7. The Nail Industry Is Saturated… Or Is It?

Let’s talk about the myth that’s holding so many nail techs back: industry saturation. In this episode, I explain why the industry isn’t nearly as saturated as people make it seem, how educated clients are changing the game and what it actually takes to become the go-to technician in your area. If you want to build demand and position yourself as an expert, this is a must-listen.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey everyone and welcome to Blossom and Business, the podcast for all things beauty, business, mindset, and more. My name is Monique and I am the owner of Royal Blossom Beauty, a beauty business based in Melbourne, Australia. I offer nail, lash and brow services as well as nail and business education. I really hope you enjoy this episode and let's get into it. Hey guys and welcome back to the podcast. Today I want to talk about something that I hear all the time from aspiring nail techs or even already qualified nail techs that are looking to open their own business and they ask, is the nail industry saturated? Is it too saturated that I can't start? Not gonna have any success if I start now. Like that's just the question that everyone's got. So I see this question all the time in Facebook forums, on TikTok, on Instagram, and obviously I've had people ask myself. So I wanted to talk about it in this episode because I think it could be very helpful if you are someone that is looking to join the beauty industry specifically in nails. But I feel like a lot of what I talk about is gonna relate to whether it's lashes, brows, whatever. Any industry where there are a lot of people doing that, and you may be worried, like, is it too saturated? Is it too late to join? Like, all of that. This is the episode for you. And the whole like the nail industry is too saturated is a very common excuse a lot of like existing technicians use because their books aren't as full as they would like. They just blame it on the fact that the nail industry is too saturated. So in this episode, I really wanted to talk about whether or not the nail industry is saturated and why this kind of concept may be holding you back as a nail technician, and how to actually become the in-demand nail technician that clients actually want to go to. So I'm gonna be really honest. The industry is not saturated. There are a lot of businesses out there, yes, there are definitely a lot of nail techs out there, but not all of them are performing really well. They're not always doing the best job. There are a lot of kind of average businesses out there if I'm being honest. So today I want to talk about how you make sure you don't become one of those. So, first of all, let's start with what saturation means. What does it mean to be a saturated industry? So, when we talk about saturation and having a saturated industry, this basically means that there's too many businesses offering the same thing and not enough clients or not enough demand. So there's too much, right? But I don't actually think the nail industry is saturated. Because if it was saturated and there was too many techs but not enough demand, we wouldn't see fully booked salons with wait lists. We wouldn't see clients waiting weeks and weeks and weeks longer than they want to to get in with the one technician they actually want to see. So, if the nail industry was actually saturated, why would we see so many clients waiting weeks to get in with their favorite technician? If the nail industry is too saturated, why are there so many technicians with fully booked schedules weeks in advance? Think about it, because if the industry was actually saturated, there would be too many technicians and not enough clients. But what we see is actually the opposite. We see clients that struggle to get appointments with their go-to technician even if they try and pre-book weeks and weeks and weeks in advance. We see clients that maybe move to different cities and they need to find a new nail tech, or maybe the nail tech themselves has moved and they need to find a new nail tech in their current area. There are so many clients that go to get their nails done currently and they hate the salon they go to or they hate the technician they go to, whether it's due to comfort, hygiene, the quality, the retention, literally anything, there are people that yes get their nails done currently and are actually open to going somewhere else. So clients are actually struggling to find the technician that they actually want. So there's no issue of too many nail techs and not enough clients and not enough demand. There's a lot of nail techs, but clients are actually struggling to find the nail tech they actually want to go to. There's not so much an issue with the demand and how many clients want to get their nails done. You just have to position yourself as someone that they want to book in with. You want to be the in-demand technician. Another reason that I think a lot of people assume the industry is saturated is because they have this limiting belief. A limiting belief is a belief that's holding you back because you assume that whatever happens, it's just going to be negative. So if you believe that the nail industry is too saturated and that's why you're not getting bookings, that is a limiting belief because you think that the reason that you're not getting bookings is because there's too many nail techs. And there are so many nail techs, but there are also so many clients. So if you're someone that has a limiting belief and you're like, I can't start a nail business, there's too many nail techs out there, there's too many nail salons out there, I'm not gonna get any clients. And as much as there are a lot of nail techs, there are so many more clients. And out of those many nail techs that there is, there's not many actually doing a really good job. We all know about the non-standard salons. Yes, they're convenient for many people. I'm not