appointment slot and you will ring them back. - Then ring them back as soon as you have a break in clients.
• Punctuality, make sure you leave enough time between appointments so you don’t habitually run late.
• Good range of colours and products (sadly not cheap for you to hold all that stock). Nothing more annoying than finding there are only a handful of non-shimmer/glitter pinks or reds.

I agree that offering food and drink will slow you down, eat into your margin, and prove difficult for your clients to manage while compromising your cleanliness.
I want to be in and out as quickly as possible in a clean, unstressed environment.
You can add value by being friendly but sensitive, judging whether your client is a chatter or prefers their own thoughts. If you could offer something like brows and lashes in addition you would have a much bigger market.

• If you are targeting mothers of small children stumped for childcare, I’d have a playpen in the corner with a few wipe-clean board books and toys, nothing noisy, and a wipe clean bean bag for older children. I’d make a big fuss of welcoming the children at the beginning and then focus on the client.

You will need to be cheaper than salons.

Good luck, you are right to do a lot of planning. You need to build some resilience though to go into business, you will get the odd disappointing online review and other setbacks. It’s a huge leap from doing grateful, loving friends and family. When strangers pay, expectations and behaviour can be very different.

The thing is that your potential customers will want to know you’ve set up your business properly with insurance etc. For me I don’t want to go to someone who is doing it as a hobby, I could get a friend to do that for the cost of a bottle of wine. I want the professional experience and have had issues when things have gone wrong so I’d want some reassurance that you know what you’re doing. The regulatory part of running a business is part of your branding and how your customers experience it. If you step back for a moment think about what you would do if you wanted your car painted. Would you go to the purpose built garage on a trading estate or someone’s garage on the side of their house? One is cheaper but you would want it to be done well still, wouldn’t you? Does that help?

I am surprised people are being shitty about OP wanting to offer the service from home. I'm not a huge high maintenance beauty person, but lots of the times I have had lashes, brows or nails done it's from the person's home.

The best lash girl I ever went to did it at her parents house - although it was spotless, it was like Mrs Hinch's house and she did it all in a spare room, not the living room.

Try not to let posters get to you OP - lots of posters are just being practical, whereas I had assumed you would have all the hygiene, insurance, qualifications stuff already in place. I do agree that on these types of threads there are a minority of posters who cannot wait to jump in and piss on your parade by implying you are totally unprepared, but that always happens on any kind of new business thread.

In response to your OP - drinks wouldn't make that much difference to me, as others have said, you can't really drink much of you are having your nails done anyway. I think good parking is a bonus, and a clean, spacious house is nice. I wouldn't be bothered about if it were in your living room or a spare room. I would never bring my kids to that sort of appt so that is irrelevant to me, and as others have said, it could be a bit of a hazard and distraction if you have stuff everywhere or are trying to do intricate stuff. For me, the main things are good work and being really friendly.

Good luck x

I would get all your customers to pay up front when they make an appointment. That way you won’t get time wasters and a guaranteed income. Late cancellations are the worst part of being self employed in health and beauty. Good luck.

Why are you hurt by responses? People are giving you very sensible advice and feedback!

SIL trained in lash extensions while on maternity leave and does it from home. She's making so much money she's not going back to work.

I'm not into dipped nails as everyone's hands have been in the pot but good luck to you.

I do think you’ve been given very practical advice OP. You’ll need to see if you can run a business from your home , and insurance that will cover that fact. You’ll also need to consider the fact that alcohol will be in packages - you’ll need license for that too.

Self employment is more than just getting training and insurance. Anyone can buy insurance but it’s a waste of time and invalid if you don’t make sure little things like where your place of work is covered.

Doing the odd set of nails probably looks like a little extra income but the expense of the above needs to be considered

My hairdresser has converted her garage, as did the nurse who I used to get lip fillers from.

Has its own entrance etc. and don't have to worry about the house being spotless all the time. I think this is much more professional. I know others have sheds built which might also be an option? I guess it's just a question of having the initial outlay for this...

I already started a successful building company with my husband so we have an accountant, solicitor and insurance broker who can advise me on all of the legalities.

The nails : I would only want to do dipping powder because that's all I've had on my nails for the last year and a half. It lasts a lot better then gel polish and it's long and heavy like acrylic. Totally understand the flaw in not offering anything else but for now that's all I would want to do. From asking about thirty women I know here they all would be really interested in having me do their nails and it goes without saying I would have to under cut any competitors, for which there is only one in the district I live in.
The area I live in is not one where people have High flying jobs in the city. It's more where you have stay at home mums or mums who work part time or for themselves. Because of this, a luxury experience isn't necessarily what I want to provide. I want to provide good quality, accessible and easy service. During the day. Don't want to drive around to peoples house unless I would really have to.
If I buy the nail stuff and some comfy bits plus candles lamps and flowers I would be looking at an outlay of 400 very max
I have child care so that cost doesn't come into it.
Course about 165 and then another 140

So 650 all in... I don't think it's too much really to spend to do this especially if I was to charge say 25£ and it took about an hour per set if I did two sets per day.
Again I must stress I don't need to work so it's more of a hobby.

Looking at doing that or going into dinner parties as I am a really good cook.
But I don't know yet and that's why I have put the feelers out there
I really appreciate all of the input and especially the words of encouragement

Thank you

Sorry it should say that its not heavy like acrylic

@Rainbowshine

Interesting analogy but I lease so can't empathise.

No snacks or drinks. Non - smoking therapist . Clean fresh smelling environment. No dogs obviously in residence . Cheaper than a high street salon.

I also don't smoke or have dogs (seems a lot of people do)
House v clean

What about taking photos for Instagram...
It's really powerful but would it annoy you?

I wouldn’t want to be on instagram but you could ask your clients for their preference.

Are you any good at this? That’s the main question really. Do you have the skills required?

my eyebrow lady always photographs my brows to show on her snapchat and insta page, same as my sister in law who owns a salon. it’s a way to show your work and i think most beauticians do it now. one thing i will say though is will people pay £25 to have their nails done by someone newly qualified? (sorry if i’ve got it wrong and you’re already qualified!) most people i know who offer beauty treatments offer them at a knock down price when they’ve just qualified as a way to build their portfolio.