January Reset for Nail Techs - What to Do After the Christmas Rush

January Reset for Nail Techs - What to Do After the Christmas Rush

Let’s be honest - December is chaos.

Long days, packed diaries, back-to-back clients, barely time to eat, drink or think. You tell yourself you’ll sort everything out after Christmas, knowing full well you probably won’t have the energy.

I used to finish December exhausted, annoyed, and slightly resentful - at clients, at the diary, at myself. Everything felt reactive. I was busy, but not in control.

Then January hit.

The diary slowed down. Messages eased off. And instead of using that space to organise, I panicked. I discounted. I overworked for the wrong people. I treated quiet as failure.

It took me a few years to realise this - January isn’t the problem. What you do in January is.

New year always comes with change. The question is whether you let that change feel chaotic, or whether you turn it into organisation.

How you set January up matters more than people realise, because it quietly sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Restock with intention, not impulse

Running up to Christmas, most of us stop restocking properly. We grab reds, glitters and safe festive shades and tell ourselves we’ll deal with the rest later. That’s normal.

January is when you finally slow down enough to look at what you actually have.

This isn’t about buying new things. It’s about being honest.

Go through your drawers. All of them. Check what you ran out of in December, what’s half empty, what’s expired and what’s just been sitting there untouched.

Make a list of what you genuinely need to keep working comfortably.

You do not need to order everything at once. Spreading the cost is smart. Ordering essentials first is smart. Buying something just because it’s trending is not.

If you don’t really need it, don’t order it.

Clean your workspace properly

Dust gets everywhere. Drawers, shelves, lamps, e-file cords, bottles you touch every day but never wipe.

January is perfect for a proper reset clean, not the rushed wipe you do between clients.

Empty drawers. Wipe products. Bin old files and tools you should have thrown away months ago.

Every time I do this, I work better. Not faster, better. Less irritation, more focus.

A calm space makes a calm workday.

Plan your training before you get distracted

Training should never be impulsive, but that’s exactly how many nail techs book it.

January is the right time to step back and ask yourself what actually needs work.

Not what looks good on Instagram. Not what everyone else is doing. What you struggle with.

Research educators properly. Ask questions. Look at dates and costs. Start putting money aside.

I learned the hard way that planned training feels very different to panic booking later in the year.

Practise, but do it properly

Mindless practice is one of the biggest wastes of time I see.

If you keep practising the same thing in the same way and making the same mistakes, you’re not improving. You’re reinforcing bad habits.

January is ideal for slower, more intentional practice.

Pick one thing you want to improve. Change how you approach it. Slow down. Analyse your work instead of rushing through it.

Practising with awareness is uncomfortable, but it’s the only kind that works.

Look at your prices honestly

This is the part many nail techs avoid.

For years, I didn’t properly calculate my treatment costs. I guessed. I copied others. And I wondered why I felt burnt out and underpaid.

January is the time to sit down and work it out properly. Product costs, time spent, what you actually take home.

Set income targets. Decide whether your prices still make sense.

Many nail techs raise prices with the new tax year in April. That doesn’t happen overnight. You prepare now so it feels intentional, not rushed.

Sort Out Your Equipment

Use the quieter period to get your equipment in top shape. Send your tools for service if neede, and get your cuticle scissors sharpened after busy season - it makes huge difference in precision and safety.

For example, I use a Sayeang Cube e-file, and both the cube and the hand piece should be sent in for a yearly servicing. Cuticle scissors and nippers should be sharpened depending on how busy you are - I personally get mine sharpened every 6 months and keep multiple pairs so I always have one ready to go.

A little maintenance now saves you stress later when things get busy again.

Sort your accounts while it’s quiet

Please don’t leave this until the last minute.

January is quieter for a reason. Use it to organise receipts, update spreadsheets and actually look at your numbers. (Something that you have been avoiding for last 8 months).

Avoidance creates stress. Clarity creates control.

Expect quieter months and stop taking it personally

January, February and sometimes March can be slow. For some techs, very slow.

That doesn’t mean you’re failing.

Clients spend heavily at Christmas. Nails are a luxury service. When money is tight, you’re often one of the first things people cut back on.

Every year some clients leave. Every year new ones arrive later on. That cycle doesn’t change.

