Salon Tracker's Halloween Hot List!

It's getting around to one of our favourite times of the year again… Halloween! Here at Salon Tracker we love everything about Halloween, from the decorations to dressing up with some funky hair and makeup looks. For this week’s blog we have decided to do you a little look book of some of our favourite Halloween looks and also give you some Halloween decoration inspiration for your salon.

Makeup

Whether you’re looking at transforming yourself into your favourite character or just want to look downright terrifying, makeup is the way to take your look to the next level.  When it comes to makeup this can add to your already out-there outfit or if you’re last minute like some of us, it could be the whole outfit.

 Here are some of out favourite makeup looks for this year:

We love this classic Violet Beauregade look from the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film!

This devil makeup is perfect for if you want something a little different but don't wan't to go too over the top with your makeup this year. 

This terrifying Pennywise look would be great with just a simple white dress. 

We think this skull makeup would look great with a full black outfit!

Hair

Hair is another aspect, just like makeup where you can add to your outfit or put your hairstyle at centre stage. You could rock Harley Quinn’s signature dip dye or style your hair into thing such as devil horns and cat ears.

This classic red and blue dip dye could be done with semi permanent hair dye or even a wig! (here's one we found on amazon https://amzn.to/2BcTrTM) 

These DIY devil horns would look great with the devil makeup above and a nice red or black dress

Outfit

The outfit will always be our favourite part of Halloween. Whether you choose to go with one of the classics like a devil or witch or if you go more modern and decide to go with something new from a film like Pennywise the clown from IT you can put your own spin on any of these outfits. We also love a matching outfits with your besties!

Here’s some of our top picks:

We love this simple but stylish devil look from PLT! (Check it out here https://bit.ly/2ppBoHl)

We love the idea of matching your costume with your friend so this dark and light angel idea is perfect!

Decoration

One way you could encourage all your staff and clients to get into the Halloween spirit is to decorate your salon. This could mean just adding some small details such as pumpkins outside and allowing your staff to wear some Halloween themed accessories or you could go all out at turn your salon into a Halloween haven with cobwebs and all the decorations you can find.

Adding small details like this to your Salon will really lift the atmosphere for staff and clients!

We hope these tips give you a little bit of inspiration for Halloween this year Be sure to DM us pics of your halloween looks and decorations on instagram @salontrackersoftware

Salon Tracker x 

How to Market your Salon

Salon Marketing

Marketing is divided into two subcategories these are known as online and offline marketing; both have the same objective but achieving the objective is done differently. Some salons have online marketing only other have offline marketing only and many have both marketing types to help promote the business.

Marketing online 

The main focus in online marketing is on social media. Social media marketing is when the company use social media sites and social networks to market and promote their products and services. Social media is beneficial for the company as it is popular with a variety of different people this means that the company will connect with a larger audience this will therefore be cost effective for the company. Online marketing helps to boost online reviews as customers are able to easily write reviews for other potential customers to see this will help to connect with the business’s audience. This also allows you to promote customer service and this is vital to a accomplishing a successful business as you are able to respond to your customers and potential customers to answer any enquires, they may have. However, it is important that staff members are qualified and invest their time into the different social media accounts your business has to ensure that the content isn’t boring or repetitive this will help to prevent the bad publicity that can occur as a result of using social media.

Email marketing is also promoted through social media as your salon is able to share their email so those who prefer to communicate through email are able to do so this means that your business has reached a larger target audience.

Google Adwords can also be used to help develop and further promote the business. This method allows your business to display their advertisement on google and it is largely focused on keywords. This is an affordable method for many business’s that helps to grow business leads and sales. However, with Google AdWords your business will pay when a potential client clicks on your advertisement regardless if they have inquired into your business or not.

Advertisements are the best way to communicate with your customers; this includes Facebook advertisements and magazine, these allow you to share a variety of information about your business.

Blogs also help to promote your salon as it allows you to communicate with your customers and keep them updated on any events occurring that may be beneficial to them. Blogs also allow you to communicate with other salons in your local area and worldwide. However, writing a blog is very time-consuming meaning that your staff may not have the time to compose the blog whilst at work therefore will be required to do it at home, this could affect staff moral in a negative way.


