The Rise of Natural Beauty

In the business of our daily lives, it's easy to get caught up in all our responsibilities and forget to take care of ourselves. However, carving out time for self-care is essential for maintaining our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. And what better way to pamper yourself than with a rejuvenating spa day, complete with protective hair styles and makeup that doubles as skincare? Let's dive into the ultimate self-care guide to help you look and feel your best from head to toe.

A spa day offers the perfect opportunity to unwind and recharge both your body and mind. Whether you choose to visit a professional spa or create your own at home, there are countless ways to indulge in relaxation and self-care.

Start by drawing a warm bath infused with essential oils or bath salts to soothe tired muscles and promote relaxation. Light some candles, play soft music, and sink into the blissful tranquillity of your own personal sanctuary.

Treat your skin to a luxurious exfoliation session to reveal a radiant complexion underneath. You can use a gentle scrub or opt for a DIY mask made from natural ingredients like honey, oats, and yogurt for a spa-worthy glow.

Finally, don't forget to nourish your body from the inside out by staying hydrated and enjoying healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, and herbal teas throughout the day. After all, self-care is about nourishing your whole being, not just your external appearance.

While indulging in self-care, it's essential to show your hair some love too. Protective hair styles not only shield your strands from environmental damage but also provide the perfect deep conditioning treatments and hair masks hair styles.

Consider opting for hairstyles like braids, twists, or buns that keep your hair tucked away and protected from harsh elements like sun exposure and pollution. These styles not only look chic but also help maintain moisture and prevent breakage, promoting healthy hair growth in the long run.

To take your hair care routine to the next level, incorporate nourishing hair masks into your spa day ritual. Choose products rich in natural oils, such as coconut oil, argan oil, or jojoba oil, to hydrate and revitalize your locks from root to tip.

Incorporating makeup into your skincare routine may seem counterintuitive, but with the right products, you can enhance your natural beauty while nourishing your skin at the same time.

Start by prepping your skin with a hydrating primer infused with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Then, opt for lightweight, breathable formulations like tinted moisturizers or BB creams that provide coverage while allowing your skin to breathe.

When choosing makeup products, look for formulations enriched with antioxidants, SPF, and other skin-loving ingredients to protect and nourish your skin throughout the day. Mineral-based powders can help absorb excess oil and shine without clogging pores, while creamy blushes and highlighters add a healthy, dewy glow to your complexion.

Stepover x Salon Tracker Software

The success story of digitalisation in beauty, spa & hair salons with Salon Tracker Ltd and StepOver is an impressive example of how innovative technologies can optimise the workflow and increase the efficiency of companies.

The desktop and laptop-based salon management solution from Salon Tracker is used in many stores to make everyday tasks easier. This includes, for example: saving time as salon owners and their employees will no longer need to keep paper records for their clients, increasing security with local and cloud backups of customer data and building profits with features such as online booking and payments, meaning salon customers can book and pay for their services 24/7!

One challenge that existed, however, was the large number of paper documents such as terms and conditions or disclaimers that still had to be signed by customers on paper. Salon Tracker recognised this and approached StepOver to integrate a digital signature solution into their software solution. This was the start of a successful collaboration.

With the implementation of StepOver’s duraSign Pad Brilliance, tedious paperwork has become redundant. Documents can be signed electronically and managed seamlessly in the Salon Tracker software. For example, customers no longer receive a hard copy of the terms and conditions. They can conveniently view them directly on the signature pad and approve them with their signature. This not only saves printing costs, but also a lot of time for the salon teams - there is no need for time-consuming scanning and archiving of signed documents for compliance and auditing.

The seamless integration of the StepOver solution into the Salon Tracker software provides a smooth signing experience. The sleek design of the StepOver pads perfectly matches the aesthetics of the Salon Tracker Point of Sale (POS). The simple installation made it easy for Salon Tracker to support the StepOver pads. The success was obvious. Within a very short time, the solution was adopted by customers in large numbers.

