We were lucky to catch up with SHANTE STEWART recently and have shared our conversation below.
SHANTE, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I believe the definition of success looks different from person to person. My definition of being successful is that I succeed in achieving the goals I set for myself, my family and my business. Goals are very important to me. I am more driven when I set goals. I have big goals and I have small goals. My small goals are steps that help bridge the gap between where I currently am and where I want to be or go.
In being successful I think it ismportant to be realistic in one’s approach to success, while also being willing to do what it takes to get there. Being successful requires getting out of one’s comfort zone while remaining positive and open to the new experiences. It is also important to be able to adapt to change,. In todays society in general things are constantly changing. In business it is especially important to adapt to change. The ability to quickly restrategize and problem solve when things are not working according to plan is essential. I would also say that to be successful it sometimes requires not moving the same way everyone else moves. Having some individualism in this day and age does payoff better than following the crowd. Lastly but definitely not least to be successful one needs not entertain, argue with, or even address haters, doubters, debbie downer”s, negative nancy’s (whatever they are called these days lol). Spend more time entertaining, vibing, and accepting love from those that support and show love. Those are the ones that count the most.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
I am Shante Stewart a licensed nail technician and owner of a home based nail salon Nellie Bean Nail Studio in Douglasville, GA. I have been in the nail industry for 4 years. My entry into the industry began in July 2017 after having a botched nail job that left my nails in bad shape. While trying to nurse my nail back to health I came across a few youtube nail tutorials and saw the artistic side of the industry that I had never seen before and I fell in love with the possibilities that nail art could be. I decided to go to nail school (Elaine Sterling Institute) in June 2018 , got icensed in January 2019 and the rest history. Nellie Bean Nail Studio is a full service nail salon that provides one on one nailcare services. I offically opened Nellie Bean Nail Studio in Feburary 2019. It was a slow but steady start in the beginning year, then the pandemic happened. I thought my business was sure to fail, but my business thrived and survived. Women still wanted to get their nails done but were uneased about going into the nail salons that were opened. They didnt want to be around other people with Covid 19 going around. The pandemic sent them to google where they found my one on one home base setup. From what I have been told it was exactly what they wanted and actually preferred. Since 2020 the word of Nellie Bean Nail Studio spread. I am so thankful for all the love and support that I have received over the pays few years. The women that I have met along this journey have been amazing! I love my job and I love being a nail technician!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy that I used for growing my clientele was placing my business on major search platforms such as Google and Yelp. It surprised me to notice at that time that there werent many nail technicians that one could find on these search engines in my area. Most were promoted their services on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. After understanding who my target market audience was I decide to promote my business on the popular search engine platforms that my target market audience use. In doing so it increased my visibility, clients that find me on these search engines leave reviews of their experiences which also boosts my visibility. I also attached both my website and my booking page links to my profiles on both search engines. So that prospective clients can see my work and see even more reviews on my booking page where I have over 100 5 star reviews where as I have fewer reviews … still 5 star though.
I also had to be strategic in my approach to being home based and only see clients by appointments, I only disclose my street name publicly on the search engines to prevent interested clients from trying to come to my salon/home without appointments and unannounced. I also figured out a way to make new client that booked feel welcomed and aware of my setup so that they are not caught off guard or feel unsafe. I implemented this by reaching out to a new client before confirming their appoinment.
When I receive an appointment requests from new clients I send them an introductory text. Introducing myself and giving them the runn down of my salon setup. If they are comfortable with my setup (in most cases they are) I inform them that I will reconfirm their appointment and disclose my exact location 24 hours before their appointment. I find when sending out this communication to new clients they are appreciative and receptive. This strategy makes my clients feel more comfortable and gives me a piece of mind also. I explain to clients that it is a trust thing on both sides.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Having access to capital is very important when starting and maintaining a business. My initial capital that I used to help fund my business came from a couple of sources: my 401k( from my last place of employment), and personal credit (which I highly do not recommend), but most of the capital was built once I had a rotation of clients.
Being a nail technician there are a lot of products that are needed. Polishes, primers, files, buffers, e-file, drills bits the list goes on and on. I had to slowly build my shop inventory by creating a weekly budget. Over time my inventory grew and I now have a surplus of supplies. I now do supply shopping every 3 months. I replace my metal implements every 4 to 6 months.
The amounts that I had access to in the beginning wasnt a whole lot I learned how to manage and prioritize my business expenses. I got what I could with what I had. If I could only afford 3 polishes out of the 8 that I wanted I only bought 3. I now have over 200 polishes in both gel and regular polish.
Now that payment plan companies such as Afterpay, Affirm, and Klarna exist now I utilize those when I dont want to use my liquid assets (on hand cash) for purchases.
I have learned so much about finances in running my nail salon. I have established and am currently building business credit and drastically improved my personal credit. I have an understanding of how leveraging credit works, also while using credit responsibily.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nelliebeannailstud.wixsite.com/nails
- Instagram: @nelliebeannailstudiotm
- Facebook: Nellie Bean Nail Studio
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nelliebeannailstudio
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nellie-bean-nail-studio-douglasville-2?osq=Nail+Salons
- Other: Booksy :https://booksy.com/en-us/76597_nellie-bean-nail-studiotm_nail-salon_16323_douglasville