PRICE POOL

Do you feel overworked & underpaid? AMY GUY, founder of The Nail Tech Org, shares how a price-raising initiative will send clients a resounding message about the value of your skills

Amy Guy

Community organisation and learning platform, The Nail Tech Org, is on a mission to help nail pros build profitable and powerful businesses. But it has repeatedly found an obstacle: many of these pros are incorrectly pricing their services.

“It’s the norm for nail techs to join the industry with little or no understanding of how to calculate business costs,” comments Amy Guy, who founded The Nail Tech Org in 2020, following eight years’ experience as a nail artist. “We have simply never really had the tools or education to do so, and many techs copy the industry average for pricing without allowing for their own costs.

“This has led to clients expecting cheap treatments, and often pros feel that they can’t increase their prices for fear of losing their clients to those who charge less. It’s an unfair cycle.”

The Nail Tech Org is an online learning platform that boasts a community of thousands of members, who share their key learnings and achievements with one another. “It’s an inclusive, safe, online space in which nail technicians can grow and learn together, regardless of their location, age, experience level or circumstances,” details Amy. “I believe that more can be achieved individually when you have the support of a tribe of like-minded people.”

With this in mind, The Nail Tech Org has launched National Nail Tech Price Increase Day on 8 April. The movement encourages nail professionals to raise their prices simultaneously on or before this date, to send a resounding message about the value of their skills and dedication to their clients.

“The only way that things are going to change, is if we do this together.”

“If we all raise our prices correctly at the same time, we can create a new normal,” Amy continues. “This normal ensures a fair wage for the work we do and the services that we provide. This isn’t just a campaign; it’s a way to empower nail technicians to run successful, sustainable businesses. “Be unapologetic and confident about raising your prices where you need to. Focus on your business, and that your price increases are based on facts. You do not need to apologise for earning a liveable wage.”

“In order to create real change and protect the future of our industry, we need to empower nail techs everywhere to take part in National Nail Tech Price Increase Day.”

Course matters

The Nail Tech Org has created a free pricing course for its members, which includes a current income calculator, pricing calculator and two masterclasses. It also includes email templates and a client communication kit, to help share messages about price changes with clients. “We know that in order to create real change and protect the future of our industry, we need to empower nail techs everywhere to take part in National Nail Tech Price Increase Day,” Amy shares. “Once techs have used the tools supplied to understand their reality, and if they feel they need to increase their prices, they can do so with the support of a community.

“I hope that this movement will change the trajectory of pricing for nail techs, so that they can earn a fair profit on their hard work. I really do believe that together, we can make this change.”

www.thenailtech.org

@thenailtechorg & @amyguynailartist

FINANCIAL FILES

The Nail Tech Org gathered insights from its members over several weeks, to uncover details about their price points and profit. It found that on average, members saw 16 clients per week for one and a half hours each, and charged £38 per appointment, equating to an annual income of £27,968.

Its calculations suggest that the business and product costs per treatment were £25, so £13 profit was made per client – or £8.70 per hour: below the National Living Wage of £11.44.

“I charge £50-55 for nail enhancements and am regularly told I am too expensive. When I offered gel services 11 years ago, I charged £25 – and some people expect the same price today. Clients who value you will pay what you’re worth. It’s like shopping at a supermarket; some will choose low cost and others will choose premium. If they want a quality service, they will pay for it.”

@charlotteemilybeauty_ on Instagram