Getting ready for the Holiday’s these combination of colors will last you the rest of the year.  You will see them in upcoming movies as good matches in; Johnny Depp’s character in Alice in Wonderland, and the long-necked dinosaur and surrounding plant life in Dawn of the Dinosaurs in Ice Age 3.  A bright teal and copper orange.  Our nails are not meant to match our outfits anymore, they are here to stand out and be noticed.  You can match this teal and burnt copper color with some cranberry red and some dark blue sparkle.  These combinations you will see coming out in this years Christmas collections and are already out for the fall displays around you.  Be on the look out for these hot new color combinations even in the movie A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey.

I hate to say it, since we’ve moved to Colorado more younger generations can’t afford acrylics so they are coming in and wearing natural nails.  To onset this economy Dashing Diva has come out with a natural nail tip in French to go over the natural nail without an extension.  The French tip is simply glued on the edge for a mess free application and a gel life coating is them put on top of it to secure it in place.  This method is also good for those who want to make the switch from acrylics to natural or give their nails a break.  Dashing Diva has caught on and made these french tips in different hot colors as well making these natural nails hot and spicy for the younger generation.  http://www.dashingdiva.com/DDProfessional/FrenchWrap.html  Visit the catalog for the color choices or see them in Nail Pro Magazine.

I have been catching up on all the latest nail magazines from NAILS Magazine and they keep on mentioning OPI’s try on Color website. I am not a fan of polish since I do all french colored acrylic, but for fun I went and checked it out on the web and it’s fun to look at different colors of their new line on a hand. You should stop by and check it out. Opi.com then click on try on a color.

Ever thought about custom designing your plain black flip flops with matching colors so your client can walk away from her pedicure with style?  You can get plain black flip flops for cheap like $1.00 at Wal-mart when you watch for the specials then go to places like Hobby Lobby, Micheal’s, Jo-Anns Crafts, and Wal-Mart and get colorful beading (already threaded) to match those toes colors you know your going to do next week.  This can push the hot new colors of Creative Nails or OPI and you are sure your client will want.  Here is ideas from Hobby Lobby http://www.hobbylobby.com/project_inspiration/project_inspiration.cfm?page=7 on how you can get creative with flip flops.  Think about customizing your clients feet so she can match her flip-flops and think about the great service you offered and the wonderful pedicure she just got so you will be on her mind to reschedule and refer customers too.

Hobby Lobby also offers coupons if you download them on the website first and then stop in.  Its a quick way to save you money.

Normally I always work with acrylic, but I came across some pretty nifty Nail Tips that are clear with a Mosaic Nail Art embedded on them and they can be used with either Gel or acrylic. (The Mosaic nail Tip video is under the stainglass link.)  The cool thing about these nail tips is they looked like shattered glass and the can be colored with clear colored acrylic, or see thru colored gel.  They have a close up photo in Nails Magazine June or July 2009 that is worth checking out.  Here are some videos and if you want to download a catalog.  

The Mosaic nail Tip video is under the stainglass link below.

<How to download the catalogue>
1. Please visit ” www.webhard.net“
2. Log in with ID “jdpride” and Password “jdpride”
3. Click the foler “download only”
4. Please download catalogue file. (This is pdf format)

< Video sites on youtube.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMJVwyIcwY4
=> Maya gel 1 (2D & 3D design)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY_dRr4IDGY
=> Maya Gel 2 (2D & 3D design)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNsNpsUZFcw
=> French nail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyGn7Z8XlyE
=> Stainedglass gel 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IhY_-NKpEY
=> Stainedglass gel 2

The Mosaic nail Tip video is under the stainglass link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1KYpv2lAA
=> French nail with white nail tip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzJOT-KpBEU
=> Nail extension with GRACIA UV GEL

With the Blog scene catching momentum, a salon manicurict should hop aboard. WordPress is a free download and it can be put on any server with php script enabling (See http://easywordpresswebsites.com  ) This can be your next manicuring website you can maintain for as little as $3.95 a month. If your loooking for a website designer this is the way to go. You can maintain your site from any computer or even your phone. It can hold your appointment book, let clients schedule appointments and you can discuss the latest in the industry and spread the word out to your clients. WordPress also loves google and yahoo so you can be found in a search engine easier which gives you an edge up on the competition.

