Pricing Mistakes We All Make

Family, Friends & The Pricing Mistakes We All Make

Let me tell you something I see over and over again.

A nail tech starts. She’s excited. She’s practising. She cares. She wants to do well.

So she charges £15 for something that takes her 3 hours.

She gives her best friend a free set.

She squeezes in her cousin at 8pm because “it’s only this once.”

She copies the prices of the cheap salon down the road because she’s scared.

And then 24 months later she’s exhausted, slightly resentful… and still broke.

Her skill got better, her books are full, she renting nice place, she started charging bit more, but still not enough to cover her salary.

It’s because she never built structure around her pricing.

And maybe you’re reading this thinking, “Okay but that’s literally me.”

Good. Awareness is step one.

The Part Nobody Admits

When you first start, you don’t undercharge because you’re stupid.

You undercharge because you’re insecure.

You’re not fully confident yet.

You’re still checking your shaping five times.

Your prep takes 45 minutes.

You don’t trust your retention.

So you think low prices will protect you.

They don’t.

They just attract people who are comfortable paying low prices.

And those are not the same people who will happily grow with you.

“But the Salon on the High Street Charges £25…”

Stop right there.

You are not running the same business as the cheap high street salon.

They:

Buy bulk low-cost products.

Often train staff in-house with minimal formal education.

Focus on speed over structure.

Work on volume.

And that’s exactly why so many clients leave unhappy.

You?

You’re here reading blogs about retention and pricing.

You care about prep.

You care about structure.

You care about growth.

You are already doing more.

So stop comparing your one-woman business to a volume-based walk-in salon model.

It’s not the same game.

Let’s Talk Real Numbers

If you’re doing a 3-hour full set for £5 or £10, that’s not “gaining experience.”

That’s draining yourself.

Yes, as a beginner your price can reflect that you’re learning.

Maybe:

£15 for gel polish.

£20–£25 for simple extensions.

But that’s for your first 10–15 clients.

Not forever.

As your retention improves → increase.

As your shaping gets cleaner → increase.

As your timing drops → increase.

Growth in skill should equal growth in price.

“But What If Clients Leave?”

Some will.

And that’s okay.

Now let’s be smart about increases.

If you suddenly add £20 to every service, that’s a big jump. I’m not saying don’t do it - sometimes you need to reset your business properly.

But be ready.

A jump like that can mean half your clients leave. That’s reality. So plan it. Prepare financially. Don’t do it emotionally.

On the flip side…

A £2 increase?

That won’t change anything. It feels safe, but it barely touches rising costs or reflects your improvement.

Be strategic instead.

Start charging properly for:

French.

Nail art.

Detailed designs.

Long lengths.

Extra time.

So many techs give those away for free because they feel awkward.

And here’s something practical:

Put your prices up in summer.

When the weather’s nice, people are happier. They’re booking holidays. They’re spending anyway. A sensible increase feels softer when everyone’s in a good mood.

Timing matters more than people realise.

Family & Friend Discount – The Awkward Bit

Now the one that makes everyone uncomfortable.

If you want to give family or friends a discount, do it.

But do it because you genuinely want to.

Not because you feel pressured.

And please stop making free nails the default.

They should want to support your business.

Let me tell you something.

A friend of mine came to fix one side of my curtain pole. He just started as a self employed handyman. I needed work doing, so I asked him to do it.

20 minutes.

Drilled into brick.

£40.

I paid it.

He didn’t say, “Oh it’s fine, we’re friends.”

And I didn’t expect him to.

There was no guilt. No explanation. No weird energy.

That’s business.

Yet somehow in beauty, we feel like we have to apologise for charging accordingly.

Why?

If your cousin was a plumber, would you expect free bathroom repairs?

If your best friend was a hairdresser, would you expect free balayage forever?

Exactly.

A small discount if you’re happy with it? Fine.

But free as standard? That sets a tone that is very hard to undo.

The Emotional Struggle No One Talks About

The hardest part about raising prices isn’t maths.

It’s identity.

You’re scared people will think:

“She’s getting expensive.”

“She’s not that good.”

“Who does she think she is?”

But here’s the shift:

When you don’t raise your prices, you quietly start resenting your clients.

You feel overworked.

You feel underpaid.

You feel stuck.

And that energy leaks into your work.

That’s worse than someone leaving because you increased £5.

You’re Not Charging Just for Gel/Acrylic Product You Use

You’re charging for:

Every course you paid for.

Every mistake you fixed.

Every late night practising.

Every product you tested.

Every improvement in retention and structure.

If you work from home, you are:

The tech.

The receptionist.

The cleaner.

The content creator.

The accountant.

The stock manager.

You are the business.

Respect that.

Final Reality Check

Nails are a luxury service.

Not a favour.

Not a hobby.

Not a charity.

Raise your prices with intention.

Don’t shock your business without preparation.

Don’t hide behind tiny increases either.

Charge for design.

Stop comparing yourself to volume salons.

And most importantly - stop being scared of stepping into the next level of your business.

Growth will always feel uncomfortable before it feels normal.

Stop guessing your prices. Do the maths.

Sit down and figure out what you actually need to earn each month.

Not vibes. Not what others charge. Your numbers.

Rent

Products

Bills

Salary

Everything

Let’s say that total is £2500/month (£1500 salary, £1000 cover business expenses)

Now reality check your capacity:

5 days a week

8 hours a day

1 client = 2 hours

That’s:

4 clients a day

20 clients a week

~80 clients a month

Now divide it:

£2500 ÷ 80 = £31.25

That’s your bare minimum per client just to survive.

Here’s where most of nail techs mess it up:

You don’t account for cancellations

You ignore no-shows

You forget taxes

You don't take holidays

So your £31.25?

It’s already too low.

If your prices don’t match your capacity, your business is broken.

Simple.

You either:

Increase your prices

Increase your speed (without ruining quality) - that mean investing in training - another money out of your pocket

Or reduce your working hours expectations

But you cannot keep undercharging and expect it to magically work.

Maya XX