gonna try and shame anyone that still goes there if you're not a nail tech and you go, but a lot of people that go to these salons aren't actually very happy with their results. They only go because it's cheap and it's convenient. There might be, you know, a small handful that aren't as picky as the rest, or maybe they've found one that's not that bad. But there are a lot of really bad Naltechs out there, salons out there, and this is all to do with like hygiene, quality, comfort, all of those things. But there would also be some more independent Naltechs that maybe don't have the cleanest work, maybe their retention just isn't retentioning, like all of these other factors. It's not just the non-standard salons, there can be low-quality private Naltechs as well. So, as much as there are so many Naltechs out there, there's not many that are amazing. So, in saying that, this is the perfect opportunity for you to make sure that your work is the best it can be and to really improve all aspects of your business so that you're the person that these clients actually want to go to. So there's a really big difference between an industry being saturated and an industry being competitive. I would say that the nail industry is not saturated, but it is quite competitive. And again, there are a lot of nail techs. Like I would say just at my local shopping center, I'm not even in a big town or anything like that, there's probably at least like four or five non-standard salons just in the shopping center alone. Then you've got the main streets and things like that where there's other ones. And just imagine, like, let's say 10-15 staff in each of those non-standard salons, plus all the independent private nail technicians in the area, too. There would be hundreds and hundreds of nail technicians just within like a 20-minute radius of you. There are so many nail techs out there. And low-key, that is a good thing because it pushes you to do better and it pushes you to really fight for what you want, and that is bookings. And the way that you're gonna get those is being a good business, giving good quality nails, doing all of that. Competition actually pushes you to work harder. It pushes you to make sure that your attention is actually good, your client sets actually last. It pushes you to make sure that your cuticle work is actually well done and you're not slacking, your colour applications nice and neat, you're not just giving a client sloppy results like you're actually trying. It's encouraging you to make sure your tools are clean, make sure your salon is clean, and to really give a high quality service. And because there's so much competition, it actually encourages you to create content and market yourself. Because if you didn't know already, Instagram is the go-to place to try and get clients and to market yourself as a service-based business. So if you're not on Instagram or you're not really posting consistently and you're not posting a variety of different content, like not just nail photos, this is your sign to really just like put in a lot more effort, and trust me, you will see results. So, competition is a good thing, it helps you work harder so you can get the clients to come to your salon, but it also encourages to work harder to keep them. Because realistically, I feel like today's clients are I wouldn't say picky, but I would say a bit more particular, and that is because they are more educated. And this would also come from negative experiences at other salons, but also what we see online and what we teach online. A lot of clients are learning a lot more about nails and about the process. So some clients, you know, they might not know what good cuticle work looks like, you know, but there's some that are gonna know exactly what that looks like. So when they get their nails done and they see that their gel is applied, like it's three weeks grown out, they're gonna be like, mmm, I don't think it's meant to look like that. I don't think it's meant to be that grown out. Like clients just know more now. And I feel like now more than ever, clients are so educated on nails. There's some that probably still don't know a whole lot about it, hence why so many go to places where they risk infection and they risk damage and things like that. But I feel like so many more people know a lot more now. Because I feel like on our social platforms, whether it's you directly or other technicians and maybe you've reshared it or anything like that, clients can see what nail damage looks like because we're showing them, we're educating them. They see what a clean manicure looks like, they see what good retention looks like. We're teaching them that nail techs should be using sterilized tools, and if they don't have a pouch that has the indicator and all of that stuff, like they're not sterilized. Like we're kind of educating our clients so much more, and they are able to make more informed decisions. So you need to align with those. If they're looking for someone with clean manicures and good retention, you need to fit the criteria because clients are more particular now. For example, my clients, when they first came to me, I told them what a Russian manicure was, I showed them side by side the difference, I told them like some salons do this, but I choose to do this. Personal preference, not saying you have to do a Russian manicure, but that's just what I've educated my clients on, and that's what they love. So I know if God forbid I stop doing nails or I move really far away, or they move really far away, or for whatever reason they need a new nail technician, they know to look for someone that has that same quality of work. Even things like close colour application. I've really educated my clients on this is what it should look like, or at least the way that I like to work, this is what it should look like, and this is what I always aim for with my clients. That that is something they should be looking at. So