To Bling or Not To Bling?

I remember, ohhh about 3 or so years ago, MTV making a huge announcement that the word "Bling" was being retired. I remember because I thought it was hysterical that they would even make such a production out of the word.

Regardless, hundreds of thousands of people haven't gotten the memo. Look around you the next time you're at the mall. Tweens, Teens and even Moms are throwing a rhinestone on any and everything they can get their hands on. YES even their nails.

Rhinestones, in my opinion, are a Technicians best retail item. I'm not saying sell them by the packs (but you never know who will buy them to put on their own phone). I'm saying add them to your service.

Think of it this way, if you charged .10 cents US per stone used on a set of nails, and you used only 5 stones per nail, you've just increased your profit by $5.00! Pretty cool for something so easy and well loved.

My favorite kit in our Cinapro line that I LOVE to sell, is the Cina Rhinestone Decoration Kit. Watch the math on this baby. Betty the nail tech purchases this kit for $4.95. In the kit are 400 rhinestones. If Betty uses all the stones on her clients and charges .10 per stone... she's made a whopping $40.00 off of her $4.95 investment!!! That's a profit of $35.05!!! Helllooooooo!! Just try making that kind of markup on a bottle of shampoo or a bottle of nail polish.

Here's another one for you... 10 Gross Crystal Rhinestones from Cinapro. 10 Gross = 1440 stones. Betty's cost is $9.95. Again, if Betty charges only .10 per stone, she's made $144.00!!! That's a profit of 134.05!!!

Now here's my super speedy trick for applying rhinestones to anything and everything that will sit still long enough. A Stick of Spagetti. Yup... Mama Cuccio's pasta. If you take a dry stick of spagetti and dip it into water for about three seconds, the moisture activates the starch in the pasta making the end sticky. You can then use it to pick up those tiny stones and apply them to the nail (or anything else). If you get any glue or topcoat on the end of your stick, simply snap it off and redip. You're rockin and ready to fly through a full set and rake in the money.

Profits like these get me excited enough to sing about the Bling!!! The heck with MTV!

Elaine
(writing from Valencia, CA today)

Wake Up Call

If you are not already feeling the effects of our weak economy you will soon. Gas prices and interest rates go up while family incomes go down. We're seriously in a financial crisis right now. Here's my prediction, if you're a salon owner or a booth renter, your rent is about to go up...while you're likely losing clients. Or your work space is getting smaller to make room for retail. As our financial situation worsens our clients either put their nails off longer, stop getting them done all together OR they head to a salon with cheaper prices. Either way, it hurts your income.

What's worse is as an American Nail Technician your battling those discount salons on every street corner.

It's sink or swim. So what can you do to keep your business going? First, be a smart shopper. Nail Glue is Cyanoacrylate. If you're paying for fancy, shmancy glue, check the ingredients. There are so many sundries you can be smart about shopping for. I'm not saying to get rid of that reliable acrylic or gel system you have. I'm saying all the bits and bobbles like files, sticks, blocks, glue, dappen dishes, brushes...so on. You can save lots of money by being smart and finding the best price.

Next, retail. If you say, "Ya I retail" I say...BULL. Nail Techs in America fall short on retail. What if I told you that by adding a few really good items, you could pay your rent on retail alone? You could. Take Cuccio Natural for example (one of my companies product lines). We offer retail banners that you put in your waiting area that lay down the sales foundation for you. Not to mention great point of purchase displays that make it easy for your customer to pick out retail items without your help. Things like these examples will boost your sales and help you out.

Make yourself known. Offer to do nails on your supermarket cashiers, bank tellers and anyone that works with customers. Offer to do their nails for substantially less if they agree to give out your card if someone inquires about their nails. That is basically free advertising. And personally we all know word of mouth is great. That potential client wants to know your fantastic before she tries you out.

Times are a changing folks. My prediction is that those discount salons are not going to be so discount for long. Ride out the rough times because the Second Generation is growing up and about to take over the family business. Those kids are now Americanized and won't want to work for so little. What you do now, can determine your future in this industry.

Elaine
(writing from Valencia, CA today)