Nail Tech Demographics statistics 2010

Which title best describes your position?

Nail technician/booth renter 24.5%
Nail technician/employee 17.3%
Salon owner (doing nails) 35.2%
Salon owner (not doing nails) 3.5%
Salon manager/nail dept. manager (doing nails) 3.7%
Salon manager/nail dept. manager (not doing nails) 1.1%
Student/apprentice 7.2%
Cosmetologist 7.5%

Ethnicity

One of the most fascinating aspects of the professional nail industry is its ethnic diversity, especially the dominance of one particular ethnic group: the Vietnamese.

Vietnamese 40%
Caucasian 39%
Hispanic 10%
African-American 8%
Korean 2%
Other 1%

how-old-doing-nail

Medical Insurance

What is the highest level of school you have completed?

Some high school 3.5%
Finished high school 30.5%
Some college/AA degree 40.1%
Finished college 16.6%
Some graduate school 2.9%
Finished graduate school 6.4%

How much is your monthly booth rental?

$367 (average) [5 years ago: $295]

$150 or less . . . 12.4%
$151-$200 . . . 2.4%
$201-$250 . . . 6.2%
$251-$300 . . . 11.7%
$301-$350 . . . 18.3%
$351-$400 . . . 15.2%
$401-$450 . . . 3.4%
$451-$500 . . . 10.3%
More than $500 . . . 15.9%
“A percentage of 4.1% my service income”

How many nail technicians work in Your salon?

Service Prices

overall industry average . . . 2010 / 2009

Basic manicure . . . $18.79 / $18.65
Deluxe manicure . . . $27.12 / $26.61
Basic pedicure . . . $30.99 / $31.33
Deluxe pedicure . . . $42.66 / $42.88
Full set acrylics (sculpt) . . . $45.06 / $44.79
Full set acrylics (tips) . . . $40.78 / $41.11
Gels (full set) . . . $48.66 / $46.69
Wraps (full set) . . . $38.46 / $33.67
Colored acrylics (full set) . . . $47.06 /$45.22
Pink-and-white acrylics (full set) . . . $47.38 /$47.19
Acrylic fill . . . $25.87 /$25.85
Gel fill . . . $29.93 /$29.19
Gel toenails (full set) . . . $37.03 / $33.95
UV top coat . . . $7.80 / $6.27
Soak-off gel application . . . $28.68 n/a
Soak-off gel removal . . . $14.30 n/a

2011 Trend Watch

This year we saw a slight upturn in the economy (3.5% increase in market size over last year) and a new product category took flight. In addition, networking — both online and in person — proved that it’s vital to your business.

Brush-on Gel-Polish. The new crop of brush-on gel-polish lines is the single biggest trend we’ve seen over the last several years. At least 64% of nail techs added this new service in 2010. The hook? It goes on like polish (with a polish-like brush out of a polish-like bottle with a thinner viscosity than most soak-off gels) and wears like a gel (complete with UV cure, soak-off removal, and two-week wearability). The beauty of it? It’s a longer-lasting, chip-free manicure.

Brush-on Gel Polish. Yep, it’s #1 and #2 on my trends list. Not only do techs love this new service, which allows them to charge $10-$15 more for practically the same amount of time as a manicure, but clients are flocking to salons and asking for the new “14-Day Manicure” by name. The amount of press CND received for Shellac (“The Today Show,” The New York Times, and countless local news and print coverage) has clients — many of whom previously shunned any type of nail enhancement — considering new salon service options. As of press time, there are at least 12 brands (and counting) of these hybrids. And that’s not even including all of the great color soak-off gels in pots that are also getting an added boost from all the press.

Social Media. It’s an understatement to say that Facebook has taken off in the salon world. More than 75% of you told us you have a personal Facebook page (compare that with just 23% with a personal page last year)and 45% of you told us you have a business Facebook page (compare that with just 5% with a business page last year). The most effective method for marketing your services is Facebook (62% of you are doing that). Facebook has automated the client referral process that has forever been a nail tech’s best advertisement. You can do so much by way of social networking — from offering your clients last-minute deals in order to fill open time slots, to networking with your peers around the world. It’s only going to increase in the months and years to come. Networking Events. In addition to networking online, we’ve also seen a boom in localized, home-grown networking events. There’s one in the Smokies, one in Long Island, one in New Hampshire, one in the Northwest — and those are just the high-profile ones. There’s The High Road to Education (HRTE), which acts as sort of a traveling networking event. And there’s the ever-popular BeautyTech.com networking event in Orlando every year. These groups offer hands-on demos, business lessons, and a great place to hang out with other likeminded nail professionals. And with 51% of you being the sole nail tech at your salon, it makes it even more important to get together with your peers to learn new techniques and talk shop.

Smartphones, iPhones, Blackberrys, Droids — you know what I’m talking about. Many of us (myself included) can’t put them down. At least 58% of you own some type of smartphone, and of those, 69% are using it as your business
phone. That sounds like you’re making yourself available to your clients more than you ever have. I’ve talked to techs who text appointment reminders: 64% of you use your smartphone for business texting. There are also online scheduling apps that make it quick and easy, and it’s like having your book on you at all times. A word of warning though: We need to put the devices down from time to time in order to step away from our jobs (I know, that’s not very easy for some of us) and take some time for personal lives.

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