I feel like you can't really get away with being mid or being average. A lot more clients know what's up, they know what to look for in a nail technician now. Again, there's still some that don't know, that are still getting nail damage every single time they get their nails done, they're probably getting a file reuse on them. But I feel like lately there has been a lot more education around nails, especially teaching our clients. So when a client is looking for a nail technician, they're looking for someone that's not going to damage their nails. They're looking for someone that's gonna prioritize their nail health, they're looking for someone that's not gonna use cheap, low-quality products on them with really harmful ingredient percentages. They want someone that really knows if the gel's curing properly. They want someone that's not gonna rush them in and out. They want someone that's using clean tools, sterilized tools, preferably for some people. Because let me be really honest, I know like sometimes you can get a bit too comfortable with clients, and maybe the first time you do their nails, the first few times, you're putting in a lot of effort, right? And you're giving them the most beautiful nails ever. But maybe you get a bit too comfortable, maybe your work starts slacking. You think your clients don't notice. Some might not notice, but you think they don't notice, but some will. And you'll be doing such a good job the first few appointments to try and impress them, keep them coming back, but once they become a regular, you might start slacking off. But you can't do that because an educated client is going to be able to tell when your work isn't the greatest, and they can just get up and leave at any time. No client is a permanent fixture in your business. They will come and go if you're not giving the best results you can, because clients notice now, like they're not gonna like let you get away with giving them low-quality nails just because you want to rush them in and out because you've done their nails so many times before, or you've done their nails crooked and you notice that they don't care. Like you really just need to give it your all every single time. So clients are looking for someone that actually gives them high-quality results consistently, not just the first few appointments, not just enough to lock them in and get them rebooking, but every single time. I the way that I work, and I encourage this to other people as well, I like to work as if I'm being assessed. So this is the same with any other service I offer, lashes, whatever. Let's say lashes, let me do a little comparison for lashes if we have any lash techs watching. But for example, I am not going to intentionally fail to isolate my client's lashes and stick a bunch together and leave them, like not fix them at the end, but leave them just because the client can't tell. Because what if they went to another technician and they see these lashes that they've told them that I've done and they're all stuck together? Like, even if the client doesn't notice that your work is someone else is going to. So if I stuck a bunch of clients' lashes together and they didn't even know that I stuck all their lashes together and they go somewhere else, that lash technician now thinks that I have really bad quality work and word of mouth spreads like crazy, especially when it's negative. So the way that I like to work is always work as if you're being assessed. Always work as if someone is going to judge you for the set that you're doing. Because even if no one's gonna judge you, you're not completing a course, or maybe your client's probably not that picky. Imagine if they went to a highly reputable nail technician for a refill or whatever because you weren't available. What would that nail tech think of your work? What would your educator think of your work? What would you in a few years' time think of your work? You want to make sure you're always delivering the most high-quality work. You want to make sure that you don't slack when you feel too comfortable or you don't get too relaxed and just stop putting in effort. You really just need to give every client your all all the time. So clients don't just book nails anymore. They don't just book for the sake of having their nails done. They actually want to book with a technician or a sell-on that they trust. So instead of asking, is the nail industry too saturated? You should be asking, how can I become the in-demand nail tech that clients actually want to book with? Because if you want to succeed in this industry, the goal isn't just to become just another nail tech. You want to become the nail tech that's in demand, that clients actually want to book with. You want to be the technician that clients are recommending to their friends and family. You want to be the technician that clients are leaving reviews for, the recommending to every single person that they know that they speak so highly of. You want to be the nail tech that people are waiting months to book in with, or pre-booking months in advance, or joining the waitlist for. So again, the goal isn't just to be another Naltech. It's to be the Naltech that everyone wants to book with. And of course, I'm not gonna leave you guys empty-handed. I am gonna tell you how I believe that you can become a more in-demand nail technician. Firstly, I think finding your niche is super important. So it basically means finding an area that you excel in and you can specialize in. For example, if you do really good builder gel nails, that doesn't mean you have to stop doing gel ex, like you can still do it. But I feel like it would be a really good marketing tactic to really specialize in something because it can really target your ideal client. I find that the most successful nail techs are those that actually specialize in something. So for example, maybe they specialize in intricate nail art, maybe they specialize in clean manicures