The journey to opening my first nail academy – Part 6
By Erica Turley | 29 July 2019 | Business, Feature, Tech Talk, Training
This is so sad! This is my final blog as the Erica Turley Academy is now open!
All in all, I ran out of savings so I had to buy stock and add finishing touches on a week by week basis and started upcycling. As funds were pretty much gone, I had to sacrifice a few new things. I needed a new nail desk, so looked on Facebook Marketplace and I found the biggest bargain of the year, which I’m still buzzing about. I managed to get a Dual REM Concord nail station with integrated dust collector system, air filtration unit, vapour control system, with multiple integrated plug sockets for £100! YES! £100! I literally could not believe my eyes when I saw it! I knew exactly what it was. It wasn’t advertised as what is was, it was just advertised as a ‘nail desk’. The tech selling it just wanted rid as she didn’t have the space and it was sat at the back of her parent’s garage. It matches my flooring exactly and it’s just perfect! I LOVE IT!
Another find was a reception desk I purchased via Shpock. I’d never even heard of this app until my hairdresser, Sarah Mason, said it was brilliant for salon furniture. A beauty salon in Wolverhampton was selling its reception desk and I got it for £90. I’ve completely changed everything, I took it apart, sanded it down, sprayed the legs, covered the sides to match the academy interior, re sprayed the top, finished it gold flakes added some crystals and hey presto, a new reception desk! I’m really pleased about how it has turned out.
Reception desk before
Reception desk after
I wanted some mirrors to line the walls of the stairs and landing. Fortunately, my amazing uncle, who owns numerous hair salons of the HC Group, gave me four large salon mirrors. I masked them up and sprayed them gold and they are perfect – just what I wanted! So, although I had very little money towards the end, it is possible to do things on a budget if you put your mind to it and have the time.
I set myself a deadline of holding Hazel Dixon’s Summer Trends Workshop at the academy on Sunday 28 July. I had sent all the course confirmation letters out with the academy’s address on so it had to be in a reasonable state for that date. On Sunday morning at 1am, my husband and I were still painting, mopping floors and fitting sinks. We were exhausted! We returned at 7am to put all the tables and chairs together, I got the teaching room ready for the workshop and waited for the students to arrive. I was actually quite nervous! We hadn’t been able to completely finish everything off; we still had the wooden staircase to paint, some skirting boards to attach and some electrical work to finish but it was good enough to let people in.
To see the reactions of the students’ faces when they saw the academy was amazing! I forget how much effort and detail I’ve put in the place with being here all the time, it made it all worthwhile.
The shop/retail side of things has been great and I can’t tell you how brilliant it is having stock here. I’m sure they won’t mind me saying, but kids in a sweet shop springs to mind! I haven’t even got all my stock in yet, either.
I will be holding other teaching sessions at the academy (all beauty related held by experts in their own field), so watch this space! If anyone needs any space for teaching that is beauty related (not nails) please get in touch.
Today is my first day at the academy, waking up, getting ready to actually go out to work, opening up, putting the lights on, music on etc, and the feeling of accomplishment is immense. I almost cried last night after teaching (I think it was a combination of excitement, success and exhaustion to be honest!) as it was overwhelming to see the place with keen students, a shop full of stock and a buzzing atmosphere.
I’m sat here now at my new/old posh nail desk writing this final blog, looking at what I’ve achieved, reflecting on how crazy different my life is now in compared to a few years ago when I was a health visitor. I love this, I feel so satisfied, happy and content. Helping others grow and succeed is the best thing ever to do, very much like the buzz I got from health visiting I guess.
Lastly, I’d like to thank a few people who believed in me and my dreams; my husband, always by my side, helping and encouraging me at every step, seeing my potential, pushing me out my comfort zone and supporting me. The friends and clients who have been so excited about my expansion plans, and last but certainly not least by all means, my mentor, my team. Hazel Dixon and all you lovely HD Academy ladies, thank you for believing in me and not to mention me now being part of the Scratch Stars Nail Team of the Year 2019! I still have to pinch myself most days! The support I have from my team is second to none and I wouldn’t have the confidence and skills I have without them.
Also, thank you Scratch for having me as a guest blogger, I’ve loved it so much!
Everyone is welcome to pop in and say ‘Hi’ at the academy; 5 Radford Street, Stone, Staffs.
Right – back to work for me!
Erica
