Make this Christmas a cracker!

The key to success is forward planning, SalonTracker salon software will help you plan and manage your salon over the busy Christmas period to ensure you win new customers, grow your business and improve your profits. Here are some helpful guides to plan for the festive period...

•  Ensure your salon is fully stocked to handle the Christmas rush. Make all your purchases in plenty of time to avoid any disruptions. SalonTracker will monitor and keep track of your stock levels and the system will even flag up when you need to reorder more products ensuring your salon is running as efficiently as possible.

• Christmas is the dominant retail period as people will always spend money on gifts. Make sure you have a range of gift ideas with different price points to appeal to your clients' differing budgets. Your clients are looking for ideas and help on what presents to buy, here is your chance to offer professional advice on beauty products emphasising their popularity as presents, creating the opportunity to increase your profits and sales. Why not add value to your gifts and promote free gift wrapping upon purchase.

• Promote gift vouchers as the ideal present for Christmas giving the recipient an indulgent treat to look forward to in the New Year. It is important that you manage the gift voucher process in order to ensure you achieve the optimum results for your salon, they are not only an extra revenue stream but they can bring in new regular customers also. SalonTracker will help you manage this with its gift voucher tracking function and also with the ability to store and track client information and purchasing history.

• During this busy time be sure to manage and keep track of your staff. Ensure you are aware of holidays that are being taken around the Christmas period and make sure you have adequate staff members to support extended Christmas opening hours to enable you to take full advantage of a back to back appointment book.  SalonTracker will allow you to see from the click of a mouse when your technicians are working and will block out any holidays from the calendar to ensure you remember to accommodate cover. With all of these details recorded in the system, your new holiday hours will not be a cause for confusion.
• Ensure all your Christmas promotions and offerings are well marketed, you may have the most appealing offers to clients but if they are not aware of them they may go elsewhere. SalonTracker’s advanced SMS and email marketing feature will enable you to filter your client database based on numerous categories such as age, gender, spending and visiting habits allowing you to produced targeted more personalised promotions. Why wait for the seasonal customers to come to you, target them now and ensure your salon is busy and profitable in the run up to Christmas.

• Finally, know your strengths. It is important to understand where the largest percentage of profits comes from within your salon; for example how much is derived from retail sales, gift vouchers and treatments, it is also vital to be aware of the clients your salon attracts and for example what gender and age range are your biggest spenders. SalonTracker  software will provide you with this key information through its advanced reporting and charts feature which will help you prepare and generate a Christmas campaign that is likely to bring you the most success.

Don’t just take our word for it try before you buy with our free trial. Call today on 0113 350 8230.

Winter Blues?

Don’t let your clients hibernate this winter encourage them into your salon with your alluring winter treatments. Winter can be a challenging time for salons as it is all too easy for clients to want to stay indoors and forget about their beauty regimes.

Create special winter packages and promotions to ensure your customers keep coming into your salon, encourage them to continue to feel confident about their appearance whilst maintaining your profit levels.

Here are SalonTracker’s Winter Promotion Ideas.

"Winter is upon us and the cold weather can take its toll, keep your skin soft and hydrated this season with 20% off facial treatments at The Beauty Rooms for a limited time only. Call today on  0113 350 8230."

"Warm up this winter and experience a hot stone massage at The Beauty Rooms, now only £XX. Don’t miss out book your appointment today on 0113 350 8230."

"Try The Beauty Rooms new autumnal nail colours with 10% off all bookings this week.

Call today on 0113 350 8230."

"Don’t let the dull weather get you down, brighten up your look with 10% off all colours at The Cutting Rooms for a limited time only. Call today on 0113 350 8230."

"Free hair rescue remedy for locks exposed to the winter elements with every cut and colour at The Cutting Rooms. Book your appointment today on 0113 350 8230."

"Maintain your healthy summer glow throughout the winter months with 3 for 2 on Spray Tans at The Tanning Rooms. Limited availability call today on 0113 350 8230."

Keep up to your summertime bronze with 60 minutes courses now only £XX at The Tanning Rooms. Purchase yours today on 0113 350 8230.

SalonTracker enables you to launch a tailor made SMS campaign straight from your computer to specific clients in a matter of minutes. Target specific clientèle by the services they had booked in the past to ensure the best return on your campaign.

Top tips to creating the perfect work from home beauty business!

Working for someone else is great for gaining experience but it can occur when individual's reach a stage of wanting to work for themselves and create their own dream! Are you or do you know somebody who is just itching to make their business dreams come true? If so... read our top tips and you could be well on your way sooner than you thought! Here are some of the questions and things you need to think about but first, you need a cup of tea and a solid business plan! ;)


- What type of treatments would you and could you specialise in?
- Where would you do the treatments, do you have the space in your current home?
- Research a cosmetology business license/council permission (ABN)
- Speak with a tax accountant and research insurance needs and costs.
- Budget- would you need to look into applying for a loan?
- What equipment would you need to trade and can you work this into budget?
- Will there be a waiting room and special entrance for client access and rest?
- What style will you go for? Have you got any inspiration boards?
- Are you going to retail products? Visit local salons, find out the popular wholesalers!
- Check out your competitions salon décor and prices for some inspiration!
- Look into salon software? Will your appointment book be available online too?
- Will you engage in marketing through email, text messages or local press?
- Will you incorporate social media marketing and website set-up into your budget?

