A fresh manicure isn’t always an easy splurge for college students. Whether budgeting your final $50 or preparing for a special occasion, relying on busy nail salons for quality and affordable services can feel like a gamble. LaidbyLai, a student-run manicure service on campus, started as one student’s passion for nail art and grew into a profitable business that helps each client feel confident in embracing their self-care.
Fourth-year business economics student Laila Kelly began her nail art journey five years ago, learning techniques through online resources and practicing designs on herself. After a year of refining her skills, Kelly decided to further pursue her passion for nail art and become a certified nail technician.
“I started around May 2020 and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Kelly told New University. “I was self-taught for a year, so just watching YouTube videos, following influencers, following famous nail technicians, and then in 2021 I got my certification through classes.”
The certification process in California requires applicants to complete up to 400 hours in a manicurist program and pass a written and practical exam.
After completing her certification, Kelly realized that her talent had the potential to generate a profit. With the encouragement of her friends and family, Kelly created an Instagram account to advertise her services — and LaidbyLai was born.
One of Kelly’s first hurdles as an entrepreneur was pricing her services fairly — ensuring they reflected her time and skill while remaining affordable for students.
“My base prices are based off of length and shape [of the nail],” Kelly said. “I also base off time, how long is it gonna take me, but I also base it off the brain power I have to use and the skill and precision I have to use in a design, so when calculating a design it’s pretty personal.”
Since starting her business, Kelly has built her reputation around her precision in complex nail art, bringing countless client’s design inspirations to life over the years.
“My signature design is probably the French tip, the classic French tip,” Kelly said. “I do from like super sharp French tips to super flat French tips, from gel manicure or gel extension. I do all colors, all shapes, all sizes, so I think that being in the business for five years, and dealing with thousands of clients over the last five years, I feel like the French tip I have definitely mastered.”
The French tip is a style of nail art that features a natural or nude tone on the base of the nail with white polish applied to the tips. The design has evolved with various shapes and colors to satisfy modern trends, but the traditional style remains one of the most popular nail art designs because of its classic look.
Although Kelly enjoys exercising her creativity within her business, she discussed the struggle of balancing everything in her packed schedule while managing multiple roles as an entrepreneur.
“It’s not easy being a full-time student and also having another job and then having an internship on top of owning my own business,” Kelly said. “I’m probably everything you can possibly think of in my business so it’s hard juggling all of the titles of a business for just one person.”
Choosing a student-run nail business over a traditional salon goes beyond convenience — for many clients, it’s about receiving quality service and building trust. Kelly said her private business resonates with students and her approach has helped grow a loyal clientele.
“From convenience to location to skill, I feel like people go to nail shops, they pay an insane amount for just something that they didn’t want,” Kelly said. “Being a student and having a private area and actually getting to know my clients, as well as kind of really getting down to the nitty-gritty and perfectionism when it comes to doing nails, I feel like that has made my company grow, especially within the student life at UCI.”
For other manicure services around UCI, the starting price at salons surrounding campus is $67 to $77, plus $7 to $15 to add a design like French tips or chrome. Due to the volume of customers at these salons, some are unable to accommodate redoing designs or fixing nails for clients, resulting in a less personal experience.
Kelly credited her engagement with students in the community as the most rewarding aspect of starting a business in college. The loyalty and support from her customer base have kept her motivated and striving to make her clients happy.
“I have a client that literally has been with me since the beginning and she has been coming all four years. She refuses to go to anybody else and I absolutely adore her,” Kelly said. “I absolutely adore that type of comfortability that we have and I strive to have that comfortability and that relationship with all my clients, because the best thing about being a nail tech and having my own business is making other people happy.”
After graduating this spring, Kelly plans to remain committed to LaidbyLai, despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of her clientele and business location.
“It is a little nerve-racking when most of your clientele is students because [what happens] when we all graduate and if I have to move? That clientele, that client base kind of changes,” Kelly said. “I’m still 100 percent motivated and committed to being LaidbyLai for as long as I live, and hopefully one day opening my own shop if that ever happens.”
Melissa Mixon is a Features Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. She can be reached at mixonm@uci.edu.
Edited by Kaelyn Kwon.