If you run a nail salon, the recent national lockdowns will have likely left you in an awkward limbo while you wait to reopen your business.
But with that now due to happen in April, this is the perfect time to get yourself prepared for when the government goes ahead and gives the green light.
These are our suggestions for productive things to do while your business is closed.
Get your extraction system good to go
As you may already know, we’re a fume and dust extraction company focused on protecting people’s health. In fact, the inspiration behind our whole business was one of our co-founders getting ill at a badly-ventilated nail salon. So, you probably expected us to start here… right?
What most of our newer customers don’t expect is all of the debris and dust they see the first time they need to replace their SalonAIR® filters.
It. Is. GROSS!
And that’s just the stuff you can see. Some of the most potentially harmful particles removed by SalonAIR® are the ones you can’t see. All of which would end up in your lungs without the proper protection.
Each of our beauty extraction products meet SR13 guidelines for salons and beauty treatments, but they’re still only as good as their filters. So, if you haven’t replaced yours in a while, now might be the perfect time to get new ones delivered, and swap them over while your salon is silent.
Not sure how to change your SalonAIR® filters? Not a problem – allow Nicolette of Nicolette’s Nails to walk you through it:
Of course, if your salon doesn’t have an extraction system like our SalonAIR®, fixing that should be the first thing to do while your salon is closed. That way, your staff and customers alike will be fully protected from potentially harmful fumes and dust when you are able to reopen.
Make sure you’re all set up to follow Covid-19 guidelines
When considering what can you do while your salon is closed, you can’t overlook the need to have your business comply with current government COVID-19 guidelines.
In fact, this video shows just how easily Covid-19 can spread if you don’t follow them:
Here some steps you might consider taking:
Check government guidance
If like most of our customers you’re in the UK, your first step should be to refresh yourself on the UK guidelines on working safely during coronavirus. Once you have, you can consider any further changes you’ll need to make to your safety measures or customer experience once your salon reopens.
Get COVID-19 certified
One of your biggest challenges when lockdown lifts will be putting your customers’ mind at rest about the safety of your salon. Completing a free online Covid-19 certification will give you a certificate you can proudly display to help ease those concerns. Here are just a few options:
- BARBICIDE® COVID-19 Certification Course
- Creative Beauty Group’s Salon Safety and Salon Hygiene course
- Munroe Beauty’s Health & Safety course
- Beauty Industry Approval’s course on Hygiene in the Workplace/Salon
Create an action plan
The Munroe Beauty course mentioned above also includes in it a ‘back to work’ plan, which you can use to make sure you’ve covered everything before reopening.
Additionally, this comprehensive course from the Beauty Guild will take you through how to produce a risk assessment, alongside creating an official policy document for controlling and preventing Coronavirus transmission in your salon. Unlike the other courses, it’s not free, with a £20 fee unless you’re a Guild member. We think that’s a small price to pay for all that knowhow.
For more health considerations that can help you reopen your salon safely, this video by salon owner Ruth Munroe of Little Blank Spaces is solid gold:
Take your business online
Is the uncertainty about when lockdown will lift causing you financial concern? If so, one of the most productive things to do while your business is closed could be using the web to grow your business and customer base ready for when you reopen.
There are a few different ways to do this:
Become a content creator
This is one of the more productive things to do while your business is closed. You don’t even need a website!
Simply posting to social media is one of the best ways to keep your business front and centre in your customers’ minds during lockdown.
Whether you post nail pics on Instagram, how-to guides on YouTube or even broadcast your day on Facebook Live, putting your passion and expertise out there is sure to keep your current customers engaged, and even help you find new ones.
Not sure where to start? Try this blog post by Sprout Social, and of course take a look at our beauty-focused pages on Facebook and Instagram for further inspiration.
Market your services
Okay, you will in all likelihood need a website for this one!
Once you’re happily creating content, one of the best things to do while your salon is closed is getting people to engage with your business using special offers and competitions.
Whether you’re encouraging followers to like and share your posts in the hope of a free post-lockdown nail appointment, or organising an online event to help people passionate about nail art connect with you, there are loads of things you can do here.
Our advice? Well, we loved this post by Nails Mag, so start there and see where it takes you!
Sell relevant products and services online
You’ll definitely need some kind of online platform for this one. Whether you create your own Shopify site, or set up on Etsy or another portal altogether, will be entirely down to you. You can even sell through Facebook and Instagram!
Whatever you go for, if you’re already creating content and marketing your business online, the move towards selling beauty items should be a natural one. You’re already likely to have stock at your salon, and an existing supply line should you need to get more in. At the very least, gift vouchers for future treatments are always a winner!
Want to take it a step further? Try turning your expertise into an online course like those over at Young Nails.
It might be a strategy you’re wary of, but moving into selling products and services online could help support you while the pandemic continues. It might even lead to a side-line income for your salon once life goes back to normal. That might just make it one of the very smartest things to do while your salon is closed.
Refresh and renew as much as humanly possible!
Okay, so being stuck indoors (apart from your daily jog and a spot of government-sanctioned food shopping) is hardly a holiday. But it does present a break from the day-in-day-out of commuting, work rosters, and the general pressures of being a boss.
So, where you can… enjoy it!
We realise that might be easier said than done (especially if you have kids). And we reckon there’s probably a good chance that you got into this line of work in the first place because you’re an extrovert. So, you might be dearly missing regular contact with your staff, as well as your family and friends. But that just means making the best of the situation is even more important!
If you can, organise regular online catch-ups with your nail tech friends – not to talk shop, but just to keep in touch, have a chat, and retain that feeling of being a team. And in general, take some time away from the other aspects we’ve mentioned here to focus on your self-care. After all, your happiest, friendliest self is who your staff and customers are looking forward to seeing when lockdown finally lifts!
Getting ready to reopen? Let us lend a hand.
So that’s our list covering what can you do while your salon is closed. We hope it’s helpful!
If you’re getting itchy feet at home and want to start getting ready to reopen, we’d suggest starting with your safety equipment. Visit our beauty treatments page to see our full range of extraction units or browse our replacement filters to find the one you need.
Not sure what’s what? No problem. Get in touch and we’ll talk you through it.
