Feature of the Month- New Tanning Features

Feature of the month is back! To celebrate this month, we’re doing a three in one of new tanning rules that we have added into the software over the past couple of weeks all in one place!

Overbook

One new feature which is in the final stages of completion is our new overbook feature. This feature is more for the tanning salons who take prebooking’s for their beds.  This feature allows you to book customers onto a bed, even if they don’t have the minutes pre purchased on their account. For example, if one of your customers wanted to get booked in for a sunbed in a few days’ time for 15 minutes, but only had 6 minutes remaining on their course card, you would be able to book them a slot for 15 minutes, with the 9 extra minutes being classed as an over booking. If you do this, you won’t be able to confirm the booking until those extra 9 minutes have been purchased. This means that you can effectively book people in for more minutes that they have remaining but means that you won’t be able to put them onto the bed unless they have paid, meaning you’re less likely to give away any free

minutes by accident.

Course Rules

Another new feature that we have recently added to the system is course and single minutes rules. The way this works is that when you add a new booking or single minute service, you can add some course rules onto it. For example, with your single minute services, you can add the rule that it’s got to all be used in one session. This means that people can’t buy 15 single minutes and use 9 minutes one day and then 6 the next. This feature can also be used for courses. For example, if you have a course where a customer can go on 20 sessions for a set price, you can set the number of sessions available for that course to be 20. As well as the number of sessions per tanning service, you can also set it so there are only set numbers available to take off. For example, with the 15-minute single session there would only be a -15 option or if you had a course which allowed 10 minutes per day for a set amount of time, the only option available would be -10. You can set these numbers and the number of sessions as to whatever works best for you.

Online Security

We have also improved security for your salon when it comes to online bookings. Now all booking rules that are set on Salon Tracker will pull through to the online account. This means that whilst customers were never able to go on the bed more than once a day, this will also stop customers booking more than once a day meaning there will be more space on your calendar. Any other booking rules will be pulled through too, for example if you want fairer skin types to only be able to book once every 48 hours of if you only want your customers to only be able to book a set number of sunbeds per year. This again is totally customisable to your salon and just means you have even more control of what goes on in your salon at all times.

 

If you would like anymore information on any of these features or would like any help getting them set up, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  Also, if you would like to see these features in action come visit us at Professional Beauty London on the 17^th and 18^th of October and we will be able to give you a demonstration of how they work!

 

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Why hiring apprentices can benefit your Salon!

Your salons growth is extremely dependant on the people you hire, without good
employees it would be a struggle to run your salon successfully, if at all. Whilst it is important to hire staff that are experienced, knowledgeable and qualified it also pays off to hire up and coming apprentices with little knowledge and experience. These people will be itching to learn and will most likely carry your Salon into upcoming trends and styles. 

So, what does hiring an apprentice really involve?

An apprentice can be anyone over the age of 16, and their apprenticeship programme can last anything from 12-18 months. This means that whilst learning the inns and outs of the job role, they are also qualifying in knowledgeable courses that will help guide them throughout, possibly bringing even more knowledge back to the salon. 

Worried that hiring an apprentice isn't cost effective? Wrong! The government could potentially be funding 100% of the cost to train an apprentice depending on their age. You can find out all the funding information on the official government website. Please note that you can hire an apprentice to cover any job role within the Salon, this could even be down to a receptionist all the way up to a aesthetician, the choice is yours! 

Benefits of hiring an apprentice

Whilst hiring an apprentice will help them grow their skills and knowledge, it can also help to create an endearing workplace environment for all employees and clients. Experienced employees can help to influence the way your apprentices behave and also develop their learning within the Salon. 

If you are concerned about hiring apprentices with little experience because they will take longer to learn the ropes of the job... think of it this way instead: hiring an apprentice means you have a fresh mind to work with in terms of their knowledge of the job role and they will learn everything from your nurturing  rather than coming in with old and possibly outdated knowledge. 

A range of ages throughout the Salon all with different skills, abilities and personalities can actually be extremely beneficial to your Salon. Young apprentices are often down with the trends which can really bring your social media accounts to life. Tik Tok is the most popular app in the world right now and having your Salon on tiktok will give you chance to get your Salon out there and potentially build your client base. 

Our Apprentice Experience

Here at Salon Tracker, we have 3 degree apprentices who know first hand how beneficial completing an apprenticeship can be. Christie and Naomi joined the business straight after completing college in 2017. Over the course of their apprenticeship, both Christie and Naomi have come a long way in terms of confidence, knowledge and experience. Not only have they improved individually, but they have also been able to bring what they have learnt to the business and help to bring in loads of new, modern ideas. After having such a positive experience with our own apprentices, we would always be open to hiring more as we believe they have been a great asset to the company!

