What self-employed nail & beauty pros need to know about preparing for tax returns

By Guest Writer | 2 January 2023

With the amount of self-employed nail & beauty pros increasing in the industry, the idea of submitting their first tax return could be daunting. HMRC shares how nail & beauty pros can prepare for their tax return and why now is the time to start thinking about it… Self Assessment…

Nail Tech Talk: Carlie Fidgett of Bycarlie

By Callie Iley | 31 December 2022

Scratch chats to Carlie Fidgett of Bycarlie about her nail journey and the difficulties she’s faced dealing with diverticulitis… Carlie’s nail journey began in 2019 while she was working a full time job at Centre Parcs full time, when she enrolled on a gel polish course with Gellux. Following from…

Beauty business owner, Clare Anderson, wins Great British Entrepreneur of the Year award

By Callie Iley | 30 December 2022

Clare Anderson, founder of Shared Beauty Secrets, has been named Great British Entrepreneur of the Year in the South East in recognition for her contributions to the beauty and wellness industry. Shared Beauty Secrets has gone on to train over 10,000 therapists since its founding in 2009, and Clare herself…

Salon in the Spotlight: Arabella Beauty and Training, Hitchin

By Callie Iley | 29 December 2022

Clare Hunt qualified in beauty in 2016 as a mature student, following the birth of her daughter. “Before I was a nail tech, I worked full-time as a college lecturer, teaching window dressing. I decided on a career change during my maternity as I wanted to do a job that…

Salon in the Spotlight: Bare Beauty, East Lothian, Scotland

By Callie Iley | 22 December 2022

Since leaving her former profession in floristry in favour of a career in the beauty industry, Helen Mulloy Reid has sought extensive training to further develop her nail and beauty skills. Helen has attended the Mary Reid International School of Beauty in Edinburgh for her beauty training, the Bath Academy…

Salon in the Spotlight: The Beauty Hut, Pontyclun, Wales

By Callie Iley | 15 December 2022

The Beauty Hut opened its doors in July 2022, when Kate Morgan made the decision to move from her home based salon into a premises on a busy high street. “My vision is to create a one stop shop, offering a complete package of treatments including nails, lashes, waxing, massage,…

Townhouse salon announces launch of Covent Garden location & Festive Collection

By Callie Iley | 13 December 2022

Scratch Stars Nail Salon of the Year 2022, Townhouse, has unveiled its eighth location in The Yards, Covent Garden, alongside the launch of the Townhouse Festive Collection. The salon Located within a few minutes’ walk from Covent Garden tube station, the salon sees Townhouse’s signature Insta-worthy décor brought to the…

Nail Tech Talk: Emily Jones of Nailed By Emily

By Callie Iley | 10 December 2022

Nail Tech Talk: Emily Jones of Nailed By Emily North Yorkshire-based tech, Emily Jones of Nailed By Emily, chats to Scratch about mobile tekking alongside her studies at university and her passion for creating nail art.  “My nail journey began in summer 2020. As a university student who lives at…

Salon in the Spotlight: Meraki, Bulkington, Warwickshire

By Callie Iley | 8 December 2022

Salon in the Spotlight: Meraki, Bulkington, Warwickshire Gemma Hill qualified as a nail technician in 2016, engaging in extensive training with CJP Nail Systems alongside 1-2-1 sessions with other nail technicians. She set up working in a salon, however due to the lockdown in 2020, the salon closed. This encouraged…

What is meant by a ‘medium’ in the nail industry?

By Katie Barnes | 5 December 2022

What is meant by a ‘medium’ in the nail industry? A ‘medium’ refers to the materials or decorative techniques used to create the nail service, such as liquid & powder acrylic, acrygel, gel, gel polish, nail polish or even nail art products that you are using, such as gel paint…

Salon in the Spotlight: Simply Perfection Beauty, Canterbury, Kent

By Callie Iley | 1 December 2022

Salon in the Spotlight: Simply Perfection Beauty, Canterbury, Kent Shelley Read didn’t initially pursue a career in nails, despite wanting to enter the beauty industry when she left school. “I finally trained up in 2019, and I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner,” Shelley beams. “My salon is located…

Nail Tech Talk: Alice Molyneux of Cherry-B Studios

By Callie Iley | 26 November 2022

Nail Tech Talk: Alice Molyneux of Cherry-B Studios Alice Molyneux of Cherry-B Studios sits down with Scratch to chat about her inclusive nail studio and her future career goals… “My signature style is something that is painterly and realistic looking, such as dreamy skies, portraits, foliage and fine line illustrations,”…

Salon in the Spotlight: Indigo Pearl Beauty, Southend-on-Sea

By Callie Iley | 24 November 2022

Salon in the Spotlight: Indigo Pearl Beauty, Southend-on-Sea Having worked as a mobile beauty therapist for seven years, Victoria Marston dreamed of having her own home-based salon space. However, she was limited due to where she was living. “Business was put on hold when lockdown happened in 2020, which is…

Confused by Chuck? Puzzled by RPM? Here’s e-file lingo explained…

By Katie Barnes | 24 November 2022

Confused by Chuck? Puzzled by RPM? Here’s e-file lingo explained… There are a lot of words associated with e-filing, and they can be confusing. Learning the lingo and terminology can give you more confidence in your e-file practice and, in turn, give your clients more confidence and reassurance that you…

Revealed: How to deal with competition from other beauty businesses

By Guest Writer | 20 November 2022

How to deal with competition from other beauty businesses Founder of Beauty Boss HQ, Layla Tourh, shares how to deal with competition from other nail & beauty businesses… Who is your competition? Is it the salon across the road? Is it that new place that opened up next door? Or…