The Covid-19 Pandemic was hard on businesses of all sizes, but especially small business. As one small business who’s still fighting to keep our doors open while also dealing with the Karen of all Karens on a seemingly daily basis, I wanted to share our story in hopes that it will shed some light for the well-intentioned-but-quickly-frustrated patrons of small business.
Read MoreLadies and gentlemen, a topic I hate to bring up, but absolutely must: PRICE INCREASES (dun dun dunnnn.) As of March 1, 2020 we will be increasing the price of all services.
Why must we increase prices? To be honest… there’s a long list of reasons that I’m going to share with you all because we’d never want our clients to feel we were being shady or unfair.
So let’s get to it:
In the nearly 5 years that we’ve been open, we’ve never once increased prices. NEVER.
Our rent has increased every year
Our merchant services -- that’s the fancy phrase for credit card machine company -- charges a percentage per swipe (and nearly everyone seems to like to swipe which means we make less from each service)
If you love our nail services, have you ever considered receiving those very same services in the convenience of your own home? Or at your office? (Or WHEREVER you would prefer to get your nails lookin’ right?!)
I visit all types of clients for a multitude of reasons: on bed rest, in a wheelchair, elderly, no means of transportation, pregnant, super busy, or even lazy (no shame in the lazy game, sometimes we just want things done as conveniently as possible!), whatever your reason is, our diabetic friendly nail services can be done however our client is most comfortable whether that’s on the couch, in bed, at the dining room table, etc.
Here’s the scoop: the nail services cost the same as they would in studio, we simply add a travel fee that’s calculated based on wherever you need us to go. Easy right? Okay, there is one minor caveat… if you need us after hours or on weekends, we do increase the service prices as well.
Read MoreWe’ve been getting A LOT of questions lately about whether or not it is safe for pregnant ladies to come in and get their nails done. As Mother’s Day is right around the corner -- May 12th for those who didn’t know -- I thought now would be the perfect time to address this topic and put it to bed once and for all!
Read MoreAt Charme Studio, we pride ourselves in providing our clients with the best of the best; the best products, the best technicians, the best nail shop environment… and we are truly taking the BEST, to a whole new level.
After months of research, testing, and true dedication, we’re announcing our newest manicure: VOMP. I know the name may sound a little silly, but we figured, why not use an acronym for all the amazing benefits provided in this fantastic new offering? V is for Vegan (duh! You know we’re huge animal lovers over here!), O is for Organic (only the BEST for our customers), M is for Medical-Grade (because what could be better than products safe enough for DOCTORS?!),
Read MoreSo you all know that the beauty industry provides a whole lot of confusing tips and tricks… there seems to be something new to try every other day (and many of this week’s suggestions counter last week’s). Whether you get your guidance from your favorite beauty magazine, the trendiest Instagram blogger you follow, or you stick with the age-old advice that your mama gave ya, today I’m here to give you the facts on a few nail-related myths and legends. Read along for my own personal “True or False?” list: nails addition!
Read MoreThe sun is coming out and it is officially SANDAL SEASON! Can I get an amen for that?! Aaaa-mennn! Washington’s weather can be a little underwhelming -- unless you’re into endless dreary days -- but our Spring and Summer are to die for. As you get ready to celebrate the warmer months, and likely take your toes out of hiding, there’s a few things you should keep in mind when heading to a nail shop…
Read MoreIt is about time I gave you the skinny on sterilizing. I know, this isn’t exactly a sexy topic, but you know what else isn’t sexy? Having to get toe surgery because you got an infection from tools being used by a nail shop that doesn’t properly sanitize! In my humble opinion, losing a toenail is a whole lot less sexy than taking the time to make sure that the place you get your nails done is following the proper steps.
Read MoreTake a second to day dream… picture the day before your wedding. You have a big rehearsal dinner scheduled in the evening followed by a night of lounging with your favorite ladies before the big “I do.” You and your partner have guests visiting from out of town, so you’ve gotten two suites at your favorite local hotel. The boys are doing whatever boys do the day before The Big Day, and you and your bridal party -- plus your mom, grandmother, favorite aunt, etc. -- have ordered room service for lunch AND you’re all getting pampered by the Charme Studio team: manicures and pedicures galore. Some are lounging on the sofa, while others are sitting at a desk, but each of your girls has chosen her desired location to receive the perfect fingernails and toes before the night’s festivities begin. Sounds like the most relaxing way to begin a wedding weekend, does it not??
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Raise your hand if you’re SO sick of this weather?! Because… same. If you’re in Washington, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about (okay to be fair this isn’t just in Washington). It is cold, off and on rainy, even some snow… in February!!! I’m completely over it. But here’s the thing, your skin and nails are probably more over it than you.