“We would definitely recommend StepOver to other companies, as the feature has been so seamless and successful for our clients, the customers' signature clearly transfers on to their disclaimers - so this is a great solution for obtaining information.”
- Leah Cave (Senior Sales and Marketing Executive at Salon Tracker)

In the future, Salon Tracker plans to expand the types of documents that can be signed on the signature pads to further increase the benefits of this seamless solution. This includes, for example, consultation forms or treatment waivers.

The StepOver signature pad has established itself as an integral part of Salon Tracker's success by providing an efficient, modern and aesthetically pleasing way to capture client information. Overall, the partnership between Salon Tracker and StepOver has not only saved time and resources, but has also set a new standard for elegance and efficiency in the beauty, spa & hair industry. To learn more about the Salon Tracker software, click here. To learn more about StepOver and their electronic signature solutions, click here.

Radiant Renewal: Spring 2024 Look book

 As spring is approaching new trends and colours will be coming back out. As the days get a bit lighter and the sun gets a bit brighter we want to share with you our best looks to prepare for spring. Spring is the time for vibrant colours, hair makeovers and embracing new nail design. This blog will share with you our favourite looks.

1. Blossoming Skincare Treatments:

Say goodbye to dull winter skin and hello to a fresh, dewy spring glow. Get yourself booked in for a facial to restore your radiance and brighten your complexion. You could nourish your skin with an illuminating Vitamin C facial to give you the glow that everyone wishes for.

2. Floral-inspired Hair Transformations:

A new hair style or colour can be a great way to get rid of winter blues and step into summer. From soft pastel highlights to vibrant floral accents or even just a few spring hair accessories, there are so many options to make your hair feel spring ready.

3. Spring Nail Art Extravaganza:

Let your nails become a canvas this spring with intricate floral patterns, pastel gradients, and sparkling accents. Whether you prefer a classic French manicure with a springtime twist or a bold statement nail, treat yourself to a fresh set for that extra confidence boost.

4. Fresh Spring Makeup Looks:

Elevate your beauty routine with a fresh spring makeup look to embrace some radiant colors and get that natural glow. This spring try out some new makeup techniques to enhance your features with soft, dewy textures, and luminous finishes, to create an effortlessly elegant look.

At Salon Tracker we believe that a fresh beauty look is a great way to boost your mood there's no better time to embrace your inner radiance than the season of spring. We hope that these beauty looks inspire you to indulge in a spring refresh and say farewell to those lingering winter blues.

Salon Tracker x

Happy Galentine's Day!

 

Happy Galentine's Day!

 

Why not make the most of Galentine's and Valentine's day by offering discounts and deals in your salon!

Here are some ideas for things you could do to increase your sales during this period:

 

Galentine's Spa Day

Offering special packages for groups of friends is a great way to promote your business and bring new customers to your salon. Packages could include facials, massages, manicures, pedicures or any other treatments that you offer! Offers like buy one get one free or group discounts are always great to get a group together. You could even plan a full spa day package for the group with all treatments included... Because Galentine's is all about treating yourself and feeling good whilst catching up with the gals right?

 

Valentine's deals

Offering special couples packages is also a great way to increase your business. Whether that be couples massages or getting your nails done together! A special treat for a loved one is always appreciated! It's a great way to relax and catch up with that special person in your life. It gives you the chance to enjoy each other's company whilst being pampered in the best way possible.

 

Gift Card Specials

Offering Galentine's gift cards can encourage your customers to buy gifts for their ‘gals’ to treat themselves. This will benefit your business as it can attract new customers to your salon through loyal customers referring their friends. Who can say no to a day out with their bestie, and what better way to do this than with a gift card!

 

Remember to promote your Galentine's Day and Valentine's specials through your salon's website, social media channels, email newsletters, and in-salon signage to attract clients and encourage them to celebrate friendship and self-care at your salon!

Here are some ideas of quick and easy SMS marketing campaigns you could do:

'Love is in the hair! Treat yourself this Valentine's Day with a salon pampering session. Because nothing says self-love like a fresh haircut or a relaxing spa treatment. Book now! '

'Get that sun-kissed glow just in time for Valentine's Day! Enjoy our special offer on tanning sessions and look radiant for your romantic date night. Book now and shine bright!'

