Inside the child-friendly countryside nail salon that caters to comfort

By Jess Watts | 8 August 2025

Meet Kay Kirsop, the owner of Kay Cooper Nails, a child-friendly salon that prides itself on comfort and safety. Kay Kirsop has always loved nails. “From Tipp-Exing the tips of my nails in primary school, to being suspended at the age of 14 for refusing to take off acrylic enhancements,…

How to elevate your beauty business by seeing it through clients’ eyes

By Marie-Louise Coster | 30 July 2025

Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, discusses the importance of understanding clients’ perspective… When was the last time you walked through your business as if you were an existing or new client? We all need to walk through our businesses, whether physically or virtually, on a regular basis…

Why confidence is key to your beauty business’ success & how to build it

By Hannah Beth Clayton | 22 July 2025

Nail educator & business mentor, Hannah Clayton, shares the importance of confidence as a beauty pro… When beauty professionals come to me struggling with content, visibility or lack of bookings, it nearly always boils down to one thing: confidence. Confidence is the foundation for organic growth. It’s what allows you…

Staffordshire salon owner to run 24-hour nailathon charity event

By Rebecca Hitchon | 15 June 2025

Stafford-based nail pro, Abigail Roscow, is raising money for the British Heart Foundation via a ‘24 hour Nailathon’. On 12 July, the owner of Aura By Abigail Kate will create a nail design each hour for 24 hours, in honour of her dad who passed away from a heart condition…

Award-winning Dorset beauty salon on the challenges & benefits of renovating period properties

By Rebecca Hitchon | 31 May 2025

Recently relocating to the town of Beaminster, The Painted Nail is a salon and academy comprising two period properties. “I felt it was time to relocate the business, as we had outgrown our previous space,” says owner, Toni Rodway. “After searching for a new property for months, I fell in…

Hair & beauty pros, determine employment status for tax with this HMRC guidance

By Rebecca Hitchon | 13 May 2025

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published guidance to help UK hair and beauty professionals determine their employment status for tax purposes. Designed to particularly support workers renting a chair or space within a salon, the guidance compiles easy-to-follow information about common hair and beauty working practices and how they…

Burnt out to booked up: how funding changed my life & can benefit your nail business

By Guest Writer | 11 May 2025

Sarah Abel, funded growth strategist & founder of TNB Skills Training, shares how funding helped her find success – and can do the same for you… Fifteen years ago, I was drowning in £50,000 of debt. I had maxed out credit cards, just left a job with a company car…

Multiple ear piercing: the beauty trend for 2025 & how to offer in the salon

By Guest Writer | 2 May 2025

Piercing equipment and training provider, Studex, shares information about three multi piercing techniques… “With multiple ear piercings becoming one of the biggest beauty trends of 2025, Studex is offering guidance on new piercing techniques, exclusive to Studex Piercing Partners,” says a spokesperson for the brand. “Not only are multi piercings…

Inside the ‘quirky but classy’ West Yorkshire salon offering a sanctuary for nail & beauty clients

By Rebecca Hitchon | 26 April 2025

Experienced beauty pro & educator, Narelle Wharton, shares the story of her Castleford salon, Narelle Beauty… The first Covid lockdown hit soon after Narelle Wharton had discovered an ideal space for her salon business. Having struggled with the heat and lack of space when working from her conservatory previously, it…

Greater Manchester nail tech: Why I closed a bustling salon to open a home-based business

By Rebecca Hitchon | 22 March 2025

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…

Struggling to attract clients? An expert will audit your beauty business to drive growth

By Rebecca Hitchon | 19 March 2025

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…

Nail & beauty apprenticeships: salons share benefits, their experiences & advice

By Rebecca Hitchon | 16 February 2025

In a February 2025 poll on Scratch’s Instagram, almost 80% of respondents shared that they’re considering taking on apprentices. Here, two UK salons share how they’ve reaped the rewards of the apprenticeship process… Nailspa, West Yorkshire “As a business owner, I believe that when it comes to employees, you cannot…

Cambridgeshire nail tech: how I created my dream salon space after 20 years

By Scratch Staff | 29 January 2025

Dominique Sharpe’s Godmanchester nail business rebranded to The Nail Editor in May 2024, and the nail stylist moved into the professional studio she had longed for since qualifying as a nail tech in 2004. In the early stages of her career, the three-time Scratch Stars Awards finalist struggled to find…

AI is changing the beauty salon game: here’s how it can help you stay ahead

By Guest Writer | 10 January 2025

Richard McCabe, aka the Lifestyle Salon Coach, shares how artificial intelligence can benefit your beauty business… Love it or hate it, AI is changing how businesses work – and that includes salons. Just like past tech revolutions, if you jump on board early, you’re more likely to come out on…

Seeking a high-quality, innovative & eco-conscious salon furniture brand? Meet REM UK

By Alex Fox | 8 October 2024

For over a century, REM UK has been at the forefront of developing salon furniture and equipment, playing a pivotal role in shaping the salon industry’s products and work environments. From its humble beginnings in 1918 with the pioneering work of Eugene Suter, REM has continuously evolved and transformed to…