Let’s be honest–running out of essential nail supplies just before a client’s appointment can disrupt your entire workday. To say it’s “inconvenient” is an understatement; it limits your services, makes your work process inefficient, and harms your reputation in the long run. As nail salon owners and nail technicians, we absolutely want none of those! 🙅 Prevent and solve nail supply headaches with these 10 pro tips on managing nail product inventory. Learn easy ways to stay organized and stocked for your nail business!
• Maintain proper storage and organization
How you store and organize your nail products plays a big role in effective inventory management. Imagine misplacing a dip powder, assuming it’s lost, only to buy a replacement unnecessarily, or leaving a gel polish exposed to sunlight, causing thickening and discoloration–these small mistakes add up, unfortunately increasing your operational costs. By keeping your nail collections organized and regularly checking your everyday tools, you can minimize waste, cut unwanted expenses, and work more efficiently.
• Write down your daily and seasonal essentials
Can you picture working a day without your favorite No Cleanse Top Coat or Phantom Pro Nail Dust Collector? Sounds like a total nightmare, right? Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro, it’s always a good idea to make a checklist of your daily essentials–the things you simply can’t survive without and should never run out of–and put them all in one container for easy access! And don’t forget about those seasonal must-haves, like glitters for Christmas, blooming gels for summer, floral nail foils for spring, and deep, moody shades for Halloween.
• Buy in bulk during sales or discount periods
As much as we love shopping, constantly restocking or purchasing items one by one can be tiresome for us nail techs and salon owners. Buying your nail supplies in bulk not only saves time and money but also helps you take full advantage of massive sale events. Plus, the more you purchase in bulk during sales, the better your chances of qualifying for free shipping and earning loyalty points and rewards. It’s also a smart habit to identify your go-to or holy grail products that tend to sell out quickly and always have a backup on hand.
• Take advantage of spreadsheets or shopping apps
There’s nothing wrong with managing your inventory the traditional pen-and-paper way, but evolving and automating your process can make a huge difference (spreadsheets are an absolute game-changer, if you ask me). Productivity tools like MS Excel or Google Sheets are incredibly useful for organizing your nail supplies and keeping track of inventory flow. If switching between tabs to add items to your cart feels like a chore, consider downloading shopping apps such as the iGel Beauty app for a faster, more seamless experience, allowing you to shop while checking your inventory on a different device.
• Build your salon backstock system
Let’s say you started with just five bottles of base coats, thinking they’d last a while, but then the busy season hits, and suddenly, you’re down to your fourth bottle and realize you haven’t restocked. Wow, where did all the time go? 🤦🏻 To avoid this kind of last-minute scramble, it’s crucial to have a backstock system in place at your salon. Your backstock supply of essential items ensures a steady workflow, prevents stockouts, helps maintain your productivity, and reduces costs in the long run.
• Track nail items being borrowed, shared, or bought
For salon owners with nail tech employees, it’s common to see them borrowing or sharing gel polishes or dip liquids. While this can be a good sign of teamwork, it can cause minor disruptions to your inventory. That’s why it’s important to check in with your team and find which products are being used or shared the most. This way, you can easily track what needs restocking and update your inventory accordingly. Similarly, if you're a solo nail artist, a client might fall in love with a polish you used and insist on buying it from you, impacting your inventory directly.
• Label the date of first use or first opened
With everything going on in the salon and all the nail collections you need to always organize, who has time to remember when a product was first opened? A simple trick that can help is using double-sided tape or a label maker to mark the date of first use or when it was first opened. This can make it easier to estimate how much product you have left and how many more uses it will last. Additionally, having these dates as a reference can help you with the PAO (Period After Opening) symbol and troubleshoot any application of longevity issues with the product.
• Double-check the expiration dates of your products
We should treat our beauty products, especially nail products, with the same level of care and attention we give to food and beverages. As soon as you receive an order, check for an expiration date or a PAO symbol (a small jar icon with a number and a letter inside) indicating how long the product remains safe to use after opening. Double-checking expiration dates or PAOs of your items is necessary for product effectiveness and everybody’s health and safety. To get the most out of your investment and minimize waste, don't put things that are about to expire in your backstock.
• Apply the First In, First Out (FIFO) method
Building on the previous advice, applying the First In, First Out (FIFO) method is vital for keeping your inventory running smoothly. This simple yet proven method ensures that the oldest products are used first, helping you rotate your nail supplies based on their expiration or use-by dates. By following FIFO, you can prevent accidentally using expired products and maximize use for each nail item. You can be even more meticulous by adding a label marking when each item is received.
• Monitor overall daily or weekly inventory
Ultimately, you must decide how often you’ll check your inventory based on availability. Doing it daily after work helps you catch discrepancies early, ensure fast-moving items are available, and spot suspicious or unusual patterns, reducing the risk of major issues down the line. On the other hand, a weekly inventory check minimizes the possibility of micromanagement and allows for a smoother workflow with fewer interruptions. The latter is ideal if you want yourself and your staff to stay focused on providing great service and handling other priorities.
The golden rule for effective inventory management is to find a balance between having enough stock and reducing surplus. With these expert-approved practices, you’ll create a more streamlined workplace and gain the trust of your customers. What’s one nail inventory hack you swear by? Share your tips on our iGel Beauty Facebook Community or show us your nail collections on Instagram. Let your business thrive and stay ahead of the game–track your inventory before it tracks you down! 🤭
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