Metta Francis

Considerations & advice for nail techs thinking of ‘going mobile’

By Metta Francis | 29 June 2018 | Expert Advice, Feature

Metta Mobile Manicure

Multi-award winner and Scratch Stars finalist, Metta Francis of Nails by Mets, shares her top for techs consider the mobile manicuring route.

Pick a business name

You can choose to trade under a business name e.g. Nails by Mets or your own name e.g. Metta Francis Nails. Before deciding on a name, check the trade mark register to ensure you don’t choose a name that is already trade marked (which can land you in trouble). If you want to protect your own business name, you can register the trade mark although this may only be suitable for businesses looking to grow due to the expense of registering and subsequently protecting it.

Register as a sole trader

When you are a mobile nail technician, you work as a ‘sole trader’ and self employed. All income received, including cash and tips must be declared with HMRC. You’ll need to register for self assessment and submit a tax return every year. Once your business grows, you might want to look at registering as a limited company.

Insurance

There are many insurance options available as a mobile nail technician. Each insurance provider will offer different levels of cover and benefits (complimentary CPD training, professional magazine subscriptions etc) so do your research and go for the insurance that best fits your requirements. Also ensure that any training you undertake is fully accredited and credible.

Accounts

Unless you are planning on hiring an accountant, you will be solely responsible for the financial records of your business. All income and expenditure should be recorded and when you are starting out, this can be done easily using Google Sheets (free), Excel or even on paper (you can even purchase basic bookkeeping books). The final totals will be what you declare on your annual Self Assessment Tax Return.

You might want to consider opening a separate bank account to avoid your business expenses and income getting mixed up with your personal accounts. QuickBooks and Xero are great accounting software options for sole traders who want to keep things automated – they link in with your bank account and import your financial data automatically, which can save you time in the long run. Sounds confusing? HMRC have lots of easy to follow tutorials and webinars.

GDPR & privacy

By default, you will be the data protection officer/data owner for your business which which means that you have a responsibility to comply with GDPR and safeguarding clients’ data. Ensure you are up to date with the regulations and have followed all steps to ensure compliance. The ICO have a whole range of resources that can assist.

www.nailsbymets.com