If you’ve noticed you’re extra dry (especially on your hands and feet), today I’ll be sharing some easy tips to help you combat dryness and keep those hands and nails looking amazing even when the weather sucks! I’ll also be shamelessly plugging some of our amazing products we sell here at Charme Studio throughout this post… but hey, when you sell the best you have to share, right?
Read MoreHave you ever heard someone say, “I love gel polish because it lasts but it TOTALLY destroys my nails”? Maybe you’ve even been the person to say that. Listen, we get it. Nail techs aren’t taught in school how to properly use gel polish, and because of that… many of them simply don’t know the right or wrong way. Additionally, people are LAZY (yes, I said it) and even if the nail tech knows the correct way, she’s probably working in an assembly-line-type shop (you know, the ones I’ve described in previous posts) therefore she’s taking the easy way out and simultaneously damaging your nails! Yay! Just kidding. Gel polish has to be one of the most misunderstood products in the nail industry and today I’ll share the right way it should be applied, as well as debunk some other gel polish myths… like, did you know that Shellac is the same thing as gel polish?
Read MoreToday we are wrapping up this 3 part series on pricing in nail salons… hallelujah, am I right? (Not that I haven’t loved shedding light on terribly unsafe practices and employee mistreatment, but I’m just about ready for some “lighter” topics if you know what I mean!) In this post we will detail the overhead costs all nail salons experience, let you know why salons across the nation are seemingly going “un-checked”, and discuss what you can do to help.
Let’s get right to it. Remember that our salon is located in Tacoma, Washington where the minimum wage is $12/hour. In our last post we discussed that after a $15 pedicure (assuming it is an hour long), there’s only $3 left to cover taxes, overhead costs, and hopefully to make a profit. So what are those overhead costs that all nail salons have?
Read MoreDo you have a job where tips are a part of your compensation? Or perhaps someone close to you like your friend or your daughter very much counts on his or her tips as a part of their salary? What if every time you earned a tip for a job well done, your boss took the money and said it was to cover the “credit card fees”? How would that make you feel? How would that make you feel for your child? Perhaps like they’re being exploited? Would you have concerns that something illegal was happening? Maybe that their boss doesn’t have their best interest at heart? Remember these questions next time you’re getting a cheap manicure or pedicure, you know the types… almost too good to be true. I promise you, it IS too good to be true, and every single one of your concerns would be valid. Sadly, I guarantee this “practice” is happening in a salon near you, and that most people aren’t questioning the “deals.”
Read MoreYou know how people read something on the internet these days and almost automatically think it is true? If it looks like a news article it must be accurate right? I mean I’m sure YOU personally are not one of those people but we all know at least one of them. Anyone can put any information out there, and sadly if they’re convincing enough, someone might just believe them. Maybe it’s because we are such a fast paced society that we don’t stop to do our own research and therefore we end up getting duped by scammers? And because people know they can use the right buzz words that consumers want to hear, they do… even if they’re false.
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When you were little, did your mom ever take you to get your nails done? Or maybe she had her own nail appointment but said, “okay honey, you can get your nails painted too,” and the sheer excitement of having a PROFESSIONAL paint your nails was so enthralling that you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face for the entirety of the appointment and likely for the whole day? And then at school when someone mentioned your nails you got to tell them that a PROFESSIONAL had done them… maybe like it was nothing but inside you were totally beaming? Okay maybe your mom didn’t take you but you’ve taken yourself and seen a child be offered this very same opportunity and you likely smiled knowing how happy that kid was. So… that’s why I became the Nail Fairy at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, and every time I walk into a room to paint a child’s nails, I get to witness that level of excitement. I’m not even going to lie, it totally rocks!
Read MoreMy story starts like many others you may have heard. I was a driven young woman who worked her way into a managerial position by the age of 18 at a popular Tacoma nail salon. I worked long hours, had only one day off, and was severely underpaid… but I was a MANAGER! Wonderful!… right? Truth be told, the 60 hour weeks, having no life of my own, and making only $10/hour (no overtime) started to exhaust me. I was dreading work everyday, even painting nails was no longer fun. But then, 2 things happened: 1) Pinterest and the artistic nail craze came about (and I started enjoying that aspect again), and 2) I began building a clientele that relied on me as an expert on nail care, and I found I really wanted to help these people; if I could be a resource on having healthier and stronger nails, I wanted to be!
Read MoreWelcome to “The Horrors of Water Pedicures, Round 2!” Just kidding, today’s post will tell you what a WATERLESS PEDICURE is, and why we recommend it. If you missed our last post, check it out here. Make sure to create a link on the word “here” in the last sentence. There’s a number of reasons we do things differently here at Charme Studio, and last week’s post depicts all of that… we want to keep this one a little less scary, and a little more fun-loving :)
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