or short nails, long nails, I don't know. There's so many different ways that you can do it, some more broad than others. And by having this point of difference, that's really how you can market yourself to your ideal client. So when people think of this kind of result, you come to mind. When they think of clean colour application, you come to mind. Nail art, you come to mind. That is what you want. For example, I'm gonna name drop some nail text that I know. When we think of 3D extravagant hand sculpted objects and things like that, who do we think of? I don't know about you guys, but I think of Lisa from Nails by Lisa Kay, obviously. When I think of long sculpted acrylic nails, I think of Charlotte from Hypnotic Nails. That's just my that's where my brain goes. When I think of pedicures, I think of V from the Petty Pro. That is just what comes to mind when I think of those particular services. So that's what you want your client to think as well. They see a lot of nail techs everywhere because there's so many, right? And there's probably so many just in your area alone. But what is it about you that really encourages someone to book with you? And you're not gonna be every client's cup of tea, whether it's your quality of work, your price, your location, your availability, all of that. You're not gonna be everyone's cup of tea. But you want to specialise in something that you are passionate about and that you are good at. So for example, we've got Lisa. She probably does have some plain colour clients, but she would attract a lot of extravagant 3D sculpted nail art clients because that's what she posts. And I think I spoke about it in another episode, I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure I did mention something about what you post is what you attract. So if you want a lot of nail art clients, you want to post a lot of nail art. If you kind of want to attract more short natural nail clients, you would probably post more short natural nails. I do actually remember talking about this. I was talking about the fact that when I first started, I was posting a lot of long gel X art, especially on myself, but then when I focused more on a really clean cuticle wear, clean close colour application, builder gel, all of that, I was doing a lot of plain colour. That's what I was posting. I attracted a lot more builder gel clients, a lot more plain colour clients that don't get extensions, they don't get long nails, they don't get nail art. I mean some do, but a lot of my clientele now is short, builder gel, nude, pink, french, red, like all of that. So what you post is really what you attract. So you want to become known for something. So when someone thinks of a particular style of nails, you want to come to their mind. So again, you can choose whatever area you want to specialise in. I would highly recommend it be something you're passionate about because you're gonna struggle a lot harder to market yourself and do it regularly if you don't like doing it, and also something that you're good at. And if you're not quite there yet, I would definitely recommend working towards that. So, for example, for me personally, I feel like I'm more known for cleaner manicures, plain colour. You know, to some people that might be boring, but a lot of my clients they just want their nails done and they like their natural nails, they like them to be strong, not break, they like them to look clean, they know I sterilize my tools as well, so that's a big selling point. That's just what I specialise in. I do have clients come to me for long nails. I love long nails, I always have long nails. I do have clients come to me for nail art. I love nail art, I just don't post a lot because I don't get to do a lot. You will still have clients that come to you for other things as well, because you may just be the most convenient option for them, or maybe there's something else about your business that really draws them in. But you will find you will get so many more clients if you target a really specific kind of client. So clients come to me for builder gel, they come to me for natural nails, they come to me for a nice clean cuticle area, close colour application, all of that. They come to me for no damage, sterilized tools, all of that. So the fastest way to grow in the nail industry is to be known for something, to find something that you really have a passion for and want to specialise in. And that's not to say that you can't offer other things. My salon is like, I'm gonna be honest, it's chaotic. I've got way too much going on in my salon. I find it really, really, really hard to market my salon, so I'm very lucky that I don't really feel the need to because my books are quite full already. But if you haven't listened to previous episodes, I offer nails, lashes, and brows. So within that, I have gel polish, builder gel, both soft and hard gel, gel X, I do plain colour, I do nail art, I also do pedicures, I do lash lifts, lash tints, lash extensions, brow wax, dye tint, lamination. Like I do so much stuff. So I find it very hard to get people in all areas. So I find it very hard to get the same amount of eyebrow clients as I do nail clients because it's really hard to present yourself as someone that does everything, but it's so much easier to advertise and market as someone that's good at something very particular. So I've always just focused on nails. So most of my clientele is nails, and if I ever wanted to shift that, like let's say I want to do more lash clients, which I'd love to, I would simply just shift my marketing more towards lashes. It's as simple as that. So really just find what you're good at, what you love, and really just go for that. Again, you can offer other things, but it's just easier to market yourself as specializing in one thing in particular. So this kind of leads me to my next point because another thing that really gets clients to book in with you is they see you as an expert in