Pedicure for non-Spaniards

Twenty years ago my husband and I fell under the spell of the Spanish sun: “My husband works in the Telecom/fiber optic industry and we lived near Barcelona for 1.5 years for his work. We liked that so much. In the meantime, my parents-in-law have moved to Alicante and we have therefore discovered the area around the Costa Blanca. It was always our wish to live here permanently. Not only to live, but also to work. That's why four years ago I started thinking about what profession I could pursue in Spain. I didn't want to start a business in the catering industry or a small shop. Then I thought: 'Everyone has feet, why shouldn't I work as a pedicure in Spain?' That meant that I had to do the whole training again and also get the papers for a medical pedicure. Here you have to be a medical pedicure if you want to open a serious practice. The foot culture is very different. Spanish women either go to a cosmetic pedicure or straight to the surgeon. I therefore focus on non-Spanish customers: Germans, Belgians and Dutch people who have lived on the Costa for a long time, such as retirees. It is precisely among this group that there is a great demand for the qualities and treatments of a medical pedicure.”

Accelerated by corona

Because plans changed a bit and I wanted to get a good handle on the profession, I started a pedicure practice at home in Elsloo, Limburg, in 2019. In the meantime, I followed the training for medical pedicure at Arancar. I took it seriously and with great results. In no time the agenda was full and I had to quit my job at the hospital. And then corona came... “We already had a house in Spain. My husband immediately went to Spain to be with his parents. They are already elderly and he wanted to take good care of them during the lockdown. He discovered that he could also work well there. After a few months he said: “Just come here too. We are already going to continue with our plans.” Of course I wanted that, but I found it difficult to leave my clients in the Netherlands. There were very few pedicures in Elsloo, but I was able to place most of them with colleagues. A colleague had just completed the training and she could make good use of customers. That was quite a flying start for her, she was full right away. The contact with her was good. I did not transfer complete files, but I did discuss certain problems. Of course, I still think about my customers every now and then. Some have started looking for another pedicure themselves and have not ended up so well. I received some photos back and... oops!... then it's difficult when you're so far away. But it's nice that they miss you.”

Dream come true

In January 2022, I officially opened my practice 'Pedicure Marjorie' in Hondón de las Nieves, in the Valencia region. My husband transformed a room in our home with a kitchenette into a beautiful, ground-floor practice, equipped with colorful Spanish azulejos. I took the beautiful Ruck treatment chair, which I had bought at the fair in the Netherlands, with me to Spain. The practice is open five days a week: “I am a real entrepreneur, certainly not a retiree.” It's wonderful that I can plan my own hours. Many of my clients just want beautiful feet, because people here wear slippers and open shoes more often. Gel polish is in demand all year round. I specifically looked for international brands and in Elsloo I already worked with OPI, CND and for care with HFL. I order some items in the Netherlands and they are delivered promptly. My company car is completely covered in stickers. At first I thought: I shouldn't have done that because I didn't like doing manicures at first. I find feet much more challenging than hands. But now I have taken up manicure completely again. There is a lot of demand for it and I switched to Beau Nails for gel and acrylic. I also even picked up nail art. I'm very creative and thought, why not? I have already gotten a few nice designs from VoetVak+."