A nail tech holds up a color wheel for her client to choose from, a nail tech business tip she learned in cosmetology school.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Pricing your services can be a challenge, but it is integral to your business–and knowing how to do that is one of the best nail tech business tips we can share. Considering factors like inflation, your costs, and your time can help you pinpoint the right prices for your beauty biz to thrive.


Pricing is rarely the highlight of a beauty pro’s job. You’d probably prefer to spend your time learning new techniques and exercising your creativity rather than dealing with numbers and math.

Trust us; we’re right there with you.

The process of pricing your services is a pain. The math isn’t fun, and there’s the lurking possibility that your customers will be unhappy with your prices (no matter what they are).

It has the potential to be unpleasant in just about every way—especially if your clients don’t have a solid grasp of how much goes into the services you’re offering.

At the end of the day, though, pricing is essential to your success as a nail tech.


Nail Tech Business Tips–Everything You Should Know About Pricing

Navigating pricing for your nail tech services can be overwhelming, and the pressure can feel immense. What if you price too much? Too little?

What if you scare clients away or don’t price correctly to attract your target audience?

Fear not, lovely nail technicians.

We understand how hard it can be to set up a pricing system that’s both fair to you and your client that also covers your costs, so we’re here to help.

When It Comes to Pricing, Facts Come First 

You’ve probably heard some iteration of the facts before feelings mantra—and while we know this isn’t true for everything in the world, this is true for how you should think about your rates.

It can be hard to underprice your services because of how it feels to charge more, but this is where the facts come first.

So, no matter how difficult it is to prioritize the facts at the expense of how you might feel, here are some key things you need to remember before you open the door to any pricing conversation:

  • You have to cover your costs

  • You have to make a living

  • Your time is valuable (like, really valuable)

  • You’re an expert in your field

There are tons of other facts to think about (and some involve more math–yuck), but if you’re looking for a few basic things to remember, those four are your go-to facts.

Nail Tech Business Tips for Pricing Your Services

Adjust for Inflation—Seriously

You need to cover your costs, and those costs continue to rise. Inflation is a normal occurrence in the world of finance, which means it needs to be factored into your pricing and any updates you make.

While it is a good idea to anticipate a small degree of inflation, it sometimes exceeds expectations, forcing you to make more aggressive pricing adjustments than you originally planned.

You don’t need to be an economic guru or commit yourself to watching the value of the dollar as it ebbs and flows each day, but you should dedicate some time and effort to keeping your pricing in line with rising costs.

When your costs go up, your prices need to go up, too. It might not *feel* that simple, but trust us, it is.

Pricing Isn’t Static

Just like inflation is constantly changing, your pricing needs to be fluid. This doesn’t mean that you need to update your prices every day (or even every month), but it does mean that the prices you set now are not permanent.

Contrary to what you might think, your prices aren’t static, and they should be dynamic. That means they’re going to change as the years go by to compensate for products getting more expensive, inflation rising, your experience growing, and more. 

A multitude of factors impact how your prices will change, so don’t set them and leave them alone forever. While updating your pricing can be intimidating–especially if you genuinely care about your clients and their feedback–it is absolutely necessary. You need to adjust as you go!

Great Service Demands Higher Pricing

It can be easy to fall into the trap of chasing the lowest possible prices, especially if it means being lower priced than your competition. However, this is not the best way to think about your pricing, and it probably won’t benefit your nail tech business the way you think it will.

Don't get us wrong, low prices can be good sometimes, but you're not in the biz to cut everyone else a break. Your expertise is valuable, and people should (and will) pay for it accordingly. Take a look at the services you offer, be realistic about the premium you can provide, and charge appropriately.

While there’s nothing wrong with being aware of what the competition is doing (especially if their level of service is comparable), you should not base your pricing on what they are charging. At the end of the day, your skills and the experience you provide are worth a certain amount, and you shouldn’t undersell them just because your competition is.

