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You’re starting the exciting and glamorous business of running a nail salon. You found the perfect location, designed the nail salon in your signature style, purchased the equipment and the supplies, hired the technicians and you’re basically ready to throw your doors open. But wait a minute. Have you finalized your nail salon prices?
Finalizing that pitch-perfect pricing is almost as important as everything else you have done to set up your nail salon venture. Too high, and you drive away customers. Too low, and you drive down your profitability. Nail salon prices involve so many variables – it’s all about finding that perfect balance before you finalize your nail salon price list.
But don’t worry –just as we’ve had you covered for every step of your nail salon entrepreneurial journey, we’re here to help with nail salon prices too. Read on for the insider stuff!
Let’s start with the basics
The key factors that determine your nail salon prices are your location, the cost of products, the services chosen, and the nail artists’ expertise and experience. Write this down – location, supplies, time, and labor. For calculating nail salon prices, your location is a fixed factor, of course. It’s the supplies, time, and labor that make nail salon prices variable, depending on the service chosen, the technician assigned, quantity and quality of products consumed.
While it certainly isn’t rocket science, finalizing your nail salon price list requires both your brain and your heart. Get your numbers right to be profitable, while ensuring your customers are satisfied with the pricing as much as the service.
Let’s start with the pricing structures of the most basic nail salon services – the classic mani-pedi.
As we said, nail salon prices are based on the materials required, the time taken to render the desired service, and the amount of work involved. Let’s calculate the typical cost of manicure services in the US.
The classic manicure is one of the most common services in a nail salon and the most economical in terms of nail prices. A manicure is both healthy and a form of self-love. The basic procedure for manicures across nail salons is largely standardized. It involves cleaning, trimming, and moisturizing the nails.
A manicure usually begins with soaking your fingers in a bowl of soap water, which softens the nails and readies them for trimming, filing, and pushing back the cuticles. Prior to this, the technician would have removed any old nail polish you had on. After this, the manicurist applies moisturizer and gives your hands a nice rejuvenating massage. Then, they check if you want to have your nails polished. That sums up the classic manicure.
Some salons offer a paraffin wax treatment as an add-on for clients looking for deeper moisturization. Others may upsell a deluxe manicure or ask you to choose from a wide variety of nail services. Depending on the services chosen, your final costs will vary.
You don’t have to stop at a basic manicure. Nail salons offer many more elaborate services, allowing your nails to make a statement of their own while you enjoy the pampering and relaxation.
Once the basic manicure is complete, one can choose a gel polish for the nails instead of the regular nail polish. The cost of a gel manicure is higher, but the gel polish lasts longer, up to four weeks, and is more durable than regular nail polish. The nail technician applies several layers of gel polish to the nail, curing each layer under UV light, making the polish more resistant to chipping and peeling.
Gel polish manicures - $25 to $35
Always in style, a French manicure begins with all the basic steps of a classic manicure. Once the basic mani is done, the nail technician applies a coat of clear nail polish to your nails and tops it up with a white or pink finish just at the tips. The effect is quite bewitching.
French manicure - $30 to $40 (can increase by $5 to $10 based on complexity)
More indulgent and elaborate than the manicures we’ve covered so far, deluxe manicures take longer. Also known as spa manicures, they provide a more private and pampering experience. A deluxe manicure may involve any or all of the services below:
Deluxe manicure - $30 to $50
Flexibility and customization make acrylic nail treatments popular. Any look you desire can be easily put together. The basic processes up until nail polish are similar to the classic manicure.
Next, instead of nail polish, regular or gel, a combination of liquids and powders are mixed and then applied to the nails. This forms a hard shell when bonded to the top layer of your nails, which makes the treatment long-lasting (up to 6-8 weeks)
Acrylic nail treatments are very versatile. They can be shaped short or long, added only to the tips to extend natural nails. They can even just be applied like nail polish, as an acrylic overlay. Clients can choose a natural look or express themselves in myriad colors and designs. Acrylic nail prices vary depending on what you choose.
Acrylic nails require regular maintenance and updates, but the process is straightforward. Nail salons can provide fill-ins, instead of doing the treatment from scratch. They also provide repair services for cracked nails.
Acrylic nail manicures
Similar to manicures, the cost of a pedicure can vary widely based on the choice of service and complexity involved, supplies used, and time taken to render the service. A variety of options exist to up-level the pedicure, adding more services and enhancing the results, which can also affect the pricing. Just like manicures, pedicures also improve nail health and add glamor to your feet and nails.
