Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/688035
112 | NAILS MAGAZINE | JULY 2016 THE SCOOP: For Luxe Nails owner Lisa Nguyen, nails are a way of life. She was in elementary school when her mother decided to open a nail salon. The family moved into the apartment upstairs, so Nguyen and her sisters would often go downstairs and watch the nail techs at work. "Our playground was the nail salon," she says. Nguyen knew how to give manicures by the age of 12 and got her nail license at 16. Even after she graduated college with a marketing degree, she knew the salon was where she wanted to be. She also picked up some valuable business knowledge over the years from her mother. "You know how people fip houses? My mom would fip salons. She would open up salons, get them running, and then sell them," she says. Growing up around nails, Nguyen always felt especially at home in salons. Naturally, this level of comfort has continued in her own salon, Luxe Nails in Philadelphia. She considers her nail techs and clients her family, and tries to make everyone feel welcome. The team's detailed nail art and strong social media presence have made the salon a very busy place. They see around 300 clients a week in their tiny 900-sq.-ft. space and are forced to turn away clients on a daily basis. Now, Nguyen is bringing in reinforcements. She is in the process of opening a New Jersey location with one of her sisters in order to meet demand. THE 'HOOD: Northern Liberties is an up-and coming neighborhood in Philadelphia. Nguyen says that she was especially drawn to this neighborhood because of its diversity and its many small businesses. Although there are many salons in salon profile Be Part of the Family at Luxe Nails } BUSINESS Lisa Nguyen's goal was to create a warm atmosphere inside the salon to make her clients and employees feel welcome. QUICK LOOK Salon Name: Luxe Nails Location: Philadelphia (with one opening soon in Glendora, N.J.) Owner: Lisa Nguyen Square Footage: 900 Opened: October 2012 Number of Nail Techs: 9 Specialties: Nail art, extensions, tips, acrylics Compensation Structure: Salary Website: www.instagram/luxenails215 Philadelphia, and Northern Liberties specifcally, Nguyen says that she separates Luxe Nails from the pack through competitive pricing and networking with other small business owners in the community. "It's almost like a Philly-supports- Philly thing," she says. "One of our >>> Luxe Nails' intricate nail art designs have drawn in clients from all over Philadelphia — and even a few celebrities. Now owner Lisa Nguyen is opening a second location to keep up with demand. BY ROSELYNNE REYES (continued on page 121)