'Pamper yourself or surprise your sweetheart with our exclusive Valentine's Day offer! Enjoy 20% off on all spa services, from massages to facials. Treat yourself to some love and relaxation! '

'Celebrate love, celebrate life, and celebrate your radiant self with our Valentine's Day tanning offer! Enjoy discounted rates on our premium tanning services and glow like never before. Book your session today! '

'Don't miss out on our Valentine's Day special offer! Enjoy a free manicure with every haircut or blowout. Because nothing says love like a fresh new look! '

We hope this blog helped you with ideas to help promote your business and increase your sales!

 

Salon Tracker x

Salon Tracker’s top tips for increased engagement on Instagram!

Salon Tracker’s Top Tips for Increased Engagement on Instagram!

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is also about promoting your business and getting your name out there.

You can easily do this on Instagram by adding your logo as your profile picture and adding a tagline into your bio to help make clear to potential customers what your salon is all about!

Another super useful way to increase your brand awareness is by adding a link or website of yours to your account. This will help potential customers find more information about your salon.

On our Enterprise package you have access to your very own customised online bookings link which is great for letting customers know what you offer in your salon!

Content

A key part of Instagram is, of course, the content you create and post. It’s important to post about things relevant to you!

Posting is such an easy and useful marketing strategy and even better… It’s completely free! Ensuring your posts are of high quality and eye catching will make your viewers stop to read them.

Things we recommend posting are offers you have on, posts of your work done on customers, and info about the retail products you sell.

Hashtags

It is also important to use hashtags in your posts as this is how you can widen your customer base. Using a variety of hashtags that fit your brand is great for this.

Some hashtags we recommend would be ones with your city in so that people based near you can find you. Using ones related to your treatments are also useful such as #hairgoals #tangoals #nailart #bronzedbeauty #manicuremonday #selfcaresunday #balayage #sunkissed #blowout.

 

Host Giveaways

Our final top tip to increase your engagement on Instagram is by doing a giveaway. A giveaway is such an easy way to increase your customer base as customers that already follow you will be tagging and sharing your business with their friends.

The giveaway prize can be as easy as offering a free treatment or free course. If you wanted to push the boat out you could even make a hamper of the retail products you sell. These prizes give customers the chance to try new treatments of yours and try out the products you sell, which may ultimately become their new favourite to buy in store!

Giveaways are a super fun way to increase your engagement on Instagram and will benefit your business in the long run.

We hope this blog gave you some useful tips and ideas on how you can boost your Instagram and get the word out about your business!

Salon Tracker x

Salon Tracker packages

 

Package Breakdown

Having difficulties with deciding on what package best suits you? Well, in this blog I will guide you through a complete breakdown of each package and how it can revolutionise your salon.

Standard - £30+VAT per month

·         Tracks Customer minutes, purchases and booking history

·         Complete point of sale features

·         One booking calendar

·         Standard business reports

Our standard package is our most simple package, at just £30pm (+VAT) you can track your customers minutes, purchase and booking history allowing you to kiss goodbye to crammed paper files and customer cards. The standard package also includes a booking calendar to view your bookings and a walk in view ensuring your next customer will be on a sunbed or with a beautician within just a few clicks. There are also standard business reports such as cashing up and action log giving you access to all the ins and outs of your salon for the day.

Professional - £60+VAT per month

·         All features of standard

·         Stock management

·         Marketing features (SMS + Email)

·         Advanced business reports and charts

·         Integrates with T-max and Sigma managers

·         Finger print reader and signature pad functions available

Including everything from the standard package, professional is a great choice for single site salons who want to maximize Salon Trackers capabilities while still keeping in a affordable price range. Giving you access to the Marketing features enabling you to push out your latest services and deals via email or SMS and save time by using our pre made templates for SMS messages. Utilise the advanced reports Salon Tracker has pre made for you, filter in the time and date and search for the report you’d like and have access to all the information a salon owner needs. Finally manage your stock with the stock information feature, allowing you to set a low stock warning, trade price and back stock levels, perfect for keeping away from the tedious stock counting all done by salon tracker.  