your industry. And this is the difference between nail technicians that struggle to get bookings and nail technicians that are always fully booked. You'll probably see when you follow certain people on social media like certain nail techs that are quite popular and quite booked out, you probably think of them very highly because of something that they do. Whether it's they have really nice sculpted sets, maybe they have really nice nail art, you think of them very highly because you think that they're an expert at what they do. You want your clients to think that way about you. Because not every client is just gonna book for the sake of having their nails done. They want to book for the transformation and the results that you give them. They want to make sure that they're going to a person that actually knows what they're doing. And I know as a beginner it can be really hard, especially if you're like still marketing yourself as a bit of a beginner, but you want to show up and act like the expert because you are the expert. If you've trained right, you're practicing right, your work is good, you are the expert. So being seen as the expert doesn't necessarily mean that you need 15 years of experience in the industry or you must have worked for someone else in a commercial salon at some stage in your life. It's literally just about how you position yourself. If you start to position yourself as an expert and that's how clients perceive you, a whole lot changes, trust me, a whole lot. First of all, they stop questioning your pricing. They know that you are worth every single cent because you're the expert. They're no longer comparing you to the cheapest salon in the area. Because in their mind, you're not just another Naltech, you're not just another nail salon that slaps some nails on and calls it a day. In their mind, you're not just another nail tech, you're the nail tech. Like, for example, we're gonna talk about pricing in a whole nother episode, but my sets start from $100. If they can get their nails done at a walk-in salon for $60, why would they come pay over $100 for mine? Why would they book an appointment and go out of their way to pay a whole lot more? This is due to so many factors, like for me, overheads, expenses, things like that, expertise, all of that. But to the client, they're looking at results. They're looking at the experience. I am so confident that my experience, my results, my everything compared to some of the salons out there, it's on a whole nother level. Absolutely should be over $100. Again. Pricing, another episode. Some people probably hate on me for that, but it's true. The way that your business is presented to a client can completely change the way that they perceive it and the way that they value it. So to some people, maybe not worth over a hundred dollars. It depends on what they're looking at, really. It depends on what they value in a nail service. Some people do just value convenience. They do just value maybe just having their nails on just for the sake of it. They just want something done. But to the clients that do value higher quality results, clean tools, a nice relaxing appointment, obviously this is something they're gonna value so highly, and it's something they're willing to pay extra for. My clients trust me not to hurt them. They trust me not to damage their nails. They trust that I have clean tools so they're not at risk of an infection. They know that I'm always down to listen to them rant or I'm down to chat. They know that I'm not just another nail tech. They value the experience, the quality, the retention, everything. So to them, it is absolutely worth it. Another thing that happens when clients start to view you as the expert is that they trust your recommendations. Whether you're telling them that this shape would suit them better, or maybe this color looks better, they trust that you know what you're talking about. And even having policies surrounding not working on fungal nails, not working on extremely damaged nails, they trust you. As annoying as these policies can be in those rare situations where someone actually does have fungal nails or extremely damaged nails or whatever policies that you have, your clients respect you so much more for just having their policies because they know and trust that you want to keep them safe and that your priority is them, the other clients you have, and your business. And thirdly, this is a big one, but they talk about you differently. Instead of just saying, like, I go to a nail salon, they say, I go to my nail tech, or I see her every three weeks. I go to her and she's amazing. They probably know you by name, they can recommend you by name. They see you as the person behind the business, not just a business that they go and they pay to get something done. And that's when word of mouth becomes so much more powerful because they're recommending you not only as a business, but also as a person. And clients will always want to recommend someone a whole lot more when they're the best and most knowledgeable at what they do. So now you're probably wondering, but Monique, how do I position myself as the expert? How can I give off those expert vibes? Honestly, a big part of it comes up to how you show up online. So I did a whole nother episode on this, so I highly recommend listening to that if you haven't already, because I go in so much more detail on that and I don't want to repeat myself too much. Basically, if your Instagram is just photos of nails, all they see is the results. They don't really see anything else. They just see you as another nail page or another nail salon. But when you start posting things like maybe the behind the scenes of your business, like educational content, so like tips about nail health, explaining why you do things a certain way, or maybe what each step actually does. And of course you still want the results, so maybe some client transformations, like before and