At Salon Tracker, we get asked a lot of questions, some more frequently than others. Below are some of the most reoccurring questions we are asked:

Why should I choose Salon Tracker?

Salon Tracker is suitable for salons of all different sizes. Whether you are a single employee business, or a multi-site salon, we have different packages and features available that are tailored to suit your needs.

Which is your most popular package?

Our most popular package is our Enterprise package. This package contains both our in-salon features as well as our online features, such as online booking and siteview.

Our hardware is entirely optional. If you already have your own hardware, we will always try to get this working for you, however there are some minimum recommendations that we recommend, as well as some brands which are not fully compatible.

Do you integrate with Tmax and Sigma?

Yes, we fully integrate with both Tmax and Sigma. Once your timer manager is connected up to the PC, you will be able to set off the sunbeds directly from Salon Tracker. You are able to set your own dress down and cooldown times which will then also send through to the beds.

Different staff members are able to do different treatments, can this be shown on the system?

We can help you setup groups so that each individual technician/beautician has their own set treatments and no other treatments will show up. This is so that when customers are booking online, they can’t book a treatment with a technician who can’t actually do it.

How does it work if I have multiple salons?

If you have multiple salons, you are able to decide if you want to share your customers and products across all sites or if you want to keep them completely separate. We offer the ability to view all your sites from home using a HQ, so you are able to check how each site is doing on a daily basis. We also offer discounts depending on how many sites you have with us.

What makes Salon Tracker unique?

At Salon Tracker, we are always striving to be the best, and in order to meet this, we are constantly updating our software and introducing new features to meet your needs. Our team are always on hand to help with any questions you and your salon may have.

I use another system, can I transfer my data over to Salon Tracker?

Yes you can! We can usually import customers, services (including existing minutes) and products. Give us a call on 0113 350 8230 and speak to a member of our team who will be able to advise you further on what can be brought across.

Why should I start using Salon Tracker over my trusted pen & paper?

Salon Tracker allows you to have everything in one place, increasing the salon’s efficiency. Track customers’ history and bookings electronically to ensure that you have the most accurate and secure calendar.

If you have any further questions at all, please feel free to e-mail us at info@salontracker.co.uk, check out our Chat system on our website or give us a call on 0113 350 8230.

Salon Tracker x

With the busiest season of the year for Salon Owners coming to an end, you may be wondering what you can do to try and keep your calendar as full as possible... luckily we're here to help!

Clean Girl Aesthetic

One trend that has taken the internet by storm this year is the idea of a ‘Clean Girl Aesthetic’.  The clean girl aesthetic can be described as being minimal. The foundations of this trend are: glowy makeup, a strong skincare routine and the idea of a capsule wardrobe.

One of our favourite products to help achieve this glowy makeup look is the very popular Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. This product is great to use as a base for your foundation or just on its own if you’re just wanting a light coverage. Here’s a link to where you can get yours: https://bit.ly/3AQrS2r . If this price tag is a little too expensive for you, we have found some dupes which work just as well, if not better! You can get the Collection Lasting Perfection Filter Finish from Boots for just £6.49 https://bit.ly/3QV0cPj or Elf’s Halo Glow Liquid Filter https://bit.ly/3PRWTqM .

When it comes to Skin Care, I decided to as a few members of the Salon Tracker Team their holy grail skincare product and this is what they said.

Leah- My number one skincare product that I use every day, twice a day is the Paula’s Choice BHA Exfoliant. I use this on a cotton pad every morning and night and this helps freshen the skin and unclog pores.

Naomi- The Liz Earl cleanser has been my number one for years now. I use this to wash my face every night. Its full of natural ingredients and leaves me feeling fresh.

Ellis- My top pick for skincare is the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion. This leaves me feeling moisturised for hours after I have applied it and leaves me glowy.

Christie- I love The Ordinary Niacinamide solution. I apply this every night before bed and this help balance any oils in my skin and helps prevent spots.

Having a capsule wardrobe is based on the premise of having a small wardrobe full of basics which you can mix and match into loads of different outfits. Some staples for this are: an oversized white shirt, neutral-coloured tops and bodysuits and then some wide leg jeans.

Hailey Bieber Nails

One big nail trend for summer 2020 is known as ‘Hailey Bieber Nails’. These nails use one goal of ‘Funny Bunny nail polish which is a sheer baby pink, followed by a shiny top coat and then rub some of the OPI Stay Shiny Top Coat.  This combination gives a natural look, with a bit of shimmer, perfect for summer and wedding/prom season.

Slick Back Styles

When it comes to hair styles, the stand out trend for 2022 has been slick back styles, whether that be buns, braids or ponytails. This trend is great, especially in the warmer weather as it keeps your hair off your neck and face whilst still looking stylish.  The ‘Got2B Glued’ hairspray and gel are great at slicking your hair back and keeping it there.

Salon Tracker x 

We decided that after a long while of the website being the same website we designed over 5 years ago that it was time for a new one with much more features and a lot of adjustments.

Some of our biggest changes are:

-  A whole new help section 

We've added a convenient help section to our website to help our customers navigate the software easily. Search for a specific key word in our help search bar such as 'TMAX' and it will come up with a range of help guides to help you navigate any issues you may be having. You can also access our big range of help videos & our live chat for any queries.

- A much improved Blog Page

Our blog page has had a complete makeover! We've added a search function so you can find exactly what you are looking for without having to scroll through each and every blog. Additional to this, we've added a 'filter' option so you can find multiple blogs that all fit under the same topic, giving you lots of insightful ideas that you can apply to your Salon life.

- Updated Testimonials

If you're one of our clients and would like to leave us a review you can click on either of the below links to do so - we really appreciate hearing from you!

Leave a review on Google 

Leave a review on Facebook

- A section dedicated to our Upcoming Events 

Since Covid, we have taken most opportunities to attend a trade show as we love showcasing our new features and meeting lots of new people at the events. We understand as Salon Owners yourselves, it is also great to attend trade shows so you can get ideas off other industry professionals and network your tips and tricks too. This is why we have created this section of the website so you can easily find when the next event is and book your tickets in advance!

We hope you enjoy the new layout of our website, if you do have any feedback we're always open to hearing it! You can email info@salontracker.co.uk or call us on 0113 350 8230.

Salon Tracker x 

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PC

In order for you to run Salon Tracker to the best of its ability, we recommend using a PC which is Windows 10 or above and one with quite a high memory. This is because the better your PC is, the smoother Salon Tracker will run meaning you will be able to run your salon in the easiest way possible. The All-In-One PC’s we sell come directly from DELL and come with a wireless mouse and keyboard to give your salon that modern look.

Cash Draw

We can also link your Salon Tracker up to the cash draw we sell; this can be either through our receipt printer or what we call a ‘cash draw trigger’. Having your cash draw linked up to salon tracker means two things, every time you put through a payment your cash draw will automatically fly open so you can put any cash or receipts in there. Having your cash draw linked up also means that the system will register in the system every time its opened, be that through the PC or manually with the key in the action log.

Receipt Printer

Salon Tracker also gives you the option to connect it up to a receipt printer. This means you can print customer receipts off whenever they buy either a service or retail product. In Salon Trackers report section, there are a handful of reports which have receipt in brackets, for example ‘Cashing Up (Receipt). This means that these reports are formatted to fit the receipt printer size so you can print them off here. One thing this is useful for is to help you do a stock check. You can print a stock report off the receipt printer and take this with you to do the stock check.

Barcode Scanner

One way to make you customers’ buying process that little bit smoother and quicker is to use a barcode scanner for your retail products. If you have a lot of different retail products which you sell, scrolling through them all to find the right one can take time. Using the integrated barcode scanner means that you can just grab the product that the customer wants to purchase, scan the barcode and it will go straight into the purchase box. You can also associate barcodes to customers and staff members to make finding them in the system a much quicker process.

Fingerprint Reader

For an extra layer of security in your salon, the fingerprint reader is great. You can associate your customers fingerprints to their customer card so when they come into the salon, they can put their finger on the reader and it will bring up their customer card. This means that there is no chance of you or your staff accidentally putting minutes or bookings through on the wrong customer. You can also use the fingerprint reader for your staff to log into the system and clock in for their shift!

Signature Pad

Another form of integrate able hardware which is available on our professional package and above is the signature pad. This allows you to add your salon disclaimer to the system and when you have a new customer sign up, they can sign this disclaimer on the signature pad and then a copy of the disclaimed along with the customers electronic signature will be stored on their client card.

If you would like anymore information on any of the hardware well sell or would like a quote at all please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk

Salon Tracker x 

Why it’s Important

Standing out from the Crowd

One of the main reasons why all salons should establish their brand is to help their salons stand out from the crowd in what is a highly condensed market. Creating a strong brand identity and putting this out towards potential your audience will help your salon stand out from the crowd and then hopefully drive more customers to choose your salon rather than another in your area.

Helps you connect with your Customers

As well as helping your salon stand out from the crowd and therefore encourage more customers to choose you, building a good brand for your salon also helps  you connect with the customers. Creating a recognisable brand for your salon will help you establish a connection with your customers and help drive things including communication with your customers and help drive brand loyalty from them.