Enterprise - £90+VAT per month

·         Online booking

·         Site view app

·         Online Payments

·         Multi-Site support

·         Multiple calendars

·         Cloud storage

Enterprise, the perfect package for multi-site owners who can only be in one place at one time, Salon Trackers enterprise package equips you with site view and multi-site features allowing you to view your reports, customers, bookings and more from anytime anywhere for only £90pm +VAT. The siteview app can be downloaded to any smartphone while the multi-site add-on features enable you to view and change different sites on one system.  Get fully booked without lifting a finger with the online booking system matched with online payments using apple pay, Klarna, google pay and more! Get busy with multiple calendars supporting your services whether it be tanning, hair or nails we can add extra calendars to keep your schedule clear.

If you want to find more about Salon Trackers packages please just email info@salontracker.co.uk or call 0113 350 8230 to book in a free demonstration or 2 week free trial.

Hello 2024!

 

2024 is here!

A big Happy New Year to all of our customers, we hope you had a lovely Christmas period and are feeling refreshed for the new year!

It’s our second day back in the office so we are all settled back into  our routines and ready for the upcoming year.

In 2023, there was a lot of changes in Salon Tracker with us growing the team by three new members on the sales and support team who I’m sure you have had the pleasure of speaking to over the past few months.

Our developers have also been working hard on improving the system and our newest version is currently in the testing phase. In this new version we have updated the framework that Salon Tracker runs on which means that in the future when we are adding new features and developing those that we already have, this will be a smoother process.

We have lots of exciting things coming up this year so make sure you stay up to date by following out social media accounts:

·         Instagram - @salontrackersoftware

·         Facebook - @salontracker

·         Twitter - @salontrackerltd

Finally, to start off the year with  a bang we have our brand new January offer on. If you sign up with us this January you will receive 30% off your first three months subscription.

To get booked in for your free demo and trial please call 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

You can also enquire at www.salontracker.co.uk/freetrial

At Salon Tracker we are excited for the year ahead and want to wish everyone the best of luck in reaching their goals in 2024!

Best wishes,

Salon Tracker x

Goodbye 2023!

 

We can’t believe it’s already that time of year!

This year has been a big year for Salon Tracker with us expanding our Salon Tracker Family both internally with many new team members I’m sure you’ve had the opportunity to speak to and also a number of new customers who are now allowing us to help grow your business!

We want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your consistent support and loyal custom this year as we have been working hard on improving the basics of the software so in 2024 we can add some very in demand features!

We know this year has been difficult with the cost of living crisis that has affected many of our customers. This is why we have kept out subscription prices the same for over the last 10 years, even though we are continuously adding to and improving the system.

As we go into 2024, we know that this can be a difficult time of the year for salons where they may get a bit quieter, so if you’re thinking about getting set up with us keep your eyes peeled for some potential offers on our social media accounts.

With that being said, we are CLOSED for Christmas between the 22^nd of December and the 2^nd of January. If you need any support during this period please go to www.salontracker.co.uk/help where you can see help videos and support guides on how to fix frequent problems .

If you do require any urgent licensing assistance during this time, please telephone our support line on 0113 350 8232 and someone will get back to you where possible with your activation code.

On behalf of everyone here at Salon Tracker, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and health new year and we can’t wait to continue working with you all in 2024!

Salon Tracker x

Your Guide to Christmas Marketing

 

Your Guide To Christmas Marketing

Everybody wants to look good for Christmas, so they’ll be more likely to book their beauty treatments and tans, but how can you drive them to your salon? And how do you keep them coming back?

 

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is possibly the most powerful marketing strategy to drive in new clients. One of the most effective ways to spread the word is to incentivise current customers with a refer a friend scheme, offering a discount for both your existing customer and the new member that they bring in. By doing this, you are likely to keep the new client coming back after they have experienced your amazing in-salon experience, and then they will likely refer someone else, with this cycle continuing to bring you in lots of great new customers.

 

Social Media

So you already post multiple times a week, but how do you get your salon’s name out there to new potential customers? Running a giveaway on your Instagram or Facebook page is a very effective way to reach new people. Give instructions for people to follow to be entered into the giveaway like “tag 3 friends” and “share to your story”. Everybody loves a freebie, so everyone will be tagging their friends and sharing, especially when it’s not costing them anything.