afters, and maybe even like a day in your life as a fully booked nail technician. You start to build authority and people know that you know your s and what literally blows my mind is that most nail techs don't actually do this. They don't show up online, they just post photos of nails, which is a controversial opinion. I know some people say online, like, do I have to show up online? I don't think you have to. Like, there are so many businesses that have had so much success through just posting nail photos or even not posting at all. Like some people have built their entire business off of word of mouth, but I think it makes a huge difference. So if you're someone that doesn't have a fully booked schedule, then yes, showing online is something that I would absolutely do. But there have definitely been businesses that haven't done that, but I'm not sure how easy that would have been. So I truly believe if you take the time to show up, even if it's you start with your voice or you start with your face and your profile picture, or like jump on stories every now and then, even if you're not like doing so much with you in it, just through something, it makes a huge difference. When you show your face, your voice, your personality, that's giving the opportunity for a client to connect with you, not just the results of your nails. And pair you showing up with any kind of educational content and like how often you should be coming back for your nails or nail aftercare or this is what nail damage looks like, something along those lines. This really just shows that you know your s. It shows that you're the expert, you know what you're doing. They're not just gonna see you as a nail tech that does nails, they're gonna see you as an expert. So a sign that you've kind of positioned yourself as an expert that clients really want to go to is that you have people actually waiting to book an appointment with you. Because realistically, if a client wants their nails done quick and convenient and whatever time that pleases them, they can just go to a walk-in salon. Or if they wanted a bit better quality, maybe they'll go to a high quality salon or literally any independent nail tech in the area. But if they want to see you specifically and they want your work specifically, they will wait. So I've had clients say things like, I didn't want to go eight weeks with my nails, but I couldn't get in sooner, and I only wanted to see you, and maybe they're really grown out. Or I've had clients that always have nails on, but they've gone so long that they now have bare nails because they didn't want to risk going to somewhere else. They would rather just wait and suffer with bare nails to come back to me. The goal is to be the technician that other people want over anyone else. Because when you're viewed more highly, you're valued a lot more, you're no longer competing with other people in your area because you aren't even on the same level. You've created your own demand, not just the demand for nails, but the demand for you as an L tech. And when you get to this stage, this is a really good place to have a wait list so that you can actually let these clients in your doors at some point, hopefully, if something comes up, because there are going to be clients that are willing to wait. So one of the next ways to get more fully booked in your salon is referrals and word of mouth. One of the biggest ways that people keep getting fully booked is because their clients are referring them to more and more people. They're telling their friends, they're telling their family, they're telling their coworkers, they're maybe even posting about it online, whether it's a simple like sharing the nails on their stories, maybe they've actually done physical like TikTok or reel about you. Like just spreading the word creates so much more awareness for your business. And hearing a recommendation from someone you know, like a friend, family, it means so much more than just seeing photos of your work online. That follower is going to convert to a client, a paying client, so much faster. So whenever someone asks your client, where did you get your nails done? They're gonna recommend your business. They're not just gonna say, like, oh, I just went to some chicken, wherever. They'll say, Oh, I went to Monique at this business. Like, you know, they're gonna actually recommend you. And maybe they'll even give them the link or something like that. Or even when people ask for a nail technician in the area and your local Facebook forums, when someone tags you and recommends you, not only does the author see that, but every single person that views those comments see that recommendation. You're being exposed to all of these new people simply by just one of your clients recommending you. So every time a client gets complimented on their nails and they recommend you, or they love their nails so much that they see any opportunity to recommend you, that is literally free marketing for your business. And honestly, word of mouth is probably the most powerful marketing tool that you can have. Because again, people are gonna trust what someone they know says, or even just someone in general says, over just photos of your work because your work can look great, but they want to hear from someone that's actually been to you. So this is a really good opportunity to have a referral program in your salon because if you do provide a really, really, really good high-quality service, people will want to recommend you. Some honestly might just forget, like it might just come up in conversation when someone asks about their nails, but you will have clients that maybe they see someone asking for an LTEC in your Facebook forums and they will just recommend you naturally. And having this referral program, it really encourages clients to refer you because it's incentivized with a discount. Another thing that helps position you as an in-demand salon or an in-demand technician