Over 17,000 businesses in the UK employ nail technicians, but many work with the aim of one day becoming self-employed, owning a nail salon of their own or working as a mobile nail technician. Providing nail treatment services is a very flexible profession, with nail technicians working in airports, hotels, spas, beauty salons and more – not just high street nail salons. An estimated 37,000 job opportunities for nail technicians were thought to be created in 2016. It’s a great time to be working in the beauty industry. Many nail technicians are self-employed and often provide their professional services from their own home studio, or travel to their clients’ residence for nail treatments. Others rent a chair or space in an existing salon.
Those who own a nail salon, or provide manicure and pedicure services at your beauty salon or business, may have an insurance package that they simply just renew each month at the recommendation of their business adviser. But many later find themselves to be underinsured. Meanwhile many self-employed and mobile nail technicians are unaware of the risks involved in their business. It’s just nails, right?
Public liability insurance for nail technicians can offer specialised protection for those in the industry. Any professional who visits clients at their homes should really have some kind of financial protection against unforeseeable accidents. Beyond nail and beauty accidents, it could be something as unpredictable as accidentally knocking an expensive ornament from a shelf or spilling your water over your client’s laptop.
There are always risks when you are working with people, and what nail technician or manicurist doesn’t work directly with people? There are glues and chemicals involved, as well as nail scissors and other sharp objects. Despite your efforts, equipment might not be sterilised properly and your client could develop an infection in their nail bed. Even the most steadiest of hands, and the most skilled at nail detail work, can have a little clumsy moment every now and again. It happens to everyone. Especially when you’re not actively treating someone’s nails, and your hands relax a bit. Maybe you knock acetone over onto a client’s expensive coat or handbag, causing some serious damage. Or perhaps while doing a house call, you accidentally spill something on their expensive sofa or rug. You might even accidentally drop a bottle of nail varnish from a height onto their glass coffee table, cracking it. Liability insurance can cover the compensation payment and legal fees.
If you own a salon and employ nail technicians, manicurists or any other kinds of workers, you are legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. Having a shop insurance package also covers the building and contents, as well as liability insurance to cover you if someone were to become injured in your salon. For example, by tripping over a cable or loose carpet. It also covers stock, money and equipment left in the salon overnight. If a fire were to break out overnight, you could suffer a huge, irrecoverable loss if you were to lose everything and be financially unable to replace the damaged equipment. According to the Arson Prevention Bureau, “70% of businesses involved in a major fire either do not reopen or fail within three years.” (See our infographic on business interruption in the UK.) Tools cover can also cover your nail equipment in the event of damage or loss.
Though it may seem unnecessary to purchase business insurance, and can seem like a waste of money if you’re a self-employed mobile manicurist or nail technician, it can potentially save your business should worse come to the worst.
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