What we would advise to go along with the above:

- Get a salon telephone number to make your business look more professional!
- LEARN, create and use some social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter!
- Prepare salon leaflets for drop-offs. Appointment and business cards are also a must!
- Speak to a pro and create a logo or something that sets you apart from competition.
- FREE advertising! Ask friends and family to help promote you to their networks too.
- Think about possible ways to get regulars with loyalty programmes.
- Use Salon Geek! A great forum for people who want answers from industry pro’s!

“Your salon needs to be able to function fully without you…”

A lot of salon owners have been there. Swamped at work with clients and no spare time between 15 hour days. Buuuut, you do it anyway because you love this job! The passion, the makeovers, the happy faces, the new friends. Whatever your drive is in this industry there comes a time when you must accept that it’s difficult to live life in the fast lane forever. Why? Because now and again, your tank might just run out and the reality is…Your salon needs to be able to function fully WITHOUT you.

Many salons lack the rapid growth they aspire for because of one thing- TIME. A huge thing that salon owners tend to wave goodbye to upon starting a new business. This is purely down to the fact that between paying bills, dealing with staff, finances and clients, the last thing you might want to do is spend the time you do have, researching software programmes so instead you continue to let your salon run rings around you and remain totally outta control.

Business owners can be opposed to software at first because your main aim is to make money not give it away. We get it! However, when you learn the abilities of a salon software, we can assure you this opinion will soon change. An advanced and effective software system can be your helping hand with regards to staff, targets, time and profit and they don’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

First of all, you probably aren’t aware of all the benefits. Software programmes have the ability to manage and organise many essential business activities from staff performance, accounts and stock management to marketing, online booking and business reports. Your role is deciding the momentum you want your business to move at. What salon software can offer is essentially, a business partner.

So where to go from here?
Brain storm what you need… as a salon owner and as an individual. Is it more free time, more clients, to save money, to know what happens in your salon when you aren’t there? Highlight what it is you want and use the support that we can provide which is absolutely FREE and UNLIMITED! How can we help your business to thrive in success? Contact us today on 0113 350 8230 for a pointer in the right direction :)

The male/ female divide!

We are approaching, (or are even in the midst of) an era where it is, more so, the norm for men to visit a salon, be it for a haircut and style or a nose trim and BS&C. It’s widely suggested that stylists and therapists usually have a great relationship with their female clients but is that effect maintained with male clients too?

Market research shows that men aren’t as susceptible to engage in conversation considering the ‘gossipy’ nature of salons. The reason why there is such a huge divide in salons is because typically, a man is entering a, predominantly female, environment so their comfort zone lies in just smiling, nodding and agreeing. According to certain linguists (salon.com), “men hold back their feelings, while women lay (feelings) out… likely to look for common ground when they are talking with other women”. Women also “tend to like to help each other tell stories (in) a rather animated and lively way, with very pronounced variations in vocal pitch and much more exchange of emotion in speech.”

This conclusion would go on to suggest that women enjoy speech that unites, which is why they use upward convergence to find a level ground. Men on the other hand, well... they are just simply in the salon for a haircut or a treatment, with no desire to make a new friend. Hmph. That being said, we thought we would put together a few professional pointers in case you find yourself veering off the professional chit chat!

Ask questions- it’s a great way to get clients talking. One word answers usually indicate they don’t want to talk, which is fine! However, if they engage back with interest, that is your chance to lead the conversation. GO!

Enjoy the silence- if you’re used to yapping all day, and you wind up with a quiet client- HALLELUJAH! Enjoy the wind down time! It is not always necessary to speak to clients. Follow their lead and wind up where you may...

Know the news- Get educated on what's happening in the local and national news. Not only can we almost guarantee it will come in handy at some point, you will enable you to have intellectual and current conversations with anyone, of any age and really give forth a great opinion!

Treatment talk- If you need a safety scope, always revert back to the treatment. If the atmosphere is unbelievably awkward why not throw in a, 'is this okay?' or 'just let me know if you want another drink!' It keeps things light for both you and your client!

Awkward Remarks- If a client shares an inappropriate remark or says something outlandish, it is up to you to saviour the situation for the sake of the salon reputation and other (uncomfortable) client’s ears. Use whatever you can to bring it back! You are in control here.

Retailing Secrets

'Don’t sell, prescribe. “If you went to the doctor and learned you had bronchitis, you’d want her to tell you what to do to get better. Recommending products is the same thing.” Listen for the issues your client shares about her hair, and prescribe a solution in the form of a treatment or styling aid.' (Dana Nasatir, firstchair.com, 2014) 

The importance of protection in sun exposure!