is social proof. So social proof is literally just proof that other people are coming to your salon and they're satisfied. It's showing future potential clients that people already love and trust your work. So, for example, social proof can be reviews, but it doesn't just have to be formal reviews written on Facebook and Google or your booking system. It can just be simple things like screenshots of messages that clients have said, like they maybe either just told you or maybe you've checked in with them, like to see how their nails are going, and they've said the nails have lasted so well, I'm so happy with them. Literally anything, it doesn't have to be a formal review, it can just be a casual conversation. I would screenshot that and post it on your story because that is social proof. Whether or not you want to include their profile picture, I'd probably check with them if you want name and profile picture or any sort of private information about maybe I had my bridal shower and everyone come, like you know, right? Maybe something a bit more personal, you might want to ask for their permission first, but any sort of proof that people have had your service done and they've loved it. That is social proof. So not only sharing formal reviews but sharing like positive kind of feedback on your work that's sent through messages. And this can also be before and afters because people love to see the process and see the transformation rather than just the after photo. People trust businesses that other people already trust. When potential clients see that other people are loving your work, they feel a lot more confident booking with you. So whenever you get a review or a positive feedback message, share it on your socials. I've had so many situations over the years where a client has come to me and they said, Oh, this person from work recommended you, or my sister comes to you, or my mom comes to you, or something like that. And that's when your work is literally marketing itself because your work is so good that people are so happy they're recommending you. And on top of that, if they're sharing it, maybe they're posting a photo of their sets. Maybe they've sent you a message that you can share. This is providing proof and incentive for someone else to book. And when your work is really high quality and it's very consistent, long-lasting, your clients become your biggest promoters. Like, I personally I've never worked with influencer marketing, but I find that your clients are basically like little influencers, they're like your little marketing people because if your work is good, they will rave about you. So not only are your clients a little walking advertisement, I also find yourself as a walking advertisement. So for me in my nail business, I think I did my nails for the first three years myself, and then I think I started paying to get them done again because, like, you know how doing your nails is it takes like four hours. I was over it. I was paying to get them done again by a trusted technician, which is really hard to find by the way, trying to find a technician that's not too far from me that I actually look for the same things in our sets. Like, I kind of value clean cuticles, close colour, like all of that, like it's very important to me. So finding someone that matched my expectations, it was really hard, but I found one which I loved. But yeah, I was paying to get my nails done again because I couldn't be bothered doing my own nails because it takes like four hours of time that I don't have. And then eventually I was server swapping with another nail technician, so it'd be more convenient for both of us to do each other's nails. But as much as they are convenient, time-wise, to get your nails done by another technician, you are taking away opportunity to market your own business when you go out and about. So I'm someone that always has my nails done, and I always have long nails. So even if there's no art on them whatsoever, my long nails attract attention. So every time I go to a shop, every time I go to the bank, they always like, I love your nails. Even if they're like plain, like nude, but they're long, people love them. Especially if there's a design or art or anything super unique, so many compliments. But when people compliment your nails and ask, where did you get them done? Do you want to be referring another business and say things like, Oh, I got them done here, but I actually do nails too? Or do you want to say I did them myself? I have a business. Because as much as I love to support the other girlies in the industry, it's so awkward to be like, Yeah, I dreams, but I didn't do these. I don't do my own nails, but I do nails. Like, how are they gonna trust that you're good at nails if you don't even do your own? Which again, the reason why a lot of us probably don't do our own nails is because it's just time consuming and we can't be bothered. But to a potential client, they might not see it that way. So I bit the bullet and started doing my own nails again, which is an absolute nuisance, but I love going out and being like, Yep, I did these, these are mine, and your your own little advertising. And I also have like really good retention. I have always worn gel-ex long, extra long, no issues. That's why when I have clients that have issues, I'm just like, where are these even coming from? The rare occasion someone has an issue, I'm like, how are you breaking a gel-ex nail? Like, I'm fairly rough too. Like, I'm definitely not as gentle as I tell my clients to be. Like, I'm rough with my nails. I am like scrubbing dishes and stuff, not a single chip, not a single break. So when clients break, especially gel X nails, which I personally believe are very freaking strong, I'm just like baffled. Like, how do you do that? So my retention is always really good. So I feel like I'm also the perfect candidate for testing products on. Was also a really great opportunity to test products, test