Let’s face it, the last 18 months have, at best, been a mixed bag-

For me, as a veteran (wow, sounds ancient!) the problems we faced in the last 18 months were not quite as traumatic as they were for some.

I’ve seen some really great highs, but also some dreadful lows in my 35 years in the industry.

It is the challenges I had during those 35 years that made the lockdowns easier to face.

Without sounding like my nan, things really were different “back in the day”! Not better, or worse, just different…

1. We didn’t have internet or smart phones- this seems like a disadvantage, and of course I would rather have access to those two amazing bits of tech. However, we also weren’t bombarded with 24/7 “noise” either.
2. It took years, not days, to become qualified- Again, this means it was slow to get new blood into industry and there wasn’t the choice for both employer and employee. Even though we were sure of their capabilities due to the extent of the training they would have gone through to become a professional.
3. The industry was smaller- less competition, but also, less innovation, slower to get new things to excite us.
4. We were charging £40 for a new set of enhancements- many are now charging less. Easiness of qualification, and a flooded market, takes away the confidence of many nail techs.
5. No-one spoke to anyone else from industry- We are now a very big, fabulous nail family, and the biggest bonus of the last 18 months is that we all know each other even better. However, imposter syndrome is very real, when it’s hard to know just what is and isn’t real on our competitors IG feed.
6. No-one had a business coach- I was lucky to have a conversation with my bank manager or my accountant in those days! In today’s world of social media, we have access to people very easily. In the last 6 years, I have always had at least two coaches, and for me, the biggest win of the last 18 months is the gift of time, to develop and write my salon business coaching content, all whilst building relationships with many salon professionals along the way.
7. Working in a salon or being mobile were the only job options. Considering now, we can travel the world working backstage at shows; on location for a photo shoot; compete in global competitions; teach for a brand or for ourselves; be employed, self-employed or even an apprentice.
8. There were only 3 nail brands when I started, there are now too many to count. This gives us choice, which is great, but it also means we have to do a lot of research to be able to trust a brands marketing.
9. Admin was the bane of my life, double entry bookkeeping (now there are quick books!) A paper diary and pencil, not only meant things could be removed without me knowing (I soon caught on :I ) but things got lost, and had to be written out again for the accounts, whereas the salon management systems we now use save SO MUCH time!
10. Advertising used to cost £1000’s a year, whereas now, it can be achieved for free.

Looking back over these changes gives us an insight of how business owners that have survived 3 decades are less likely to be fazed by the events of 2020.

It didn’t bullet proof us, the issues we have had to deal with have been unprecedented.

What it has done though is prepare us for change.

The industry I joined in the 80’s is unrecognisable to the one we now have and adjusting to those changes strengthen our resolve.

How do I see the industry moving forward, and what should we been doing now to future proof our businesses?

1. Get to know and understand your business as well as you understand your clients.
2. Ask for help from people you trust, and as soon as you can afford to, pay someone that knows more than you to help. That could be a business coach, a bookkeeper, or someone to manage your social media.
3. Stop selling your time for money. This means do not base your prices purely on the time they take, or you will never have enough money to reinvest in you or your business.
4. Do not compare yourself to others. Easier said than done, but remember, “you are the sum total of the 5 people you listen to the most” Tune out the noise, change the frequency of what you are listening to.
5. Turn up as the professional you want to be. Do more, be more, listen more. Don’t be envious of anyone, be inspired by the right people

The industry is likely to shrink in the next 2 years, we need to be the person that people want to pay money to.

This is a GOOD thing, and the best thing ….



You get to choose to be part of it xxx