 

Salon Exterior

Get creative with your festive decorations! Make sure you pay as much attention to the outside and windows of your salon as you do to the inside. With sunset coming much earlier throughout Winter, some bright decorations and lights in your windows will attract people who are walking and driving past; it’s like having a free billboard! An added benefit of this is that putting up Christmas decorations is super enjoyable and sure to get you and your staff members into the festive spirit.

 

Salon Tracker’s SMS and Email Marketing Suite

A great way to entice current and previous customers is through SMS and email marketing messages. You can offer special discounts or incentives for them to book with you. With Salon Tracker’s marketing suite, you can filter your customer list to include only relevant customers (e.g. customers who haven’t booked with you within a certain timeframe). This clever feature allows you to send different messages to different groups of customers.

For more information, please call us on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk and one of our friendly sales team will be happy to help!

Have a great Christmas!

Salon Tracker x

How to make the most out of Black Friday!

Everybody loves a good deal, and with the countdown to Christmas beginning soon, treating your clients is the best way to keep them coming back for more.

This blog will give you a rundown on how you can benefit from Black Friday deals in your salon!

One great way to get your customers to buy more of your courses, treatments and retail products is by adding discounts. A deal always appeals to customers and will ultimately increase your sales and keep your customers happy.

Another great way to benefit from Black Friday is by offering discounted gift vouchers in store. This is a great Christmas gift for your customers to purchase, and of course expand your customer base.

You could also offer free minutes on a course you sell which will attract your customers to purchase them, in return bringing more bookings to your salon.

A great way to promote your deals is by using social media and our advanced marketing suite on Salon Tracker. Letting your customers know about your offers will bring in more business.

And we of course practice what we preach and had to do some deals of our own! 

Read below to find out what our amazing Black Friday deals and discounts are:

 

Sign up now and get 50% off your first month

Purchase our SMS bundles and get 15% off now!

And last but not least... Purchase our hardware for up to 15% off 

Our deals are available until 1st December 2023 so don't miss out!

 
If you're not already a customer of ours then what better time to join us than now with these amazing deals on offer! Just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email at info@salontracker.co.uk.

That's all for now!

Salon Tracker x 

Frequently asked questions!

 

This blog is going to go through all the frequently asked questions we get here at Salon Tracker from new and existing customers. We hope that this will answer some of your questions too. 

Sales - 

What features are included in each package?

At Salon Tracker we have three different packages to suit every Salon's needs. Our standard package has all of your digital customer cards, complete client history, 8 business reports and SMS booking reminders. Our next package is the professional package, this package gives you access to an SMS and email marketing suite, stock management and password protected staff logins. All of the Salon features you could need in one place. Our final package is the Enterprise package which gives you access to your very own online account. This means you can have a customised online booking page with payments, your data backed up to the cloud and an app which gives you access to booking and reports from home. This package is perfect for boosting your sales outside of salon hours. 

Are there any hidden costs of the software?

No, Salon Tracker has no hidden costs. We do have optional extras but these are not required. If you are wanting to send out SMS marketing campaigns we sell SMS credits in bundles of 1,000 or if you would like to setup online payments we use a third party payment provider. However, if you are just wanting to use the software without any added costs that's what we do best! We also offer free training, setup and support to keep your costs down. 

Do you sell hardware? 

At Salon Tracker we sell a range of hardware from POS bundles to PC's, we have hardware to meet everyone's needs. We sell POS bundles which include a receipt printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner at a lower price than when you buy the items separate. Or if you want hardware to enhance your Salon's security and safety we sell fingerprint readers and signatures pads. We also sell PC's which fully meet the Salon Tracker specification so you know you won't have any issues. To buy hardware from us, all you need to do is call us on 0113 250 8230, it's that simple. 

Support - 

How do I connect my TMAX if it disconnects?

If Salon Tracker stops sending minutes to your beds the first thing you need to do is check the TMAX box, if it shows 00 that means the beds are connected and if it shows – they are not, and the box will need to be restarted. Once you have done this step or when 00 is showing you will need to follow these steps to connect the TMAX to Salon Tracker.