"When your costs go up, your prices need to go up, too. It might not feel that simple – but trust us, it is."

Value Your Time (Or No One Else Will) 

If you’re looking for nail tech business tips, we cannot stress this enough– include your time in your pricing structure.

As a creative artist working with people to deliver the product they want, your time is the most valuable asset you have. You have a finite amount of time in your day (and your career), and every service you provide takes a piece of that allotment that you could allocate to something else.

The more time-consuming a nail service is, the more valuable it is. While this is not the end-all-be-all of your pricing calculations, it should be included as a major factor when you determine how to value a particular service.

Your time is valuable, so don’t treat it any differently. Include it in your price calculations.

The Occasional Deal and Discount are Okay

Fun discounts, day-of-deals, and even participating in social media contests where those who rep your salon/spa get a nice discount on their service can be a great way to get clients in the door. 

That being said, make sure you don’t give your clients the wrong idea about your business. You don’t hand out discounts willy-nilly; instead, you carefully strategize and plan for your pricing discounts.

If you are constantly offering deals and discounts, you are undermining your pricing structure and essentially signaling to your clients that your regular prices are too high. That is not a message you want to send.

Use discounts intentionally to clear outdated stock, sell services that don’t take you a long time to complete, or stimulate demand for a new service you’re offering. When used strategically, discounts can be a powerful tool–just don’t overdo it!

Last-Minute Bookings Come at a Premium

Your pricing is your pricing, and you shouldn’t compromise on it. However, you should have built-in policies for special occasions and requests.

Last-minute bookings are a perfect example of a common scenario your pricing structure includes provisions for. Because your time is valuable and your schedule is undoubtedly packed, fitting clients in on a last-minute basis is a premium service that demands a higher price.

It can be tempting to squeeze clients in as a favor–especially if you’re close with them–but establishing boundaries and special pricing to accompany them protects your time, emphasizes the value you provide, and is an understandable (if not expected) caveat to your regular pricing.

Nail Tech Business Tips for Communicating Prices Effectively

Be Direct

Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll mostly return the favor.

By being direct and honest with your customers, you can inform them of your pricing and the reasoning behind it. While you don’t owe them an in-depth explanation or have to defend your decision, being upfront with your clients can work wonders for your relationship.

The last thing you want to do is blindside your customers with new rates. Catching them off-guard can lead to animosity and conflict, so be direct and preemptive when updating your prices. 

You should have your prices for your services listed, explain how your tiered pricing works, and have an in-depth pitch ready (just in case) to explain why you’ve chosen your unique pricing structure. Make your rates easy for clients to find—in your salon and on your website or socials–and be as transparent as possible about why something costs money. 

Don’t be afraid to talk to your clients about the real reasons you’re charging more or taking more time—they deserve to know why these processes cost more and require more effort. While some may still be upset, most will appreciate your candor and understand why your prices are the way they are.

Be direct, be transparent, and talk to your clients about your pricing. They’ll appreciate your honesty and openness, and it can help strengthen your relationship with them.

A nail tech holds her hand up to a backdrop, a nail tech business tip she learned for getting a gauge on the right color for skin tone.

Create an Elevator Pitch for Each Pricing Process

You should not feel the need to explain your pricing to death, but you should have a go-to pitch that lays out educational info for your customers.

Such a resource can prove to be extremely valuable. For example, if someone doesn’t vibe with your price, that’s fine—you can educate them on the bare-bones reasons that this service demands a certain price and let them make their own decision.

Include basic information in a quick pitch for each of your services. This gives an overview of why something is priced the way it is without attempting to justify it to people who won’t be happy either way. Some of the information you might include is that the service takes more time, more products are needed to perform the service, and the technical skills required for the service are niche and tricky.

This educational approach helps clients gain an understanding of your pricing structure and the reasoning you used to develop it. What you shouldn’t do is treat this as an excuse for your pricing—your pricing and your time don’t need excuses. Your pricing is your pricing for a good reason.

