The year was 2018. I’m in my summer-in-the-city bag. Fresh from a gorgeous, long weekend of pool dips and now I’m cycling to my studio with the breeze in my hair.
I open up the shutters, throw my bag down, get a cold water from the fridge and open my mac to see who is coming in first. I’m ready for a full week of 1:1 nail clients ahead.
This city is not made for 34 degree heat but my studio was on the ground floor, at the back of the building so it stayed nice and cool. I could barely see the blue sky out of the window but it didn’t matter because it was a pretty space.
My bubble bursts when my first client is late…
It’s now 11:20. Still no doorbell. I text to see if she’s coming in. It bounces back, the number is incorrect. Dammit.
I start stressing out. If she turns up now, I could still fit her in. I’m sure my next person won’t mind waiting a bit and I can skip my lunch if it comes to it…
They’re an hour late now.. How ruuuuude! Still nothing… but what if something has happened and I’m being mean…. Ok, I think to myself, try to chill out… there’s nothing I can do about it now. It’s a no-show, letting go of my last bit of hope lol.
12:30. It’s now time for the next client. I wait.
12:45, 12:46, 12:58… no doorbell. No reply. Noooo, it’s happening again!
I’m sat on my own while everyone else is out enjoying themselves?! With no chance of passers by or last minute walk in’s coming in.
The worst bit? I didn’t even take deposits.
This kept happening ALL WEEK. By the Friday, I’m not sure how I didn’t trash my own studio, tbh.
Everyone had effed off to the local pools and last minute trips to make the most of the beaut weather, forgetting their appointment with a self. employed. nail. artist. at. a. private. studio. *big cry face emoji*
That was IT. No more.
After yeeeeaars of letting no-shows go unpaid because I didn’t wanna upset anyone (or was too scared to ask for payment), it was time to literally stop being my worst boss ever.
Do you ever feel that way?
Fast forward to now…
I’ve not worried about a no-show in yeeaars. I run things like the real biz it is.
As soon as I started *actually* communicating and implementing my t’s & c’s to clients, instead of relying on IG’s “Check highlights before booking”, my business (and I) started thriving.
This is how I could focus on growing my biz without seeing more clients 1:1. I saved so much time, energy and money by strengthening my biz tekkers, I had the right ingredients for getting booked on set. And now I can help you with that, too.
If you want to see more BTS from a fellow nail tech, follow me on Insta @effynails.