10 questions with Tina Michael, founder of one of East London’s favourite salons Shoreditch Nails

Having started out as a solo nail artist working one day a week, Tina Michael has grown her business Shoreditch Nails into one of East London’s most unique, welcoming spaces – where clients can enjoy high-quality nail treatments of all kinds, and shop from Tina’s own line of eco-friendly nail polish.

We caught up with Tina and she revealed why building a community is one of the most important things any salon owner can do to grow their business, and how Fresha helped her do exactly that for Shoreditch Nails.

Tell us about your journey as a nail salon owner.

My degree is in Fashion Journalism. While working for a small startup, I took a part-time course in manicures and pedicures so that I could start my own business.

I rented a small space in a Shoreditch hair salon where I focused on connecting with clients and offering flawless nail treatments. It took a lot of graft – at first I was working there one day a week, then two; and eventually I had enough regular clients to quit my job. After a few years, I decided to move to a venue of my own. 

How do you make sure your nail salon stands out?

We’re all about natural nails, colour and nail art. We use eco-friendly, locally-sourced products where possible. 

Plus, our unique interior design sets us apart. We designed our salons to be fun, welcoming spaces where clients can come with friends, or even work on their laptops while enjoying a drink. 

What do clients love most about Shoreditch Nails?

Our nail designs range across five levels, from minimal and chic to intricate and vibrant. Clients can have their nails reflect their fashion, mood or event they are going to. Seeing clients enjoying themselves and loving their treatments – that’s super rewarding.

What’s the secret to your success?

Connecting with clients and building a community. There are lots of local businesses in Shoreditch, so we got our name out there by reaching out to people in the neighbourhood with discounts and special offers. 

What’s been your biggest challenge so far as a nail salon owner?

Handling our fast growth! It’s a good problem to have, but it’s been a challenge to make sure we have a team that can support our growing client list. That's why we've created our Academy where we educate new nail technicians, train them to do high quality nail work and offer the best client care. Once they graduate, they have the opportunity to join our team. It’s helped us staff our salons with skilled technicians, while empowering creatives who are looking to change their career or learn something new. 

What led you to start using Fresha?

I knew clients would want to book online when I launched the business, and I chose Fresha as our booking platform for two main reasons. Firstly, it’s subscription-free, which really helped me to keep costs low when I was starting out. 

Secondly, it’s very easy to integrate with our website and social media – I knew potential clients would want to check out our nail work on Instagram before booking, so Fresha’s “Book Now” button on Instagram has been invaluable.
 

How easy was it to get started with Fresha?

Really easy and convenient, which was important for me. I had to set up our Fresha account while dealing with all the other tasks that come with launching a new business, and Fresha’s simplicity and ease-of-use meant I had one less thing to worry about. Within a week of launching the business and joining Fresha, appointments were popping up and we were fully booked.

How has Fresha helped you grow your business?

Fresha really helped get the ball rolling at our second studio in Dalston. Clients could see when they were booking that we had another location nearby, which meant they could choose the studio that was closer to them or had space for their appointment. 

Plus, when we launched our own eco-friendly nail polish line, Fresha’s product store and inventory management made the whole process smoother. 

What’s your all-time favourite Fresha feature?

The promotions tool is very important for us, especially the discount codes. 

One word of advice nail salon owners need to hear?

Attention to detail is a must! Connect with each of your clients and build a community that loves what you do. Having a healthy list of regular clients is so important for your income stream.

It’s a lot easier with a booking platform like Fresha. It helps you make it easy for your clients to book online with a Fresha marketplace profile and “Book Now” button on your social media pages. And having clients book online themselves means much less admin for your team.