MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Shelby County is in phase one of its Back to Business plan, and there are still plenty of businesses left hanging and waiting for word on when they can reopen.
Nail salons are among that group. For some, next week marks one month since they’ve served customers in their shops.
Black Pearl Nail Academy is the first and only full-service nail school in Tennessee. Owner Duriya Caldwell is also a nail tech and says since mid-March, she’s not had any customers or students.
“Of course, I filed for unemployment like every other nail tech cosmetologist. I think I just got my first check probably last week,” Caldwell said. “So, we’re talking about from March 13 into the end of April, the month of May that I went without any income.”
Caldwell is losing money with each day her doors are closed, but says she understands the close contact between nail tech and customer are a big coronavirus concern.
“As a nail tech and one that’s been a nail tech for over 20 years, I want to do nails!” Caldwell said. “Like I miss touching a client, having a conversation. I miss all of that, but I do understand the seriousness of this as well.”
Caldwell says the business models of some shops in the nail industry will possibly have to change in order to accommodate new rules.
“They have three or four people touching you. It’s almost a conveyor belt type thing,” Caldwell said.
She says the new way of serving clients will likely be by appointment only, which is the way she already operates.
If new guidelines are similar to the one’s now governing hair stylists, there’s no waiting areas and service space is occupied by the provider and one client at a time.
“This is our business model, and it’s been our business model. And I actually posted on social media that a lot of you that are not accustomed to making appointments, this is probably going to be the new normal,” Caldwell said.
There will need to be time to properly sanitize. She says current rules already dictate surfaces, and tools remain wet with disinfectant for 10 minutes between clients, but not everyone adheres to them.
“Do you see them doing the contact time of 10 minutes before somebody else sits in that chair, or somebody else sits at that table or somebody else touches that surface?” Caldwell said.
Caldwell has picked up three new students at her nail school. They’re learning online right now. She hopes by the time they get to the practical portion, they’ll actually be able to practice on people.
