From pricing your manicure services correctly to upselling treatment add-ons to clients, mobile nail tech Metta Francis reveals how to charge what you’re worth as a freelancer – and get it

The holy grail for any mobile nail business is knowing how to make more money while working less, and tech Metta Francis has the answer. After establishing her mobile nail business Nails by Mets in London almost 10 years ago, she’s been able to steadily grow the business and improve profits year after year, despite working fewer hours than other techs.

Francis reveals how you can adapt your mobile nail business so that it runs more successfully than ever before, increasing your profits, client base and work-life balance.

5 ways to work smarter and earn more as a mobile nail tech:

1. Make sure to charge what you’re worth – and then some

“So many nail techs are charging too little for their work and usually spend a full day on the road visiting clients back to back. Not only can this be stressful and physically taxing, but once you work out the costs versus the revenue received, many end up earning very little profit,” says Francis.

“Therefore, make sure you know exactly how much your treatments cost – factoring in products, petrol, disposables, and travel time – and then factor in your wage. Also, analyse your service radius and make sure that you’re focusing on working within a certain area. You then charge extra for clients who live outside that radius to ensure you don’t spend too many hours on the road travelling. It really is about charging smarter, upselling your services and visiting a handful of clients a day instead of many.”

She adds: “For example, you might charge £20 for your mobile service, meaning you need to see five clients per day to make £100, whereas if you charged £50 per service you would only need to visit two customers.”

2. Offer the best products and services

“Are you worried about how to justify your prices to clients? My advice is to offer them professional-only brands as it will make your service feel VIP. By stocking brands not readily available to members of the public to purchase, your services feel more professional and exclusive,” advises Francis.

“While it’s important to dress comfortably when working, make sure you still look the part with a uniform and clear branding as it’s small things like this that will set you apart from the competition. It also gives your clients reassurance that you are the expert and it will help to justify your prices compared to someone rocking up in a pair of jeans and trainers.”

3. Focus on upskilling regularly

“To ensure you’re providing clients with a five-star service every time, you have to invest in further education. There’s always room for improvement, and by learning a new treatment or skill, such as enhancements or nail art, you can add it to your menu to upsell, improving your efficiency. This ties in to my mantra of faster work = more profit,” explains Francis.

“Take the time to look into refining your techniques too so you become a specialist and can justify more premium pricing. Research courses and follow key industry techs such as Marian Newman for inspiration. When looking into reputable training schools and educators, take particular note of their portfolio of work and the after-training support available.”

4. Provide the option for clients to pay by credit or debit card

“If you don’t offer a card payment option then you should. If you’re a cash-only business then you’re limiting your ability to upsell additional treatments and retail products. We’re moving towards a cashless society and our businesses should be evolving to support this,” explains Francis.

“Clients are also more inclined to spend more when paying with a credit card, knowing they can pay it off at a later date. Card transaction fees are minimal and usually more than justified by the increase in spend.

“You can also take booking fees with credit or debit card over the phone or online to confirm bookings and this helps to prevent last-minute cancellations or no-shows. Don’t forget to have clear booking fees, terms and conditions and cancellation policies on your website and social media pages.”

5. Don’t forget about retailing

“Another effective way to increase your revenue is to sell products to clients, which may not always feel natural to do as a mobile nail tech. Provide your client with thorough aftercare information and make recommendations for products throughout the service they’re having,” says Francis.

“For example, if you notice your client’s nails are particularly weak and brittle, recommend a suitable strengthening product and let them know that you have it available to purchase. Your client will appreciate your expert knowledge and the convenience of being able to buy direct from you.

“It’s also a good idea to suggest products they can use daily to maintain their nails at home in between appointments, such as hand creams and cuticle balms and oils.”

Metta Francis is founder of London-based mobile nail business Nail by Mets. Check out her work on Instagram @nailbymets