tonyman

I know you are!! No offense taken.

furkew

My wife was a nail tech in Holland with her own studio in our house for nearly 7 years, and built up a fantastic trade with regular clientelle.

She has just recently started the same in Monbulk, which is a small village with about 5000 inhabitants spread around the local hills.

So far just from our friends & word of mouth she is getting a small amount of regular business. The general quality of the work over here is poor, quick but cheap. That is the biggest drawback, unless you have an established shop with a high reputation, it will be difficult to ask the proper price.

In Holland my wife charged $100 for a new set of gel nails with french manicure, here its $50.

She refuses to change the quality of product she uses, but it will be a couple of years before she can actually start asking a realistic price for the quality of nails she does.

You can buy IBD & creative products no problem over here, and they are cheaper than europe luckily. My wife bought a pot of gel from IBD (56grm) today for $69.00 & in Holland that would have cost $165.00 !!

rabsody

A set can range anywhere between about $55 and $70, gel are more expensive.

Often they will do acrylics with gel overlay. When I went to my mum's place in UK they were flummoxed about this as obviously it's quite different to what they do over there.

Refills are usually about $30-$40, again depending on where you go and whether you have repairs, gel etc.

This is for Brisbane and I have been to quite a few different places here.

rabsody

Hold on. Surely if the cost of the product is half the price then you would expect this would reflect in the cost of the nails?

It is a lot cheaper here. Apparently in UK (according to my mum and sis) the price is often the same whether you have a full set or refills and it's about 30 squid just for refills!!!!

furkew

Not really, because the majority of the cost in putting a set of nails on or refills is the labour.

A pot of gel will last quite a long time, but a new set of gel nails (if done properly !!!) is still 90 minutes work from start to finish.

Add a cup of coffee of tea, power for the lamps & electric for the studio, investing in all the required equipment, we are never going to be rich thats for sure

Dont know what they charge in the UK, but a new set & refill is unlikely going to cost the same IMO.

rabsody

That's fair enough.

Nowhere I have ever been has taken 90 mins though! What are they doing wrong!

I hope it all goes well for the missus in her new business.

tonyman

Good information guys - My wife wants to open her own nail shop in Oz. Here in America most customers hate techs who uses the nail drill - many opt out of gel nails. It sounds like gel nails are popular in Oz - is this the case?

rabsody

Definitely popular.

furkew

Thanks.

She had a very good clientelle with a good trade in custom made jewellery as well in Holland, so here there are very good opportunies.

I know nothing much about how to set nails etc, i'm just a greasy biker so its a bit out of my league but when in Holland, all her friends in the business used to take minimum 75 mins up to 90mins on average.

Dont forget the girls LOVE a good chinwag at the same time

tonyman

Thanks. I just told my wife that gel nails are popular in Oz....she does not like doing gel nails due to the amount of time it takes.

furkew

I would say acryllic nails are just as popular as Gel down under.

heres a couple of links maybe of interest

http://www.apfanails.com.au/page8.php

http://www.crucialpoints.com.au/

quoll

Dont have those fancy naily things but do occasionally have a manicure - around here at least, you are hard pushed to find a European one these days as the American Nails, Diamond Nails, Beautiful Nails type salons have pretty much taken over. The Asian girls are probably much cheaper to employ and other salons havent really been able to match their prices and your run of the mill Aussie doesnt like paying much for services they can get cheaper elsewhere. Unlike hairdressers which have their devoted followers I havent found that sort of allegiance to one's manicurist in the same way so be prepared to work for very little. I had a manicure and pedicure today for $55 - just a regular one, nothing fancy and must say it was the best pedicure I have ever had.

tonyman

Well...the same thing has happened here in the U.S. The Asian salons have taken over due to their cheap labor which translates into the final price you pay for a manicure/pedicure. I have a guy friend who is Asian and he has 3-nail salons and at the moment no one can compete with his prices.

Thanks for the links!!!

shabee

Acrylic with gel overlay, what is that all about? does not make sense to me unless it is crap acrylic and they try to make them stronger with gel.

90 mins! I would have got sacked if I took that long lol. Thats gel for you, they have to be cured under a lamp and that takes up the time. I dont like gel, never found a product as good as creative's acrylic.

Going to look at those links now, thanks
x

rabsody

I think that's the idea!

QUOTE=shabee;6965264]90 mins! I would have got sacked if I took that long lol. Thats gel for you, they have to be cured under a lamp and that takes up the time. I dont like gel, never found a product as good as creative's acrylic.

Going to look at those links now, thanks
x[/QUOTE]

Yeah I know, who wants to spend 90 mins hanging around. This is why the asian places are good in some ways, you're in and out in 45 mins cost most of them don't speak English