KLM Institute

Written By: Casie Brabham

What sets Mary DeCuman apart from other nail techs is her dedication to nail care as a vital part of our health and self-care routine.  It isn’t just about “pretty feet” she says.  Her clients often have issues of mobility that prevent them from properly taking care of their feet, which in turn causes even less mobility and other health conditions.  She is passionate about helping her clients feel their best.

Mary is a seasoned business owner, so when I sat down to talk to her about her business, as well as her experience with the Lane SBDC, I was interested to find out why she decided to take the small business management program.  “When you’ve been in business a long time you can get a little stale,” says Mary, “[the SBM program] was one way I could focus what my new marketing strategy was going to be.”

Marketing is very important to Mary because at the time of our talk she had no website or social media page “I’m hard to find, I’m mostly word of mouth” she told me.  However part of her new marketing plan includes creating a website with the capability to train other nail techs in her unique copyrighted system.  Mary plans to have her website launched in early 2018.

Currently Mary holds her nail clinics in a small office on the second floor of Sheldon Oaks retirement home.  Part of the reason she chose to hold her clinics there is because the facility is ADA compliant and therefore accessible to everyone.  However the future Mary sees for her business is one in which she can train other licensed nail techs and nurses to care for their client’s nails with critical attention to the medical aspect of nail care.

When asked what wisdom Mary had to share with new business owners, she said to remember the old saying “you are going to work harder and more hours than ever.  Be ready because at the end of the day they are all your jobs”.  Mary is a shining example of a business owner who is continuously open to change and also self aware enough to ask for the help she needs to stay current and competitive.

Check out this client video with KLM Institute!