Don't Buy Stuff You Don't need (Especially When You’re Just Starting Out)

Don’t Buy Stuff You Don’t Need (Especially When You’re Just Starting Out)

Starting your journey as a nail tech is exciting—and honestly, it’s easy to get swept up in wanting all the products and tools. From every gel polish colour imaginable to glitter, nail foils, stamping kits, and a drawer full of brushes. The temptation to buy everything feels real, especially when you see others online who seem to have it all.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need it all right now.

Many new nail techs start out wondering if this is going to be a real career or just a hobby. That’s completely okay! But when you’re just testing the waters, it’s important to keep your expenses low and start small. Why? Because overspending early on can leave you stressed, broke, and overwhelmed before you even begin to build your client base.

Why Buying Too Much Too Soon Can Hurt You

I had a student once who was just getting started—not even officially self-employed yet—but she came to me with a collection of colours and nail art supplies that rivalled mine. It was impressive, but also worrying. She’d spent hundreds, maybe thousands, on things she hadn’t even learned how to use properly.

When I asked her, “What are you going to put in your expenses when you become self-employed?” she didn’t really have an answer. She had all the stock she thought she needed already. But the reality is, starting a business has other costs: registration fees, insurance, taxes, booking systems, marketing, and ongoing training.

If your budget is drained on products before you even have clients, what happens when it’s time to pay for those important expenses?

What Should You Invest In Instead?

Your biggest investment in the beginning should be your skills. Spend time practicing your technique, perfecting your nail prep, and learning how to create nails that last.

You can do this with a small, high-quality selection of products:

Pick 8–10 versatile gel polish colours that work for most clients, one soft gel core colour (BIAB), one core hard gel or one core acrylic powder with monomer.

Choose a reliable base and top coat

Invest in essential tools like a good file, cuticle pusher, and brushes for basic designs

Get one or two quality nail art supplies for when you want to experiment

Once you’ve mastered basics, you’ll know exactly what additional products will help your business grow—and you can buy them confidently.

Why Starting Small Is Smarter

Avoid wasting money on things you won’t use — tons of colours might sound fun, but how many clients do you have? You can mix colours in between to create new shade. I used to have over 400 colours to choose from, yet my clients couldn't pick. You making their decision harder by offering too many colours.

Keep your workspace manageable — clutter can slow you down and make your working environment stressful.

Focus on learning — it’s easy to get distracted by new products and forget the core skills that really build your reputation.

Build your business sustainably — grow your product range as your client base grows, not the other way around. How to invest wisely is a topic for another blog post.

Final Thoughts

Being a nail tech isn’t about how many bottles you own. It’s about the quality of your work, your professionalism, and how you make your clients feel.

Don’t let the pressure to have everything lead to overspending and overwhelm.

If you’re unsure where to invest when starting your business, I’ve put together a guide called “Building Your Career: Where to Put Your Money First.” It’s full of practical advice to help you spend wisely and grow confidently.

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Maya xx