How To Nail Your Pricing As A Nail Tech

When it comes to pricing and money in general, as a nail technician everyone seems to lose their heads a little bit. Am I charging too much? Am I charging too little? What am I worth?

Take a breath and let’s simply break it down, and whatever you do, never forget about your talent and worth- give yourself some credit!

We’ve broken down all the different factors to consider when putting together your price list as a nail tech, so grab your notebooks and thinking caps for this one!

Training

Like any career, building up your skills as a nail tech takes training. And training costs money. Therefore training has to come into your prices and you must factor in and charge for the qualifications you have spent time and money on learning. This also applies for extra courses (with The Nail Tech Org of course) you may do to perfect certain skills, which in turn will benefit your client.

Building your Kit

If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably spent your whole entire life (and bank balance) on building your kit and then maintaining it. It’s one of the most important factors to consider when deciding on your prices, if you’re willing to invest in the best quality products for your clients you must reflect this in your price list. 

Rent

Take notes if you have your own salon or rent a space from someone. Like any other business, this is an expense against your business which is something you have to consider when pricing your work. If you aren’t making enough to support your life outside of work, then can you afford to do it? P.s. as tempting as it can be, don’t compare yourself to others in your area on what you should charge. We’re all in different situations and they could be secret millionaires pocketing all the profit. 

Bills 

Oh the dreaded bills. No one likes them but unfortunately they have to be paid. Whether you work from home or a salon, electricity and water will be used, so it’s important to factor these into your pricing. Those nail lamps don’t power themselves!

Insurance

This one is an absolute must. To be safe and cover yourself under any circumstances you must be insured. It’s up to you on how high you want your insurance to cover but whatever the cost, factor this into your price, it’s certainly as beneficial to all your clients as it is to you, no one wants a lawsuit on their hands.

Booking System

If you’re an old school diary lover then this won’t apply to you but most nail techs now choose to use an online system. Most decent booking systems also, you guessed it, cost money so again it’s a cost you need to factor into your prices.

Time

Like the old saying, time is money. Back yourself and really think about how much time you take per set or treatment and give yourself a rough hourly rate. Don’t sell yourself short, your client’s are ultimately paying for your time.

Never apologise

When upping your prices or addressing your prices in general, do not apologise. As an industry we can be so apologetic about money, but it’s important to own your decisions, because we can and we’re worth it (thanks Loreal)! Your prices are your prices for a reason and hopefully, because of this article you now have the basics to put them together. 

Now it’s time to go away with allllll this information and ensure your prices are calculated properly and give you the opportunity to make a profit. 

Happy pricing!