Tanning salon owner? Are you breaking the law?

Sure you know safe tanning, but are you really aware of the damages to you and your clients?
Many salons over the past couple of years have faced £20,000 in fines after their businesses failed to meet trading standards regulations.

Since 2011 it has been legally forbidden in England, Scotland and Wales for anyone under the age of 18 to use a sunbed. It has also been advised that salon technicians should provide each client with relevant information regarding their skin tone, due to findings that have linked the overuse of sunbeds to skin cancer. Beauty therapists are in a fantastic position to inform clients about the dangers and this also benefits your business, by showing you care for your clients’ welfare, you build a great level of trust by informing them of this information.

Skin cancer specialist Mr Paul Banwell has recently spoken to professional beauty, following a study with Cancer Research UK and believes that it is a “unique position for beauty therapists to educate clients about the sun damage and spot early signs of skin cancer.” Melanomas are generally first noticeable on the legs of women and on the back for men, whether it be a malignant mole or a skin lesion, these are the primary areas on the body to be wary of. However skin cancer can appear anywhere on the skin.

Professional beauty found that most skin cancers are caused by “overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds.” According to Cancer Research UK, more than 73,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Britain each year, many of them among young people and that figure is rising.

That is where we come in.

Salon Tracker software is an intelligent salon management system that improves your business, and particularly in the tanning sector we offer excellent services to resolve some of the day to day issues that may arise for you in your salon.

Salon Tracker prevents the risk of under 18’s visiting your salon as the database prompts for legal identification to be shown before allowing the clients to use the sunbeds. It also limits the usage of those sunbeds over particular time periods, therefore making it impossible for any one client to go on a sunbed more than once in 24 hours. The beauty of this is that it also forbids clients from ‘sharing’ their minutes with friends and also eliminates the chance of your staff having ‘freebie’ minutes when you’re out of office.

The database has a record notes feature that stores all of your clients past information regarding skin tone, previous treatments and products that they have purchased. Client record cards are no longer needed and the integrated memory system means that you no longer have to remember your clients’ information, you can even add notes onto the file regarding the topics of the last conversation you had with them at the salon to give them a more tailored service next time round.

If you want to know more about our salon software why not look at our prices and packaging page or alternatively give us a call and speak to one of our customer support team who are more than happy to help organise a remote assisted demo for you. Contact us on 0113 3508230.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

SalonTracker x

National Hairstylist Appreciation Day!

Our hairstylists are SO important to us… extremely important to some people. I mean, a survey conducted by Daily Mail (2013) showed that “British women generally keep the same hairdresser for 12 years, almost a year longer than the average marriage of 11 years.” We know what you’re thinking- WOW! We just wanted our hairdressers to know how much they mean to us today more than ever because today is- NATIONAL HAIRSTYLIST APPRECIATION DAY! So to the guys and gals who work miracles on our hair, boost us up when we’re down and listen to our sorrows when we’re sad- here’s to YOU! 

Thank you for…


1. Saving our lives in times of crisis. We won’t forget the times you sprung to our rescue when we’ve had a last minute event that completely slipped our minds.


2. Trialling all those colour strips in our younger phases, blonde to brown, brown to red, red to blonde and back again...even though you warned us that it might go wrong somewhere along the way!


3. Listening to us nattering away talking about the same TV gossip that you’re last client spent 15 minutes talking about.


4. Not judging us when we tell you our deepest secrets and past stories. More so, thanks for not holding it against us and completely understanding every-single-time.


5. The endless cuppa teas.


6. Introducing us to GHD’s 10 years ago! Lifesaving things…


7. Finally persuading us to trim our straggly ends after we forbid you to do it for years, believing all the myths that hair grows best if you never cut it. We were so wrong!


8. The relaxing head massage whilst washing our hair to soothe the aches after a long day!


9. Educating us on the best shampoos for our hair type, and reminding us that anything containing silicones is a first class no go!


10. Saving us a fortune with buying all the latest copies of Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan…even though you see us in our comfies a little TOO often we really do love a bit of fashion now and again!


11. Always squeezing us in for a trim, even when your diary is jam packed.


12. The weekend flexibility, opening on a Saturday and a Sunday to fit around us 9 to 5ers! We love you!


13. Staying around, even when we’ve moved from pillar to post, job swapped, house swapped, you have always been there like a part of our extended family.


14. Refusing us our ridiculous requests, like a semi-perm on years of peroxide dyed hair to make it look thicker, now we understand!


