{"id":24203,"date":"2024-05-24T17:32:38","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T09:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=24203"},"modified":"2024-08-22T13:00:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T05:00:56","slug":"shining-nails-for-pocket-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2024\/05\/shining-nails-for-pocket-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Shining nails for pocket money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

University students in China run nail businesses on campus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Suzana Li<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

University student Kelsey Hou Yayuan has been running a nail salon in her dormitory for four years, making RMB \u00a52000 to \u00a53000 (US $276.40 to $414.60) a month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA manicure session with complex designs costs around RMB \u00a5400 to \u00a5700 (US $55.28 to $96.74) for clients coming from outside of school, and RMB \u00a5100 to \u00a5300 (US $13.83 to $41.49) for customers on campus which is nearly half of the market price,\u201d Hou says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not have to pay rent. I can do good design for nail painting. The dormitory’s warden is also one of my customers,\u201d the art major student adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hou\u2019s workplace sits in the common area of her dormitory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She serves four customers a day when she has no class and two during her school days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite pressure from her studies, the 21-year-old student still devotes her time to her nail business because of her love for nail art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m a nail art lover. I get a sense of achievement from my beautiful artwork,\u201d Hou says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another university student Zhou Yitong makes about RMB \u00a513,000 (US $1,797.90) in three months by doing nails at her dormitory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zhou has been running a nail salon in her dorm room for two years, having started from scratch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did not know anything about doing nails. I paid 1,500 RMB (US $207.45) for learning manicure skills from an experienced senior student,\u201d Zhou recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWhen I asked my mom for money so that I could pay someone to teach me how to make nails, she thought it was a scam and refused to help me. She thought I should focus on my studies. So, I asked my friends for help,\u201d the Year Four student says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zhou\u2019s mother now has a different view of her nail business, as the student is making money to cover her own expenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpending money that I make myself makes me feel much better than asking my parents for it,\u201d Zhou adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reach out to her potential customers, Zhou sends advertisements to WeChat and QQ groups. She also distributes flyers on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCustomers with flyers are offered a RMB \u00a55 (USD $0.69) discount. Those who are referred to me by my customers can also get a discount,\u201d the nursing major student says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Yan is making nails for customers. (Photo courtesy of Yan Kelu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

University student Yan Kelu also started her nail business at school, but not in her dormitory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With support from Shaoxing University\u2019s student entrepreneurship park, she and five other girls set up a nail salon studio in 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team was offered a 20-square-meter room in a school building for running their nail business, after their business proposal was approved by the school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The outlay of nail shop in school\u2019s entrepreneurship park. (Photo courtesy of Yan Kelu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough we don\u2019t have to pay rent, we have to cover expenses for utilities and decorations like nail supplies, sofas, tables, totaling RMB \u00a57000 (US $967.40) at the beginning,\u201d Yan says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI usually take one to two clients after class. Sometimes I have no business.  It is not easy to balance my studies and work. But I find doing nails enjoyable and more importantly I can make money,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Ng Wing-fung, a lecturer at the Department of Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, believes it is good for students to have hands-on experience to practice entrepreneurial skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I teach entrepreneurship, one of the core principles is to get out of the building\u2026 The university provides students a safe space to test the feasibility of an idea. No one criticizes you if you fail,\u201d Ng says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is important to research the industry, talk to customers and experts, and match personal interests with market needs. Also, one should plan for long-term growth and aim to become an expert in one field,” he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Lilac Ye<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subedited by Liam Hordijk<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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