Blogs
Handy tips and advice for nail techs by our Brand Ambassador Rebecca Taylor-Shaw.
BLOGS
Let's Nail Your Prices
With Rebecca Taylor-Shaw | Claw Culture Brand Ambassador | Nail Tech | Educator
Let’s nail your pricing questions....
When it comes to pricing, budgeting and anything to do with finances, it’s a bit of a minefield! We never know if we are charging too much or not enough, and often base our prices on other competitors in the area. We need to start charging our worth, and pricing our nails based on the talents we have! I am going to break down some general pricing queries, so that you can see roughly how much Claw Culture products cost, per set of nails, which will enable you to adjust your prices accordingly.
Claw Culture increased a small number of their product prices on 1st October 2024, however; I’m sure you will agree that the products are fantastic quality and they've held their prices for a number of years, but with costs skyrocketing everywhere, a little increase to ensure that we keep receiving exceptional quality products, as well as fantastic customer service, is well worth it!
Different shapes, lengths and styles of nails, will use different amounts of product. Below is a brief breakdown of how many sets of nails, on average, you will get out of each product.
The new price for the base coat, top coat, and the colours from the core collection (001-120), is now £7.50 each. On average, each bottle will last for around 30 sets, therefore costing only £0.25 per set - an absolute steal! You can also purchase 3 gel polishes for £20, which would be even cheaper at only £0.22 per set.
The price of the builder gels was unchanged and costs only £9.99 per bottle. On average, you’ll get 20 sets per bottle, which works out at just £0.50 per set.
The XL top coat is an absolute must have for every nail tech! It lasts forever - I’d say on average you can get 50 sets out of it! The price increased to £10.50 per bottle, which works out at only £0.21 per set.
A full set of builder gel nails, with gel polish (including dehydrator, primer, builder gel, gel polish and top coat), will only cost around £1.30 in products, and it will be even less if you buy bundles and use discount codes! If you charge £30 for a set of builder gel nails, you could be making a profit of over £28!
As always, Claw Culture have some incredible offers available, such as builder gel bundles, gel starter kits, acrylic starter kits and student kits - by purchasing kits and bundles, you can create gorgeous nails for even less than the amounts stated above. A fantastic way to save money and keep your products well stocked, is to purchase the gel subscription box - for £19.90 you get 3 gel polishes of your choice, a free nail file OR glitter, and it will be shipped direct to you each month. There’s also a new builder gel subscription box available - it’s £29.99, every 90 days, and you will get 3 builder gels of your choice and 3 nail files.
You can also take advantage of the brand ambassador discount codes, which will give you 10% off your purchase - use my discount code REBECCA10 to get even more savings! And if you spend over £40 you will get FREE shipping.
Follow the link below to take you to the deals and salon packages page, where you will find all of the bundles, kits and subscription boxes available, to save you even more money! https://clawculture.com/collections/offers-kits
The Importance Of Hygiene Within The Salon
Hygiene is important in all businesses, but more so within the nail and beauty industry. We can have hundreds of clients passing through our door each week, therefore high standards of hygiene are paramount!
Maintaining good hygiene standards, and following industry guidelines, will prevent the risk of cross contamination. This is often something that clients look out for, as they want to be pampered in a safe, clean environment, and feel content in the fact that their health is being looked after, to the best of our ability.
Within my salon, we follow a checklist each day, to ensure that our whole team are following safe procedures - if you laminate the checklist and use a dry-wipe pen, they can be reused day after day!
Basic salon hygiene products
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable nail files
- Disinfectant for tools and equipment
- Nail and file sanitiser spray
- Antibacterial hand wash
- Antibacterial hand sanitiser
- Paper towels
- Clean towels and linen
- Couch roll or kitchen roll
- Antibacterial surface cleanser
- Disposable cloths
- Antibacterial surface wipes
- Floor cleaner
- Dust Collector
How to avoid cross-contamination of equipment
All equipment should be thoroughly cleaned after each use, and kept in a clean, dry condition when not in use. Nail lamps and lights should also be cleaned after each client. It is best to check with the manufacturers of your equipment to make sure that you are cleaning them effectively, and without causing damage. Also, some councils have specific guidelines that must be followed - these can often be found online.
Typically, disinfectant and hot soapy water is effective in keeping tools and equipment sterile. I also like to use the Nail and File Cleansing Spray - it helps to protect against Fungus and Bacteria on the nail plate, and sanitises nail files, implements and work surfaces. Barbicide or Mundo are a must for your nail kit - it is an anti-rust formula for stainless steel tools. The ratio for mixing Barbicide/Mundo and water, and the length of time to soak them for, can be found on the bottle, or on the website.
If files are not able to be sanitised, they should be disposed of after each client, or kept aside in an envelope with the clients name on, to reuse on their next appointment.
