16 Tips on How to Start Making Press on Nails to Sell

If you are good at making amazing nail art and you are looking to earn some extra cash on the side. Then making and selling Press on Nails can be a great option for you.

So in this article I am gonna share with you some easy tips that would help you to get started and most importantly succeed at making Press On Nails as a profitable business.

Tips on How to Sell Press on Nails

1- Do your Research & Make a Plan

If you want to succeed in your Press on Nail venture or for that matter sake any business venture you need to treat it like a real business venture and not just a hobby.

So the first step that you need to do is to do intense research on the industry and then make a plan or at least just an outline of your business.

You can start your research by:

1- Studying the major sellers – Try to identify what is working for them and try to learn and gain insight from them. Pay close attention to their prices, packaging, images and how they gain customers.

Look through their reviews and see what are their strengths and weaknesses.

2- Research the various platforms that you can sell on – do you want to sell on Etsy, Amazon, Ebay or do you want to make your own eCommerce website like using Shopify or WordPress.

3- Try to understand how and where you would source the materials and equipment you would need to use and try to gauge what the cost of the material would be like, also ensure you include what the shipping expense for the materials and equipment.

4- Breaking down your logistics – like how you would deliver your press on nails and how you would receive payments from your clients.

Once you have finished your research you need to make a detailed plan.

Your plan should outline:

Your marketing strategy – How do you intend to get customers.
What Platform are you gonna use – are you gonna have a eCommerce website like Shopify or are you gonna sell on Etsy.
A break down of the cost of production – Whats the cost to make a set of press on nails, which must include your material cost and your labor cost.
A list of all the equipment that you are gonna need along with the cost for each item.
Your pricing model – your price should be able to cover your production cost, your marketing and other expenses and leave a healthy profit margin for yourself.

Tips on How to Market Your Press On Nails

2- Invest in Ads

Using online Ads is a great way to quickly get customers especially if you don’t have an existing customer base to tap into or a huge social media following.

The amazing thing about using Ads is that they allow you to target specific individuals and then send them to your online store whether you have an Etsy store, Amazon store, Shopify site, etc.

Example you can target women who like heavy metal and goth on Facebook and show to them press on nails that have a dark theme.

Online marketing especially paid advertising can seem complex and intimidating. But don’t worry they are countless tutorials and guides on the internet and on YouTube that will easily guide through the various platforms where you can buy ads from.

I recommend especially for selling press on nails that you use: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Pinterest Ads and Google Search Ads. These platforms allow you to target specific individuals and keywords.

3- Build up your Social Media Presence

The main drawback with using Ads is that its expensive. And that’s why its important that you always try to build up a large and strong following on social media especially on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

By having a large social media presence allows you to market your press on nails to an audience that is already interested in your products for free.

Now the best way to build up your social media presence is to be active on these platforms by being a part of various groups and sharing useful tips, guides and your designs.

Additionally you can also use Ads as a way to quickly gain followers.

4- Go After Specific Niches or Themes

Targeting specific under served niches or themes is a great way to stand out from the crowd which helps to generate sales and in the long run build up your social media following.

Also by serving targeting specific niches allows you to charge more since you might the only one in the industry providing for the niche.

To identify a good niche just study the variety of press on nails available and try to spot areas that are lacking.

Example: Lets say that from your research you can tell that a group of women wearing goth nail art, but their isn’t much goth themed press on nails. So from this you can tell that it would be a great niche to fit into.

5- Develop a Brand

Building a brand is important, it helps to differentiate your Press on Nails from other brands which can help to increase return customers.

You see if your press on nails are easy to apply, fit snugly, durable and most importantly look good you are almost guaranteed to get a return customer.

But to gain that return customer you need to focus on branding. So your clients wont have just bought a press on nails instead they bought your specific brand of Press On Nails.

You can improve your branding by:

Giving your business a name and actively use it – you can even use your own name like if your name is Jenny – you business could be JenNails.
Having a logo – you can get someone to design one or you can DIY it online, I usually use Canva.
Using your logo and name on your products and on your social media – Don’t just have a name and logo you need to actively use it.

