SEMILAC PRO — BUSINESS
In this guide: five add-on services you can introduce this summer to lift your average ticket by £5 to £15 per client. Each one includes suggested pricing, chair time, Semilac products to use, and how to pitch it at the nail desk.
Summer is the busiest quarter for most nail salons. Clients book more often, spend more per visit, and arrive with occasion-specific requests: holidays, weddings, festivals, graduations. That increased demand is an opportunity to grow revenue without adding new clients.
The five add-ons below are low-cost to introduce, require minimal extra training, and each adds £5 to £15 to a standard gel manicure booking. If you convert 30% of your clients on even two of these, you're looking at a meaningful lift in average ticket across the summer months.
1. Premium cuticle treatment
What it is: A proper cuticle service as a standalone add-on, separate from basic prep. Apply Semilac Cuticle Remover, let it soften for 60 seconds, push back and clean cuticles with a ceramic or metal pusher, trim any excess, then finish with a warm towel wrap and Semilac Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Oil massage.
Suggested price: £5 to £8 add-on.
Chair time: 8 to 10 minutes.
Why it works in summer: Dry cuticles are more visible in warm weather because clients notice their hands more. The warm towel and oil massage feel like a spa treatment. Clients describe it to friends, and that word-of-mouth drives more bookings than any Instagram post.
How to pitch it: "Your cuticles are a bit dry from the weather. Want me to do a proper treatment today? It's an extra £6 and takes about 8 minutes. Makes the gel sit better too."
2. Chrome or cat-eye accent nail
What it is: One or two accent nails finished with chrome powder or cat-eye magnetic polish instead of the base colour. The Semilac Chrome Palette 01 gives you six shades of pressed chrome powder in one compact. For cat-eye, the 332 Pink My Dust or 334 Silver Lavender with the Magnet Duo creates the classic shifting-light effect.
Suggested price: £5 to £10 per hand (1 to 2 accent nails).
Chair time: 5 to 8 minutes per hand.
Why it works in summer: Chrome and cat-eye catch light in a way that photographs well. Clients going on holiday or to events want nails that look good in photos. The visual difference between a flat block colour and a block colour with one chrome ring finger is dramatic, and the material cost per nail is under 50p.
How to pitch it: "Going anywhere nice this summer? A chrome accent nail photographs really well in the sun. I can do your ring fingers for an extra £5."
Chrome powder: roughly 10p per application (one palette does 150+ nails). Cat-eye polish: roughly 30p per nail. Either way, the margin on a £5 to £10 add-on is over 90%. This is one of the highest-margin services in any salon.
3. Take-home aftercare kit
What it is: A pre-packed aftercare bag the client takes home after their appointment. Contents: one Semilac Cuticle Oil Coconut 7ml, a nail file, and a printed care card with your salon branding and rebooking details. Optionally add a Semilac Remover 50ml for clients who want to remove at home before their next appointment.
Suggested price: £8 to £12 per kit.
Chair time: Zero. You prepare the kits in advance.
Why it works in summer: Holiday clients want something to take with them. The cuticle oil keeps their nails healthy between visits, and the branded care card brings them back to you instead of another salon. Your product cost is under £4, so the margin is strong even at the £8 price point.
How to pitch it: "I've made up a little aftercare kit, just a cuticle oil and a file. Keeps your nails in good shape between appointments, especially on holiday. It's £10."
4. Express removal and redo
What it is: A fast soak-off and fresh application as one seamless service, priced as a bundle rather than charging removal and application separately. Use Semilac Remover 125ml with foil wraps for a 10 to 12 minute soak. File the top coat to break the seal first, then wrap.
Suggested price: £5 to £8 for removal when booked with a new set (compared to £10 to £15 as a standalone service).
Chair time: 10 to 15 minutes (runs in parallel if you stagger clients).
