Have you ever wondered how to start a press on nail business? Here is what you need to know before you get started.
For many of us, starting your own business is part of the American dream. Maybe you’ve been thinking about developing a low startup cost business idea for a while now or you are just starting to explore ideas.
Regardless of where you are in the brainstorming process, researching online about your business opportunity is a smart first step.
If you are passionate about beauty, one business opportunity that you may have considered is a press on nail business. This business niche caters to women who like to adorn their hands with attractive artificial nails.
And there are success stories of young people who have started a press on nails business from home and expanded their brands to serve thousands of customers, even in other countries.
If you want to start this business and don’t know how to go about it, read our guide on how to start a press on nail business.
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How to Start a Press On Nail Business: Steps by Step Guide
Here are the six steps you will need to take to get your business vision off the ground.
1. Draw up a plan and do your research
Every business requires a plan. The plan will paint a clear picture of what you hope to achieve and the resources you will require to do so.
If you want to run a successful press on nails business, you will need to treat it as more than just a hobby!
Start by studying the products offered by sellers already in the market. How do they price their products, what do their customers like about them, how do they package what they sell?
These are important insights that will help you create a product that will sell in the market.
Reading the reviews of customers who like what they sell will help you more than anything else since reviews give you a clear idea of what they are looking for. Your market research should cover
- Pricing
- Packaging
- Product quality
- Pre/After-sale service
By conducting thorough research of the market, you will be better placed to cater to the needs of customers who are looking for something different.
2. Start small
Starting small with your press on nail business is smart! It limits your risks and creates room to experiment with your products and marketing approach.
This way, you can identify what works best for you and what doesn’t work that well or at all.
Investing a small amount at first will reduce the pressure to succeed immediately. As your venture grows, you can scale up your operations by investing more money to boost your brand.
3. Source the right products
With the market information from your research and capital to start your press on nail business, you can now progress to the next step, which is to find low-cost suppliers of the kind of products you would like to sell.
This step is where many small businesses fail, because they don’t take their time to find reliable, low-cost suppliers.
If you buy quality nail products from low-cost suppliers, you stand to make more profit from sales. You can buy a lot more inventory with less capital.
We recommend that you find a few different suppliers and contact them. Once you find a source, go ahead and buy a few samples to ensure that their products are up to standard. If the product is good, you can then go ahead to order a larger stock.
AliExpress and it bigger brother Alibaba are good websites to look for reliable suppliers of quality nail products.
4. Consider the legal requirements
Most businesses have various legal requirements for doing a business. Making and selling press on nails is also a regulated industry.
In addition to obtaining the required certifications and licenses, you’ll want to know about and comply with local and federal guidelines.
In the United States, nail products for both home and salon use are regulated by the FDA. Be sure to follow their guidelines as well as any local state or city requirements for your area.
Depending on where you live, a business permit may be required, as well as additional tax documentation if you have employees other than yourself.
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5. Make a marketing plan
Marketing your product is an important part of planning a business. No matter how great your nails are, you will struggle to break even if only very few people know about it.
So you need to draw up a marketing plan. There are two ways you can market your products.
In-person marketing: You can market in person by setting up a physical store or a shop.
With a physical store, buyers will either have to come to buy from you, or you will send the nails to them. This method may work, but you will have to invest more money on store rents if you don’t want to sell from home.
Sell online: Another option is to sell your product online. Online marketing is actually the best option because your overhead cost will be quite low, and you can market to a larger audience in far-off places.
If you plan to market online like many nail sellers do, you will have to decide which platforms you want to market on. Some platforms where press on nail businesses have succeeded include:
While these platforms will charge you fees for sales or listing or both, these fees are much lower considering how much you would pay if you rent a physical store.
As you start developing a customer base and regular sales, it can then make sense to open a website or online store.
Open your own e-commerce store: You may choose to open your own e-commerce store for your nails, which would still be a good move.
Selling online offers you marketing flexibility because you can link your store to other major platforms to increase your sales margins. Be sure to establish social media handles for your business and share to them regularly to build your following.
6. Brand your business
Another important move to make is to brand your press on nail business if you want yours to stand out from the crowd. This niche is very competitive, with marketers jostling for the attention and patronage of buyers.
So to gain the attention of the online buyer, you will have to do a little bit of branding. You don’t have to wait until you have a large following; starting early is a way of building a firm foundation for the future.
Here are some basic tips to brand your business:
- Get an attractive logo that stands out (your logo is the first thing customers will see online and on your packaging)
- A catchy name (a catchy business name will get more feedback than a generic name, so be quite choosy)
- Always reference your logo and name on all your marketing content
To market your products, you may choose to
- Advertise on e-commerce sites
- Run Google/Facebook/Instagram campaigns
- Use targeted influencers with a large social media following. Focus on those in the beauty niche
- Utilize SEO
Whichever route you choose to take, just make sure it is one you can afford and sustain over a long period.
Time to Start Your Press On Nail Business!
If you’re wondering how to start a press on nail business, this is something you can build from home.
Creating your own business does require a lot of planning, understanding of the market, and patience. However, the work can be well worth it if you work hard and be patient to achieve your results.
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Kim Ritter is a frugal living expert, blogger and mom of two from small-town Iowa. What began as an effort to help her family save a few dollars a month has now transformed into a full-time passion to help other parents money. Visit her online at twokidsandacoupon.com and follow her on Twitter at @2kidsandacoupon for more ways your family can have fun on a budget. She’s a regular guest on the TV show ‘Hello Iowa’ on WHO 13, a leading television station in Des Moines, Iowa, where she appears as a money-saving expert.