Salon Tracker Software LOVES Zoella!

We love all things hair, beauty and tanning related here at Salon Tracker so the news of Zoella getting a wax formation at Madam Tussaud's is just great! So to congratulate the news, here's a quick vid from the YouTube inspiration herself with a couple of quick and easy hairstyle ideas for a day at the salon! Your own hair is a great place to canvas work be it up do's or colours, client's really do take inspiration from you guys... so give these hairstyles a whirl before prom season approaches! The fish impression at 3:25 is pure brillance too!

Rachel x

Network your way to success with salon software..

One of the most important skills to possess as a salon owner is the ability to network. (Don’t worry, we’re not about to go all Kevin Bacon/EE on you here.) It’s great to keep loyal customers sweet but you need to appeal to new audiences too which is why it’s so important to keep evolving your business. You aren’t on your own with this. Think about how competitive Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrison’s are with each other. They all want to be number 1 in the FMCG market and we don’t just mean by price matching (although we do appreciate 4 hefty muffins for £1 at our local Sainsbury’s).

Have you noticed that most big businesses use an “associate” to link themselves with? We’ve already mentioned one who we’ve probably all sighed at in the cinema. This is a common theme throughout the advertisement world because in doing so a brand simply, extends its networks. Assumptive, but by “sharing” networks, most to like Jamie Oliver will want to shop at Sainsbury’s, most of us to drool over Gerard Butler in P.S I love you will now buy their significant others Hugo Boss aftershave. It doesn’t always work but you get the idea.

What can salon owners take from this and how can salon software help?
Every business owner is in the same situation, big or small! Do you wanna be number 1? of course you do! You can use this information to your advantage by networking with businesses that aren’t your competitors and engaging with each other’s loyal customer base. Networking is done through anything, chit chatting through treatments, nipping in to your local shop. All it takes is one person to come in and say they have a bridal shop, and that’s a great opportunity to input information into your salon tracker software system so you have them as a contact for anyone who might mention a wedding.

You need to remember ladies who get a manicure every 4 weeks at the same salon aren’t always ladies of leisure. You need to think of the lifestyle of your stereotypical customer, their home life, work life and day to day localities. What else can you give your customer to help them out? Listen to their needs! My point is, if you scratch your neighbours back, they will usually scratch yours and spread the word for you too. After all there is only so much your salon software can do! Word of mouth is great advertisement. Some other great ways to provide your new business friends’ customers with your updates are to share each other’s Facebook/ Twitter posts, provide the other business with leaflets for potential clients, allow poster advertising in each other’s base. You could even club together for national holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter or Christmas for some lucky dips or surprise gifts to suit absolutely everyone. Your salon software will measure the exact KPI’s of the campaign too so you know the popularity of the offer! That’s all for now, oh and remember… Every Little Helps ;)

Easter and Spring Promotions...

Spring is a great time of the year for salon owners. The cold weather of January and February is slowly passing and the sun is peaking its head making us all too ready for a spray tan, pedicure and wax come March/ April time! 

We have written blogs before on the importance of client retention, but Easter really is a great time to implement this. Why? You might ask. Because you can use your KPI’s to find what your customers want and what would work. Here are a couple of Easter promotion ideas that you can steal to ensure your salon blossoms this spring!!

· If you are going to discount, Easter is a great time to do so! Try discounting your least popular or most expensive treatments. Enhancing these treatments allows you to sell treatments you wouldn't normally but also allows you to test your business model to see whether expensive prices disinterests clients or you need to revamp treatments.

· You are probably going to have more children in the salon- sorry- so try and make sure you have fun things to occupy them. Whether this be sweets, chocolate, kinder eggs or little crafted bunnies.

· Spring is forever a great time for clients to go lighter with their hair in time for summer. With balayage and baby lights in prime trend- there is no need to offer discount on treatments that will already inevitably sell but you can add some va va voom. Try a free blow dry with every cut and colour booked or a free foot massage with every full pedicure. You can even discount retail products with certain treatments such as a discounted self-tanner with every full leg wax. Pull aside a couple of hours to team up treatments, services and products which really compliment one another. With the correct promotion, these services should soar.

