Are you interested in learning How To Start A Manicure and Pedicure Business? Beauty standards in the 21st Century have really changed compared to past years. Everyone wants beautiful nails. However, maintaining picture-perfect nails takes time and commitment.
Fortunately, manicurists offer professional nail treatments and beautification. Owning a nail business isn’t as simple as selecting a location. Nail technicians are trained, licensed professionals who must comply with strict regulations.
Nowadays beauty treatments are not only limited to women, men too enjoy getting a professional manicure and pedicure done. This makes starting up a nail parlour a viable business idea especially if you have a passion for making people look beautiful.
What is Manicure and Pedicure?
A manicure is a beauty treatment that uses professional tools, waxes, and creams to nourish nails and skin. It helps improve the texture, appearance, and health of the entire hand. It also leaves nails and skin looking polished and fresh. A manicure experience is relaxing for the customer.
A pedicure is “manicure” for the toes. When performing pedicures, nail technicians remove dead skin from the foot and heel to soften skin. A pedicure may also include a foot soak that helps to soothe and moisturize the rough skin on the feet.
How To Start A Manicure and Pedicure Business
There are many paths to starting your own manicure and pedicure business. However, the journey starts by enrolling in a cosmetology course at a TVET college. A formal education is needed to obtain the state licensing required to operate as a professional nail technician.
It’s important to note that attempting to run a manicure and pedicure business without proper licensing can result in fines, legal liability, and other repercussions.
Getting Started With Manicure and Pedicure
Running a nail salon has its glamorous side but it’s also a lot of work. As the owner of your salon, you need to be conversant with all aspects of your business and also figure out how to make the business sustainable and maintain cash flow.
Having said that, it is advised to gain experience by working at a nail salon before starting a business in the industry. Take a position at a relatively successful nail salon to gain knowledge about how to run a successful business, identify areas where you can improve, learn about the newest nail art styles and tools, and estimate your potential profit.
As with any other business, you need capital to get started. The least amount you need to open up a small nail salon is Ksh. 150,000 excluding licenses and permits.
1. Find A Good Location
The first step to opening your own nail salon is choosing a location. A nail salon’s success depends on its location. For optimum visibility, it is essential to pick an area with lots of foot traffic. Due to hefty rent and a tiny outdoor marketing board to help your business stand out, this may cost you a considerable sum.
The cost of rent varies from town to town. Prices in Nairobi range from Ksh. 60,000 on the upper side to Ksh. 18,000 to Ksh. 10,000 on the lower side, excluding goodwill, depending on the street and distance of your space from the traffic.
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2. Get A Salon License
It’s necessary to apply for a salon license when opening a salon in Kenya. You will require a single business permit from your county government to operate the nail salon.
The cost of it will depend on the size of your business and from an analysis from your area ward rep. A small salon will cost Ksh5,000 – Ksh15,000 per year to license.
3. Hire Employees
Rarely does one person run a nail salon. As a result, you will require personnel to assist you in getting your doors open. Depending on their financial objectives, any salon owner can scale their business. A general assistant, numerous nail techs who are available for various shifts, and a receptionist/scheduler are all beneficial.
You may manage inventory, vendor relationships, and marketing as a salon owner to cut costs. Because it enables them to save money while simultaneously maintaining their abilities, many nail salon proprietors also assist customers.
4. Marketing
The first thing you need to do is have an effective marketing strategy that will help you get clients. This can include opening a social media business page, passing out flyers in the neighborhood, having an outdoor advert sign, having a discount for your first customers and depending on your budget, you can organize a grand opening event.
It’s important to let your community know that your new salon is open for business. Many new salon owners choose to hire small marketing agencies that specialize in spreading the word about local businesses. It’s also possible to use online ads, social media, and local newspaper ads to spread the word. With location-based keywords, salon owners can use websites and social media to advertise their services.
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5. Items To Purchase
To start small, you can start with as little as Ksh100,000 and keep re-injecting your profit as the business grows. Here are some items to get you started
- 5 sets Acrylic Nail Tips – @Ksh. 2000 each
- Acrylic Nail Kit – Ksh. 10,000
- Nail File and Clippers kit – Ksh. 2,000
- 10 Nail Buffer blocks – @Ksh. 300 each
- Nail Polish LED Light Dryer – Ksh. 4,500
- Nail Polish (200 pieces) – @Ksh 100
- 10 Nail Cleansers bottles – @Ksh. 500 each
- 10 Nail Polish Removers – @Ksh 100 each
- 10 Nail Glue bottles – @Ksh. 300 each
- 10 Nail Moisturizers bottles – @Ksh. 500 each
- 5 Manicure Bowls – @Ksh. 700 each
- 5 Staff Aprons (depending on number of staff) – @Ksh. 500 each
- Water Heater – Ksh. 1,200
- Furniture (Seats, Tables, Décor) – Ksh. 7,000
TOTAL – Ksh. 77, 700
Depending on your price list and the services you offer, a nail salon can make you between Ksh 10,000 to Ksh. 15,000 on a fairly busy day.
Conclusion
So you have already identified a suitable location for your nail parlor, gotten the relevant licenses, furnished your work space and bought basic equipment to start with and hired a few staff members to help you. So what’s next? It’s time to open shop.
Nail parlor is a wise and timely business idea that doesn’t necessarily require too much capital and has a lot of potential. If fact, research by popular beauty magazine, NailsMag suggests that 82% of nail salon goers return to get their nails done