Increase Profit

Your salon having a consistent and recognisable brand will also help drive sales and increase profit. This is because customers will know exactly what to expect when getting a service at  your salon and this consistency will drive them to continuously come back and also recommend your salon to their friends and family.

How to Build a Brand

One of the easiest ways to build your salon brand is to utilise social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to do this. Here are some of the key things that will help you build your brand on these sites.

Consistency

One thing that will help when you’re trying to build your brand using social media is consistency with what you’re doing.  Whether that be consistently posting to your feed or making sure you’re always communicating with your followers. If you’re consistently doing something this will make it easier for your target audience to notice this and will therefore help you start to build your desired brand.

Uniqueness

Another thing that will help you build your brand is to try and base this of something unique about your business. For example, if you’re a family ran salon, base your brand around this. You could do posts about how you decided to open your salon, the process of doing this as a family and also share other family run business related content. This will help set you apart from other salons and therefore mean that more customers will likely choose you over your competitors.

If you would like any more information on anything discussed in this blog or if you would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and two week trial of the system please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us at info@salontracker.co.uk.

 Our different packages 

At Salon Tracker we aim to make a day in your salon as stress free as possible with our packages. Our standard, professional and enterprise packages all help manage your salon in the best way possible with all the features included.

Here are some of the features we are offering in our professional package:

SMS Booking reminders and No-show booking alerts

Sending reminders to customers is proven to reduce no shows and who doesn’t want that? Having the reminders sent out is a way to have proof of the booking, but also an agreement. A clear message of the time and date reduces miscommunication between salon and customer and the chance of the booking to be forgotten. The No show booking alerts help manage bookings and see which customers have the most no shows, so the salon has the opportunity to send extra alerts to those customers.

Stock Management

Managing stock is very important in a salon, knowing what stock you have and what you have sold is part of managing a business. Through stock management you can also input the trade and retail price of a product, making it much easier to track profit and your best-selling items. This helps you understand what your customers want to buy so you can provide the desired products, and in turn sell more and make more profit.

Here are some of the features in our enterprise package:

Online bookings

Getting all the bookings available for your salons is very important to us, and the online booking feature will do just that. This feature means you can take bookings whenever and wherever, this is important as many people can’t get into salons to book, but if booking online is available people will be more likely to book because of the convince of it. Also, online bookings increase the number of new customers, the easier it is to book, the more likely people are to book.

Custom business reports

This feature makes analysing your data so much easier with our custom business reports which are located under reports. These reports show all sales, discounts, and refunds within the selected time period that have been made by a staff member, as well as more custom reports for example when you’re busiest and quietest months are using the annual booking chart. Through this you can make sale predictions and also track the growth of your business.

These features make managing a business a lot easier, our professional and enterprise packages are ideal for growing and successful businesses.

Salon Tracker x

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The Salon industry is one of the fastest growing in the UK showing a growth of 54% in the number of businesses in the 5 years up to 2020. Though this slowed down due to the pandemic, this industry has seemingly bounced back after the lockdown and is on the rise again.

To make sure your salon is taking advantage of this and growing with the rest of your industry, here are some of our top tips and tricks to push growth in you Salon.

Utilise Social Media

If you’re running a salon, social media such as Facebook and Instagram should be your best friend. These platforms are great ways to communicate with your customers and also promote your salon for free. By sharing before and after photos of your work on social media you can show people who may have not been to your salon the type of work you do and encourage them to come in for an appointment. This means you can use social media to grow your customer base.

Social media is also a great way to communicate and interact with your existing customers with many salon customers saying they feel more comfortable going into a salon where they can see the workers personality and communicate with them online.

A final use for social media is to run things such as competitions. You could run a competition for a free retail product or a free appointment and get entrants to share the post and tag some friends. This would mean that your customers are doing the free marketing for you and sharing your business with their friends.

If you want some more tips on how social media can help your salon, go to www.salontracker.co.uk/news and search for social media and you will be able to see all of the blogs we have done on this topic.

Reward Loyal Clients

As well as wanting new customers in your salon, client retention is important too and what better way to do this than to reward your most loyal clients. One way Salon Tracker can help you do this is with our groups feature. This feature allows you to add your customers into specific groups, for example a VIP customer group, and you can give them a set discount on bookings and retail products.

You can also do offers such as buy one get one free and buy 5 for the price of 4 which the system can help you track. Give us a call to see how this could work for you.

Ask for Reviews

Another way you can grow your salons customer base is to ask your existing customers to leave you reviews on platforms such as Facebook, Google or YELL. Having reviews from verified customers of your salon will help shed good light on what your salon offers. One way Salon Tracker can help you encourage your clients to leave you a review is with our ‘request a review’ feature which sends a text to your customers after their appointment asking them to leave a review on whichever site that you prefer.

If you would like any more information on the features detailed in this blog or if you would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and two-week trial, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker x

I’m sure I have had the pleasure of speaking to the majority of our clients, if you haven’t spoken to me yet… I’m Ellis. I am part of the Support and Sales team at Salon Tracker Software.

I started working at Salon Tracker at the start of June 2021 and began by learning how the software works. Once I was comfortable with the system, I began managing my own enquiries and doing demos and trials for potential customers. Once I had progressed further, I began looking at the support side of Salon Tracker. This involved setting up customer hardware, taking tickets for any customer requests and trying to implement them. Also, I have been to two trade shows, Professional Beauty London and Beauty UK.

Alongside managing my own customers, I have also done a few projects during my time at Salon Tracker. These have included redesigning/updating our customer brochure to include our latest features and redesigning our developers’ website. Working on these projects has allowed me to work with different members of our team and develop my skillset further.

In the future, I am hoping to move further into the support side of Salon Tracker so that I can learn the more technical side of the system as this is the area that I find most stimulating due to being a bit more complex.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year at Salon Tracker. I have enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the system and speaking to new and existing customers. The team have been extremely helpful in terms of me settling in and have been on hand to answer any questions I have had. We have many projects planned for the near future so keep tuned to see what the Salon Tracker team is up to over the coming year. I look forward to speaking to you in the future!

Ellis x

User logins

On our Professional and Enterprise packages, you can create different user logins for each of your staff members, which can be protected by a password and/or a fingerprint. This is perfect for being able to monitor each employee’s performance and what they are accessing on the system. As each event is tracked within Salon Tracker, you can keep track of takings and how the system is being used by your employees, which is great if you’re ever not in the Salon.

With each account, you are able to set permissions as to what the staff member can access, this helps to keep certain parts of your software more privatised, such as monetary reports and admin changes.

Reports

Having different user logins works hand in hand with our reports, in particular those such as our Action Log report and our sales by staff reports. The action log report includes a list of every event that happens on the system with the time range selected. For example, this could be anything from a transaction being made to a client card being edited or viewed.

Our other reports such as Booking Sales by Staff and Retail Sales by Staff allow you to see exactly what transactions have been processed through the system by each individual staff member. Additionally, you will be able to see if any discount has been applied to the transaction, so you would be able to see clearly if an employee was overusing the discount feature.

Auto Lockout

To ensure that the system isn’t left open unattended, we also have the auto lockout feature. Using this, you can set the system to lock after a certain time period. A user will then need to log back into the system with either their password or fingerprint before it can be accessed again. This feature is great for peace of mind in busy sales where there might not always be a member of staff at the reception desk.

Fingerprint

Secure ID

Our fingerprint technology can also be used alongside our secure ID feature, which is used for customers to protect their account and any pre-paid services. When you confirm a booking with secure ID turned on, the customer will need to present the matching fingerprint in order for the booking to be confirmed. Alternatively, you can also use a 4-digit pin number or a barcode to confirm the booking. Secure ID can be applied to specific services, for example for a tanning salon you may only want this applied to courses.

Tmax/Sigma

For those of you that are tanning salon owners, you may run your Timer manager through our Salon Tracker software. When this is connected it means that minutes can’t be manually confirmed through the Timer manager itself. This increases security within your salon as you know that any minutes that have been confirmed onto the bed have been put through the system and this can be tracked in the action log.

GDPR Privacy

With GDRP laws being introduced in 2018, we made slight adjustments to the software to incorporate this into our system to make sure you and your salon were following all the new rules. For example, customer details will be hidden from staff members and if they are viewed this will be logged in the action log for you to see.

These are just a few insights into how our Salon Tracker software can help keep your salon secure and safe! If you have any questions about any of the features we have mentioned or want to get these setup with your Salon Tracker, please give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop an email to info@salontracker.co.uk and we will be happy to help!

Salon Tracker x

With just 10 days left to go until we exhibit at Beauty UK, we thought it's about time we shared some of what we will be offering whilst we are there:

30% off your first 3 months subscription & up to 30% off hardware

On-top of that, we also offer a free, no obligation 2 week trial where you can try the software and see whether or not it suits your salon... needless to say that the answer will always be yes as we offer FREE training & FREE support!

You’ll not only be able to have a demonstration of our seamless software and ask us any burning questions, but you’ll also be able to have a look around hundreds of other exhibitors and get your hands on some exclusive great deals. 

We have lots of new features to demo to you, some of these include:

• Online payments and deposits - a feature we brought out with our Salons in mind. We've partnered with stripe so customers can now charge their clients a set deposit when booking appointments online therefore reducing no-shows and generating a more streamlined revenue. 

• Our brand-new age verification tool that only allows courses to be sold if there has been a proof of identity verified on the account. This is an extra security step to ensure that no one under the age of 18 can use a tanning bed.

• A whole range of new reports to demonstrate, allowing you to get further insight in to your business and your KPI’s, plus these can be viewed on our Siteview app which is now editable! Appointments can now be made, updated and amended within the app, which is also native in the app store and on google play; in which all salon owners and employees can download and use on their phones & tablets. Making the ease of usage of the app even better now!

• A brand new package - Salon Tracker Solo. Salon Tracker would like to introduce their new software package, aimed at single person run and mobile salons. Salon Tracker Solo gives you some of our most exclusive features for half the price of our enterprise package.

See you soon,

Salon Tracker x

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One of our lovely Clients Urban Calm had the lucky experience of having an editorial placement with the fantastic Salon Evo magazine! And as Sacha and Leanne have explained how our Salon Tracker management solution has helped their business, in case you missed the edit, we really wanted to share their story with you. To see how we may be able to also benefit your salon too!

Interview:

A nail course 20 years ago, led Sacha Eastwell on a journey of working for herself. Working from her home salon was perfect for juggling her young family then, but when her sister Leanne came on board doing lashes, Sacha says that her ambition led them to join forces and open a salon together.

As I’m sure you’re all aware, the first bank holiday of Spring 2022 is fast approaching. With this in mind here at Salon Tracker we thought we would give you some of our best tips and tricks on how you can market your salon to make the most of these upcoming long weekends.

Social Media

One of the easiest, and sometimes most effective, ways of advertising your salon is to do this on social media. Having an active account on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram is a key part to running a successful salon in 2022. The good thing about social media is that you can use it in whatever way suits your salon best. Some key things that you can use social media for in your salon are:

·         Posting pictures of the services that you offer to show clients what you provide.

·         Running competitions to gain interaction from customers.

·         Communicating with new and existing customers to give your salon a friendly vibe.

SMS Marketing

Another way you can market your salon is through text message marketing. This is a very effective form of marketing as text messages have a 98% open rate. With Salon Trackers professional package and above you can do a text message marketing campaign directly from Salon Trackers intelligent marketing suite. 

Here are some examples of text messages you can send out to your customers to try and get them to visit your salon.

Hi <<Forename>>

EASTER WEEKEND IS HERE!

Free Tan Accelerator Sachet when any course is bought Fri-Mon!

<<CompanyName>> <<CompanyTel>> T&Cs Apply

Hi <<Forename>>

Long Weekend = Longer Opening Hours

This weekend only we've extended our opening hours until 9 so get booked in quick!

<<CompanyName>>

Hi <<Forename>>

Bank Hol is here, get booked in quick so you're ready for your night out. Gel polish on hands and toes just £30 this weekend!

<<CompanyName>>

Email Marketing

If you would like any more information on Salon Trackers Intelligent marketing suite, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker x

We’re exhibiting at the show!

We can’t believe it, Professional Beauty London is only a few days away, it doesn’t seem like 2 minutes since we were last there and it’s been 6 months! And what a busy couple of months it has been, where we are so happy to finally announce that we have launched our online payments feature for tanning courses! So, we can now offer payments through stripe for all of our clients, whether you are wanting beauty/hair deposits, or wanting clients to purchase tanning bundles upfront, we’ve got you covered. We can also offer Klarna as a payment method, meaning that this allows your clients to buy now and pay later for their courses.

What to do if you are wanting to visit…

The first thing you need to do is register for your ticket, depending on the show you may need to purchase a ticket so it’s best to book in advance as sometimes you can get your ticket for free or cheaper the earlier you purchase.

You also want to make sure to pre-plan your visit ahead of time! Most shows have apps or websites that you can go on to see which stands you want to visit and where they’re located.

Lastly, make sure you give yourself enough time to get round all the stands you want to visit and take into account time you might want to spend watching live talks and for stands you may not have spotted during your pre-planning!

Once you get there…

Visiting a trade show is the perfect chance for you to not only meet companies you already work with but to also meet new companies and find new and exciting products and services that can help to benefit your salon. According to CEIR, 92% of trade show attendees are looking to discover new products. New products are great to test in your salon, whether these are to sell or to use during services, there are always fresh and innovative products to keep you on top of the industry trends.

With us all been locked inside for the last 2 years it’s nice just to get out again and interact with those
within your industry. At many trade shows there are also live speakers and demonstrations that you can watch from industry leaders which can be very beneficial to watch. These range from anything such as business stages with marketing and social media tips to demonstrations on how to do skin, nail and makeup treatments. If you check before going to the show, you’ll be able to find a list of planned live stages and seminars that you can attend and watch during your time at the event. These also give you a great opportunity to network and create contacts with those in your industry and with those that follow similar interests.

One of the best parts of visiting a trade show are the freebies! Keep your eyes peeled for any stands offering any free products, not only is it nice to get a freebie it also gives you chance to test a product you may not have looked at or thought to try!

Not only do you get to meet hundreds of new businesses, it also gives you chance to see and meet businesses you haven’t interacted with before. Exhibitors tend to offer visitors deals or special offers for visiting them whilst at the show, so this is a great chance to try out your negotiation skills and get yourself a good deal.

Don’t forget we’re exhibiting at Professional Beauty in London next weekend on the 3^rd and 4^th of April! Come see us on stand Q32 to meet the team and see the system live in person, we can’t wait to meet you all!

Salon Tracker x

At Salon Tracker, we aim to help your salon become as efficient as possible. In order to achieve this, we have a range of different features which help save time and improve your overall running of the salon.

Advanced Calendar Options

Salon Tracker allows you to have a digitalized appointment book with split-screen columns for multiple therapists. Depending on which package you are on, you are able to have multiple calendars for different areas of the salon, for example, a tanning and beauty calendar. Also, you can have colours associated with your treatments so that you can easily identify them within your calendar.

Client Record Card

All client information, including date of birth, contact number and notes can all be stored securely within the system. This not only eliminates the need for paper record cards but also reduces the waiting time in the salon as you are able to pull their records up quickly. With the use of our fingerprint readers, you can also assign a customers’ fingerprint to their customer card and speed up the process further by simply asking them to place their finger on the reader upon arrival. This would then bring up the customers’ record.

Stock Management

Our software allows you to accurately track your outgoing stock as it automatically depletes when products are purchased. You are able to set your own low stock warning levels so that you can be alerted when you have sold certain amounts of stock. You are able to set different values for different products depending on popularity. Default order quantities can be set for individual products and used to create automated stock ordering forms.

Advanced Business Reports

Our system is able to generate a whole range of reports and charts which cover everything from sales to stock to staff management. You are able to alter the timeframes you run your reports to pull daily, weekly, monthly or yearly data. Our reports can be exported so that you can access them in both excel or pdf form. Also, with our Enterprise package, you are able to view your reports from home via siteview.

Make use of our built-in sophisticated marketing suite, allowing you to text and email clients. Tailor your campaigns to your needs and target specific customers or use our pre-made campaigns. Reach customers instantly whether they are at work, home or on the go and encourage client return with personable approach.

If you would like to see these features in person, we will be exhibiting at the Professional Beauty London Show on the 3^rd and 4^th of April on stand Q32! Feel free to come down and visit our stand for an in-person demo and to meet the team, we look forward to seeing you there.

Salon Tracker x

Salon Tracker would like to introduce their new software package, aimed at single person run and mobile salons. Salon Tracker Solo gives you some of our most exclusive features for half the price of our enterprise package.

This package is specifically created for smaller salons in mind meaning that you’re only able to have this package if you have one bookable item in your salon. This can be anything from one hair stylist, one beautician or one sunbed.  If you don’t fit these criteria don’t worry, we have plenty of other software packages for you at great prices.

Here are some of the features we are offering in this package:

Customer Tracking

This package gives you the ability to store all customer data such as contact information, booking history and purchase history. This means you can look into a customers account to see when they last visited and how often they usually come in. You can then use the system to directly text them using our one-way messaging system to see if they would like to get booked in. This package can also use this contact information to send your customers automated SMS booking reminders to help reduce no shows.

Business Reports

This package also gives you access to our 8 standard business reports. This allows you to pull reports detailing information such as your end of day cashing up, all the actions which have taken place on your software throughout the day and also retail and booking sales for the day. You can run all reports for a day, month, year or even set a specific date range which you want to see this information for.

Retail Products

Selling retail products is an easy way to increase your salon revenue by quite a lot. Salon Tracker solo gives you the option to store all your retail products and sell them to your customers directly through the system.  This makes the selling of retail products even easier as you can just add them onto your customers booking.

Online Bookings and Payments

‘36% of salon bookings are made out of hours’

 
If you would like anymore information on this new package or would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and trial, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker x

With SMS open rates being 98%, there is no better time than now to push SMS marketing! Which is why we've put this blog together to demonstrate how you can effectively use our marketing suite.

If you are on our Professional and Enterprise package, you're probably familiar with our marketing suite where you can target a specific range of customers and send them either a text directly from the software or use mail chimp to upload this list of contacts and send them an email! Either way, I bet you wasn't aware of the exact filters you can use on the software to precisely target your customers.

Alerting your customers their booking services are due to expire

This will then encourage your customers to come back in the salon and use up their minutes thus resulting in them purchasing more and so on!

To use this filter go to:

Marketing > Filters > select 'Alert customers their bookable services will expire' > select dates to what you would like it to be e.g next 3 months or next 6 months > change the 'next month' to the time frame you would like also > apply filter > send SMS. 

The text is already pre-written for you but if you want to change the next please be aware it will need to be under 160 characters for it to be classed as 1 SMS credit. You can also preview the text to your own phone using the 'Preview Mobile Tel' box to input your number then press the phone mail symbol on the right hand side to make sure you are happy with the text!

Push your online booking for those customers who haven't booked online yet!

Moving from making bookings manually on the phone to using an online booking system can be a drastic change for both Salon owners and Salon Clients. Some may resist to the change and prefer to ring up themselves and do it which as you all know, can be very time consuming! So for those customers you're struggling to get using online booking, we've got you covered with a marketing filter!

How Will Our Online Payments Work?

As with our online deposits, our online payments will work through our seamless integration with Stripe, allowing customers to pay with card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Klarna.

When a customer goes to book, they will see any remaining minutes they have in a services drop down and any available to purchase for that bed. If a customer wishes to purchase some new minutes, they can select the course or minutes package they want to purchase from the drop down. This will then take them through to Stripe where they will pay with their chosen method, once the payment has gone through, they will see a payment successful screen and then have the option to continue with their booking.

Once they have completed their booking this will show in your Salon Tracker system as an online booking, with the customers purchase being stored on their account. With online payments being activated for tanning, customers won’t be able to create a booking without purchasing minutes, helping to boost your sales!

Why Should You Implement Online Payments?

Revenue generated from online payments goes directly into your bank account through Stripe, and with any customers that opt to pay through Klara the full amount is sent directly to you. So, you don’t have to worry about following up on any payments, as there are all dealt with through Klarna.

How Do I Get my Online Deposits Set Up?

Our online payments feature is expected to be released for tanning salons shortly. If this is a feature you are interested in, we are looking for a handful of customers to test this for us, so feel free to give us a call or email on info@salontracker.co.uk and we will be happy to add you to the waiting list.

The feature is only available for our Enterprise Customers, if you wish to upgrade, please contact us and we will be able to arrange this with you.

If you would like to see this feature in person, we will be exhibiting at the Professional Beauty London Show on the 3^rd and 4^th of April on stand Q32! Feel free to come down and visit our stand for an in-person demo and to meet the team, we look forward to seeing you there.

Salon Tracker x

As Salons start to become busier going into Spring, we have some new features in our latest release that we hope you’ll be able to utilise. Hopefully these new features will help to improve the day to day running of the Salon and generally increase overall efficiency.

Salon Tracker Solo

Clocking-in

Virtual Timer

Another new feature we’ve added for our tanning customers is for use with a virtual timer. For Salons who use tokens to operate their sunbeds, it can be difficult sometimes to determine the wait time for any customers who come into the salon. With the addition of this new feature, you’ll be able to improve the accuracy of your wait time because if you can see that a customer has started the bed before the end of the dress down time, you can click to say the bed has begun.

Salon Holiday Feature

If you have any questions regarding any of our new features, please feel free to drop us an e-mail at info@salontracker.co.uk and of course as always if you want to chat to a member of our sales and marketing team for a few extra tips, we are always on hand to help you with any marketing tools, or simply to offer further advice on using our software functions!

Salon Tracker x

Sustainability is a hot and very important topic right now. In this week’s blog we’re going to share with you some of our tips on how you and your Salon can operate in the most sustainable way.

Small Changes

I know making changes to the way you run your business may seem daunting but one of the best things you could do to make your salon more sustainable is to make small changes in the day-to-day running’s of your salon.

Hair Foils

One small change you could make in your hair salon would be to make the switch from one use foils when doing colour treatments to an alternative which could be reusable or biodegradable. One company doing this which we love is Paper Not Foil UK | Sustainable hair foils | Order Online

Tan Pots

A similar change you could make in your tanning salons is instead of selling sachets of cream, you could sell ‘tan pots’ in reusable containers. They way this would work is instead of sachets you could sell your customers a reusable container which they would be able to pay for topping up from larger bottles if they would rather do this than buy a full bottle. By encouraging customers to bring back the tan pots and just refill them, this would create a lot less waste than if they were to buy a sachet every time they came.

Washing

We know that for many salons, washing things such as towels, cloths and other reusable equipment is a vital step in making sure your salon is clean and runs efficiently. One small thing that you could do is ensure that when you’re putting a load of washing on, make sure you’re doing just one full load rather than multiple partial loads. As well as this making your salon more sustainable, this will also save you money.

Paperless System

 As well as these small changes, one of the simplest and most effective changes you could make is moving from a paper-based system to a computer-based system such as Salon Tracker. Making this move saves waste from things such as client cards and also paper agreement forms. When you move to a software from a paper-based system everything will be stored electronically in one place meaning your salon will not only be greener, but also more organised and easier to run.

One feature that Salon Tracker has in order to help you reduce paper waste is the option for your customers to electronically sign your agreement which will then be stored in the customer cards as a PDF rather than you needing to print off your agreement for them to sign.

Also, if you’re thinking about implementing a paperless system but are apprehensive about the cost to do so, the UK government are currently offering a 50% funded discount for your business to get software with the new digital software grant. If you would like more information on this either contact us at Salon Tracker or click the following link: Help to Grow: Digital - Diagnostic Tool (learn-to-grow-your-business.service.gov.uk).

If you would like any more information on any of these tips or if you would like to get signed up for your free demonstration and two-week trial of Salon Tracker, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker x

Well, that’s where our new Online Deposit feature steps in. It’s the perfect feature for reducing your no-shows and making sure you’re never left out of pocket if a customer doesn’t show for their appointment. Did you know that an estimated £1.2 million is lost each year due to customers not showing up to their hair appointments?

How Does It Work?

Working alongside Stripe we have been able to implement a seamless payment system into our Online Booking, allowing customers to pay with card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Klarna.

Within Salon Tracker you can set the deposit amounts you wish to take, whether this is a percentage of the total value or a flat rate, and these can be different depending on the treatment the customer is booking in for. You can also set a maximum deposit amount; in case the customer is booking in for multiple treatments. 

When the customer makes a booking on your online booking system, it will automatically take them through to the payment screen, and then a confirmation screen of what’s left to pay when they come in for the treatment. Then on your Salon Tracker system the booking will show as the deposit paid and the deposit amount will show on your reports.

The main reason is to get those No-Show bookings reduced! If customers are paying a deposit for a booking, they will be a lot less likely to just not show up as they won’t want to lose the money they have already paid. Introducing deposits also shows your customers that booking slots and your
technician's time are valuable, so this can increase the respect from your customers as they won’t want to waste your time.

Taking online deposits can also help to cover your costs in advance, such as the cost of supplies, tools and your employee’s time. Whereas, if you don’t take deposits and the customer doesn’t show for their appointment this could end up being time wasted, as it can be hard to fill last minute appointments.

How do I Get my Online Deposits Set Up?

If you're wanting to introduce online payments into your Salon, all you need is to be setup on our Enterprise Subscription and we can help from there! Our payments are taken through Stripe so these are very secure, all you need is to create a Stripe business account but again we can help guide you through this setup!

If you are interested in getting set up on this please call on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Salon Tracker x

January is often a quieter period in Salons after the mad rush of Christmas, so there is no better time than now to plan for the year ahead. At Salon Tracker, we believe that the best way to approach marketing for the year is to plan around the different holidays and target these periods specifically.

The first few months of the year are always the cold ones, and there’s no better time to visit the salon. Often this can be a quieter time for tanning salons so why not offer some special courses during this time and build your client base ready for the summer. For beauty and hair salons, you may have seen an increase in gift voucher purchases over the Christmas period, so why not encourage your customers to use these now. Also, customers will be trying to fulfil their new year’s resolutions, so what better way to have a ‘new year, new me’ moment that by getting a new hairstyle or having a pamper.

Other major events to center your promotion around during this time are Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Before you start advertising around these days, why not look at previous years and see which of your treatments are most commonly purchased around these periods, and create special packages featuring a few of these at a reduced price. Also, why not create some hampers featuring some of your retail products as well as a gift voucher. You may even want to do a little complimentary fizz with all services booked in the week leading up to, and week after Mother’s Day, to make the client’s service seem a little more luxury!

The next period is filled with bank holidays (1th April, 18^th April, 2^nd May, 2^nd June, 3^rd June) which means customers will be going out and need to be booked in for their pre-outing pampers. This is prime-time for salons, so now may be a good time to push your service packages, for example; if you are a hair and beauty salon you may want to do an ‘Bank Holiday Bundle’ consisting of a couple of mini beauty treatments and maybe a hair style? This year we’ve gained an extra bank holiday due to the Queen’s Jubilee. It’s a great marketing technique to promote the extra Bank Holiday date, as believe it or not there will be a lot of your clients who are still unaware of the Bank Holiday change, so make sure you get in there first to get your calendars booked up.

Going from Spring to Summer, Wedding season will be approaching, as well as proms and graduations. All of these events will drive customers into your salons, whether it be for a fresh tan (spray or real), or for a makeover. Targeting your audience is essential to ensure that your diary is filled to the brim, so why not try something new. Maybe offer a raffle entry for every treatment purchased with the winning prize being a free makeover for their special day. Alternatively, you could offer a trial day at a reduced cost so customers can see how they’ll look at on the big day and minimise the stress on the actual day. This would mean they’re visiting the salon more often and may be more inclined to do so again in the future.

Also, during the summer period, people will be jetting away on holidays after being limited so much over the past two years. What better way to get their tans started than by offering special courses to encourage them into the salon before they go away. Soon enough we will be back around to the autumn/winter period and then it will be time to start looking at Halloween makeovers and Christmas party prep.

Hope this has given you a few pointers to think about, and of course as always if you want to chat to a member of our sales and marketing team for a few extra tips, we are always on hand to help you with any marketing tools, or simply to offer further advice on using our software functions!

Salon Tracker x

We know we specialise in Tanning, but did you know we also specialise in Hair & Beauty too? All your questions answered!

Can you view the salon calendar from home?

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05 Jan 2022

Hello 2022! Another year, brand new!

Welcome back, and a very Happy New Year to you all!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas break and have enjoyed the festivities.

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22 Dec 2021

It's the most wonderful time of the year! A little thank you from us, and Christmas information:

It’s that time of the year again! And what a year this one has been.


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15 Dec 2021

Why is an online presence beneficial for your salon?

What is an online presence

An online presence is defined as how easy it is to find the business when a client is searching for keywords relevant to your business on the internet. Having an online presence allows your clients to interact with the businesses virtual presence to find out more information about the salon brand, its products and services. An online presence allows your salon to be visible on the internet as well as a range of different social media pages which means tat your salon is more discoverable to potential clients. To maintain your online presence, it is essential that you have a desirable webpage and the basic social media platforms that you are continuously active on.

Why is online presence important

An online presence is important for your salon as it allows you to reinforce your brand as you are able to constantly boost your salons image. Constant updates on social media and maintaining your online presence allows your salon to attract new clients and retain pre-existing customers. Online presence is extremely important for small business owners it could potentially provide the salon with the means to grow their client base. This also allows your salon clients to review relevant information such as salon opening hours, location of the salon and the reviews left in regards to the salon done by previous customers. Clients are able to browse the pricing of your services that your salon offers before booking therefore allowing clients enhanced accessibility to your business. Having a greater online presence allows your salon access to a wider audience as your business information will be accessible to clients 24 hours a day seven days a week. You are also able to communicate with your clients continuously through social media therefore allowing you to build customer relationships and trust.

Ways to strengthen your online presence

There are plenty of ways to strengthen your online presence one way to do so would be to optimize your business website, when you are creating or editing the website it would be beneficial for you to use key words that clients will be searching to find a business like yours. Ensure that you and your staff members create many engaging marketing content this includes things such as blogs, videos and social media posts and post them of a range of different platforms to build the chances of reaching out to new clients, you must ensure that you focus on the channels that best suit your target audience. Video marketing will allow you to showcase the benefits of using your salon as well as the services that you offer in a new and attractive way. Focusing on your brand purpose is another method that enables you to strengthen your businesses online presence as you can build a community to interact with clients and other salons this will enable you to promote your brand values as well as allowing you to share a clear consistent and compelling brand story across the content you share. It is important that you make certain that client reviews are continuously up to date online and you encourage your clients to leave a review so that you can further improve your services as this will increase the salons credibility as word of mouth is one of the most common strategies that businesses use to attract potential clients. Boost your search engine optimization to promote your online presence by email marketing, developing your website further and posting content on social media constantly. Many online tools enable you access to data and analytics to help you understand your target audience, their behaviour and preferences and how they experience your business at every stage of the customer journey. It is important that you take this information to measure the effectiveness of using a range of online marketing channels to develop a strategy that works for your brand.

The advantages of online presence

There are many advantages to having a strong online presence this includes the improvement of customer service by being able to interact with them directly converse with them through social media platforms. Your salon is also able to gain referrals through social proof this includes client reviews and images you and your staff members upload of the services you have carried out. Online marketing is an easy and affordable way to market your salon therefore permitting the company to spend the money they have saved from marketing onto other aspects of the salon such as improving the quality of products meaning the salon receives larger amount of profits with limited investment. Having a range of different social media platforms allows you to reach out to a larger audience meaning that more people will be aware of your business. Another advantage of your salon having an online presence is the trust factor that you will secure with potential clients as they will check online to ensure that you are reliable and can trust your brand. Online presence also allows you to view your competition and see what you are able to do different to distinguish your salon from others in your surrounding area.

The disadvantages of online presence

Online marketing is not effective when used alone without another marketing technique as it can be unreliable as the internet can go down, systems can crash therefore it’s not 100% dependable. Another disadvantage to having a strong online presence is that it exposes the company to spam messages and content. Having online accounts paves the way clients and other individuals to leave bad reviews that will tarnish your salon reputation.

I hope this blog has been informative and beneficial for you, make sure to keep continuously posting on your social medias.

Salon Tracker Team. X

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08 Dec 2021

Hidden Gems in Salon Tracker!

 

When it comes to Salon Tracker, many of our features such as the ability to integrate with TMAX and sigma, Stock Control and our online booking features and very popular and well known by our customer. This blog is going to tell you about some of our less popular features or ‘hidden gems’ as we like to call them which will make day to day running of your salon much smoother!

 

Groups

Groups is one of the back ground, and slightly more complex features included in Salon Trackers Professional and Enterprise packages.  This feature allows you to create custom groups for your products, services and customers.

 

You can use customer groups for things such as NHS and student discounts. All you need to do is create a customer group and then associate a certain discount with any customers who get put in that group. This discount option is separated into retail and booking discount so you can pick and choose what discount to offer. You can then add customers into this group as you please. Customer groups also work well as a way to reward loyal customers. You could have a gold, silver and bronze customer group which customers could work their way through based on number of bookings.

 

You can also create product groups. Product groups allow you to offer different discounts or require certain deposits for your services. Product groups also allow you to do deals and things such as happy hour easily and efficiently. You can set up your happy hour but setting up a product group with a purchase availability of Monday to Friday for a set hour or so. This will then discount all the services and products you have selected to your happy hour price automatically for the set time before going back to normal pricing after.

Groups can be tricky though so we’d recommend giving one of our support team so we can help set these up for you!

Tube Tracking

A small, but very useful feature which is available for out Salon Tracker tanning salon customers is tube tracking. This feature allows you to monitor the usage of the tubes on your bed. You can see this in the management section of your Salon Tracker when your click on the individual beds. When your beds get retubed you can reset this counter.

Post Delay

Post delay is another smaller feature which can be very useful especially for our hair salon customers. This feature automatically puts a gap between appointments where there is more than one service being done. For example, if a customer books in for a colour and finish and needs 30 minutes for the dye to process, your system will clear the 30-minute gap in your calendar so you can squeeze in another appointment.

Site View Dashboard

Many of our enterprise customers already know and love this feature. The site view dashboard gives you an over view of the entire day, week or month in your salon. You can view this out of the salon on a phone, tablet or computer at any time of the day. This dashboard includes figures such as number of bookings, bookable and retail sales and takings.

Charts

Another hidden gem of Salon Tracker is the charts. These are located within the reports section under the ‘charts’ tab at the top. These are available on our professional and above packages and the allow you to have a basic rundown of the year. For example, you can see when you’re busiest and quietist months are using the annual bookings chart and you can also see your annual customer information including things such as average spend by age and the number of new customers per month.

 

If you would like any more information on any of these features or would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and trial, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

 

Also, if you’re a Salon Tracker customer don’t forget to enter our Christmas giveaway! Head to @salontrackersoftware on Instagram for all the details.

 

Salon Tracker x

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01 Dec 2021

Style Your Ear …. Curate with Inverness!

This week we have something a little bit different for our blog. After meeting Inverness Piercing at the Professional Beauty show in London, and experiencing their services first hand, we couldn't think of anyone better to feature as a guest blog. Some of our team members had piercings done at the show and we highly recommend Inverness for their safe & gentle ear piercings. Why not consider adding ear piercings in your salon as another source of revenue!

Have you been hearing all about the ‘curated ear’ but not sure how to get one or even what Curated/Earscape or Designer Ear means?! Well, keep reading. We’ve put together some top tips and must haves on how to curate that ear!

 

What does ‘Curated Ear’ mean?

A ‘Curated Ear’ is a variety of multiple piercings in one ear designed to create a unique look. No two ears are the same, so why not look at each ear as a blank canvas? Fancy 4 piercings in one ear but only 2 in the other?  Why not?!   

 

If you’re looking to mirror those glamorous ear shots across social media or our famous icons on the red carpet, or just to create your own unique look, you can do so with the Inverness piercing system.  Most people think it’s only possible to Earscape and Curate the ear through a needle piercing but that’s not true. The hand-pressure Inverness instrument and specially-designed piercing earrings can be used to create gorgeous earscapes piercing both the earlobe and the outer cartilage 

 

The Inverness system creates piercings with a quiet, gentle, hand-pressured instrument and specially-designed piercing earrings that are as sharp as a needle. Each earring has a finely-honed piercing point which glides through the skin in one smooth action, with no trauma to the ear like the old-fashioned spring-loaded guns. Inverness also have a wide selection of metals and styles to choose from, so it’s possible to get the desired look straight away, whilst you wait for your piercing to heal.

 

Over the years we have listened to many people share their piercing experiences and how they feel about their current piercings. Unfortunately, a large percentage aren’t happy with their original piercings. Maybe their first holes sit too high or their seconds are too close together making it difficult to fit two pairs of earrings in. This is where getting creative comes in handy and designing those curated ears shine through. 

 

If your piercing is sitting too high, why not add one just below. Wear a small 2mm CZ in the top hole and a hoop at the bottom. If your piercings are too close together, add a third piercing so when those big earrings come out to party, you can still wear 2 sets and be ready to return to 3 after. 

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24 Nov 2021

Christmas Advent with Salon Tracker

Here at Salon Tracker we believe in making Christmas the most generous time of the year... so that's exactly what we've done!

We're going to be taking full advantage of the 12 days of Christmas but instead we will be putting our own spin on it. Our 12 days of festivities will start on the 1st December right through to the 17th of December where we will be posting our exclusive giveaways through the week days!

Join us on Instagram at @salontrackersoftware to follow our daily updates.

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23 Nov 2021

BLACK FRIDAY AT SALON TRACKER

Here at Salon Tracker we value offers just as much as you guys do... this is why we've decided to spread the festive cheer this year and offer a massive 30% off your first 3 months subscription, 15% off any hardware and also 15% off any text bundles!

This offer is too good to miss so enquire at Salon Tracker before Friday 3rd December 2021 to make the most of our deals and get your free 2 week trial now!

Terms and conditions apply, please speak to a member of our team to find out more. You can call us on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk.

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17 Nov 2021

How to manage the festive rush this Christmas

 As the rush of Christmas was all crammed into one month last year after the November Lockdown, this year we have finally got a real run-up to Christmas and the festive season is in full swing!

I would imagine by now that you are already in Christmas mode in the salon, festive decor, xmas songs on repeat and everyone in high spirits but above all this, is your salon schedule fully prepared and being used to it's potential to help you manage this Xmas rush? First things first and that is:

Sort your Schedule

By using Salon Tracker your life is made a whole lot easier because it takes out all the hard manual work and does it for you! If you have Salon Tracker already, make sure you are utilising your online booking link as best possible. I.E having a book now button on your website, having the link in your instagram bio and on facebook and then actually promoting it. Make posts, tell your clients in the Salon and tell them to tell their friends too - it'll work wonders for your calendar! 

Not only can clients book online using their own customer account but your staff can all have their own user log ins for our Siteview app (which can be downloaded from the app store) to view their calendars and also make appointments for existing customers. This means you can view your calendar and organise your time appropriately for the big rush, leaving you less stressed!

Stock up!

There is nothing worse than having demand for stock but not having any stock in. Christmas time is the best time to sell your retail products because everyone is wanting to get their hands on last minute stocking fillers and simply just to treat themselves! 

Using Salon Tracker, you can track and monitor your stock levels of every product so you can see easily what you are running low of and need to reorder so there will be no room for mistakes. 

Keep your staff motivated!

It is important not to lose sight of your hard working employees over this busy period, they are the ones that have kept the Salon going and without them, you'd probably be in a very sticky situation. Simple things such as making sure they have their breaks and are not too over worked, bringing in treats such as sweets and chocolates to keep them going and more importantly, a works Christmas do! After all the hard work and hours your team have put in the thing that will keep them going the most would be looking forward to letting their hair down at a party or event to celebrate.

Build on client relationships

It is important now more than ever to build on your relationships in this period because it is more than likely you will see customers in the Salon you have never seen before and if there is something that is enticing them to coming again they will return which therefore increases your customer retention and overall your long-term sales and profit. The best way to approach this is to create a loyalty scheme such as for every 5 visits made to the Salon you will receive 20% off or a free retail product! 

Furthermore, using Salon Trackers marketing suite you can filter out specific groups of customers such as high spending customers and customers with birthdays coming up and offer them a discount which will make your customers come back into Salon again and build a loyal relationship. 

Time is money

Make your no-show policy clear and well-know. In these busy periods, you cannot afford to let no-shows happen, especially when you have had to turn down customers as you had no appointments left. 

It is estimated that no-shows cause the hairdressing industry 1.2 million pounds every year according to recent research powered by flossie. 

Profit is something you don't want to be missing out on so here's several ways you can try and put a stop to no shows:

• Utilise your SMS marketing reminder and no-show texts on Salon Tracker. You can set your SMS reminders to go either 2 days or 1 day before and can also send a text if your client is a no show. This text can include information of charges they will incur for being a no-show therefore deterring them from doing it again. 
• Make your cancellation and no-show policy well known. Have it printed in the Salon, all over your social media and actually enforce it. If your client is a no-show, request that they pay the money you missed out on.
• Take deposits. Using Salon Tracker you can add deposits onto treatments so that the customer pays a set amount before the booking. If a customer has already paid some of the bill, they are less likely not to show up because they will lose out on money.

We hope that these tips have given you a clearer insight into managing the Salon over the next couple of months and if you would like to trial the software free of charge for 2 weeks, simply enquire here and a member of the team will be in touch!

Salon Tracker x 

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10 Nov 2021

It's November, which means one thing...Black Friday!!

 ‘They’re singing Deck the Halls!’ 

It’s nearly that time again! Black Friday is just around the corner, this year falling on Friday 26th November and were also now fully in to the 6 weeks Christmas countdown(woohoo!). Did you know, according to Lockhart Meyer, in 2016 £1.96bn was spent on Black Friday, with 50% of the population being interested in the event. Another interesting fact Meyer mentions is, 70% of these are under 25, with 65% of those being aged 25-34! So, if you have micro-marketing tools (or are a user of our software), make sure you use your marketing suites to target this age range, for sales to be most effective.

 

Why should you make the most of Black Friday? Starting out in America, the event has grown drastically in the last 10 years, with so many young adults now awaiting the exclusive deals to ensure they get their Christmas purchases made early! I know for most retailers, Black Friday means offering some discount. Having said this, when the rest of the industry and your competitors are likely to be doing the same, this is the one time where discounting your products and services can be beneficial to you! As long as you still leave yourself with a small profit margin, you can still make great sales; as the volume of those over the Black Friday weekend can sometimes amount to the same as fewer sales would at your original RRP price.

 

So, how can you make your discounted products and services stand out above the rest?

 

 

Gift Tables: 

This is a Salon Tracker fave! The way in which your products are displayed can massively increase sales, as the more eye-catching something looks, the more likely the client is to purchase these items. Especially at Christmas, this is a great time to display your gift sets, Winter products and sample products, by adding a Christmassy display in your salon, this can also boost the mood of clients if your salon atmosphere gives off a fun Xmas vibe. We know the old saying, Happy Clients = Happy Shopping! A recent survey by Lockhart Meyer also showed that the beauty stocking fillers were among consumers top 5 most-wanted lists for Black Friday. So, these 2 go hand in hand to ensure you make some successful Black Friday sales this November!

 

SMS

 

As we have mentioned above, you can use your marketing filters to identify best spending customers, or perhaps clients that are due to refresh their services soon, as this is a good way to get customers to come for their colour refresh, or nail infills for example. But not only that, this is also a good time to market to your different age categories. As discussed, a key target audience for the Black Friday event is 16-34 so ensure you utilise your age filters for that. You can then send an SMS campaign, which could include a web-link on the text message to your offers, or also to your online booking page, to get people booking their Christmas appointments with you early!

 

 

Email 

Another great and cost-effective option to communicate with your clients is email. If you are a user of Salon Tracker, we now also have a direct integration with Mailchimp, where you can utilise our micro-marketing filters to create email campaigns to a direct target audience. The great thing about Mailchimp and similar e-shot providers is, they are really simple to use and you can add your own personalised graphics to these. So, if you want to highlight any particular parts of your Black Friday deals, this is a great way to do it, to attract your client’s attention to the deals your salon is offering this year!

 

 

Social Media/Competition

 

Social media is always a great place to get people talking about your salon, and everyone will be jumping on board with the #blackfriday hashtag over the coming weeks. As this is a mass market for your business to advertise to, you want to ensure that you have a presence among the searches over Black Friday weekend. Lots of people will be advertising the same messages however. So, great ways to get your clients talking about you and sharing your posts is to set up something new, such as a competition, or an entry in to a prize draw (if they share their salon Christmas treatments on social media), and so on. Think of some unique ideas that could be interesting to get people mentioning your brand. As all Christmas promotion is good promotion and beneficial to not only your Black Friday sales, but to increasing your brand growth too.

 

VIP Slot 

And for those clients that are regulars with you anyway, why not utilise this time to treat them to an exclusive ‘Black Friday’ gift or offer? Or invite them to a VIP event! Some great ideas are ‘treatment masterclasses’ or ‘taster treatments’ or even a showcase of all of your upcoming Spring products! Clients’ love getting invited to VIP events, as this makes them feel valued and a premium client of yours. Plus, this is also a great way to ensure you have client longevity and retention after Christmas in to the New Year too!

 

 

Then Last but Not Least - Our Offers!

 

And as always, we’re getting involved too!

 

We’ll be bringing our offers to you 1 week early, starting Monday 22^nd November we’ll be offering:

 

30% Off First 3 Months Software
15% Off All Hardware Purchases
15 % Off All SMS Bundles – great for your Xmas Marketing Campaigns!

 

And this will be running until Friday 3^rd December so make sure to get your trial in during this time!

 

To claim your offer, simply head to https://www.salontracker.co.uk/FreeTrial.aspx to enquire for your FREE TRIAL, and if you are on trial before 3rd December, you are still eligible for our offer from your first software payment.

 

All hardware and SMS bundle purchases must be also made before 3rd December to be able to redeem the discount.

So, Happy Black Friday Planning and Software Shopping, it’s Christmassss!

Salon Tracker x

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03 Nov 2021

Salon Tracker Support FAQs

Here in the support team, we’re used to helping our customers with any questions or queries they have! So, we thought it would be useful to put together a Support FAQs, to answer all of your burning questions.

Is Salon Tracker Support Free?

Yes! All of our support is included within our monthly subscription packages. Our support team are available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, just call on 0113 350 8230
and we will be happy to help with any questions or issues.

How do I backup my Salon Tracker data?

If you are on our Enterprise package your Salon Tracker data will automatically backup to your cloud storage.

With our Standard and Professional packages your data is all stored locally to your PC. What we recommend is to have a memory stick or an external hard drive plugged into the PC that can be used to store another backup file. When closing down Salon Tracker there are 2 tick boxes, one to back up to the local PC and one to back up to a removal drive. Make sure both of these are ticked and go green, this means that both backups have been successful.

Can we convert your data from another software?

Yes, we can convert data from most other software companies! For the most part we have done conversions from most other software companies, so it’s just a case of us accessing the data and then converting it over to Salon Tracker on our side. If your data is from software, we haven’t done a conversion from we would just need to take a look at the data initially to determine whether or not we can complete the conversion across to Salon Tracker. For more information see our data conversions blog here: Salon Software News | Feature-of-Month---Salon-Tracker-Data-Conversions (salontracker.co.uk)

Can you use Salon Tracker on a Mac?

Currently Salon Tracker is a Windows based software, so the only way to run Salon Tracker on a Mac is through the use of Parallels or Bootcamp which allow you to access Windows through the Mac.

What versions of Windows can I run Salon Tracker on?

Salon Tracker can currently be used on Windows 10 and soon will be available on Windows 11. (Don’t update to Windows 11 yet as there are a few hardware issues that are yet to be resolved on Windows side).

Should I do my Windows Updates?

Yes! Doing your Windows updates is very important to make sure Salon Tracker is running as effectively as possible. As long as you’re shutting your PC down every day the PC should automatically do the updates, however it’s still good to check in the Updates section within settings to make sure you have done all the updates.

Can I access Salon Tracker without internet?

Yes, Salon Tracker only requires internet once a month to license. We do recommend having internet in the shop so that we can connect to your screen if you require any assistance, but it’s not a necessity.

Where is my data stored?
If you are on our standard or professional package your data is stored locally on your PC. With our enterprise package your data is stored both locally and within the cloud. We don’t store any of your data on our side, so make sure you’re backing up your data externally to your PC so that you don’t lose any data.

What hardware can I integrate Salon Tracker with?

We can integrate with: Cash Drawer, Receipt Printer, Barcode Scanner, Fingerprint Reader, Signature Pad, Tmax, Sigma and Dojo (Payment Sense).

What do I do if my Tmax stops working?

Unplug and re-plug the Tmax cable back into the PC, then restart your Salon Tracker and see if it pulls through your timers. If you’re still having issues with it connecting, restart the Tmax and then restart Salon Tracker again. If it still hasn’t connected call on 0113 350 8230 and we will be able to take a look at it for you.

How do I reconnect my Printer Salon Tracker?

If you unplug your printer and plug it back it, this can often create a copy of the printer on your PC. If you go to the admin section on Salon Tracker then to the hardware tab under the printers section you may see multiple copies of the printer in your drop down. To find out which is the active copy, open ‘Printers & Scanners’ in your settings, you should see ‘idle’ next to the one that’s currently active. Set this as the printer in Salon Tracker and you should now be able to print. If you need any further assistance with this, please call on 0113 350 8230.

What do I do if my cash drawer won’t open?

Most cash drawers are connected to the receipt printer, this allows them to trigger open when you complete a sale. If your cash drawer won’t open, follow the above steps and make sure the correct printer is connected to Salon Tracker.

I hope this has helped to answer any of your support questions! If you do have any further questions that you would like answering feel free to email on info@salontracker.co.uk or call on 0113 350 8230 and we will be happy to help!

Salon Tracker x

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27 Oct 2021

Question and Answers - Salon Tracker Software

Does the software do online payments?

Online Payments is a new feature that we are aiming to implement within the next release of Salon Tracker this should be within the beginning of the new year. Right now, the feature is currently in the last stages of development the next step will be the testing in which we are able to improve the feature and erase any and all complications. Salon Trackers aim is to be able to provide your clients with a seamless payment integration so that they are able to purchase your services online or pay a deposit of the service without hesitation at any time.

Do you cater to solo salon businesses?

Currently Salon Tracker doesn’t provide a subscription for solo salon businesses but we are researching this topic so that we can develop a subscription to suit the needs of solo individuals and fill the gap within the market. The Solo Subscription will be released in the new year, if you wish to receive more information about the new subscription and if you are eligible for this subscription don’t hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or alternatively email us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

How does your online payment system work?

Online payments hasn’t yet been released however when it is released in the new version of salon tracker it will further reduce your no-show bookings. The online payments will take place through an application known as stripe where the client can use their card, apple pay or google pay to complete the transaction, the money will then go straight into the bank account of your choice. Once the transaction has been completed the customer will receive an email invoice confirming the completion of the transaction. You are able to access online payments dashboard and reports through stripe to monitor your takings through the online payments system. If you are interested in our online payments feature and would like to know more information regarding pricing please contact us.

What is your charge for set up and support of the software?

Set up and support of the software is FREE of charge as well as training, these can take place Monday to Friday 9:00am till 5:00pm.

What makes you different from the other software companies?

Salon Tracker Software has a variety of different simplistic and easy to use features that differentiate us from our competitors. The clock in system allows you to track when staff members start and finish their shift within the salon you can monitor this within the software under the management section which you can make available to only you and manager members of staff with our permissions feature. The software also enables you to change the increments on the booking calendar to suit your salon and the services you carry out this ranges from 5 minutes to 60 minutes. Client record cards enables you to store client data such as their personal details, booking history and purchase history. For our multi-site clients, we have the HQ feature in which you are able to view and monitor each of your salon’s activity from one location. The online booking feature has become the most popular feature throughout the past couple of months, this feature is ONLY available on our Enterprise subscription. The feature allows your clients to book appointments for your salon anywhere, anytime and anyplace, the bookings made online will sync with the booking system within the salon.

What resources do I require to be able to have the software in my salon?

To have the software you require a computer or laptop with the following specification:

• ·         Screen Resolution 1280x800 (Minimum) 1920x1080 (Recommended)
• ·         Intel I-3 Processor/AMD A4 (or equivalent)
• ·         8GB Memory
• ·         500GB to 1TB SSD Storage
• ·         Windows 10 or above

How flexible is Salon Tracker Software?

Salon Tracker allows you and your staff members flexibility as you are able to offer clients split appointments, display staff schedule to clients as well as showing your opening and closing hours. Clients are offered flexibility through the online booking system as they are able to choose from a variety of different time slots as well as them being able to cancel and reschedule their appointments at any time.

If you would like any further information or your question hasn't been answered in this blog don't hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or alternatively email us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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20 Oct 2021

Who can Salon Tracker Integrate with?

Though our booking system had many different features, there are some things that you may need to help your salon run smoothly that we don’t offer. This is why we have partnered with some different companies and integrated their services into our system so you can run your salon in the simplest way possible.

Dojo

When it comes to card payments, Salon Tracker can directly integrate with Dojo Payment Terminals. How this works is once your card terminal is connected to your Salon Tracker by a member of our team, when you select the card payment option on the system this will send the correct amount directly through to your card terminal. This integration reduces the risk of error when typing in the payment amount and also means that there will be no discrepancies between your Salon Tracker reports and your end of day reports from your PDQ machine. If you would like to get this integrated just let us know and we can pass over your details to our account manager at Dojo Payment Sense!