Where possible, nail brushes and tools should have lids on, to avoid dust and other materials from contaminating them.
Treating clients with contraindications
If a client has a fungal or bacterial infection, lifting of the nail plate, or a wound on the area that you are treating, it is best to not treat them. You could check with your insurance company, whether you can treat the client or not, or you could ask the client to get a note from their GP, stating that it is safe to perform the treatment.
If you treat a client with contraindications, you may increase the risk of cross contamination, or you could make the condition worse. If you don’t feel comfortable performing a treatment, or aren’t sure whether you should or not, it is always ok to say no! Do not put yourself or your reputation at risk.
Personal hygiene within the salon
It is so important that all team members have a good level of person hygiene. As nail and beauty therapists, we are the best adverts for our business, and if we don’t maintain high standards of hygiene for ourselves, them clients may think that we operate business in the same way, which would be incredibly off putting for them.
Poor personal hygiene can lead to the spread of germs and infections. Keeping nails clean, as well as regularly washing hands, and wearing clean clothes, can prevent the transfer of germs. I always like to wear disposable gloves when treating clients - not only does this prevent the spread of infections, but it can protect us from developing conditions such as eczema, due to irritation from nail dust, as well as preventing allergies developing, due to continual use of products, that may touch the skin.
How to keep the surfaces and floor clean within the salon
It is important to keep the surfaces and floor clean, due to the large number of clients that we see each day. Surfaces, such as the nail desk and chairs should be cleaned after every client. I like to use antibacterial surface wipes or antibacterial surface cleanser. Before using a cleaning product, try it on a small, hidden patch first, to make sure that it is not too strong or abrasive for the surface - if there are cracks or chips in material and surfaces, these can be breeding grounds for germs. Clients love to see therapists maintaining a clean environment. Each day the floor should be swept and mopped, with an appropriate floor cleaner. Each week I like to do a deep clean of the salon, where furniture is moved, the floor is fully hoovered and mopped, and all surfaces, chairs, doors and door handles are disinfected, ready to start the week ahead feeling fresh!
Ventilation within the salon
As we all know, the products we use can have a harsh smell to them, especially in enclosed areas. It is important to have a well-ventilated work space. Any saturated paper towels and materials should be thrown away into a closed bin. Dust collectors are a great item to have - they collect most of the dust when filing nails, which prevents yourself and your client breathing it in. Dust collectors can also lessen the smell of the products. Where possible, it is good practice to wear a face mask when filing nails and using harsh chemicals and products.
Where to buy products
Most of the products listed above are available on the Claw Culture website: https://clawculture.com
Use discount code REBECCA10 for 10% off all of your Claw Culture orders (exceptions apply, e.g. cannot be used with other money-off offers).
Brand Ambassador
Storage Within The Salon
Nail products must be stored in a cool, dry place. They also need to be kept away from heat, direct sunlight and UV lights - if products are exposed to this, it can cause them to cure, change texture, or even discolour.
Sunlight through windows can also affect products, therefore it is best to keep them away. It’s important when positioning shelving, drawers and other storage solutions to ensure that they aren’t too close to the window. Storing in a drawer or cabinet is often the best solution.
All nail products are best stored at room temperature, or just below. Extreme temperatures should be avoided, as they can affect the consistency, and therefore the overall effectiveness of products.
Also, products should be kept away from fire, candles and extreme heat, as they are flammable items.
In the winter, acrylic can often become runny and take longer to set, as it’s too cold, whereas gel products often thicken and can become harder to apply. In summer, it has the opposite effect - acrylic will set too fast, and it can be harder to manipulate the acrylic into the desired shape and thickness before it sets, whereas gel will often become runny, and therefore you may require more coats.
Where possible, products should be stood upright, to prevent leaks and spillages.
Once opened, products should be used within a specific time frame (this is usually indicated on the product). Claw Culture gel polish bottles should be disposed of after 12 months.
Storage tips and ideas
Deep drawers, with drawer liners and drawer separators are perfect for keeping your drawers organised - this will also enable products to be stored upright.
I also have a metal lockable cabinet - this is perfect for keeping excess stock organised and safe, but also it is fire resistant, which is important, as most nail products are highly flammable.
If you are a mobile nail tech, it is important to have a good quality storage case (preferably on wheels to prevent you having to carry all of your products and equipment). Products should be stored upright, so a deep case is crucial, and this will prevent the spillage of products too.
Within the salon, I like to have a trolly at each station - this enables us to have all products that we need to hand, and keeps everything looking neat and tidy. The trollies are also on wheels, so can be moved as needed. I also have a trolley with multiple drawers, and it is perfect for storing nail art products and glitter!
Where to purchase products
The items listed above are available at most major online retailers.
For all nail products and equipment, head to the Claw Culture website - https://clawculture.com and use discount code REBECCA10 for 10% off your order!
Rebecca x