Don't forget we're exhibiting at Professional Beauty London on the 17th-18th of October on Stand M39. Feel free to come down and meet the team for a free demo of the software.

Salon Tracker x

How to Retain Clients

 

Customer retention, or customer loyalty, is an important part of running a salon especially due to the current climate due to COVID-19 and salons having been closed for so long. This week we decided to put together a blog to share our best tips and tricks to keep clients coming into your salon.

Social Media

One of the best, and easiest, ways to keep your clients coming back it to utilise social media. Regular posting of your work and other post relating to your salon means that your customers will keep seeing your posts and this will remind them to keep getting booked in with you. Social media is also a great way to connect and communicate with your clients too. Clients are more likely to return to a salon where they feel comfortable and communicating and interacting with them over social media is a great way to do so.  If you would like some ideas on how to manage and run a social media account effectively for your salon go to www.salontracker.co.uk.news and see the many blogs we’ve written about this. P.s drop us a follow @salontrackersoftware

SMS Marketing

Another way you can keep your customers coming back to your salon is by sending them text message marketing campaigns. The great thing about this is it could be anything you want.  Salon Trackers ‘Marketing Suite’ gives you the option to filter out specific groups of customers to send messages to directly from your system. For example, you could filter out all your best spending customers for that month and send them a text to try and encourage them to get re booked into your salon. Here is an example of an SMS that you could send:

Hi ‘FORENAME’

Thank you for being one of our most loyal customers! As a thank you here’s your voucher for 10% off your next visit!

See you Soon!

YOURSALONNAME YOURSALONNUMBER T’s&C’s Apply

Loyalty Rewards

One thing that customers will always love is to be rewarded for their loyalty. One way you could do this is set up a loyalty scheme or loyalty groups. For example, one way that you could work this is have different packages all depending on how many appointments that they have had with you. You could have gold, silver and bronze packages all which have different levels of rewards for your most loyal customers including discounts off treatments, retail products or even exclusive access to new treatments before your other clients. Having a reward scheme like this will encourage all your customers to stay loyal to your salon and keep coming in as much as possible. Salon Tracker gives you the option to manage this with our groups feature and this means you can just put these customers into the correct rewards group and Salon Tracker will manage this for you!

If you would like any more information on any of these features or would like us to help you get them set up, please give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email on info@salontracker.co.uk for any help or training!

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How to establish your new and upcoming salon

When establishing a new business within the salon industry there are a few things that you must take into consideration.

Business plans are essential when starting a new salon, you must be prepared and organised for any situation that may come your way when preparing for the launch of the salon. Things such as a grand opening should be organised to spread the word of your upcoming salon within the community, within this party you can display products that you offer as well as offers.

It is important to plan out what services will be provided within the salon, to do this you must take into consideration what treatments are most desirable within your target market/audience. As the owner of the business products and services you supply to your clients should be under constant review as trends are forever changing therefore people’s preferences of treatments will vary dependent on the season and the trends throughout the year.

One major aspect in promoting your newly established salon is your social media presence. It is important to have a business account on a variety of different social media platforms so that you are able to reach out to a range of different clients. To be able to retain and attract new clients you must ensure that you are constantly posting on each of your social media accounts, posting at least twice a day as a minimum on each account at the correct times during the day. For example, most individuals check their social media pages during their lunch break at work and on a night after work therefore it would be logical to post at these times of a day as people are more active on their social media accounts. The times may change dependent on your client basis taking into consideration factors such as if the majority of your salon clients are full time stay at home parents. The content you post is of high importance especially when you’re a new salon, content such as before and after images are a great way to promote the upcoming salon as clients love to see the process you make. It allows them to build a confidence bond between the client and your staff member as they have been made aware that the staff are very much capable.

For your salon to be able to develop a solid client base it is important that the customer experience starting from when the client enters the salon, walking into reception to when they pay for the service and leave must be impeccable. This means that the environment must exceed customer expectations in terms of cleanliness and decorativeness as clients are more likely to recommend your salon to friends when they have been built a personal relationship with the staff members within your salon from them providing an excellent service (including aftercare) and interacting with the client. Word of mouth is essential and helps to spread awareness of your salon and its services.

There are many ways in which you as a salon owner are able to maintain the high quality of care you are providing to your clients whilst promoting the business to the best of your abilities. Asking clients for reviews including how in their opinion their experience at the salon could be improved this allows you to constantly enhance the quality of your services and customer experience. Doing this will provide your salon with a higher chance of repeat clients when you add value to their service and experience. After each appointment it is essential for you and your staff members to always offer to schedule the clients next appointment to prompt them into returning. 

When starting a new salon owners like to offer discounts to entice customers to the salon. There are variation of different discount methods that you can use to entice clients to book at your salon such as referral discounts and start up offers.

These are just a few tips on how to establish your new salon within your community, follow our blog updates every week to learn the tools you are able to use to promote your business and maintain a strong client basis.

