We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bianca Vang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bianca, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I wasn’t always interested in doing nails. I was originally going to UW-Oshkosh, however, I wasn’t sure which major I wanted to go for. After three years of attending UW-Oshkosh, I ended up dropping out and doing nails became a hobby for me. I started off doing nails on myself and then branching off to doing my family and friends. I loved it so much that I began accepting clients and taking appointments in my bedroom. I learned how to do nails through social media platforms and watching how-to videos. It definitely took a while to learn, however, I was always engaged in learning something new when it came to nails.

Being able to see and hear that I can make my clients happy with just doing nails made me realize that I wanted to make doing nails my career. I always knew I wanted to be my own boss and start my own business, but I was always scared and nervous that I would fail in doing so. As my clientele began to increase, I realized that I needed a separate place to conduct business, other than my bedroom. This meant that I had to set up my own nail business. In order to get a business license as a nail technician, I had to be a licensed nail technician. I looked up schools near me where I can get my nail technician license. I decided to attend to Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in the fall of 2021. After completing 300 hours of the nail technician program at MATC, it was time to take the examinations for a nail technician license. There were two sections for the examinations, written and practical. The written exam was a series of multiple choice questions and the practical was demonstrating in front of proctors on a mannequin hand. Each day before the examinations, I spent a few hours studying and practicing on my mannequin hand to make sure I was not missing anything and making sure I completed every step necessary. I passed my examinations and became a licensed nail technician with the State of Wisconsin February 2022.

During my time at MATC, my instructor taught us several important things we needed to know as a nail technician. She helped me understand if working for myself or working for other people would be best for me. There were several pros and cons to both of these, but the one that stood out to me the most was being able to work for myself and opening my own business as a nail technician. She explained how to get started with my own business and also places where I can look to rent a studio to conduct business. Researching and speaking to other business owners helped me get a clear idea of how to start my nail business in Wisconsin. With my nail technician license and all the research I have done, I was able to start the process of starting my own nail business.

In order to do so, I had to look for a place where I could conduct my nail business. There are several places that offer salon suites to independent beauty professionals. In order to decide which salon suite was best for me, I called and toured several suites to check and see if there was one that was right for me. After touring, I signed a lease with Sola Salons located in the Third Ward of Milwaukee. From there on, I applied for my business, BV Nail Studio LLC, with the state of Wisconsin and received my licenses and certificates to conduct business. Now, I have an established business where I can be free to set my own hours and also free to do something I love as my career.

There were several times where I was scared this would not work out, but I did not give up and kept pulling through. I was always worried about money and if I had enough clients to start with, but with the encouragement from my family and friends, they were able to show me that I am capable of doing great things and stepping out of my comfort zone. This took a lot of time and research to achieve where I am today and I am glad I was able to pull through and become the person I am today.

Bianca, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Bianca Vang and I am a licensed nail technician in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was not always into doing nails. I was actually not into beauty at all during my middle and high school years, however, I love art and drawing. After attending and dropping out of UW Oshkosh, I got into doing my own nails. I love how adding a little something to your nails can make a big difference in your overall appearance. Not only does it add, but it is also soothing and pampering to get your nails done. I loved it so much that I began doing nails on my sisters and my friends which branched out to doing other people’s nails. This is when I decided to start my own business and have my own nail suite.

During the time of COVID, it was a hard time for beauty professionals as there were restrictions and salons had to close. I wanted to have a nail salon where clients could come and not have to worry about sitting close to another client or having others hear about their problems. Having a salon suite helps several of my clients feel safe and pampered as I am the only one who attends to them.

In my nail salon, I offer several nail services; gel manicures, structure gel manicures, acrylic nails, and gel extension tips. I also offer several different nail arts for my clients to beautify their nails. I offer a wide range of colors and a wide range of nail decals, glitters, and crystals they can choose from. My clients are always impressed with how many items I have in my nail collection that it’s hard for them to choose. I love being able to help my clients pick and choose what they need because I can also give my artist insights on what we can do to make their nails look the best they can be.

I love drawing so I apply that to my nail art. I try to draw more than using already made stickers on nails. I can draw cartoon characters and several other nail art designs. Drawing nail art on nails can be difficult, but I always practice on my mannequin hands and on nail tips so I can perfect the pictures.

In addition to being a nail technician business owner, I am also very active on my social media platforms. I create content such as nail art and opening nail packages. I try to make sure I am being active so my clients and maybe potential clients will know what they are getting if they book with me. I always make sure I am satisfying my clients needs and wants. I have several clients who come in and want a specific set they saw online. I always give them what they want and also add a little of my artist twist to them. I do not impress my clients all the time and when this happens, I ask for their opinions and try to do the best I can. If it still doesn’t come out to the way they want, I either offer them a discount or give them their money back. I do not impress everyone, but I am doing my best so my clients can have the best time when they get their nails done with me.

When I am doing nails, I take my time. Several nail technicians can do a full set in 30 minutes to an hour, however, I do not like to rush and take my time to make sure my client’s nails come out perfect and exactly the way they want. I’ve had many people complain about how much time it takes me to do nails, however, I prefer to have the best quality over the quantity of people I have. I usually take about 2 hours to 3 hours for a full set. There are several other places that can do it in shorter time, but I try to not compare how one person or one place does it to me. Everyone works at their own pace and I’m someone who takes their time.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Starting my business was an impulse I had after I got my nail technician license. I told myself that if I do not do it now, then I will never do it. I had always wanted to start my nail business, but I kept kicking it to the side and saying I would do it next year. That’s when I decided to start my business. I had a good amount of money I saved in the past few months which helped with the start of my business. During the first few months of starting my business, there was a grant called Main Street Bounceback Grant for $10,000 for small businesses. I applied and was one of the recipients of the grant. This grant made it possible for me to offer more nail services to my clients and also helped my business grow.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is being consistent on my social media platforms. I have an Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook page for my business. I always make sure to upload every set that I do. I also upload how-to videos for nail art and videos on how to do nails. I also do special offers for my clients once in a while. I also have friends and family who shares my posts and pages with other people so I can have more clients. Not only do I use social media, but I also make sure I carry my business cards around with me. I try to give out my business cards in hopes for potential clients. Being active on social media and also going out in public and introducing my brand to clients has helped me grow my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bvnailstudiollc.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bvnailstudiollc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BVNailStudio1/