· A lot of weddings happen in summer so spring is the time where many brides, bridesmaids and even grooms will look to start their “preparation treatments”. Whether this be hair treatments, tanning, skin or nails- there will need to be a lot of dedication and prep to ensure this bride feels her best on her big day. Could you also offer a holiday package for the honey moon at discount for every bridal package purchased?

· SMS marketing is increasingly important for a number of reasons. It reaches your clients directly and personally and also it encourages them to call if you are advertising a limited offer. Here are a couple of examples of promotional Easter texts…

“Client name - Put a spring in your step this April bank holiday with a FREE eyebrow tint worth £15 with all pedicures at The Beauty Rooms. Book now on 01133508230”

“Client name- Put the shine back into your hair this spring bank holiday with our FREE deep conditioning treatment with every cut and blow-dry at The Cutting Rooms book now on 01133508230”

“Client name-Spring Cleans are not just for your home, cleanse yourself this April bank holiday with a FREE detox cleanser with all facials at The Beauty Rooms. Limited numbers available 01133508230.”

“Client name- Brighten up your look this spring bank holiday with Our Colour experts at The Cutting Rooms £45 for cut & colour worth £60. Don’t miss out call today 01133508230”

“Client name- Ensure your skin is glowing this spring, treat yourself this bank holiday at The Beauty Rooms. All facials include a FREE eyebrow wax worth £10. Book today on 01133508230”

“Client name- Brighten up your spring Bank Holiday weekend with a 20% discount on all tanning treatments at The Beauty Rooms. Book now on 01133508230”
Try your new campaigns today and fill your salon this Easter Bank Holiday!

How to really tackle appointment cancellations…

Do you have a cancellation policy in place at your salon? We don’t blame you if not because cancellations really are a grey area. You don’t want to alienate all of your clients for the mistake only some might make, however you really despise clients cancelling at last minute or even worse- being a complete no show.

So here we've listed our top 3 suggestions to really crack down on all kinds of absences...

· Use Salon Tracker Salon Software to send rebooking reminders so your client is aware of their appointment and it gives them a little nudge to remember.

· Try taking a deposit that is deducted from the final payment of their appointment for the really big purchases.

· ‘Red Flag’ all clients that have previously been a no show or cancelled at last minute. All clients needn't be punished for selected ‘cancellers’.

Remember, innocent ‘til proven guilty and all that so try not to tie all clients in with the same brush. By protecting your business you might just find yourself cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Until next time!

Mother’s Day Promotions...

Slowly but surely another month of 2015 is passing and boy what a month it’s been! Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day all in one week and we can’t lie- we’ve certainly overindulged on the sweet goods! We’ve now entered the promotional period for our ever favourite, Mother’s Day, so without further ado here are our top tips to make your Mother’s Day more special than ever for everyone involved!!

· Together treatments are just essential for Mother’s Day because they give mums what they really want…to spend time with their children! Some angles you could introduce are for every treatment booked by daughter/son, *mum* receives 50% off their final sale price. 

· Offer a lunching option! If you can’t provide this at the salon then team up with a local restaurant with great reviews. Work together to provide the perfect Mother’s Day outing which will be enjoyed by both your client and their mum. This also shows you have really gone out of your way to be creative and think about them.

· Not all mums want a specific treatment, or rather, not all children know what they would like, so in the weeks prior to Mother’s Day, create a retail hamper package perfect for the event. With the retail products you use, maybe throw in some extra little goodies that are general i.e best mum calendar or 'number 1 mum' cup that you can be confident will go down a storm! You could even offer a ‘tailored’ package where a client chooses 5 retail products and 5 of their mum’s favourite little things. Custom your prices to fit each client’s needs! This way the mum leaves with a memorable gift and might return to you as a client in the future.

· Offer treatments with flowers and chocolate as an additional little touch. Another great way to team up with local florists or sweet shops maybe to really push each other’s businesses.

· This is our all-time favourite and we stand by it every time! Add value rather than giving a discount! Every treatment your customers purchases book them out a little bit of extra time and really give them a luxury service! Every manicure gets a free 10 minute hand massage, same for a pedicure…here's a link to some more of our ideas to add luxury to every single treatment!