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Unknown Beauty Hacks you just need to know!

We've had 16 months since the start of the pandemic to now and i'm sure you have found out lots of little beauty hacks to get you through all 3 lockdowns. I've pulled out some of the best ones that have been tried and tested by us girls at Salon Tracker and we think they're too good to not share!

Castor Oil.

If you haven't already purchased a bottle of castor oil then you need to get one immediately! Castor oil is rich n fatty acids, Vitamin E and Proteins which is the best recipe for rapid hair growth. This can be applied to your scalp over night in a shower cap to avoid it going all over your pillow then washed out the next day for hair growth. Or it can be applied to lashes and eyebrows for growth too. Tried and tested by myself, after having lash extensions applied for months I didn't have many lashes left and what I did have left were short and brittle. After 2-3 months using castor oil on my lashes every night my lashes were long and thick again and received many compliments about them!

To get your hands on your own bottle, click the link below!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BYTT88F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Green Tea Bath

Green Tea is known for the many benefits it has when you drink it... but how many of you knew that a soak in a green tea bath is also really good for you! Green Tea baths can help reduce muscle pain and reduce redness of the skin. Known for the great antioxidants it contains it has also been said to have anti-aging effects as it helps your skin to recover from environmental elements. You can simply use green tea tea bags in your bath or you could try purchasing a green tea infused bath salt and see which you prefer!

Cold Water Face Wash

Simple yet effective - a cold water face wash! It seems to be our instinct to wash our faces with warm water rather than cold, probably because it is more comfortable like this! But unfortunately warm water on our face opens up our pores and can increase the likelihood of bacteria getting in them and causing breakouts. Cold water keeps your pores closed whilst allowing your face to be cleaned of bacteria with a cleanser the proper way, therefore reducing the amount of breakouts! A cold water face wash can also be quite refreshing, especially in summer!

Powder Lashes

Wanting a fuller lash but not wanting to splash out on lots of different mascaras? Try applying a coat of mascara then dusting your lashes with some translucent powder whilst the coat is still wet. Then apply another coat of mascara and notice a huge difference! You can also use baby powder as an alternative to the translucent powder, just make sure you don't get it in your eye!

The never ending perks of vaseline

Vaseline is an essential when it come to keeping your lips moisturised but it has many other great uses too. It is a great reliever of dry skin and has healing properties on things such as scratches and cuts. Vaseline can also come in handy if you have forgotten your makeup remover, simply apply a little bit onto your eyelids and wipe off with a cotton pad to remove any mascara or eyeshadow! Vaseline can also work well as a more natural form of highlight to top off your sleek makeup look - forget expensive highlighters and make room for Vaseline!

Hair Spray for the win

All women all over the world know how frustrating baby hairs can be when we are styling our hair, even more annoying when you pin them out of the way with a bobby pin and less than an hour later its already slid out! One hack I have come to know is spraying your bobby pins with hair spray before you put them in your hair. This gives them a bit more texture and grip and allows them to stay in your hair all day! 

Rice isn't just good for eating!

Using Rice Water on your hair is a popular hair growth hack all over the world but its not something that everyone knows about... soaking hair in rice water is a cheap yet effective method of turning your hair from dull, dark and dead into long luscious locks. Simply follow the below instructions to make the rice water:

- Take 1/2 cup uncooked rice

- Rinse thoroughly

- Place rice in a bowl with 2-3 cups of water and leave to soak for 30 mins

- Strain the rice into a clean bowl and retain for your next hair wash!

When it comes to next washing your hair simply shampoo and rinse your hair, poor rice water onto the hair and massage into hair and scalp. Leave on for 20-30 mins then rinse thoroughly with warm water! Do this 1-2 times per week and watch the results shine!

These are our top 7 unknown beauty hacks, why not let us know how you find them or even better, tell us a new unknown beauty hack?

Salon Tracker x 

Utilising Pinterest for your Salon

When running a salon, social media is one of the most useful tools on offer. Pinterest is one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, with over 416 million monthly active users, but it is often overlooked. Here at Salon Tracker, we believe that Pinterest is useful in so many ways, such as: finding inspiration, showcasing your work and selling your retail products.

Finding Inspiration

Pinterest allows you to create mood boards which you can tailor to your own needs. You are able to search for pins, which are photos that people have uploaded, and add these to your mood boards. Not only does it suggest the current trends to search for, it also allows you to choose your own searches, for example ‘summer nails’. This will bring up lots of different pictures to browse through and you can then pin these to your mood board to refer back to. Once you have added a few pins, it will then also bring up similar images that you be interested in. It’s a fantastic tool for keeping on top of what is trending at the moment.