Running contests allows your business to interact with customers and potential customers as well as build awareness of the products and services that your salon provide.

Having links to your official website on your social media accounts will help promote the business as it raises awareness of your business and has a positive impact on the business income, this can be due to customers buying products on the website or registering to become a client and book in for a service. If your salon is interested in putting links to your website on the different business social media accounts it is essential that someone with the knowledge and skills carries out the task of linking because if it isn’t done correctly then it may not connect and could potentially cause an error.

Another method within online marketing is for your salon to sell products online, this means that they will reach out to a wider range of clients as it is accessible for people who may be unable to attend the salon to buy the products.

Marketing offline

Getting your business involved in national events such as salon international in London or Pro Beauty North is beneficial for your business as its raise’s awareness. These events are also attended by a diverse wide range of potential clients therefore they provide you with a platform to promote your business and the services you provide. Even though this method helps promote your business if it is not done in the correct manner it could potentially ruin your reputation and become very costly.

Buying a TV advertisement allows the business to demonstrate how the products and services you provide work and display the advantages of using your business services and products. This type of advertisement allows your business to reach out to a wider range of potential clients which therefore will further influence their purchasing behaviour causing them to convert into paying customers.

Another method is presenting your business on the radio this will reach out to a wide variety of people including your local audience therefore will grow brand awareness. Listener loyalty plays a main role in potential customers purchasing influence as they will listen to the same radio station on a constant therefore will trust what they advertise meaning that they are more likely to pay attention to the advertisement therefore more likely to attend your service. However, many individuals will listen to the radio on their commute to work this means that other businesses will request the same slot meaning that the price may be increased. The radio can also be background noise meaning that people may not actually pay attention to what is being presented therefore it may not be effective in helping your business gain more clients.

Billboard advertising is another method that can be used by your business as your business services are on a large eye-catching graphics display board that cannot be avoided. This method offers a design opportunity as it offers a lot of space and freedom for your salon to be creative and promote the business in the way that best suits them. Billboards expose your salon to more than one target audience as a variety of people will look at the billboard whilst walking or driving past etc.

If your salon and the staff members who work within the service are willing to be involved in the community this will be largely beneficial for the business as it will build partnerships with other businesses in the local community. Planning and hosting events which allows the local community to access promotions, giveaways and contests will allow the community to feel included within the local business therefore this may attract more local customers.

Re-marketing to previous clients has shown to be another effective method of advertising as it involves creating an appropriate campaign and use an appropriate method of communication to reintroduce previous clients back to your new and improved services and products. In order to attract previous clients, it is essential that you get to the point this will allow you to raise curiosity and offer a trial this could be done by offering free samples or a product for free. However, this method may not always be effective as previous clients left your business for a reason and this could potentially be because of the persistent marketing that they found irritating, this will create a negative relationship between your business and the previous client in which they could pass to family and friends therefore damaging your reputation.

Giving away products for free is a strategy that will help you to promote your business as well as setting a standard for potential clients. If you provide clients with a small sample such as a lipstick sample it may persuade those who are interested to become loyal clients as the sample will show them the worth of your products and service, after all first impressions are very important. However, giving away free samples could be a waste of money for your salon as potential clients may not like the product your giving away and other individual’s may take the free sample without intentions of using your business therefore this money could have been used in other more effective methods of marketing.

Having a brochure for your salon is essential as it summaries your salon and the services and products that you offer. It will include offers that you do, pricing of all products and services as well as any bundles that you do, it will also include a brief over view of each service. Advantages of this method includes, time saving, cost effective and flexibility with design.

Salon Tracker X

The Benefits of Payment Integration!

Here at Salon Tracker, we realise how important it is for the modern salon to provide the option to pay by card. Therefore, we decided to implement a feature where our customers can link certain card machines directly to Salon Tracker. This way, when you go to confirm a payment on Salon Tracker, once you’ve selected to pay on card our software will directly send the price straight through to your payment machine, which saves a lot of hassle for your staff members. Especially during busy periods.

Reduces Staff Error

One of the key benefits of having a payment integration with Salon Tracker is that is massively reduces, well more or less stops staff error. This means that as staff will longer have to manually type the amount into the card reader, there is no chance of them accidentally entering the wrong amount. As such your receipts will always match your figures on Salon Tracker = less stress.