What you do with this quieter time does.

Offers can work, but only if you’re smart

Discounting out of fear keeps you busy and resentful.

If you choose to run offers, keep them limited and intentional. Never slash prices just to fill gaps.

Sitting for hours to earn £5 is not growth. It’s burnout.

Try new products without wrecking your wallet

January is also a great time to test new products properly.

Not panic-switching brands. Not buying full systems because someone said they are amazing. Testing.

Bring in one or two products you are curious about. Use them alongside what you already work with. Pay attention to how they apply, how they wear and how they remove.

Give it a couple of months.

If it performs well, then you can slowly introduce it and, if needed, adjust your system. If it doesn’t, you’ve learned something without draining your bank account.

Switching products properly is a process. Doing it impulsively is expensive.

I’ll cover exactly how to test and change products without ruining your wallet in a separate blog post - watch this space!

Reset your Instagram properly

January is perfect to take a step back and really look at your Instagram. Not just scrolling, not just posting pretty nails, actually think about what your profile says about you

Ask yourself

• Does my bio clearly show my location, services, and personality?

• Could a potential client find me if they searched for a nail tech in my area?

  
  

Many nail techs’ bios don’t work because the first line is their name. Technically, no one knows you yet, so your profile isn’t searchable. Instead, use keywords a client would search for, like “nail technician Horsham” or “BIAB nails Horsham.” That way, when someone searches locally, your profile shows up

Think beyond aesthetics

• Switch a gallery of only perfect nails into before and afters. People want to see your skill and growth

• Share your story: how you started doing nails, what you love about it

• Yes, put your face in it! Clients book people, not just nails. If they resonate with you, they are far more likely to book

  
  

Ideas for Instagram posts for new nail techs to attract clients

• Before and afters: show results and improvements

• Your journey: little about yourself and why you do nails

• Your workspace: tidy and professional setup

• Tools you love: highlight brushes, files, or products and why

• Client reactions: happy clients (with permission) or reviews

• Progress shots: show skill improvement over time {BIAB Journey)

• Your education: certifications, courses, or manuals you’ve completed

• Tips for at-home care: advice clients can use between appointments

• Seasonal or trending designs: show relevance and creativity

• Work habits: behind-the-scenes of prepping, organising, or testing products

  
  

Here’s the thing: Instagram is separate work. It’s a skill on its own and it needs to be learned properly. Knowing how to post pretty nails is not enough. That’s why I created my upskilling manual. It covers all the basics you need to get your Instagram working for you, including bio setup, post strategy, and how to attract the right clients

Consistency matters more than posting every day. Plan your posts, make them purposeful, and stick to a schedule you can maintain. You don’t need to post 3 times a day, do it smart, not hard

Change the way you work if you want to

January makes gaps visible, and that’s actually helpful.

If you’ve been wanting to change your schedule, this is the easiest time to do it.

If you don’t want to work Saturdays, stop. Or limit them to one a month. Shorten your days. Add proper breaks.

When I changed how I worked, nothing collapsed. The right clients stayed. New ones adapted.

Plan your holidays before burnout does it for you

Most self-employed nail techs don’t plan holidays. I didn’t either for years.

January is when you decide how much time off you want and block it out.

If you don’t plan rest, burnout will plan it for you.

Do a quiet client audit

Quieter months make patterns obvious.

You start noticing who cancels, who pushes boundaries and who drains your energy.

You don’t need to announce changes. You just stop over-accommodating.

Protecting your energy is part of running a business.

Fix your systems

If your business relies on memory, it will eventually exhaust you.

January is ideal for tightening booking rules, reviewing deposits, automating reminders and updating policies.

Systems don’t make you cold. They give you space to breathe.

Finally, focus on yourself

This part matters more than most people admit.

Move your body. Eat better. Sleep properly. Step outside.

When I stopped treating myself as an afterthought, everything else improved.

Final thought

New year brings change whether you like it or not.

January decides whether that change feels chaotic or organised.

Use it to reset how you work, how you rest and what you tolerate.

How you set January up shapes the rest of your year more than you think.

Your business might be quiet the next few months, but that's perfect the time to set yourself up for success later. Or you know... scroll endlessly. Your call.

Maya xx