More info on WordPress Website Apoointment Scheduler Plug-ins http://wordpress.org/support/topic/209644 

For a nice online appointment scheduler to add to your website:  http://www.acuityscheduling.com

I was searching the web, as i usually do. This time to see what acrylic works best in the cold and I came across the subject of No Lift Nail Primer. This is from No Lift’s website.

Important Information:

No Lift Nails feels you should have this important information about the primer. It works in three stages 1st stage: shiny WET, 2nd stage: pink MATTE, 3rd stage: white DRY.

The recommended time to apply the acrylic product is at the matte (or pink) stage. It is recommended that you prime each nail plate twice.

ERRORS TO AVOID: Although you may apply two to three coats of No Lift Nails primer on the nail plate, it should be used sparingly. You may use up to 5 applications . KEEP RECORDS. No blow dryers. Heat causes the primer to weaken. Therefore, do not use it near heat. Keep primer away from direct sunlight and your lamp. Do not store in a hot car or overheated areas. No Lift Primer will freeze in cold weather. Freezing does not hurt the primer. Thaw to dissolve the crystals by holding in your hand or at room temperature. No hot water.

Here is the link: http://www.noliftnails.com/acrylic_directions.htm

Last blog Nails Magazine discussed how important it is to be seen on the internet.  It’s vital to your salon to get a website up and running so people who search from home (and they all do) can find you. It’s as important as word of mouth now days.  So for those who have a website up what can you do with it? Can you display your nail works of art with a slideshow? That is free on Photobucket.  It’s easy to drop the code into your website so then all you are doing is editing it straight from Photobucket instead of having to go into your website to change it.

Another thing to add to your salon website is online booking. I came across a free link: http://www.genbook.com/demo.html So clients can make an appointment from the comfort of their home and you have work to do when you get to your salon without having to be there to do it. 

It’s easy to get your phone to receive all the incoming emails from your email account. If someone books an appointment with you you will get it instantly and then you can reply to confirm it before they come in. Yahoo has a free email service that texts your cell phone everytime you get an email.  Or better yet if you have a blackberry you can get any email messages delivered to your blackberry at no extra charge.

What else can your website do? Can you instant chat with people when you are online at home? Can you share videos of you working so they can see you at work before they come in? Or can they view you recommending at home services so when they leave the salon they can see what they need to do for that next appointment? 

Are you linked up with Myspace and Facebook? So you can create a network of friends online so they can see what work you do and they can refer others to you.

If you don’t have a website and you want one that is up to date and new and refreshing you can go to http://nailedtotheweb.com  to find out more.

This article from Nails Magazine just came out – hot off the presses – And they are right as a nail tech you need to have a website. I am a nail tech and I do websites for salon’s on the side for a hobby http://www.nailedtotheweb.com and I get noticed because I am on the web. Everyone now days searches to see what they can find on the net before they just take a drive and look around in their area. Let’s face it, it’s cheaper to surf the Internet instead of leaving the house. When you have a website, you are directing people from the comfort of their own home to come and see you with minimal effort from you yourself going out to get them.  Your website should say come and see me.  And when your website is up “Metatags” are what a web design host uses to get those search engines to find your website. 

There are also many featured websites that you can add to make your search engine listing get on the top of the page.  Yellowpages.com can list your salon for free and other search engines.

Article from Nails Magazine:
“You’ve got your place on the web. Now… how do you get people to go there? Using smart search-engine optimization (SEO) techniques, such as using common keywords, and updating your site are two good places to start.

by Jayna Rust

When it was time to get a manicure in my new Manhattan neighborhoo d, I hopped onto my favorite search engine and typed in “nail salon” and my ’hood. Was it a coincidence that the one I chose was the first one that popped up? Probably not. More than two-thirds of online consumers use the Internet as their primary source of local business information, according to a 2007 study by comScore Networks and TMP Directional Marketing. That same study showed 60% of online searchers looking for local businesses think the top results are most relevant, and 25% don’t want to scroll down.

So are these online searchers finding you? Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most out of your place on the web:

First thing’s first. Ask yourself what your site is supposed to do. “I am in a military-based community,” says Sheila DeLorenzo, owner of Serenity Springs Salon and Spa in Colorado Springs, Colo. “Our website has been a great tool for helping our deployed servicemen and women do great things for their loved ones.” Every page of the site mentions that gift certificates make “the perfect gift” and are available for almost any value.

What is the main thing you want site visitors to do after landing there: Buy a gift certificate? Make an appointment? Buy retail products?