Reduces Waiting Times

Another reason to integrate your payment to your software is that it will massively reduce waiting times in your salon. This is because rather than having to manually input the charge that is displayed on the software, the correct amount will be sent straight through to the card reader, drastically cutting down waiting times for your customers.

Secure

Another reason to integrate your card reader with Salon Tracker is for security reasons.  As the correct amount will be sent through to the card reader automatically, there is no chance of any staff members accidentally, or purposefully, changing the cost. This means all your reports on Salon Tracker will fully match up with the amount you have taken on card.

How to introduce payment integration to your salon with Salon Tracker

If, after reading this blog, payment integration sounds like something you’d want to introduce in your salon, we’d be more than happy to help you get started with this. We currently work with PaymentSense and are working on a new integration with another merchant. If you would like we can pass your details over to our direct contact at PaymetSense and then they will be in touch with you to discuss the details of the integration with you and a possible contract with them. This feature is available on both of our professional and enterprise packages and we already have many of our customers who actively use this feature.

Don’t forget we are exhibiting at Salon International this weekend. Feel free to drop by stand T174 and someone will be happy to give you a live demonstration of Salon Tracker and answer any burning questions you may have about the software and our payment integrations.

We hope to see you there!

Salon Tracker x

What to expect from Salon Tracker at Salon International?

Less than a fortnight to go until one of the biggest salon trade shows of the year, and for Salon Tracker this is the first time that we’ve ever exhibited at this show, so what can you expect from us at our debut exhibition?!

First off, we’ve got a brand-new stand! For those of you that have visited us at a few events before, you may remember our previous stand that we have used for the past few shows since 2015. However, we thought that stand had served us really well for the last 4 years, but it was time for a change and what not a better time than to showcase this at our first time at Salon International - new show for us, new brand-spanking stand! We have also changed our branding over the last 12 months (which some of our main followers may have noticed our new geo-metric theme) and so we wanted something new to reflect that. We can’t wait to show you, and you can find us at stand #T174.

Also, for any of you that were lucky enough to receive a VIP invite from us, you should be aware that we are hosting a Champagne Reception at 1pm on the Saturday 5th October for all that attend, check your inbox or keep posted over the coming days to make sure you are up to date with all the information on that.


We’ve also got some brand-new features for you, and also a new layout on the system making it easier for you to view Salon Tracker on your screen. You can now hide all the menu options and the waiting list (should you not require this) to fully maximise use of your screen.


Our newest features to be soon introduced include:

-Pay Online for bookings beforehand (great for securing appointments of a high value or if you wish to take a deposit)


-Split Bookings Online (meaning you can now account for development time on all colour treatments booked online)


-Unavailable Staff Swap (if staff are unexpectedly off work due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, you can now smart move appointments in a couple of clicks to a new technician of your choice, without having to rebook each appointment manually)


-Extended Waiting List on Timer Calendar View (we are aware that we are approaching Autumn & Winter now, and especially around the Xmas season, we know that your tanning salon beds & spray-tan booths are in high demand and therefore our new improved waiting list now offers an exact wait time for each sunbed, including an overall time to ensure anyone waiting has an accurate idea of how long until their appointment)


Our software packages now also update automatically, meaning the system will notify you when there is a new version to be downloaded, so you are no longer having to book slots with us for manual software updates! We have also recently updated to a newer model of Dell PC, meaning that your touchscreen is now 23” making the software really easy to operate and easily viewable for the employees using it. Therefore, there are lots of changes in store this time round just in time for the show and we’re really excited to show you guys in a couple of weeks’ time.


As well as these exciting new features, we are also holding some fabulous offers exclusive to anyone who visits us on stand! We are offering:


- 30% off your first 3 months of software (any package)

- 20% off all hardware bundles

- Up to 30% off all stand-alone hardware purchases


A great opportunity to make some fantastic savings with us for your salon just in time for Christmas!

Finally, there are a couple of team members exhibiting also for their first time in London with us, and therefore this will be a great opportunity for you to meet some of the sales team face to face! I know we’re all really looking forward to meeting with you guys and seeing how we can help to boost your salon business in the future.


