Katie Barnes, PB’s Nail Professional of the Year 2018 and owner of Katie Barnes Training Academy, reveals how you can successfully open an independent training facility

Katie Barnes

Career Path

1. Teaching should be your passion

“In 2013, after studying for my teaching qualification, I opened Katie Barnes Training Academy in Warwick, offering a range of independent nail and beauty therapy courses. I see on average 72 students per month for the nails training, while my two beauty tutors run the beauty therapy courses. Last year, I closed my other business, nail salon Simply Nails and Beauty, to focus my efforts solely on the academy because of its growing popularity.”

2. There are many avenues you can take

“There are a few ways you can become an educator. You can write your own courses and get them accredited or become a training partner for a brand. Being affiliated with a brand means you get support from a leading name and all the course material written for you. The negative is that you’re tied to them, teaching their way and using their products.

“Being an independent teacher gives you the flexibility to teach the way you want, and because you’re not trying to sell anything, students are more likely to believe you when you say, ‘this product is amazing’. For those who want to be independent but don’t feel confident writing their own manuals, you can purchase written courses and just deliver the criteria.”

3. Writing the manuals is tough

“It’s easy to underestimate the work involved with creating the courses. The manuals take months to write because of the research needed and everything must be accurate, as the industry is changing all the time, from legislation and techniques to products. When starting out, I wrote the most popular nail course manuals first – manicure, pedicure and beginner gel – and then added others, such as nail art and acrylic, as I went along.

“Getting your courses approved by accreditors also takes time and money. Mine were approved by Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT) insurance and took roughly six weeks.”

4. Get your pricing right

“You need to make sure you’re charging what you’re worth. I base my pricing on my hourly rate, printing costs for the manuals and literature, advertising and so on. My beginner courses are more expensive as they require more days of practical learning, while the advanced and refresher courses are shorter so tend to be cheaper.

“When you start off, you need to spend time getting your academy’s name out there – posting into online nail groups and doing sponsored social media posts. I’m lucky that I’ve won competitions and awards, which have given me credibility in the industry, so people want to train with me.”

5. You need to be firm but fair

“Sometimes you’ll get a difficult student but for the most part you won’t because people are paying to learn. I’ve only had two students who didn’t pass and it was because they hadn’t done their homework, but I won’t send someone into the industry unless they’ve worked hard and it’s safe to do so. Some people assume they’re paying for a certificate, but you need to explain to them that they are paying to learn a skill – a pass isn’t guaranteed.”