wifes trying to make a go of this, shes a self employed cleaner at present but wants to do something that she’s actually interested in.

we’ve set a bit of money aside to get up and running, shes done a couple of courses so far, more to come, we still need to buy a desk/lamp etc, but i just wondered if theres a ‘nailtrackworld’ type forum that would have plenty of good info, people to chat to about it etc to help her along.

we seem to have experts on absolutely everything here, maybe nails/beauty too? 😀

thanks

Every time I walk past one of those booths at a shopping centre I wonder about the safety aspects.

Judging by what can be smelled they should be using fume cupboards for that job, and I suspect some of the solvents may be carcinogenic. They’re probably not a problem for the users, but someone working all day in that environment may have some risks.

Worth checking, I could be wrong.

She would be up against those who come here from outside the UK, possibly illegally and/or are exploited by working for a pittance.  I have given my daughter a lecture about the place she uses on a very regular basis and whilst it’s extremely cheap there is a moral aspect.  Fallen on deaf ears unfortunately.

In other words can your wife charge as little as those mentioned above and still run a profitable business?

She would be up against those who come here from outside the UK, possibly illegally and/or are exploited by working for a pittance.

Forced labour is rife within the nail industry, lots of trafficking from Vietnam. If you are in one of the areas where this is prevalent then it’s something to consider.

Judging by what can be smelled they should be using fume cupboards for that job, and I suspect some of the solvents may be carcinogenic.

The solvent most commonly used is acetone, which, AFAIK, has no carcinogenic properties. It’s highly flammable, so smoking nearby is ill-advised, but that’s about it. In a well ventilated area, while the smell is very noticeable, there shouldn’t be any health issues.

I’m not a H&S expert…

Exactly rene59 and the workers where my daughter goes are actually from the country you mentioned.

My partner does gel nails self employed for a living, she was a medical secretary for the local hospital but didn’t like the atmosphere and wanted to do something she enjoyed.

She went to a beauty college and got all of her qualifications and once her customer base built up she quit her full time job.

so now she does nails out of our spare bedroom, she’s much happier for it too. She works from home so there’s no commuting and she can choose her hours plus she’s in all day so I never miss a bike package! Although I will say she has to work in the evenings to offer a service the nail bars don’t.

obviously she’s not as cheap as the nail bars but she’s got a fair few regulars now that she can rely on and she’s earning about the same as she was at the hospital.

Exactly rene59 and the workers where my daughter goes are actually from the country you mentioned.

As if the forced labour in a nail salon wasn’t bad enough, most of these places are just money laundering fronts for prostitution and drug cultivation. All three income streams use trafficked victims. No idea why it’s allowed to go on at such a scale.

The solvent most commonly used is acetone, which, AFAIK, has no carcinogenic properties. It’s highly flammable, so smoking nearby is ill-advised, but that’s about it. In a well ventilated area, while the smell is very noticeable, there shouldn’t be any health issues.

I liked the one in Princes square in Glasgow where the acetone fumes gently waft up to, and linger in, the posh cafes and restaurants on the balcony above.

“High Tea”

thanks for your thoughts lads and lasses, appreciated.

ashweee, thats pretty much exactly our situation, my wife will keep on cleaning, and as and when she can start substituting the money from nails over cleaning, she’ll slowly pack it in.

we’re in a large village 2 or 3 miles outside the city.  there are a few nail bars in the city but i think just about every woman in the village must have their nails done these days.  my wife has a good friend who has her own nail business in the village and is giving her good advice, telling her what courses she needs etc.  it doesnt seem to be cut-throat, more everybody helping each other.  which is nice 🙂

In other words can your wife charge as little as those mentioned above and still run a profitable business?

i dont know what they charge in the city, it probably is less, but friends and family, plus word of mouth would appear to be enough for her to make a decent go of it.  nobody we know goes to these cheapo places.

ive also asked the question of whether there really is enough trade for her with a few people in the village doing it, but she thinks there is, so i bow down to her business case 🙂  at least shes doing it all properly, i think we’ll have laid out about £1500 to get her going, we’re just seeing it as gambling with it really and if it goes tits up it so be it, but on the flip side it could be the best thing shes ever done.  better to regret something youve done than not done etc etc….

i just wondered if any of you ‘in the business’ knew of any online forums/websites that have a good, helpful community, rather than just googling everything.

thanks for your advice.

As if the forced labour in a nail salon wasn’t bad enough, most of these places are just money laundering fronts for prostitution and drug cultivation. All three income streams use trafficked victims. No idea why it’s allowed to go on at such a scale.

That’s certainly true where I used to live, punter goes into ‘massage parlour’ 2 minutes later girl leaves nail bar across the road and enters parlour. Blatant front for prostitution and fully known by everyone in the town.

https://nailangel.co.uk/index.php/forum

thanks eddiebaby, forum doesnt looks like its had much traffic this year, but may come in handy to research different bits and bobs.

cheers