· One of your offers might be 2-4-1 for mum and daughter! You could try and extend this offer to three for two or four for three if want to include sisters and grandmas. This is a great way to up the business intake and really cater for fuller families who want an extra special day out!

· Gift vouchers are always a winner when client is not exactly sure what their mum wants! They might be more targeted toward the males since they usually want something easier where mum can choose her treatment.

· Finally, PROMOTION, the most important part of the whole event! Get in touch with us and make sure you have your SMS texts in time for the big day. Catching your client wherever they are is a great way to entice, especially those who have no idea what their mums might want or are last minute on the gift front. This gives them a push in your direction and allows you to engage with what you can offer them.

Happy Mother's Day...xxx

Recruiting a new member of staff for the salon...

Recruiting new staff members to join a close knit salon team can prove to be quite difficult. When you have a team who are used to your management technique and each other, you might find it a daunting prospect to bring a new face on board. However, it can also be quite the opportunity to really evaluate how things are working at the moment and what kind of role all your team members play. One piece of advice that is really important to remember when recruiting is to try to ensure you have a core theme or ambition amongst all employees be that loyalty, creativity, or philanthropy. Everyone is bound to be at different points of their career and lives, which certainly differs the personality of an individual. However, the responsibilities of being a salon owner means it is up to you to build the reputation of your business, and staff, as professional stylists of therapists. A way to do this is make sure you are transparent with potentials from day one to see if your environment is compatible with them.

Some important questions to ask are what would they say their best and worst qualities are? Ask them about their last position and why they are leaving. This is a great question to find out about a potential employees past work history. Ask about their ambitions and where they will see themselves if they joined the team. What kind of role do they play in their friendship group? You can really learn a lot about your potential staff member by listening to their experiences and self-statements.

Don’t be unreasonable about your demands if you have been scorned before and just want the best for your business. However, if your gut has good feelings for someone but they aren't incredibly up to scratch on past experience, maybe give them a chance. The most successful people just need that exact thing to get them going- A CHANCE!

Good luck x

How is your salon competing this Valentine's Day?

Finally! January has crawled by and here we are at the lover-ly month of February! Valentine’s Day is always a great excuse for salons to go all out because it’s half celebrating the return of business after January being a quiet month for most. 2015 and the big day falls on Saturday meaning everything has to be bigger, better and more competitive to get those bookings in advance. 3 weeks to go so here are some of our ideas to pull out the stops this year <3…

· Appeal to men and women. Valentine’s is a great excuse for a double pamper day with your S/O but if your salon cannot cater for that then at least aim for both sexes when marketing. Some men can get stuck with gift ideas for their partners. Even though they might enter a salon sometimes the environment, treatments and smell can all become a bit too much resulting in a panic gift. Why not make it easy for them this Valentine’s Day and offer a gift card as the perfect treat to pamper their loved one. Sell it as the ideal, perhaps wrapped in a box with surrounding goodies to entice and close the customer there and then.

· Promote express makeover, waxing or mani/pedi treatments to make your client’s look and feel their best. If you have some package ideas why not name them something Valentine’s related. Try theming your treatments with love heart sweets! ‘New love’ or ‘be mine’ could be express visual treatments such as a makeover and manicure, whereas ‘I love you’ could be a complete pamper package inclusive of a relaxation massage and premium treatments.

· If you can cater for couple’s services then definitely do and offer at a special rate! Try getting really creative with your tempting treatment list. Think about relationships levels such as dating, relationships and marriage. New partners might prefer something a bit more subtle so join with your local florist and provide "flowers and a facial" (MUST PURCHASE IN ADVANCE) for newer couples. Other ideas might include couples massages, for a great excuse to relax and enjoy a romantic day together. It might even help with tapping into the male market too if that's something you don't yet offer.

·  Make sure you are adding a little touch of sparkle on to every treatment. Maybe get some lovey dovey cupcakes and champagne on the day for clients whilst they are enjoying their treatments. Maybe even retail some different products to what you usually would, such as romantic massage oils. This can be a great way to prompt customers to add on to their purchase and treat partners to a luxury pamper for the evening after their day at the salon.

· Anti-valentine’s day services! Don’t exclude the singles market. Entice groups of female friends to still celebrate the day with special pamper packages.