• Un-plug and re-plug the TMAX cable from the PC
• Re start Salon Tracker – this should re connect the beds, if not use the following steps
• Shut down Salon tracker
• Go to ‘Device manager’
• Look for ‘Ports’ – if there is nothing showing the cable is faulty or not plugged in
• If it shows ‘this device is not supported by windows11’ double click on it
• Go to ‘driver’
• Then click ‘update driver’
• Then ‘browse my computer for drivers’
• It should give you a list to pick from click the ‘2018’ one – if that doesn’t show ring Salon Tracker
• Once it is installed reopen Salon Tracker and the beds should be connected

How can I back up my data on Salon Tracker?

If you're on our Enterprise package you don’t need to worry about backups as we store your data on the cloud for you!

But if you're one of our customers on our standard or professional package your data will back up to your PC, but we always recommend getting a removable device back up. You can get this at most shops, all you need to do is find an 8GB (recommended) memory stick and plug it into your PC. It’s that easy! Just make sure when closing Salon Tracker down you tick the ‘Backup the database (Local drive)’ and ‘Backup the database (removable drive)’.

Where can I find support outside of Salon Tracker hours?

As our office hours are 9-5 Monday – Friday, we’re not always available but one of the things we have introduced to help out customers are our support videos. This can help with training staff or just common queries, and can be found on Salon Tracker. The help section of Salon Tracker shows all the help videos from how to use the calendar to advanced reports. We hope this continues to help all our customers when we are not around to. 

We hope that this blog has helped to answer all of your questions on both the sales and support sides of Salon Tracker. However, if you do have any questions which we haven't answered here then just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us at info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker x

My First Year!

 

 

I’m sure I have had the pleasure of speaking to the majority of our clients, if you haven’t spoken to me yet… I’m Mia. I am part of the support team here at Salon Tracker Software.

I started working at Salon Tracker in June 2022 and began learning how the software works. Once I was comfortable with the system and understood it I began looking into the support side of Salon Tracker.

A typical day in my life consists of answering your support calls and helping out with any queries that you may have and also going through tickets we have taken from you with things such as feature requests and seeing if these requests are something we can add.

As the software is always being updated one large part of my role is to conduct testing on any of the new versions of Salon Tracker to make sure everything is running correctly before we set this live for our customers.

As well as supporting our customers with their software needs, I also have a role in setting up PC’s that customers have bought from us and also connecting any other hardware, such as Cash Drawers, Fingerprint Readers and more for our customers in their salons.

As well as that I am also studying at Sheffield Hallam University to complete a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship , which Salon Tracker has given me the opportunity to complete alongside working. Completing this degree whilst working at the same time has given me the opportunity to take skills that I have learnt at University and put them into practice at work. 

In the future I am hoping to develop my knowledge more in the support side of Salon Tracker so I can learn the more technical side of the system as this is an area which interests me most due to it being a bit more complex.

Overall, I have really enjoyed my first year at Salon Tracker.  I have enjoyed getting to know the system and speaking to the new and existing customers. The team have been extremely helpful in terms of helping me settling in and helping me answer any questions I have had. We have many projects planned for the near future so keep tuned and see what the Salon Tracker team is going to be up to over the coming year. I look forward to speaking to you in the future!

Mia x

How using Salon Tracker's Online Services can Benefit your Salon!

As summer fast approaches, here at  Salon Tracker we know that this means busy season is close for our customers. In this blog we are going to talk about how using the online services available in our enterprise package can help you and your salon business, especially in these upcoming months.

 

Open 24/7

One of the major benefits of offering online services such as online booking and online payments is that your customers aren’t limited to your salons opening hours when it comes to booking appointments and paying for services. When it comes to our customers who use our online booking feature, 36% of all of their online bookings are made out of their salons opening hours. This means that if they didn’t have this feature, they would lose out on 36% of their bookings. Our online payment feature also allows your customers to buy services out of your salons opening hours meaning your salon is bringing in a profit even when you’re shut.

Reduces Waiting time in the Salon

Another benefit of using our online services for your salon is that they can help reduce your customers' waiting time in the salon drastically. For example, if you’re a tanning salon or a nail salon who predominantly offer walk in appointments, offering your customers online booking will mean that they won’t need to just show up and wait for an appointment, they can choose a time which works for them and will know that they won’t need to wait once they get there.