15. That fresh and sleek salon look after all the finishing products have been applied.


16. When we ask you for ‘a pretend cut’ (one of those cuts where we don’t want it to look any different) and you try so hard to get rid of those split ends being given 2 millimetres to work with!


17. Informing us about heat protection spray, our wispy snapped strands are no more!

18. Smiling politely when we are 20 minutes late for our appointment due to ‘nightmare traffic’, even though we’ve just put you and your clients waiting list right off schedule for the rest of the day. You know we didn’t mean it.


19. Trying your absolute best to match the exact picture that we brought in of Jennifer Anniston’s new do.


20. Making our exes so gutted to have let us go! Even we know we’re rocking this new balayage look!


21. Remaining loyal and always putting 110% into our style every time.

A Salon Software take on Earth Day…

Every day we live with current affairs on our planet which bring feelings of upset, anger and distraught but today, today is a day for celebration!

Today is Earth Day- where we all have the opportunity to give thanks and appreciate the nature we have in our world that is often taken for granted by some.

April 22nd is a day intended to remind everyone of the importance of protecting our environment. It is also designed to educate others of what we can to do preserve and sustain our lifestyles with the upmost respect, love and awareness for our planet and the creatures living amongst us.

Climate change is heavily documented as is the need to reduce our carbon footprint but admittedly life gets in the way of us acknowledging these facts. Do we want our earth to decline for our grandchildren? Do we want to get kicked off of Earth? Absolutely not! So here are some ways we can work together to really push promote the day and make Earth Day a priority all year round! It will make a huge difference!

1. Car share. A great way to spend some extra quality time chatting to friends or your other half!

2. Better yet use public transport- find some new friends!

3. Wanna go one further? Walk more. This is great for exercising the environment of our planet and your legs, bums and tums! The more walking you do the healthier you are living and your ancestors will live.

4. Don’t litter! Ok so we all were informed of this since being toddlers but c’moooon throw it in the bin!

5. Save some money for a rainy day- turn all lights off when you can.

6. Energy saving lightbulbs might take a few seconds to glow but they are so much more energy efficient.

7. Recycle! You can just about recycle everything now- paper, garden waste, plastic and aluminium. This is a great way to reuse old items and make the world a more eco-friendly place.

8. Think about your driving style- speeding and unnecessary acceleration is bad for the environment and dangerous for your safety!

9. Keep heating down- cuddle your cats instead!

10. Think about water usage- turn the taps off when you brush your teeth and wash your dishes in a bowl of hot water rather than keeping the tap running.

11. Raise environmental awareness and conservation education amongst friends when you are out and about. Now that you know how to contribute to Earth Day, you know there are healthier ways of living and keeping our Earth in great condition for the long term and your future generation.

Salon Tracker: Expert Beauty Product of the Month!

Have you ever wished that there was a magical alternative to having to cart your expensive conditioners, face masks and moisturisers everywhere you go? It seems the solution is here as Argan oil remains the latest super product for all things hair and beauty.

Sourced from trees in Morocco, packed full of nutrients and rich in antioxidants, Argan oil is a lightweight natural product that celebrities, salon experts and bloggers are raving about worldwide.
With its anti-inflammatory and highly moisturising ingredients, the oil has been renowned for soothing skin problems such as acne and eczema and also speeds up the healing process of those. It is a fantastic anti-ageing product due to its high containment of Omega-3 fatty acids. These acids promote the skins elasticity, preserving your youth for longer!

On the hair front, Argan oil is very rich in Vitamin E, brilliant for keeping your hair moisturised. Something that is especially beneficial for people who suffer from dandruff or dry scalp. Vitamin E also contributes to hair growth, by reviving split ends and repairing damaged roots from extensive chemical usage. The benefit of this is that Argan oil is non-irritating as it is sourced naturally and therefore it reverses the majority of the damage caused by colour treatments. The oils ability to regain softness has meant that many people now even use it as a leave in conditioner. It is an excellent heat protection serum, acting as a barrier between salon irons, dryers and excessive exposure to the sun.
Celebrities are loving the product, and hotties such as Eva Mendez have even referred to the Moroccan oil in the past as “her total skin secret”, whilst Kim Kardashian calls it “the liquid gold”.

The oil is extremely handy to keep in your bag when on the move, so you can keep in control of your hair and skin when out and about. Economically it is also helping the trade of business in Morocco by providing women with the chance to earn a living for their families by being employed to produce the oil. 

So pick yourself a sample up and do the economy and yourself a little favour, you won’t regret it!

Love from,

Salon Tracker

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!