Award-winning nail tech: How I’ve found success despite suffering with fibromyalgia
Kirsty Brown is the owner of Paintbrush Nails, Stirling, Scotland, which is the Scratch Stars Home Nail Salon of the Year 2024 & a finalist for 2025. Here, she shares about her experiences with fibromyalgia… Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue and cognitive difficulties. It can be…
Read More
Hull home nail salon owner: How I prioritise the mental health of clients
Lucy Allman, owner of The Nail Shed, shares about the supportive ethos of her East Yorkshire garden salon… In 2021, Lucy Allman was made redundant and welcomed a second child. It was this change in lifestyle and need for flexibility that inspired her to carve a career in the nail…
Read More
Home nail & beauty salons: how to maintain positive neighbour relations & resolve conflict
Scratch Stars Home Nail Salon of the Year finalists for 2024 offer advice for how home business owners can keep the peace with neighbours and resolve potential conflicts… Kirsty Brown, owner of Paintbrush Nails, Stirling – Scratch Stars Home Nail Salon of the Year 2024 “When opening a home salon,…
Read More
Sussex nail tech: How I navigate epilepsy to keep offering nail services
Dawn Wolk has huge adoration for the nail industry. It gives her independence and a sense of self-worth – but regular seizures mean she can only accommodate two clients per day. The East Sussex nail pro, who attained an L&P acrylic nail qualification in February 2023, suffers with epilepsy and…
Read More
Greater Manchester nail tech: Why I closed a bustling salon to open a home-based business
Nina of Wigan home salon, Nina Nicholson Beauty & Lecenté lead educator, shares why a huge career switch was the best decision she ever made… Nina Nicholson opened her first salon at the age of 18, and went on to acquire a larger premises a few years later. After building…
Read More
Struggling to attract clients? An expert will audit your beauty business to drive growth
Are you struggling to gain new clientele or attract your ideal clients? The Salon Inspector™ from nail industry veteran, Sue Davies, is here to help… The programme serves to enhance the client journeys of mobile, home-based and brick and mortar beauty businesses via an audit. “When a business signs up…
Read More
Self-employment help for nail techs: interior design, safety & more considerations
As a self-employed tech, you can take control over your nail environment: from interior design and décor to cleaning schedules and product inventories. Here’s everything you need to know about tailoring your business to you… Interior design If working solo from a home salon or rented space, your aesthetic allows…
Read More
Homeless to home salon success: a Staffordshire nail tech’s inspiring journey
“I became homeless when I was 21; I had just split up from my partner of five years and my friends and family were unable to help me,” explains Isabelle Pattissier of Chesterton business, Drop Dead Beauty. “I stored some things at my mum’s, told her I was living with…
Read More
How a Northamptonshire nail tech perfected her work-life balance by opening a garden salon
Nail tech, Kim Hearn, behind byKIMI Nails, shares how opening her garden salon helped her create more definitive work-life boundaries. The nail pro previously worked from a console table in her living room, and found that this not only left her three children without a space to play, but hindered…
Read More
Struggling with work-life balance as a beauty pro & mum? This Facebook group can help
Are you a busy mother running a nail/beauty business, who wants to achieve a healthy work-life balance and earn an amazing income? Home salon owner, Kate Joyner, established Facebook group, The Balanced Beauty Bosses, for you. “I wanted to create a safe space for women to connect with like-minded business…
Read More
Salon in the Spotlight: Maisykbeauty, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire
Describing her home salon as ‘modern but quirky’, Maisy Jeffrey reveals how she brought her personality into her East Staffordshire beauty space… “Maisykbeauty is a representation of me and my life: a bit chaotic, quirky, fun and interesting,” Maisy Jeffrey tells Scratch. “I like to think the pink and orange…
Read More
Salon in the Spotlight: Hr Beauty, Morton, Lincolnshire
Halo VIP, Holly Rodgers, shares how she transformed her garage into sophisticated salon space, Hr Beauty, and the ways she creates a positive client experience… Holly Rodgers tells Scratch that she has always had a passion for the beauty industry, so upon qualifying in 2020 and converting her garage to…
Read More
Salon in the Spotlight: The Beauty Shed, Swansea, Wales
Step inside The Beauty Shed: a welcoming salon nestled within the Welsh countryside, as owner, Katie Dutton, shares the story of the space… Undertaking beauty training in 2004, Katie Dutton didn’t pursue a career in the sector until 2022, after a conversation with her beautician friend. “We talked about how…
Read More
Want to start a home or mobile nail business? Here’s what you need to know
Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, shares her experiences working from home and on a mobile basis… We are in a cost of living crisis: everything is more expensive than it was and people aren’t spending as much money. So is now a good time to start…
Read More
Salon in the Spotlight: Nails By Nichole, Rochester, Kent
Nichole Reynolds shares the story behind her home salon haven, Nails By Nichole, and provides a glimpse into her nail offerings… Nichole Reynolds worked from her dining room for 15 years before her husband offered to convert the shed into a nail space. “I was comfortable indoors, but my husband…
Read More
Read the latest issue