6- Target Influencers

Influencers are individuals who have a lot of fans or a large following on social media. And a great way to get customers is to simply reach out to these influencers and offer freebies in exchange for a review or a shout out.

7- Highlight the Value Proposition of your Press On Nails

When marketing you need to emphasize the unique selling points of your Press on Nails. Highlight that they each one is handmade, custom designed and made in the USA.

This differentiates you from the cheaper store-bought Press on Nails and justifies your higher price.

8- Get your Packaging Right

Having good professional packaging is vital. It gives your Press on Nails a premium and luxury feel and helps to justify a premium price.

They key with having good packaging is to keep it simple – a small jewelry box with your logo pasted on would suffice.

Also ensure that you use double sided tape to hold your Press on Nails in place whilst shipping.

Tips to Keep Your Cost Low

9- Start Small

The easiest way to keep your cost down at the beginning is to start off small. Meaning that you don’t invest in too many expensive equipment or buy stocks and products in large quantities.

This allows you to have a feel of the market and gauge what the potential demand is like. By not investing a large amount of cash upfront also reduces your risk in case the business doesn’t succeed.

Now the key area at the beginning that you need to focus most of your cash and resources towards is the marketing. Spend your money on ads and on getting your brand and products out there.

Avoid spending on pricey equipment and products they won’t get you customers once your press on nails are selling and your business looks viable you can invest in better equipment

10- Source from Low Cost Suppliers

Avoid buying from expensive suppliers who cater for retailers instead do your research and identify low cost but high quality ones.

A good tip is that you buy a few samples and try them out. And then once the products are up to standard you can buy in larger quantities.

AliExpress – is a great supplier I have used them a few times and most of the nail products that I got from them are reasonably good and most importantly very affordable. But they do take awhile for shipping this is because most their products are shipped directly from China.

Tips on How to Properly Price Your Press On Nails

11- Study your Competition

The easiest way to know how you should price your products is to study the current sellers and their prices. Look at how they charge for simple designs and the more intricate ones.

Then once you have gained an average of the industry just do a quick analysis of the cost of production for you to ensure that you have a healthy profit margin.

Ensure that you include all of your expenses from marketing to production.

Tips on How to Quickly Make Press On Nails to Sell

12- Use Nail Stencils and Nail Stamps

Both Nail Stamps and Nail Stencils allow you to quickly make amazing and intricate nail art without having do any free hand designing.

And they give you great consistency, meaning that you can accurately and quickly reproduce any nail art design.

To learn more about Nail Stencils you can click here to read my complete guide.

And you can watch the video below to learn about nail stamping.

13- Use Gel Polishes

Gel polishes are just easier to work with, if you make a mistake and you haven’t cured it yet all you need to wipe it away and start over.

And the great thing about Gel Polish is that they are just as durable as acrylics with some brands lasting for 3 weeks or more.

14- Have a Designated Work Area

Its important that you have a suitable area to make your press on nails. The area shouldn’t have too much foot traffic or noise both which can make designing really tough and make you prone to make mistakes.

And once you are working with gel polish it shouldn’t have too much natural light seeping through which can cure your gel polish prematurely.

Also ensure you are comfortable so that you can do your best work.

15- Have Proper Record Keeping of Your Expenses & Revenues

For any business to succeed you need to track the amount of cash that you make and all of your expenses.

This not only helps with doing your taxes but it also helps when you are setting your prices.

16- Gather. Analyze and Keep Customer Data

You need collect from customers their email, age, location and if possible their size.

Tracking customer data can help you to:

Build up an email list – an email list is where you collect a client’s email so you can email them special offers etc
Spot trends that you can capitalize on – lets say from your data you realize that a lot of your clients are working women who just want simple and professional designs, and that they are willing to pay a premium for it. You can use this insight to target these specific women and maximize your returns.