Should You Offer Nail Services at Your Salon?

When you open your own salon, it can be a difficult decision to choose what sort of services you offer on your menu. According to a Salon Magazine survey, we discovered that 41 per cent of salons that we interviewed offer nail services. While not every salon owner has the resources to include services outside of hair in their menu offerings, it’s something to take into consideration. Becoming a full-service salon definitely has its benefits, like closing the gap and providing your clients with all of the services the need, but there are some things to consider first.

Space

In order to be able to accommodate a full service menu, you need to be able to have the space to offer these services. While manicure stations don’t take much room, depending on how many nail technicians you’d have working for you, pedicure stations require more square footage, as well as easy access to plumbing and if you’re going the route of spa services such as facials and massages, you’ll need treatment rooms that are removed from the noise from the front of the salon.

Staff

You want only the best staff for your salon, but when you’re incorporating nail and esthetic-based services, you also need to ensure that, all of your staff are properly certified and specialize in that field. Expanding your salon is an exciting notion, but you do need to consider budgeting for additional staff and going through the process of hiring nail technicians and artists.

Retailing

Similar to your hair care retail and back bar brand selections, you have to choose which nail brands you’re going to align your salon with and offer in your services. In our national survey, 71 per cent of salons indicated that they carry two or more nail brands, but less than 50 percent carry three or more, meaning that it’s a good idea to keep your offerings to a core few, just like you would with your hair care brands. That way, you’re promoting brand loyalty and will give yourself and your nail technicians the opportunity to get really familiar with a few key brands.