Nail techs, here’s how to diversify your skills to reap rewards

Scratch columnist & beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, shares advice for taking your next career step…

Do you want to change your role or take a leap in a new direction? Many beauty professionals have been asking me how they can diversify their careers. I teach people to leverage their skills and time, because face-to-face client work does not have to be your only source of income.

Our industry has so many opportunities for you to grow your role, expand your business, pivot into a different area and level up as a professional. Some career leaps are more complex than others, and you may worry about the ‘when’ and ‘how’, but you simply need to get the ball rolling. Stop planning and start doing!

I believe that the most popular next step for a nail techs is to become an educator. There are various routes within this role, from running accredited courses to teaching for a brand or hosting masterclasses and workshops.

Salon owners: options for you include renting out a space, expanding your treatment menu, investing in a team, creating your own products or becoming a distributor or brand representative. I am an advocate for leveraging the online space, and you may wish to start a podcast or YouTube channel, or create content for brands.

Consider the following before you take your next steps:

• Ask yourself: ‘does it support the end goal?’ The role needs to benefit your happiness, and the life you want to create for yourself.
• Why is it that you want to do this? A new venture isn’t easy, and you need to be able to have a good answer to this question. This will pull you back on track if you start to struggle.
• Is there demand for this role? Who or what is your main competition, and what costs are involved? You need to make yourself stand out and find your ideal client, so check you have the amenities to do this and can call on help, if required.
• Do you need new certificates, skills or insurance? Are there any gaps in your knowledge or administrative measures that you need to have in order before you begin?

For a period of time during any career shift, mistakes will be made and adjustments will be required. For example, if you choose to become an educator, you may be marketing to fellow techs, rather than clients, so your messaging and tone of voice will need to be different.

Your work-life balance could also change, as your new focus may require more energy, effort, urgency and patience. Think about the time you will need to take away from client-facing work to indulge in a new side of the business.

If you need a business hub to help you with these areas, I offer coaching via my Four Figure Focus membership. Click here to sign up and use code SCRATCH for 50% off your first month’s membership.

Good luck with your new venture!

Read Zaara’s 2025 column for Scratch in the digital issue here.

Follow Zaara on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.