Well Karen as usual you kick butt!!!!!!!!! Been thinking about this thread and thought I would add my 2 cents worth for newbies. Yes raise your prices, but not because we say so.  You have to understand your market.  As many have said, know your target area and work with it.   Point being.  Yes we are on the line of recession, in the papers all the time, but does the recession affect YOUR market? Just because the good ole USA is, does not mean your area.  Are there jobs in your area, people are not getting laid off in your area, booming town.  Then why would you worry about a recession in your town.  Hell with the rest of the world.  Go for it. My town is in a recession, but not because of national figures, but other reasons.  Does not matter what the Feds do, so my market sucks right now.  Even if the good ole USA was doing great, my town would still be  in a recession.   Your town in a recession?  Well don't give up, market to those that have guaranteed jobs.  Who?  Nurses, teachers, and the court system, in a recession, crime goes up!!!!!! Attorneys, court personnel, police, sheriff, child support courts, We had three more restaurants close last week, nice restaurants, upper class.  The president of the National Restaurant Association said that they expect an increase in rest. biz, but lower than previous years.  People will always need/want to eat out, but there choices are different.  Fast Food, and lower price per meals are UP.  People are being more cautious with their money, but not stopping the trips to the restaurants. So this can relate to our biz, in slower markets, women will still get the nails done, but maybe decide not to go to the more expensive places.  You need to market these people.  If that means you run some MAJOR promotions, then do it.  Your goal is to get people at your table.  Grab them and keep them. I am sorry, but some will say do not run specials, do not have promotions, they will not stay.  I DISAGREE.  If you are on the line of leaving the biz or not, run some promotions.  Get some money in the door.  Once you are built up, getting your name out there, they will NOT remember a year from now that you had a promotion, (well maybe some LOLOL).  My point being do what ever you have to to get people at your table.  Bottom line, you love this biz, stick with it.  MARKET TO YOUR AREA.   I am going to replace these missing spots one way or the other.  PERIOD.  Yep, I have a recession in our town, but not at my table!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOL diana from indiana

Wow, I second that one!!  Fantastic post and what timing...Its amazing how there's always something on the board to help keep a girl going.   I lost my booth rental a couple of months ago, the owner sold the building to developers...as I understand it, they are going to put up a couple of new hotels and lots of condos in a six block footprint.  I took a small hit on that one, I had barely gotten things up and running and booom!  Uh, HELLO, that part was not in my business plan.   When I think about it, it could have been so much worse, I feel really bad for the salon owner.  She put a lot into the space (she got it raw) and was only there two years...thought she had 3 more on her lease.  When she tried to fight the notice to vacate the landlord calmly referred her to page 27 of her lease, that they were not responsible if area development took place.  AND the landlord doesn't want to give her back her $9,000 deposit!!  She needs it start over, so now she has to pay an attorney to fight this guy because she'll need it to put down on a new place...OUCH!!  My loss may be big to me, but its small potatoes compared to hers. My thing is, she didn't do any damage to the premises and they are going to tear down all the buildings anyway...why does he want to keep her money.  He probably just got paid BIG TIME for his property...give the woman back her deposit!!  That's just plain greed!  I mean, am I in la-la land or something...who does this to people!  Ugh!   Anyway, now I'm ranting.  Just wanted to say thanks for the post Karen - you are sooo right.  If I'm so deep in my funk and frustration that a client has to ask me if everything is okay...then there's definitely something wrong with that picture!  I'm fixing my attitude right freaking NOW!! Ciao! Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:04:24 -0800From: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : NailTech:: Re: A few thoughts on the Biz...To: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it AMEN, SISTER!!!!!!  You say it so well that I'm keeping this post forever! I'm doing great right now, but sometimes I get the poor me's and need to read something like this post. I could not agree more about this industry being recession proof. I started in the biz January of 1986. Who remembers what the economy was doing then? Interest rates were at an all time high, unemployment was very high too. I was booked solid within 3 months of my starting work. I was out of debt and even started a savings account with that sweet 8% interest. I worked as an employee for 1 year then moved to booth rent. I did all this during a big recession! We are bullet proof! Yea us! How did I do it? By doing what you said and working at a salon with a lot of walk in business.  KatherineSt.Louis, MO - Ukryj cytowany tekst -- Poka? cytowany tekst -

wish I had used the baggie trick!? Duh!? I set the pieces into wet acrylic and then immediately put an overlay of clear over them. Pam - Ukryj cytowany tekst -- Poka? cytowany tekst -