Next up. See where your site is now. Really look at your site and see if it helps you sell gift certificates, get new customers, or sell products.

Take a few minutes and visit Google, Yahoo!, and MSN (the three most-popular search engines) and type in your city/neighborhood name and “nail salon.” Then use “nail spa,” “manicure,” “pedicure,” or any other items people may be using to find you. Figure out where your site is in all these searches.

Make sure you’re tracking all your website traffic, too, recommends Joseph Franklyn McElroy, a search artist at Gigapixel Creative. If you had a pro create your site, they should have helped you set up a web-tracking tool. If you did your site yourself, though, there are free and easy tools available. Sites like www.statcounter.com allow you to monitor multiple bits of information about your site: number of visitors, visitors’ location, search words that led them there, paths they took around your site, and users’ screen size.

Finally. Make necessary changes. Remember, the pace of the Internet is fast. A site that looked good two years ago may need updating today, or a site that was high in the search engines six months ago may have fallen to the bottom of the pile. Although Studio 24 SalonSpa owner Kathy Brown originally launched www.mystudio24.com when the Portage, Mich.-based business was new to the area, she knows better than to let it sit around. “We want to have the best, up-to-date information available to present our services in the most inviting way possible,” says Brown. They’ve recently hired a design and technology company to re-launch the site.

Other things you need to do now (in order of importance):

1. Make sure your salon/spa and its website are appearing in Google, Yahoo!, and MSN’s local search pages, emphasizes McElroy. These appear when consumers search for local things or if they’re searching from their mobile devices. If you’re not on these sites, sign yourself up ASAP. It’s free and easy. Just follow the directions at: > Google: http://www.google.com/local/add/businesscenter > Yahoo!: http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php > MSN: https://ssl.search.live.com/listings/listingcenter.aspx
This is something anyone — even those without a website — can do!

2. Make your site is as search engine-friendly as possible. That means making sure that what you want to be known for is showing up. It also means making sure you’re checking industry-speak at the door. Yes, you may like to call yourself a “nailist” or a “nail tech,” but the word “manicurist” gets more than three times as many searches as “nail tech,” according to keyword tracker Wordtracker. “Nail salon” gets more than five times as many searches compared to “nail spa.” Think like a consumer when writing the words for your website.

You also must link to others every chance you get — and get others to link to your site. This, too, helps your credibility in the search engines’ rankings.

3. Use your traffic-stalking tool to create new, improved services. Lots of hits from people with low-level screen resolution (like 320×240) mean people are looking you up from their BlackBerry or other PDA device. Add a PDA mani to your menu — with the extra-long thumb massage and nails shaped for itty-bitty typing.

Or do you notice you’re getting a lot of hits from the office park across the street (yes, these tracking tools let you see the business names of those searching from work) but still haven’t done any services for anyone from there? Launch a targeted marketing campaign there.

KEYWORDS: BUSINESS TOOLS, WEB MARKETING, PROMOTING YOUR SERVICES Magazine credit : http://www.nailsmag.com/feature.aspx?fid=641&ft=1

With Our Compliments

Clients make a choice every time they open their wallets and spend their hard-earned money in your salon. Make that choice easier with value-added services that cost you little or nothing for the client to enjoy.

by Erin Snyder Dixon

At a time when clients are tightening up on their spending and watching expenses more closely, competition for their business has become more intense. It’s not that we are competing with other salons as much as we are competing for a place in their budget, period. People are looking for ways to cut spending. They have cut back on fancy coffee drinks, are eating out less, are driving fewer miles, and are consuming less in general.

This trend offers salons a unique opportunity. You can make it possible for clients to have their cake and eat it too!

1. No time for lunch? Clients don’t need to choose between lunch and a manicure. At the Body Shoppe Spa, in Yorktown, Va., there is a complete café right in the salon. Clients can save time and gas by combining a healthy lunch (for a reasonable fee) and nail treatments. The salon will even reserve the café area for groups.

2. Time-challenged moms trying to find a few minutes to themselves to catch up on personal e-mail can use free WiFi service to surf the Internet on their laptops while waiting or enjoying a pedicure. Andrea VandeBerg, assistant manager of Rejuvenation Spa, in Madison, Wis., points out that “adding WiFi doesn’t have to cost the salon a lot of money. For a small fee a computer tech can configure the salon’s existing wireless Internet to be used by clients with a password. Clients love that they can bring in their laptops and get some work done while their hands are unoccupied.”