Sometimes, people just want a peek behind the curtain–they want to understand the reasoning behind why you price your services a particular way. It’s okay to explain this to them without treating it like an apology, and having a go-to pitch you refer to every time simplifies the process.

Establish Policies & Stick to Them

Creating your prices is a challenge, and sticking to them can be, too. However, if you don’t take your policies and pricing seriously, no one else will, either.

The first step in ensuring that these nail tech business tips stick is to make your prices and policies easily accessible to everyone. Put them on your websites, your social media profiles, in your salon, and anywhere else people might obtain information about your business.

When your prices and policies are readily available, it is much easier to dive into money talk with your clients. After all, they will be familiar with them ahead of time, so there’s no element of surprise when they visit your shop or get ready to make a payment. 

Of course, publicly posting these prices and policies is only half the battle–you also have to stick to them firmly. If you are inconsistent with your pricing and policies, they become guidelines or suggestions rather than rules and reality. That’s not a path you want to go down as a business, and it can undermine not only your authority but also your ability to thrive as a beauty pro.

Cut Clients Loose Who Don’t Vibe with Your Expertise

One of the greatest anxieties nail techs face when setting their prices is the potential reaction and pushback from their clients. We get it–your clients are the lifeblood of your business, and many of them are probably your friends.

If you know your prices are fair and represent the actual value of your services, expertise, and experience, you should have nothing to worry about. All you can do is educate your clients, explain your process, and stick to the prices that you know are fair. At the end of the day, some clients just won’t get it, and they might want to fight you on your prices.

Does this mean that you’re in the wrong? Nope. You know better than anyone what your services are worth, and you should charge what you deserve. Sometimes, a client just isn’t a good fit, and it’s okay to let them go.

This can be a difficult skill to learn, and it may hurt when you lose a client you truly care about. However, the clients worth keeping understand the value you offer and respect the pricing structures you create. Your time (and mental health) is worth more than arguing over price with a client who probably won’t stay anyway.

Is Your Price Right? Our Nail Tech Business Tips

Setting your prices is one of the most important things you can do for your beauty biz. As you work through the process of creating pricing structures, it’s natural to second guess yourself and wonder if the price is right.

To boost your confidence and help ensure you’ve knocked your pricing out of the park (we’re sure you did), feel free to consult the list below.

  • Check your math. This step can be frustrating, especially for creative types who don’t enjoy numbers (ask us how we know). Your calculations should include the cost of the products and materials you’re using, the value of your time, and the profit margin you need to justify the service you are providing.

  • Remain flexible, especially initially. If you start dropping clients left and right, you may need to adjust your pricing. Don’t be too impatient or aggressive, though. You still need to fairly value the work you do.

  • Consider the specialization you offer. If some of your services are niche or require specialized skills, techniques, and equipment, they need to reflect those factors.

  • Don’t forget inflation. You should adjust your pricing regularly according to inflation rates to ensure you are still getting the return you need.

  • Prioritize facts over feelings. It’s easy to let your relationships with clients or guilt over price increases deter you from what you know needs to be done. Don’t let your feelings get in the way of your success.


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An image is shown of the EBS copywriter Hanna Marcus from Boundless Copy.
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Meet Hanna Marcus, the Founder and Head Copy Gal behind Boundless Copy, a one-of-a-kind copywriting agency that specializes in big, bold brand voice and industry-disrupting copy that’s all about resonating with the right audience. 

Hanna has proudly teamed up with Elite Beauty Society for several years as their go-to copywriter on all things beauty, small biz marketing, and brand voice development. She’s big on feeling-first writing–her personal soapbox is that the best copy starts with telling a story. 

When she’s not writing cheeky, converting copy for clients, she’s mentoring other aspiring copywriters and creating digital copywriting resources designed for service pros and focused on taking the stress out of DIY copywriting.