If you’re still yet to register and download tickets for the show, just visit this link below to get yours – sign up literally takes a matter of minutes and then you know you’re sorted for the whole weekend! (please follow link below):


https://www2.theticketfactory.com/salon/online/?SessionSecurity::referrer=WWW&SessionSecurity::referrer=WWW


Any questions for us prior to the show? No worries, please email info@salontracker.co.uk, DM us on Insta @salontrackersoftware or simply give us a call on 0113 350 8230 and one of us will be happy to help with any queries you may have.


If not, we look forward to seeing you in a fortnights time! To remind you again, we’re stand #T174. See you there!


Salon Tracker x

Our Latest Features

As we approach Salon International, our developers have been working extra hard to make sure that we have plenty of new features ready to show you all! These are some of the main features we’ve been readily working on, but you will also notice there have been a lot of smaller tweaks and updates being made to the software recently.

Split Bookings Online

For any Hair Salons we can understand the need for the system to automatically put in a development time. This again is something we have been working on, and will be ready to demo on our stand T174 at Salon International. The feature is something we have already developed within the actual Salon Tracker software, and it is going to be a great addition online for any salons that have treatments needing a development time. Currently, the feature works by adding a wait time to the end of the treatment. For example, you might add in a balayage treatment that needs a 60 minutes development time, you can enter this in the management section. Then when you add the second part of the treatment, such as the cut and finish, it will automatically put the 60-minute development time between the two different services. This feature will work exactly the same online, meaning that other customers will still be able to book in with the same technician during the development time.

Unavailable Staff

You never know if/when a member of your team is going to get sick or is going need a day off work, and sometimes this can leave you having to call your customers and explain that you need to rearrange their appointment or move it to be with a different employ. There are three different options you can chose from when making a staff member unavailable:

1. Don’t move the appointments and manually rearrange them

2. Smart move appointments, meaning that the software will move the appointment to any available calendar slot matching the booking time.

3. Move the appointments to a specific technician of your choice

This makes it much easier if you’ve got tonnes of appointments, just to quickly and efficiently move them over into another technicians column.

Waiting list on timer view

Tanning Salons can often be very busy, especially during the summer months when everyone is trying to top up on their tan before they go on holiday. Our new waiting list feature works perfect tanning salons and helps to ensure that salons are kept organised with waiting customers. We do currently have a waiting list feature in place, which some of you may use already, however in order to make it easier to use and view we have introduced a newer version. You will now be able to have an individual waiting list for each bed, so not only is it easier to add people to the waiting list, it also includes an overall waiting time for the bed for anyone who is wanting to go on the bed once its free, so they know exactly how long they’ll be waiting.

We are exhibiting at Stand T174 this year at Salon International, so feel free to drop by and we can show you all of these great new features in person. You will also receive an exclusive offer by visiting our stand, so make sure you don’t miss out on that either! We look forward to seeing you there.

Salon Tracker x

How to cope from the salon going from busy to quiet in the working months

What to do during the quiet periods within the salon

Growing your business is still achievable during the months in which are quieter for the salon and there are many ways which this can be carried out in. During these months staff members are still able to achieve goals set by both the employer and themselves.

So, after a very busy summer, it is now September! This means that all students are returning to education again and many are back to work.This is the perfect opportunity for your business to begin thriving once again as you are able to discuss with the team what offers you can put in place to grab the attention of your customers. Quiet times within the salon create new opportunities for both staff members and clients as this is when incredible deals will be created to draw customers back in before they go to work and education.

How can you stay productive during the quiet periods? The answer is checklists you are then able to complete the list and carry out jobs that are effective for the daily running of the business. Staff members are able to put their expertise into practice to better benefit the salon this can include doing things such as completing checklists. Using the correct checklist can improve the outcome of your salon and improve staff morale. Having a reoccurring checklist ensures that all staff members provide a high standard of care and attention to each customer. These lists enable staff members to have reduced stress levels as they know what they must do and the date in which it must be completed by. An example of this can include a new staff member beginning to answer the phone and speak with current or new clients this can cause them to become anxious which means that they are more at risk of making errors. Having a list will remove this risk and allow the staff member to remain calm and collected whilst speaking to clients.