3. Sandy Cocke, co-owner of Spa Aria, located in the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter of New Orleans, “is always looking for new ways to add value to a visit to the spa.” Clients can save $8-$15 by having their parking ticket validated. The salon offers complimentary champagne with bridal events and provides samples of products used during certain services, but heralds its success to a “consistent effort to give 110% during services.”

4. There’s no need to give up the treats at the coffeehouse entirely. Clients looking to fuel their coffee habit can revel in the fact that Savvy Salon and Day Spa offers complimentary coffee or mocha. Jennifer Adams, the nail department coordinator, shares that clients enjoy a wide variety of beverages and spa snacks such as nuts and granola bars. In addition to coffee, the salon offers hot tea, juice, and chocolates.

5. Daphnye Schaffer, a cosmetology instructor with Lee College in Baytown, Texas, encourages technicians looking for ways to add value to the salon experience, to offer complimentary upgrades such as free paraffin dips. “Offering a client the nail file that was used during a service is also a nice touch.” When asked about client favorites, Schaffer shares that walking a client to the car and offering seatbelt service is a winner. “Clients are safe and they don’t damage their nail enamel,” she says.

6. Stressed-out clients can relax with a warmed neck wrap at Blissful Lounge in Holly Springs, N.C. Adrienne Schodtler automatically uses them with all pedicure services but provides them for any nail service client if requested. “This is a touch that they all make comments about,” she says.

7. After skin care treatments, complimentary makeovers are the norm at M&M Nails and Wellness in Sliver Spring, Md. “We also have a hand-held neck massager,” says owner Maisie Dunbar. Stressed-out clients can indulge in the foot massager as well to help aches and pains.

8. Heather Goodwin is doing her part to promote literacy. Her salon, A Totally Unique Nail Boutique in Palm Harbor, Fla., has an informal lending library. No need to pay a fortune to read a book once. Instead, clients can peruse the titles at the salon. While you are at it, leave with sparkling jewelry. The salon offers jewelry cleaning at each nail station. Goodwin is always asking herself, “What can I do to create more value?” The result has been the marrying of service and hospitality. During one promotion, clients who enjoyed a treat from the coffee bar got to take home a mug that read, “She chose her toe polish like she chose her men…with reckless abandon.”

Whether you choose to install a water cooler or something a bit more magnificent, as long as you meet a client need, your clients will appreciate it.

Partnering With Nearby Businesses

Partnering allows businesses to tap into each other’s client base by trading services or advertising opportunities. It’s a great choice when the service requires special equipment or licensing. A salon can trade a small fee and/or client exposure for a benefit for their clients. Discuss new services or partnering arrangements with your insurance agent to ensure that your coverage is appropriate and adequate.

> Shoe repair shop. Offer to have a client’s shoes shined while she gets a pedicure.
> Gym. Have someone come in and offer body fat analysis or other consultations.
> Fashion boutique. Hold style consultations, wardrobe analysis, fashion shows, or trend events showcasing current styles.
> Sandwich shop/deli. Offer to order out for clients who will be in the salon for several hours. > Auto detailer. Mobile auto detailers save time and gas when they can service more than one client in a single location. Work out a deal where they will leave discount certificates to your salon in cleaned cars or attached to the receipt. In exchange you can return the favor. Showcase their services on a busy Saturday.

Partnering With Nearby Businesses

Partnering allows businesses to tap into each other’s client base by trading services or advertising opportunities. It’s a great choice when the service requires special equipment or licensing. A salon can trade a small fee and/or client exposure for a benefit for their clients. Discuss new services or partnering arrangements with your insurance agent to ensure that your coverage is appropriate and adequate.

> Shoe repair shop. Offer to have a client’s shoes shined while she gets a pedicure.
> Gym. Have someone come in and offer body fat analysis or other consultations.
> Fashion boutique. Hold style consultations, wardrobe analysis, fashion shows, or trend events showcasing current styles.
> Sandwich shop/deli. Offer to order out for clients who will be in the salon for several hours.
> Auto detailer. Mobile auto detailers save time and gas when they can service more than one client in a single location. Work out a deal where they will leave discount certificates to your salon in cleaned cars or attached to the receipt. In exchange you can return the favor. Showcase their services on a busy Saturday.

Credit is From Nails magazine http://www.nailsmag.com/feature.aspx?fid=631&ft=1