Not only is it useful for finding inspiration for your treatments, but it is also useful for the interior inspiration for your salon. Whether this is a full salon makeover or simply a bit of seasonal décor, there is bound to be ideas on Pinterest that you can use.

Promoting your company

Another way in which you can use Pinterest to benefit your salon is that you can create ads. These can be done in a few ways such as a quick ad, which is a one-off payment that pushes one of your pins to a wider audience. Another way is campaign creation which is a more in-depth way, in which you can set daily amounts you wish to spend advertising.

Showcasing your work

As well as being able to save other people’s pins, you are able to create your own and share your work. You are able to upload a photo, which you can then add details to, such as what products you have used, and you can also link your website to the pin so that if they click the pin, they can be linked directly to your website. When posting, you have the option to post now or post at a later date so that you can post at times you know that people are more active.

Other image-based social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter do not have a very long post life, meaning that the posts do not stay on peoples feeds for very long. Pinterest however has a much longer post life and can see businesses getting leads up to 30 days after an initial post.

 

If you don't already follow us on Pinterest already, go give us a follow @salontracker and check out the different boards on our page for some inspo!  

If you have questions, feel free to drop us an e-mail at info@salontracker.co.uk or call us on 0113 350 8230.

Salon Tracker X

Things from the lockdown that are here to stay!

Hi everyone, hope your salons are still keeping busy throughout these Summer months! How are we in August already?! Quite scary how much times flying and that your salons have been re-open for almost 4 months! We’re so glad that things seem to finally be going back to some normality, even though there is still a bit of a new normal, we wanted to run through some changes that salons have made throughout the lockdown and which of these have perhaps proven to be beneficial for the future too.


Appointment Only Salon

Before the lockdown, quite a lot of our salons offered a walk-in service, especially in the tanning and barber industry. Following reopening, a lot of salons had to operate as appointment-only, to ensure that social distancing was adhered to and for the government track and trace programme. However, for a lot of businesses that began running this way, they realised that for marketing purposes it’s much better to offer an appointment only service, as clients this way have to register to make a booking as a pose to just walking-in. So, this is brilliant for data capture and also client retention, as you can re-market to these clients to remind them to book their next appointment. It’s also brilliant for reporting purposes, as you can also see which clients are re-visiting and also what your most popular treatments are with certain age groups or demographics!


PPE/Sanitising Station and Screens

Even though the mask-wearing requirement has now been dropped by the government, a lot of our salons have opted to keep this requirement for the time-being, to ensure maximum safety within the workplace for both employees and customers. As the months go on and hopefully, as we begin to see the end of the pandemic, even if many of you decide to then stop the mask wearing, a few salons have said that they will ensure sanitising stations stay around the salon and also will keep their Perspex screens up at reception. These are just simple safety tools that will help to protect staff and clients in general and just improve the overall hygiene within the salon!


Online Registration and Online Booking 

Throughout the lockdown, we saw our biggest uptake in upgrades to online booking and for clients to register online. The biggest advantage of this, it saves employees time and clients are then in control of making their own bookings. But not only that, it also means that if customers can register online, they can do this using their own devices and therefore this just stops overcrowding at the main reception desk, plus the sharing of pens & registration desks. Which all improves client safety whilst saving time and improving organisation in the salon too.

Digital Disclaimers

Most of our salons have terms and conditions that clients have to read and agree to before they are able to have a treatment. However, a lot of salons used to provide a paper copy of this to customers to keep as a reference of the salon’s t’s & c’s. Throughout the lockdown, we saw many businesses opting to have these added to their online registration page, or as a PDF link within their salon app, or simply as an email link, to stop the handling of paper documents during this time. But again, not only does this improve client safety, it also allows the salon to go paperless, saving on resources and meaning the client can now access these documents digitally on their phones or tablets!


App Ordering 

For some of our salons, especially if they are in hotels, many have coffee bars or cafés attached on their premises. So, throughout the lockdown, some of you were offering app ordering as a takeaway solution. Now even though these premises are allowed to re-open properly, many of you have said you will keep the app ordering and QR scan at tables for online menu viewing, as this not only again improves hygiene, it also saves on paper menus and client queues at the till area! Many of you also operated as a card-only business throughout the lockdown, with a lot of businesses still operating this way until we know that the pandemic is over, to stop the multi-handling of cash.


So it seems that the technological advances have really proven to be beneficial to our salons over the past few months, as many of you are opting to keep your online features and appointment-only way of operating. We’re so glad that the last few months have been busy and successful for you and if there are any further promotional tips that you would like help with, our sales and marketing team are always on hand to help you. Just give us a call or drop an email to info@salontracker.co.uk and we’d be happy to book a free marketing session with you.


Not a user of Salon Tracker yet? Simply head over to www.salontracker.co.uk/freetrial.aspx to get your free 2-week trial of our software! See how we can help you to further boost your salon business!


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