Cloud Backup

One major benefit of using our Enterprise package is that all of your salon/customer data is backed up to the cloud. This means that every time your Salon Tracker syncs to the internet, this goes to the cloud. Due to this if your salon unfortunately gets into a situation where your PC breaks, gets damaged or even stolen, you won’t need to worry about losing any information on your software. All we will need to do is connect to your new PC and then redownload all of your Salon Tracker information onto there. Having all your data backed up to the cloud also means that you don’t have to back it up locally to your PC, saving space on your disk.

 

If you’re interested in getting booked in for a look at these services in a FREE demonstration of our system please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 0113 350 8230 or emailing us on info@salontracker.co.uk .

 

If you’re an existing customer and are wanting more information about potentially upgrading your Salon Tracker package to our Enterprise package, again please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 0113 350 8230 or emailing us on info@salontracker.co.uk .

 

Salon Tracker x

The Hidden Costs of 'Free' Salon Software

You may think you’re onto a winner when you sign up to a free Salon Software subscription but have you actually thought about the hidden costs and implications that come with it? You may end up paying overall just in the online bookings you take when the money from them bookings should be rightfully yours, wouldn’t you agree?

Here at Salon Tracker we have kept the same pricing model since 2014 – that’s nearly a decade of affordable software that is tailored to each of your Salon needs. Furthermore, we have 3 set subscriptions with no hidden costs… FREE training, FREE support and unlimited FREE online bookings. What more could you want?

The beauty industry is a competitive place, and it's important for salon owners to stay ahead of the game. However, when it comes to salon software, many salon owners mistakenly believe that free software is the best option for their business. While free salon software may seem like a great idea, there are hidden costs associated with using it that can add up over time. First, free salon software often comes with limited features and functionality. This means that salons may not be able to do all of the tasks necessary for running their business. For example, if a salon uses a free software to manage their appointments, they may not be able to customise the system to fit their business's needs. At Salon Tracker, all our development of features is done in house and we really care about the needs of our clients so everything that is requested is always taken on board. We really rely on our clients feedback to improve the software in every update we do – something a free software has not got the capacity to give you.

Additionally, free salon software may not offer online booking or other features that are necessary for a successful salon. Did you know that according to a study carried out by Zippia in Nov 2022 67% of clients prefer online booking and 40% of bookings are made outside of salon hours? That statistic alone is too significant to ignore as online bookings become more of a necessity than a luxury in order for your Salon to stay competitive. Although free software providers may offer the online booking functionality, there is a high chance they charge per booking made instead and in some cases they charge a high amount per new customer that registers. One free software actually charges a 20% finder’s fee for every new client booking so if they book a £60 treatment, £12 of your hard earned money goes to the software provider.

Secondly, free salon software often comes with outdated technology. This can lead to significant security issues. This could make your software vulnerable to malware and other malicious attacks, which can place customer information at risk. Thus putting you at risk of a GDPR breach leaving you with a hefty fine.  Additionally, outdated software can also be unreliable and unable to keep up with the demands of a busy salon which can lose you customers due to frustration and therefore reduce your profit, not what you need for your up and coming Salon. Free salon software has also proven to lack customer support. This means that if a salon owner runs into any issues with their software, they may be unable to get the help they need in an instance. Without proper support, salons may be unable to troubleshoot problems or update their system as needed. Whereas here at Salon Tracker, we are always on the other end of the phone to assist you with any help you may need instead of waiting days sometimes weeks with free salon software providers.

Finally, free salon software may not be compatible with other software programs and systems. At Salon Tracker, we link with payment provider ‘Payment sense’ and all of our POS hardware meaning that everything is all in one place. Additionally, salons may have difficulty transferring data from one program to another, leading to data loss or other costly issues. While free salon software may seem like a great way to save money, the hidden costs associated with it can add up quickly. Before you decide to go with a free salon software provider, you should carefully consider the features and functionality of the software and ensure that it meets the needs of your Salon. At Salon Tracker, we offer a FREE 2 week Trial and a virtual demonstration of the software with one of our friendly sales team, just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or enquire through the link below to get started today!

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