We were lucky to catch up with Evgeniya Ignatushchenko recently and have shared our conversation below.
Evgeniya, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My name is Evgeniya and I am the founder of the only on demand nail service in Miami – Nail Patrol. It was originally designed for the modern woman who is always on-the-go, whether it is business, family or a spontaneous adventure. We believe in empowering women by helping them feel beautiful and confident through our services booked at the last minute notice. Our clients can obtain the services they need, anywhere and any time. On the other hand, we believe we are only as strong as our team and we pride ourselves in empowering our group of beauty professionals. Our business model was designed with the goal of providing a flexible schedule they can arrange themselves, marketing & promotion as well as training and education on the latest techniques.
During the trying times due to Covid in 2020-22 and health hazards, we were able to provide the community with some much-needed distraction. Our clients always expressed their relief and experienced some sort of normalcy throughout these years. Our bond with our clients and community is stronger as we have solidified our position as a trustworthy at home service that will meet customers’ needs at a moment’s notice.
Evgeniya, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
According to 12 archetypes in branding – I am an explorer. I have a deep passion for traveling, engaging in active sports, and avoiding boring routines. My journey began back in 2015 when I worked at Exhale Spa. There was a moment when a client with a newborn baby requested an at-home nail service. Multiple word-of-mouth referrals followed, revealing to me the opportunity to combine my love for manicures with my desire for exploration, even if it was travelling just within Miami.
My path to growth was not without challenges. While I rapidly expanded, the task of building a strong team appeared to be not that simple. Finding nail professionals who would share my values and mission was definitely a process. My expertise lay in nail knowledge and organization process, not the intricacies of business management. However, I pursued learning and educating myself, taking numerous classes to confront the obstacles I faced.
The year 2020 brought us lots of challenges, the pandemic forced us to adapt fast. We had to urgently expand our staff in order to meet growing client demand, we were not ready for this and had to adapt fast. We remained steady in prioritizing safety through meticulous sanitation protocols.
The same year, we experienced a shortage of essential supplies, specifically premium quality disposable nail products. Committed to delivering both safety and efficacy, it took me six months to develop a line of disposable manicure and pedicure kits. These kits now serve not only our business but also fellow salons and freelance nail artists, available for purchase on multiple online marketplaces.
We experienced the quiet times in summers of 2022 and 2023 when things slow down in Miami. But during this time, we made the most of it. Our team took much-needed breaks and learned about new trends and techniques. We also worked on restructuring our inside processes for a smoother operations and more news we’ll share in September 2023.
We also just marked Nail Patrol’s 8th birthday in July 2023, and I really appreciate my awesome managers and teammates. Our story shows how we love to explore and learn new things and how we’re dedicated to providing the best nail care.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Let me share the story of Nail Patrol Pro Tools. The idea came to life in March 2020 when the pandemic hit and many traditional nail salons had to close. We found ourselves in high demand, but the disposable nail supplies we usually ordered were sold out everywhere. All that was left were very rough nail files, big nail buffers that were wasteful for single use, and very abrasive pumice pads. That’s when my husband introduced me to Alibaba, a platform to connect with product vendors.
For about 6 months, we went back and forth with potential sellers, testing samples, discussing requirements, and going through some stressful decisions. I also worked with a designer for the labels, which went through many revisions to get them just right. Finally, in November 2020, we launched the products. However, I was so busy meeting the demand for at-home services that I didn’t focus much on marketing the products initially.
We’re still working on upcoming educational classes and partnerships with beauty supply stores. One of the other reasons I wanted to create my own product line was because of my unique manicure technique that doesn’t need water, cuticle softeners, or e-files. I developed a special cuticle prep tab based on sandy paper, and similar to other products carried only by two other brands in the American market, but not as effective. One was too harsh, and the other was too soft. So, I created my own versions with different grits to make the cuticle work safer and more efficient. These are available as trial kits with a plastic pusher or as replacement sets.
Of course, creating the perfect product had its challenges. First, I had to be very clear about how I wanted the product to be, not just following what manufacturers suggested. This way, I could ensure it was unique and not just like everything else out there. Suppliers often want you to make something similar to what’s already popular in the US, but that’s not always the best option. The problem is that many nail supply buyers don’t know any better and keep buying aggressive nail files.
Second, negotiating the price and minimum order quantity (MOQ) was a struggle. It’s easy to get taken advantage of, so I had to check with different suppliers for pricing, quality, and MOQ to find the best deal.
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
Nail Patrol On Demand Service is like my first baby, my initial creation. Nail Patrol Pro Tools is an supplementary revenue stream, but I’ve talked about it earlier. Another project that I’ve been working on for the past two years is an online platform dedicated to educating nail technicians. This platform will be providing guidance for nail technicians, both newbies and veterans, with an extra focus for offering services in a mobile setting, and it will also include training about the tools we offer for sale. While the manicure and pedicure kits are relatively easy to use, the cuticle prep tabs require additional knowledge due to the involvement of other tools we provide.
Simultaneously, I’m also working on organizing in-person group classes for beauty supply stores. These are stores where we’ve formed partnerships to sell our products. This new program is set to launch in September-October of 2023. I’m particularly excited about this initiative because it will serve as a valuable resource for onboarding and training the new hires for Nail Patrol team.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nailpatrol.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailpatrolmiami/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nailpatrol/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nailpatrol/