Whilst the salon is quiet employees and the employer are able to focus on the most essential part of running a successful business which is marketing. Marketing involves the name of the company, its logo, the prices of each service available, the way each staff member presents themselves this includes there clothing worn within the work environment and the way the phone is answered when speaking to clients or potential clients. Clients judge the salon on all of these different aspects as they have an impression in their mind from the things that they have seen and heard. Clients will notice the small things that are done so therefore showing that everything is a marketing technique for the business. A busy salon is the main reason why standards begin to slip this is when a business becomes vulnerable to incidents and bad reviews from clients as they believe that they have no time to pay all their attention to one client.

If you like it or not your clients will always judge you as they will always have an opinion, your staff members and salon because everything you do is marketing.

Even when the salon is quiet it is important that routines do not adjust as consistency is key to a successful business. Why is it important to be consistent? Because a business being consistent in its ways means that clients are able to predict reactions, this will therefore build a trusting relationship between the clients and staff members within the business. If the business is trustworthy then the client will recommend the business to people, they know this will build a larger client network for the company.

Clients should not be able to notice a difference when being attended to by a different member of staff therefore during quieter times at the salon it is important that each staff member receives the same training that is suitable for their role. The employer may provide one to one session to ensure that all members of staff carry out tasks in the same manner so that customers are satisfied with the service.

During quieter times the employer is able to focus on the interior design and layout of their salon so that they are able to make the most of the space that they have. If there is excess space then the salon may be able to introduce new services such as waxing this will reach out to a wider range of clients. If the salon is well kept then clients will feeler safer within the environment for example if the facilities are clean then clients are more likely to return however if they aren’t then they may be put off from returning.

I hope that this blog has given you an overview on how to maintain a business within the quiet months and what can be done to better benefit your business, clients and staff members. During September you can set up an offer such as 10% off all services until the end of September to keep customers enthralled in your salon and the services you offer. I hope that we have helped to set you up for the rest of September and remember if you wish to trial our software head to   https://www.salontracker.co.uk/FreeTrial.aspx and fill in your details. A member of our team will be in touch with you as soon as possible!

Salon Tracker. X

My First Year!

I can’t believe its been a year already! I’m sure many of you have seen me at trade shows or spoken to me on the phone but if not… I’m Leah. I am a part of the Sales and Marketing Team here at Salon Tracker and also a degree apprentice student!

I started around about a year ago after getting my A level results. This tends to be one of our busiest times of the year so I was thrown straight into the deep end which meant I had to try and pick up everything as quick as possible. When I first started answering calls, I had to double check almost everything with my manager Nicki and the other members of the team Christie and Naomi but as my first month drew to a close, I found I was able to tackle a lot more independently.

My main jobs roles are: using social media to attract customers, answering the phones, completing demo and trial and writing blogs (just like this one).  Though these are my main roles, I also do things such as hiring and attending trade shows. This year I have attended Professional Beauty Trade shows in both London and Manchester. I will also be attending Salon International next month, come visit us on stand T174.

 ( get your tickets here https://www2.theticketfactory.com/salon/online/?SessionSecurity::referrer=WWW&SessionSecurity::referrer=WWW)

I enjoy attending these trade shows and talking to both new potential customers and also existing customers that I had previously only spoke to on the phone.

Just after I had got to grips with the job, I started my degree apprenticeship at Sheffield Hallam University. I am currently completing a Chartered Management Degree. Whilst this is the equivalent of a normal degree, instead of being there full time, I attend lectures for four days every two months and between these blocks I complete different assignments for grades which go towards my end degree. At first, taking in all the information for a full module in just 4 days then having to complete a full assignment on it was difficult to fit it in with my work, but as my first year comes to a close, I am finding it a little easier every time. Though sometimes balancing work life and studying can be a little stressful but I know It will be worth it in the end when it comes to graduation in 2021.

Overall, I have learnt a lot in the past year and I’m enjoying all the work I do here at Salon Tracker. Though I have already learnt so much I am constantly expanding my knowledge further and I look forward to continuing this for years to come. There is a lot of exciting things in the future for Salon Tracker and I look forward to getting the chance to speak to more of you!

Leah x