techniques, and also just film content because it can be so hard to get content on clients because you're limited in time unless you book them a longer like model slot or something like that. Maybe you're limited in colours and designs because as much as you want to do a specific colour or design, they might not want that. So doing your own nails not only is really good for marketing purposes to spread the word in public, but also content and things like that, trying new products, all of that. Especially if you're someone like me that has naturally good retention, like not only with lifting but brakes and chipping and everything, like if your retention is really good, you're like the perfect candidate to test the product. Because you know, if it doesn't work and it lifts or whatever, that's sh your retention is normally perfect. But doing your own nails is such a good way to market your work. So when people say that they're struggling to get bookings, it's usually not actually because the industry is too saturated or that people just aren't spending right now. Like, yes, cost of living has definitely affected nail services and just the whole beauty industry as a whole, because we're a luxury, not a necessity. And these days where we're actually calculating how much we need to charge, we're charging our worth, or at least most of us. Cost of living has played a factor in how full people's books are, but you don't want to say that people aren't spending because they are. They're just not spending it on you. As harsh as that sounds, they're just not spending it on you. So it's more about getting them to spend it on you. Finding the clients that are spending. So when people aren't fully booked and they are blaming it on the industry being too saturated, or maybe people aren't spending, it's usually because maybe their work isn't the most consistent. Maybe they're not doing the most when it comes to marketing. Maybe their retention just isn't retentioning. Maybe the client has a poor experience, like maybe your salon is dirty, or maybe they don't feel very welcomed. I always try and match my client's energy. When I have a quiet client, I'll be chill and relaxed. If I have a client that's yapping all over the place, I'll be yapping too. Like just try and match the energy. Another reason could be maybe just not showing up online. Again, that's a whole other episode I recommend watching because it goes in so much more detail. But there are a few things that maybe you could look at that you could improve. These are all reasons why you may not be getting as many bookings as you'd hope. But if you have any of these things, don't feel bad about it. Because the good thing is you can change this. You can improve all of these things. If your salon is dirty, clean it. If your retention isn't retentioning, learn how you can make your retention better. Practice more. If you don't show up online and you don't really do a whole lot of marketing, then start doing that. So if you've been thinking about starting an oil business and you're worried that there's too much competition, or maybe you have a business already, but you're struggling to get bookings and you're starting to rethink everything, and the industry is too saturated apparently. It is not. It's really just about how your clients perceive you and how to get them in the door. Your goal is to become the technician that clients actually want to book with. Because there is plenty of room in this industry for technicians that actually provide good quality work that lasts. It doesn't have to just look good, it has to last. For technicians that give the client a good experience, whether it be a clean salon, comfortable chair, good colour selection, matching their energy, being kind. For technicians that actually prioritize constant improvement and upskill, and technicians that create work that clients brag about. It doesn't have to be your 3D extravagant sculpted nail art if you don't want that. It can just be simple builder gel, plain nude, whatever it is. If you do it really well, clients will froth over that. Trust me, they will. I never thought that I would be a technician that offers short builder gel nails, and 99% of my clients get that, but here we are today. And I honestly have no problem with it because I do my long, fun, colorful nails with myself. But the technicians that do improve, these are the technicians that clients actually want to book with. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. I am about to leave for Japan by the time this comes out. So while I'm away, don't you worry, don't you worry. I have an episode maybe two, maybe two, I'm plotting a bonus episode for while I'm away. So if you guys have watched this and you have any questions, send me a message. You know where to find me on Instagram at Royal Blossom Beauty. Most of May I'm going to be away. So if you don't hear back from me straight away, I will get back to you as soon as I can. So after you're watching this, probably the week after, I'm leaving for Japan and I'll be living my best life. But don't worry, I'll make sure that your ears are fed. Ears are fed? Ears are yeah, let's not. Anyways, there's another episode coming, maybe a bonus, so stay tuned. Thank you for listening to this episode of Blossom in Business. If you enjoyed this episode, I would love if you give the video a thumbs up on YouTube or rate the podcast five stars on Spotify. If you don't want to miss an episode, make sure to hit the notification bell so you get notified every single time a new episode drops. If you want to follow along on my journey, make sure to follow me on socials at Royal Blossom Beauty. And if you have any requests for certain topics or story times or anything else you want covered on the podcast, or you want to apply to be a guest speaker, click the link in my description and you'll be taken to my website with all the information. And I'll see you in the next episode.