Are you thinking of starting a press on nail business and asking the question, “How much does press on nails cost to make?”
Well look no further you are in the right place. You can also get a more detailed version of this information in my 30 page eBook: How to Start a Press On Nail Business. I wondered the same thing when I first decided to start my journey down this road of press on nails. Wondering how expensive it is to get started is a perfectly logical question.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I/we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.
This post is about starting a press on nail business and how much it costs.
When you think about the things you’ll need to immediately get started, there’s not much and they are very inexpensive depending on where you choose to purchase. The goal of this post is for me to show you the absolute minimum amount of items you need in order to get started and the cheapest way to get them so that you have an idea of how much it costs to make press on nails. Of course, you will later want to buy multiples of these items in addition to adding other items in the future, but for the purpose of this post, you will be getting just the bare necessities. If you want a thorough rundown of what you need to know to start a press on nail business, then purchase our 30 page eBook here. The eBook is packed with pictures, links, and easy to understand steps.
In addition to the things below (found on Amazon here) make sure you have a printer to print receipts or at least have an idea of somewhere you can borrow one until you can purchase your own (family, library, print shop, etc)
Nail Stands
- There are many colors and styles available. Some include about 2, 3 or more sets in a package. I personally started with the magnetic kind that you can remove from the stands but later started using the fixed stands.
- Make sure to pick up some poster tack from Dollar Tree to stick the nails on the stands. Later, I recommend The Gorilla Mounting Putty.
Press On Nails
- I would start with the most popular nail type in full cover, which is medium coffin and long coffin. Each pack will include about 500 nails in sizes 0-9 so one pack of each is enough to start out with.
Gel Polish
- You’ll need several colors to start with. Whatever colors you choose I would make sure to include black, white, and nudes as well.
- You’ll also want to pick up a base coat and no wipe topcoat. These are sometimes sold together depending on the brand you choose.
Brushes
- This is a cheaper option in the beginning if you don’t want to spend money on stickers, rhinestones, charms, etc just yet. You can use a brush in so many ways and create a variety of different looks with just a brush and gel polishes.
Files/Buffers
- 100/180 grit should work out fine.
Nail Lamp
The higher the wattage the better it performs. I started out with 54watts and it is still working perfectly. I have since purchased a second lamp which I would recommend you do later.
Packaging
Option 1
- Blank 3 x 5 Index Cards
- Party Baggies at Dollar Tree or cellophane bags on amazon
Option 2
- Jewelry boxes in a 3 pack at Dollar Tree
- Create your own vinyl labels (read this post)
Along with…
- Mounting Tape comes in white color at Dollar Tree….later I would recommend the clear mounting tape from Amazon.
- Bubble Mailers from Target they are white sold in packs of 5 or the Dollar Tree has them two for a dollar in a beige color or you can choose your color on amazon.
Now you have the bare minimum to get started with selling press on nails ( Everything listed found here on Amazon). Once you get sales you can go and make more purchases of things like more gel polishes, other nail types/lengths, more nail stands, designs, another nail lamp, etc.
This post is about starting a press on nail business and how much it costs.
