Empathy, Pricing and Nails

There's room for ALL of us at the TOP..

and that's where YOU'RE headed..

Hey Friend,

Just me again popping in to shake things up again!! One of the things that is so important to me is YOUR success! You have been a huge part in my success and I feel it is the least I can do to be here to support you just as much!

Today or the month of February I would like to focus on EXCUSES, PRICING.. and WORTH! 3 very large and broad topics that truly all 3 deserve a month of their own!

So here's the blunt truth.. YOU can make up a zillion excuses as to WHY you can't do the inevitable but the bottom line is an excuse is just a way for you to justify your empathy towards your clients! 

So let's chat some of the misconceptions and I may not get this all out in proper terms or format but I speak to you as a friend and as a peer. 

Have you ever considered that what may be causing you anxiety about raising your prices and charging your worth and what you want to be paid is because you are literally holding hands with your client for 1+ hours every time they sit in your chair? You've shared personal life, trauma, good times, and you've most likely became pretty connected. It's both a blessing and a curse. I am here to tell you that as connected as you are with your clients.. THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE YOUR INCOME. You are always going to be connected at some level to your clients. I don't mean to come across harsh but this is one of those pivotal moments in your career where you have to set boundaries, business and feelings aside.

If your clients can NO LONGER afford to come, that is NOT YOUR FAULT. It is not your responsibility to decide what they can and can not budget for. Nails are a luxury. A common "excuse" or "justification" that seems to quickly be thrown out is that you have clients on a fixed income. My thought for you to ponder is.. WHO will provide you with a "fixed" income when the time comes? Your pricing is not determined by someone's income or lack of income, or lack of budgeting.

Another quick to be thrown response is.. I live in a small town. My thought for you to ponder is... In a larger town there are more options? It is NOT a location problem at all, it is YOUR empathy or feelings standing in the way. A location is just that. It doesn't define you, your skills or your investment. It shouldn't determine your price. Another quick to be thrown excuse is... I am comparable with other salons around me. My thought for you to ponder is... who really cares about what others charge? Do they pay your bills? Do they pay your vacation and sick pay? Do they have invested what you have? You see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear but at the end of the day... are they charging what they are worth and they feel they are worth or did they just do the same as you and they are afraid to raise their price too?? You don't really know so how can you charge comparable to them?

The analytical part of my brain makes me really wonder why this thought process has occurred for so long because it makes NO logical sense to me other than people being afraid to do what is right for themselves. You can quickly see how your mindset will quickly justify every decision you make regarding your business and I strongly believe it is connected and rooted in the fact that we are so connected by physical touch to our clientele. 

So what do we do about this?

I think it is time to start really looking into your business. Tracking expenses, and income. Get a good look at what you are really making and then start to look at what you should be making. A service price isn't a number that should be pulled from a hat. You should make an educated price list, and not be afraid to say.. ya know that's still a little less than I am comfortable making and raise it a little higher if you need. Taxes, expenses, retirement, savings, sick and vacation pay all NEED and should be being accounted for. Which leads me into the topic of tips. Your price alone should be high enough that a "tip" is just that.. something that they give as above and beyond what you want to be paid for the service. Not all will tip and if your price is set at a place you feel comfortable at, a tip is taken as a token of appreciation and not an expectation. In other words, a tip is not justification to make what you want to be making for a service. 

Lastly, 

I want to talk about your worth. When you charge what you know is meeting all of your needs, and you are in a profiting business, your worth no longer feels threatened. You are educated, using professional products and this after all is your source of income. It shouldn't come as a negativity but allow yourself to be successful. Allow yourself to grow and do well in life. Allow yourself the vacations and the time off and the much needed breaks, and make enough that you don't have to kill yourself working 12 hour days in the process! 

PS- don't forget to raise your prices at least yearly and give yourself a raise when your expenses go up! It's not being rude or greedy.. it's called making an income and you shouldn't ever feel bad about it! 

XOXO,

Much love and wishing you so  much success!

-Tiffani Cordoza