Why it works in summer: Clients who've just come back from holiday often have grown-out or damaged gel. They need removal before a new set. Pricing the bundle lower than two separate services (removal + new set) encourages rebooking the full service rather than clients trying to pick off gel at home. Home removal damages the nail plate and costs you the next appointment.
How to pitch it: "Shall I soak off the old gel and start fresh? It's only £6 extra when you're having a new set done today, saves you doing it at home."
5. Seasonal nail art upgrade
What it is: A menu of 3 to 4 pre-designed summer nail art options displayed on a tip wheel at your desk. Keep it simple: French tip with a colour twist, fine-line florals, abstract swirl in two tones, or a glitter gradient using Flash Diamond Dust 777. Use the Nail Art Brush Perfect Line N01 for detail work. Pre-made designs on a tip wheel are easier to sell than "we do nail art" on a printed menu.
Suggested price: £8 to £15 per hand, depending on complexity.
Chair time: 10 to 20 minutes per hand.
Why it works in summer: Summer clients are more experimental. They want something different for a wedding, a festival, or just because they're in a good mood. Having 3 to 4 designs ready on a wheel removes the decision friction. The client points, you paint, everyone's happy.
How to pitch it: Keep the tip wheel visible on your desk. Most clients will ask about it without prompting. If they don't: "I've done some new summer designs, have a look. The fine-line florals are popular at the moment."
UK nail salons that actively offer add-ons typically see a 15 to 30% increase in average ticket value. Even a modest 20% upsell rate across your client base adds up quickly. If you see 15 clients a week at an average of £35, converting 3 of them to add a £10 service is an extra £30 per week, £1,560 per year. The products pay for themselves within the first week.
Summary: the five add-ons at a glance
| Add-on | Price | Chair time | Product cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium cuticle treatment | £5–8 | 8–10 min | ~£1.50 |
| Chrome/cat-eye accent | £5–10 | 5–8 min | ~£0.20–0.60 |
| Take-home aftercare kit | £8–12 | 0 min | ~£3.50–7 |
| Express removal + redo | £5–8 | 10–15 min | ~£0.80 |
| Seasonal nail art | £8–15 | 10–20 min | ~£0.50–2 |
Frequently asked questions
Should I list add-ons on my booking system or offer them in person?
Both. List them on the booking page so clients can pre-select, but the strongest conversion happens in-chair when you can show the product or tip wheel. Most upsells happen during the appointment, not at booking.
What if clients feel pressured?
Frame it as information, not a sales pitch. "I've got a new chrome option if you're interested" is different from "would you like to add chrome today?" The first is an offer. The second is a close. Offer, don't close.
How do I train my team to upsell?
Give them a script for each add-on (the pitch lines above are a starting point). Practice it once. Then set a team target: if the salon averages 2 add-ons per day this week, lunch is on the house. Small incentives move behaviour faster than training sessions.
Should I discount add-ons to get clients to try them?
An introductory offer for the first week ("cuticle treatment free with any gel mani this week") can seed awareness. After that, charge the full add-on price. Clients who've tried it once and liked it will pay for it. Permanent discounts train clients to wait for offers.
Stock list for all five add-ons:
- Semilac Cuticle Remover 7ml
- Semilac Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Oil 11ml
- Semilac Cuticle Oil Coconut 7ml (aftercare kit)
- Semilac Chrome Palette 01
- Semilac Chrome Palette 02
- 332 Pink My Dust (Cat Eye)
- 334 Silver Lavender (Cat Eye)
- 330 Magnetic Look (Cat Eye)
- Semilac Magnet Duo
- Semilac Top Coat Wet Look
- Flash Diamond Dust 777
- Flash Mermaid Effect 683
- Nail Art Brush Perfect Line N01
- Nail Brush 2in1 Gel + Art
- Semilac Remover 125ml
Trade pricing: 20% professional discount on the entire range. Free UK delivery on orders over £25. Join the Semilac Professional Network if you're not already registered.
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