Manicurists can bank some serious cash on children’s pamper parties! It’s amazingly easy since most children have very little work required on feet and hands. Here’s something I’ve done over the years that has really worked for me:

$25 mini pedi and hands polish

The mini pedi includes a bubbly foot soak, scrub, lotion and polish. Obviously you clip, file and push cuticles back but children should hardly ever have cuticles cut. It can negativly affect the growth of nails and cuticles for the remainder of their lives. There is no foot filing and no massage, just a scrub and the application of lotion. However for an added bonus, one could offer the birthday girl a nice massage.

I will shape and polish hands while the little tootsies are soaking. Place a towel across their lap so as to not destroy their clothes.

This service takes approximately 20-30 minutes. So, if you do the math that’s an easy $50 per hour. Of course, one could choose to charge more but I’ve found this length of service is short enough to get through kids fast. It’s also pampering enough so parents feel like they’re really getting value for their money. The price is also something that most parents can afford since anything higher might scare off bookings.

Before booking an at home pamper party, first consider your goals:

1. How much money is worth it for you? For example, I will not participate in a party unless I can make a minimum of $100.
2. The length of time to complete services – do the party solo or bring a guest manicurist?
3. Amount charged per service and details of the service. You could instead offer manicures and toe polish for the same price. Talk to the party host about their goals and desires.
4. Minimum age requirement – I typically say ages 10 and under
5. How far are you willing to drive?

Party Policies:

1. Coordinate with host to have other activities throughout the entire party. Children can become impatient since treating ten children will take approximately five hours. If you choose to “go it alone” you’ll make $250 plus any gratuity.
2. Since you can’t waste time to fix messed up polish use fast drying polish such as Vinylux by CND.
3. Collect a non-refundable down payment of $25 from the host to hold the date. But, be sure to refund if YOU need to cancel for any reason.
4. Type up a basic contract for the host. Here’s an example:

Bring A Guest Nail Tech With You:

1. Collect the full payment from the mother or party host then pay the guest technician $20 per child. He or she still earns $40 per hour and you earn $5 per child for coordinating and booking the event. DO NOT allow the host to pay the technician directly. This happened to me once – the guest service provider took all the money, and refused to pay me my cut insisting that it was her gratuity.
2. Make sure the guest manicurist does not treat more clients than you. I also had this happen to me at an event. The manicurist was going too fast through clients (not quality work, I might add) and ended up taking two more clients than me.
3. Prevent any issues by laying clear expectations in the beginning in the form of a simple guest manicurist contract.
4. Most likely the host will add gratuity to the total party payment instead of tipping the individuals. I always split this amount evenly and distribute. If you want to be ultra specific, because an uneven amount of clients were treated you could divide it by the total number of clients. For example, if the party had 9 clients where you performed 6 and the guest manicurist performed 3 and the total tip was $40. Divide $40 by 9 and multiply by 6 for your total gratuity and by 3 for the guest manicurist’s gratuity. Making it about $27 for yourself and $13 for the guest.
5. If you find someone that you work well with and trust – why not return the favor? Have him or her also book parties! When two people are searching for potential bookings, the odds are greater that schedules will fill up. Whichever nail tech books the gig, earns the $25 plus $5.

Bring Other Services Into The Party Mix:

I have had varying success bringing in other service providers such as massage therapists, estheticians, hair stylists, etc. My favorite and most successful parties have been where I bring a friend. This person performs face treatments and makeup applications. This person does not need to be a licensed esthetician since makeup artists are not required to be licensed. DO NOT call the skin treatment a facial and you’re in the clear.

Reasons To Consider This Add On Service:

1. Builds value to help seal the deal for a party booking.
2. More entertainment for kids. While one is having nails done, another can have skin treatment while one is having makeup done.
3. You can literally bring anyone, I typically bring my sister who enjoys the extra money and we create a fun experience for the kids.
4. More money in your pocket – not much more but you may not have booked the party without it.

How To Pull This Off:

1. Charge $40 per child. You still earn $25 per child for nails and the guest earns $15 per child. I typically take a flat booking fee on this one. Depending on how many guests are at the party, I take anywhere between $5-$20. It’s less complex if I have the guest pay me up front for the booking. This way, he or she will be less likely to bail on me the day of the party, and it’s simple pay him or her the $15 per child at the end of the party.
2. The guest supplies all their own equipment
3. Equipment includes crock pot full of warm wet wash cloths, facial steamer, Cleansing cream, makeup and makeup applicators.
4. Apply cleansing cream or have child do it. Have them put face over the steamer. (While one child is under the steamer, the other can receive their makeup application.)
5. Instruct child to wipe cleansing cream off skin with warm wash cloth
6. Apply makeup. Typically we brush on powder instead of using liquid foundations, then create fun eyes and lips.
7. If you’re feeling extra generous you can purchase $1 makeup from Sally Beauty Supply and it to the birthday girl at the end of the party.