Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Narina Chan, Owner of narinanails, located in New York City, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I owned a nail studio in lower Manhattan, NYC. I work by myself, and my clients are mostly fun individuals who don’t mind showing their love for art, cartoon, and anime that they’re into onto their nails!
Tell us about yourself
When I first started, my motivation was money. Since I was a music major student and was also in a band. So music didn’t make much money for me, and I was tired of working in restaurants. So I walked into a nail salon across the street from my house and asked if they were teaching, and the rest was history. I’ve been doing nails for 10 years now, and I feel like painting nails has always been very therapeutic for me, and of course, making clients happy is always nice. I think doing what I like/love is what motivates me every day, and loyal, repeating clients always motivate me because it’s like seeing a friend every 3-4 weeks and just talking about our lives. Also, making something beautiful on their fingers always makes me happy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is that I work for myself and nobody else. Nobody telling what to do and when to do it is always nice. Flexible schedule because I manage my own time. But also being able to have worked for major publications, magazines, fashion week, film/tv, and celebrities are always my biggest accomplishments in my career.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being alone and lack of motivation at times and willingness to learn new things. So I tried to take more nail classes to improve myself. It’s different when you work by yourself than working in salons. In salons, you can always learn from coworkers, but on your own, you can just learn from social media videos or take classes. Also, doing all the business side of taxing materials every year takes a toll, and managing money will always be a struggle.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get a good accountant, and do everything properly. Like your business license, liability insurance, etc.
- Stay true to your style, and really love doing it.
- Save enough money before opening your own business because you never know if you’re going to make the first 6 months.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://hinlichan.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/narinanails/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.