Starting a nail business from home in Belgium: what to sort out before your first client

Can you just start a nail business at home?

In Flanders, as far as qualifications go, yes. According to the business guide of the Flemish small business organisation UNIZO, Flanders scrapped its establishment law in 2018, so you no longer have to show a diploma or proof of professional knowledge to start out. In Brussels, the basic business management requirement ended on 15 January 2024. If your registered office is in Brussels or Wallonia, ask a business counter what still applies to your activity.

No diploma required does not mean no training needed. A client who reacts to gel or a nail that gets infected will not forget your name. Training teaches you products, hygiene and the limits of what you should treat yourself.

This guide covers Belgium. In the Netherlands you register with the Chamber of Commerce, and in the UK rules vary by local council, so check locally if you work there.

What admin do you need to do in Belgium?

The paperwork is lighter than it looks. These are the steps, in the order most people take them.

1. 1Choose full time or part time. If you are employed, you can start as self employed alongside your job and test whether enough clients come.
2. 2Open a business account. Keep income and costs apart from your personal account. Your bookkeeping will thank you.
3. 3Register with an accredited business counter. You get a company number in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises.
4. 4Join a social insurance fund. That is where you pay your social contributions as a self employed person.
5. 5Sort out VAT. Activate your VAT number or opt for the small business exemption. More on that below.
6. 6Get insured. Public liability cover protects you if a client is harmed. Also check whether your home insurance covers a work room.

VAT or the small business exemption?

If your yearly turnover stays under €25,000, you can opt for the Belgian VAT exemption for small businesses. You charge no VAT, but you cannot reclaim VAT on purchases either. We found that threshold at Accountable, checked on 21 October 2026. Have your situation checked by an accountant, as the rules on crossing the threshold are strict.

You reach that threshold sooner than you might think. A worked example with our own assumptions:

So fifteen clients a week already takes you over. Starting part time with a few evenings a week usually keeps you below it. Full time, usually not. Factor it into your prices: once you charge VAT, you either add it on top or take it out of your margin.

What kind of space do you need?

A nail business at home is not a corner of the kitchen table. Clients should feel welcome, and you need to be able to work cleanly and safely.

• A separate room or closed off corner used only for your nail work.
• Good ventilation or dust extraction at your desk. You breathe in dust and fumes every day.
• Good light, ideally daylight plus a lamp that shows colours accurately.
• Somewhere to wash your hands and to clean and disinfect your tools.
• A fixed place for products, out of reach of children and pets.
• A waiting spot, or a clear rule that clients should not arrive early.

Ask your local council whether you may use part of your home to see clients. It depends on the council and on how big your space is. If you rent, read your tenancy agreement too. Some landlords do not allow business activity in the home.

What should you charge?

In October 2026 Bookable looked at nail salon prices in Belgium and the Netherlands, to suggest a starting price when you set up. This is what we found. Treat it as a starting point, not a rule.

Do not start below the market to tempt people in. Clients who come for the lowest price leave for the lowest price. A fair price with good work builds a loyal client base. To work out a price from your costs and hours, see the pedicure price list: the same method works for nails.

How do you find your first clients?

1. 1Start with people you know and ask them to recommend you.
2. 2Set up a Google Business Profile, so anyone searching for nails in your area sees you on the map.
3. 3Post your work on Instagram, with good photos of real nails and a booking link in your bio.
4. 4Leave a card at the local bakery or hairdresser, if they are happy for you to.
5. 5Ask every happy client for a review.

A booking link in your bio works better than messaging back and forth. See booking through Instagram.

How do you keep work and home apart?

Working from home has one trap: you are always reachable. A client messages at 10pm to ask if she can pop in tomorrow. You reply, because you do not want to let anyone down. A few months later, you are worn out.

• Set working hours and stick to them.
• Let clients book themselves in an online diary, so you do not have to answer every message.
• Use a separate business number with WhatsApp Business.
• Take a deposit for long treatments, so a no show does not ruin your evening.
• Block breaks in your diary, just like appointments.

On that last point, read charging a no show fee in Belgium and try the no show calculator.

Checklist before your first client

• Company number and social insurance fund sorted.
• VAT or exemption decided with your accountant.
• Public liability insurance in place.
• Room set up with ventilation, light and somewhere to disinfect.
• Council and, if relevant, landlord informed.
• Price list with length and a from price.
• Cancellation rules and a confirmation sent after every booking.
• Online diary with a booking link on Google and Instagram.

How Bookable helps a nail business at home

Choose nail salon in Bookable and the usual treatments are ready with their length, such as 60 minute gel polish from €40 and 30 minute gel polish removal. Adjust the prices and you are online.

• Clients book themselves, within the hours you set. No more answering messages in the evening.
• A mini website with your treatments, prices, photos and opening hours, plus a button to book.
• Reminders by WhatsApp and email and a Bancontact deposit, already in the Start plan.
• With Praktijk you ask at booking what is currently on the nails, and clients add extras such as nail art with their own price and time.

For a one person business, Start is enough: €29 a month paid yearly, or €34 a month. Try it free for 14 days, no card needed. More on the booking system for nail salons page and the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions