Beauty - Salon Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Software success
It’s understandable that many salon owners or mobile therapists may feel intimidated by the prospect running your business through a PC but today’s also operate on iPhones, iPads, Android Smartphones and Tablets, leaving you in total control wherever you are. Easy to follow interfaces mean that these systems are very simple to understand and use, plus suppliers will offer training for you and your team, and many have a helpline you can call if you get really stuck.
But how do you choose the right system for your business? “Any system these days can do the basics - Client Records, Appointments, Point of Sale,” says John Donnelly of Salongenius.
“You must ensure that the software you choose delivers more than the standard Appointment Book, Client History, Stock Control and Management Reporting features,” comments Gerry Ryan of eZee Software. “It must drive your business forward, put more money in your till, help you to sell more retail product, and deliver huge time savings in the day-to- day running of your salon.”
Ronan Perceval, Managing Director of Phorest, agrees: “Every salon software system takes appointments, sends SMS or tracks your stock. It is time your salon software took your salon beyond that and started to enable you to realise the value of your client database.”
“Your client is the most valuable asset you have within your salon, and that asset is even more important in these challenging economic times,” Gerry
adds. “Your salon management software system is key to being able to reap maximum reward from your client database.
“Other intangible benefits also accrue, such as improved customer satisfaction, exceptional communications with clients, huge time savings in day to day operations, and business planning abilities. All vital aspects needed to ensure your business grows as you want it to.”
Robert Miles, Managing Director of Premier Software adds: “Having the correct software for you salon is vital. Ease of use and efficiency is the key focus for any salon when purchasing and installing software systems. Salons need up-to-date systems that are constantly evolving with the times and keeping up with the fast-paced world we live in whilst remaining simple to use for salon staff.
“It is important for salon software companies to always be thinking about how salons can bring in more traffic and in turn more profit. Key components to look out for when choosing a salon software company is, are they at the forefront of their industry? Are they pioneering and, in turn, going to put you ahead of your competitors?”
Robert continues: “It is vitally important to choose a systemthat is backed up by a dedicated support team, one that has incredible understanding of the industry and the technology that is used. A support teamneeds to be able to carry out an effective installation as well as helpful training alongside this and be there for their clients as and when they need them.”
So how effective are salon software systems in actually increasing bookings and your profits? “We recently used eZee Software to run an SMS Text Marketing campaign to entice old clients
we had not seen for more than a year back to the salon,” explains Anthony Murry, General Manager of Lydia Murray Hair & Beauty in Sligo.
“Within 20 seconds of sending the campaign the phones had started to ring, and we booked €6,800 worth of appointments. Many of these clients continue to revisit now and we estimate that over 12 months that one campaign will generate in excess of €25,000 in business.”
Sheila Curren of Coogan Bergin Clinic & College in Dublin also uses the eZee Software system. She adds: “We have seen increases of up to 240% in retail product sales.”
“Our marketing is in a different league now; we have superb automated marketing via text messages, emails and letters; we have online bookings; we have improved team performance tracking,” explains Sean Hanna, Managing Director of seanhanna salons and Rage International, who use the Salongenius system.
“Clients are much more immune to conventional advertising and more responsive to personal contact. If we are to compete at the top level we need to be able to tune into this and the tools we need at our disposal have to be in line with current market expectations. A supportive computer system is no longer a ‘techie’ luxury but a vital component of how we do business.”
With feedback like this, isn’t it time you considered moving to a paperless system? Take a look at our round-up of some of the latest salon software systems available.
Next month, we’ll discuss how your salon or beauty business should maximise use of the Internet.
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