Business Practices, Client Relations, and Shop Management
Running the business
Good shop management protects clients and the business. Keep client records with consultation notes, products used, services performed, and any reactions. Obtain consent for services and photographs. Protect confidentiality. Set prices that cover time, product, overhead, and taxes. Track inventory and reorder before you run out. Schedule realistically and build in cleaning time. Keep sanitation logs and equipment maintenance records.
Client relations
Use clear communication, active listening, and realistic expectations. Explain aftercare, especially for enhancements. Handle complaints calmly: listen, document, offer a reasonable solution, and never argue about a reaction. Know when to refuse service. Keep professional boundaries. Understand employment versus booth rental, insurance, and tax basics; in Michigan, services and retail products are generally treated differently for sales tax.
Traps
Questions test whether you would promise a cure, share a client's information, or skip documentation. They also test pricing that ignores overhead and schedules that leave no cleaning time.
Rule of thumb: document what you did, what you used, and what the client told you.
Worked example: a client reports itching after a gel service. Stop, document, remove product if appropriate, and refer if symptoms persist.