Nails Magazine

MAY 2017

Magazine for the professional nail industry.

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64 | NAILS MAGAZINE | MAY 2017 THE SCOOP: What started as a build-and-sell business venture for Orchard Nails salon owner Thomas Kent Irwin has transformed into a blossoming career. Ten years ago, he ran a dry cleaner with his partner in Corona, Calif. There was a nail salon next door, and Irwin noticed that despite its inferiority, customers would often eagerly form a line out the door, waiting for their turn to receive an hour or two of pampering. Irwin had an idea. He and his partner would buy an available location, build a nail salon, and sell it for profit. But their timing was off; the subprime mortgage market crashed in 2007, taking many potential buyers with it. As it turned out, this was a blessing in disguise. "We kind of had no choice but to open and run it. Now, we're probably the busiest nail salon in the whole community," Irwin says. "Over the years, it's become a passion of mine, and I've really grown to love the industry." In the past decade, the salon has won numerous awards from the local media, and even been the set for a couple of reality TV shows. THE STAFF: Irwin credits their success to the salon's dynamic. "The way I look at it, salon profile Orchard Nails: Loyal Clients, Loyal Techs For most people, the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis was anything but a blessing. But for Orchard Nails owner Thomas Kent Irwin, there was an unexpected opportunity hidden in the chaos. BY NANCY KIRK } BUSINESS Orchard Nails achieves an impressive 94% booking rate. QUICK LOOK Salon name: Orchard Nails Location: Corona, Calif. Owner: Thomas Kent Irwin Square Footage: 1,400 Opened: October 2007 Number of nail techs/employees: 18/22 Specialties: Special events and customer service Compensation structure: 60% commission Website: www.orchardnails.com we're all owners of the salon, not just me. We couldn't do the job without the technician team, and they couldn't handle the customers as efficiently without the front desk," he says. Irwin's main role in the salon is what he terms the "customer service

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