The standard pedicure is Level 1, in terms of services and nail prices. Pedicures offer a relaxing experience, much-needed ‘me-time,’ and of course, nail hygiene. Nail technicians cleanse, cut, shape, moisturize, and polish your toenails.
Here again, the process is quite standardized across nail salons. Clients are seated at pedicure stations that have comfortable seats. The pedicure begins with removing any old nail polish and then soaking your feet in warm, soapy water to cleanse them and prep them for the next steps. Some pedicure tubs are equipped with hydrotherapy jets that massage your feet while cleansing them.
Nail technicians then trim and shape each nail, push back the cuticles, and then use a pumice stone to remove any calluses and dry skin from the bottom of the foot. They finish it off by moisturizing the feet. Some standard pedicures also include basic foot and leg massages. Clients can request nail polish during a pedicure for an additional charge Some standard pedicures also include basic foot and leg massages. Finally, toenails are polished on request.
Additionally, clients can add a paraffin wax treatment to their basic pedicures, which hydrates the skin and softens the feet and nails.
Pedicures also have a variety of upgrade options, which clients can choose from based on their requirements. The price varies depending on the choice of add-on services.
The basic pedicure remains the same, involving all the steps from cleansing to moisturizing. The difference is in the choice of nail polish. Instead of regular nail polish, the client may opt for gel nail polishes which are stronger and more long-lasting. The nail technician applies multiple layers of gel polish to the toenails, using a UV lamp to cure and seal the polish into your nails.
Gel Pedicure - $40 to $50
Like the French manicure, the French pedicure achieves a very chic look. It starts with the basic pedicure, but instead of regular nail polish colors, the toenails are polished with a translucent base, and the tips are painted white or pink.
French pedicure - $45 to $55
Deluxe pedicures involve everything included in a standard pedicure but in a more spa-like, relaxing, and pampering experience. The products used are of a higher quality and the whole experience is more luxurious. Just like the deluxe manicure, the deluxe pedicure may involve some or all of the following steps.
Deluxe pedicure - $45 to $65
Deep exfoliation - $10 to $15 (based on severity)
While your nail salon prices are mostly a straightforward calculation based on various factors such as service chosen, time taken, products consumed, and technician’s experience, it may not always be the best way to get the biggest bang for your buck. As you know, nail salon profitability is so much more than just simple math and often not reflective of the value-added services your nail technicians provide.
While this is a gray area that’s slightly tricky, bundling your nail services is a great way to ramp up your spending per customer and give salon guests a lower overall cost for choosing more services. Bundling your nail services improves your revenues and increases your customers’ satisfaction.
For clients, bundling allows them to choose a package of services they need or could benefit from. The bundle works out more economical than paying for individual services. It offers clients a better deal by giving them more for their money. From the salon’s perspective, you end up getting more revenue from each customer.
From the nail technician’s point of view, bundling ensures that they get a fair price for all the services they provide, and they are better utilizing their time. When a single customer takes a bundle of services, many of the steps can be done in parallel, optimizing the nail technician’s time, while helping them earn more.
The best part of bundling is that it enhances the value of the customer experience. They get more of their desired services for a smaller amount of money. This increases customer stickiness, and they are more likely to stay loyal to your nail salon. They’re also likely to tip more generously because they spent less overall.
Here are some tips to bundle your packages to make them attractive yet profitable:
As a nail salon owner, you may have all the theoretical know-how on nail salon prices. However, putting it all into practice manually is a near-impossible task and a waste of precious time that is better invested elsewhere. Automating the pricing could save you a lot of time and energy.
This is where Zenoti comes in. With our rich industry expertise, we equip your nail salon business with software that can help you develop pricing strategy for salons more easily. Zenoti software helps calculate optimal pricing based on your inputs for both individual services as well as bundles. In addition, it allows you to make real-time price list updates, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all platforms.
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Zenoti software for nail salons helps you establish a centralized or location-specific online service menu, and create a text-based or image-rich service menu, with descriptions, pricing, videos, and more, for a dynamic customer experience.
Zenoti also provides invaluable insights to customers, based on market research and real-time client experience. For instance, The 2024 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report from Zenoti identifies packaging or bundling as one of the most effective salon marketing strategies for 2024, with packages seeing a 5% growth across the industry in 2023.
Explore Zenoti nail salon software. Ask for a demo.
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