TMAX/Sigma Sunbed Timers

One of our most popular features with our tanning salon customers is the integration with TMAX and Sigma timer managers. On our professional package and above we offer tanning salons the ability to connect the timer manager. This works by plugging your timer manager into the PC using a USB to serial cable and means that you can send tanning minutes through to the sunbed from your PC. This reduces work load and also makes it easier to track how many minutes each bed has done for when you need to retube your beds! This feature also lets you set bespoke, dress down and cool down times for your beds.

Mailchimp

For all your marketing needs, you can integrate your Salon Tracker Professional and Enterprise accounts to mailchimp.  In Salon Trackers bespoke marketing suite, you can filter out different customer groups which you would like to market to, for example your best spending customers or customers who haven’t visited in a while. You can then input this information into Mailchimp and send out a marketing campaign to these customers for free! If you would like any training on how to do this at all please just let us know!

Geo-Code

One small, but very useful feature, that has been implemented into Salon Tracker is the Geo- Code. This feature allows you to put in your customers post code and automatically find their address. All you need to do this is an active google account and we’ll link your account up to your salon tracker.

Social Media

Whilst Salon Tracker doesn’t directly integrate with your salon’s social media accounts, there is ways around this for things such as your online booking site and also reviews. You can add your link to your social media pages, such as Instagram or Facebook so your customer can easily find your online booking site. Also, within Salon Tracker you can send your customers an SMS message asking them to leave you a review on social media or google.

 

If you would like any help on setting any of these integrations up or if you would like any more information on any of these please don’t hesitate to get in contact with a member of our team on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk

Remember if you visited us at Professional Beauty London this year to give us a call and get booked in for your free demo and two-week trial so you can claim your show offer!

Salon Tracker x

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13 Oct 2021

Feature of Month - Salon Tracker Data Conversions

Although we might not like to admit it, there are other software companies out there. Here at Salon Tracker were happy to convert your data free of charge from any other software company.

We understand that the process of switching software providers can be stressful and sometimes over complicated, you’ve probably got months or years’ worth of customers information on your current system and the last thing you want to is re-enter all your clients into a new system. That’s where we come in.

Our data conversions typically allow us to bring across:

•  Customer names
•  Customer notes
•  Products
•  Customer services (Such as existing minutes)

There are 3 simple steps involved in us converting your data:

Step 1

First, we need a copy of your data. Sometimes this involves us connecting to your PC and taking the data ourselves, other times the data can be encrypted or stored within a location we don’t have access to. If this is the case you would need to speak to your current provider and ask them to get the data for us, hopefully they’ll be nice enough to let you have it!

Step 2

We will test the data on our end to make sure we can definitely convert the data, if this is the case we will go ahead with the full conversion. Once we have completed the conversion, we will test import it into Salon Tracker and compare it to the existing data to ensure that it has copied over correctly. This step will often take up to 3 days, it just depends on the scale and size of your database.

Step 3

Finally, we will import the data onto your new Salon Tracker system and then check it through with you again to make sure its all correct! It works best if we can do the conversions at the start of the week and import before the end of the week to ensure that you have a couple of working days to use and test the data.

If you are interested in moving over to our software from your current provider, we offer the data conversion free of charge and you will also get 30% off the first 3 months of your subscription for moving over to us! Feel free to call on 0113 350 8230 to discuss your data conversion and see all the benefits of introducing Salon Tracker software into your salon!

Salon Tracker x

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06 Oct 2021

Autumn Marketing

 

This Autumn is completely different to last years in that we are not in lockdown and everything is open. So, now is the perfect opportunity to take full advantage of Autumnal offers and really push the boat out with marketing.

Decorations and Outfits

One of the simplest ways to get into the Autumnal spirit is to decorate the salon. Whether you prefer the traditional Autumn vibe with pumpkins and warm tones, or if you want to go more towards a Halloween theme and accessorise with Ghosts and Bats, refreshing your décor is something that will surely put a smile on your customers’ faces. Window displays are a particularly good way of advertising as not only do they appeal to your currents customers but they can also draw in the attention of people passing by and this may entice them to come in and try out your salon. Also, your employees could try dressing up in Halloween costumes, as well as potentially doing some unique hairstyles and nails too showcase some new designs and creativity.

Social Media

Another way to make the most of Autumn is to use social media as a free way of advertising. Not only can you reach your current customers but you are able to promote yourself and reach new customers. You could try to promote exclusive Autumn offers or run giveaways which not only rewards your loyal customers but can also help you in reaching new clients through sharing your page. Staying active on social media is really important, especially interacting with your customers. Instagram allows you to post a range of interactive stories such as voting polls and Q&As so you can get feedback from your customers to see what they’re wanting from you. Using these means you can tailor any marketing more specifically to what your customers actually want.

Retail Products

If your salon sells retail products such as sachets of cream or nail polishes, why not offer a promotion on certain ones such as any Autumn themed colours. This may allow you to get rid of any overstock and appeal to customers who do not typically buy products and want to try something new. Showcasing these products on yourself or on social media is a good way of showing the products in action and the potential they have.

SMS Marketing

Now we’ve been out of lockdown for six months, it is a good time to treat your most loyal returning customers with special offers. Our software has a built-in marketing suite which gives you the opportunity to easily use SMS and email marketing. You can choose client groups or make your own in order to send out your message to the group of people it was intended to. For example:

Hi << Customer Forename>>

Thank you for your support over the last 6 months! 10% off your new Autumn look!

<<Company Name>><<Company Contact Details>>

If you're looking for something to help manage your Salon this Autumn, enquire at https://www.salontracker.co.uk/FreeTrial.aspx for your free two-week trial!

If you already have the software and would just like any more Autumn marketing tips, please feel free to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 and we'll be happy to help!

Make the most of the end of this year!

Salon Tracker x

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29 Sep 2021

We're Back Exhibiting At Professional Beauty London 17th - 18th October!

Big Events Are Back!

Hi everyone, how are we all? Who’s looking forward to Professional Beauty London next month? We can’t believe it’s been 2 years since we exhibited at the Excel; it seems like 2 minutes ago but so much has happened since then, with the unprecedented pandemic and our industry being forced to close, it has been a difficult 18 months for everyone. But it’s finally starting to look like there is light at the end of the tunnel and things are looking positive! Your businesses have been back open almost 6 months now and it’s been a really successful 6 months from what we have gathered from our clients. But not only has it been busy for you all (which we are so happy about) it’s also been a really great few months for us in terms of development, which we’ll be showcasing a few things that we have been working on whilst were at the show too! But more than anything, we’re just excited to get back to exhibiting and seeing you all in person again. Plus, we’re just as much looking forward to seeing all the other brand showcases and doing a bit of shopping ourselves too!

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23 Sep 2021

Health and Safety within your salon and how Salon Tracker can assist you with keeping within the guidelines

Health and Safety guidelines for salons can seem complex at first glance and there is a lot you must consider as the owner of the salon, to maintain a safe working environment. It is essential that staff and customers are safe from harm within the salon if the standards are not met to prevent them from harm the repercussions can be astronomical. Completing continuous risk assessments and establishing a salon health and safety policy will ensure that your staff members are able to carry out their jobs without risk to themselves and clients.

Risk Assessment

It is essential that your salon has a risk assessment in place that is continuously monitored and updated when potential new risks occur. Within a risk assessment you must identify the variety of risks that occur within the workplace and put procedures such as management measures to minimize or eliminate the hazard. If any accidents were to take place due to the hazard not being eliminated you must record the incident and carry out an investigation in line with Health and Safety Executive reporting standards. When procedures and policies are put in place to prevent hazards, they must be documented so that you are able to refer back to them in any necessary given moment.

Age Limitations

Under The Sunbeds Regulations Act 2010 it is an illegal offense for people under the age of 18 to use sunbeds in any facility, meaning that if the client appears to be under the age of 21 or 25, they will be asked to verify that they are 18 or over by showing valid proof of age. The regulations also state that the prescribed health information is provided on an A4 and A3 piece of paper so that clients are reminded each time they enter the salon, this is the only information that should be displayed information such as health effects of sunbeds will not be displayed.

Beauty therapists must protect and promote the welfare of under 16-year-olds therefore it is not recommended to carry out treatments on individuals within this age group. However, you are able to carry out beauty treatments on 16-year-olds but to do so you must oblige by the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines.

Keeping your Salon and Staff Members Safe

As a salon owner you have a duty of care to your employees and clients this means that you must consider things such as: personal protective equipment, the correct facilities and equipment for staff to be able to carry out services safely and controlling substances that can be classed as hazardous to health regulations. In order to maintain high standards of care within the work environment it is important to appoint a first aider they will also be in charge of the first aid arrangements within the salon. The welfare of the employees and clients is a high priority within the salon, this means that you must be able to provide them with facilities and other measures to ensure the individuals wellbeing needs are met. The need for insurance within a salon environment is essential as it plays a vital part in protecting you when it comes to legal claims and financial losses that the salon may face.

Health and Safety Policy

If your salon has five or more employees then it is necessary that your salon has a health and safety policy in place, however it is good practice for your salon to have a policy in place with less than five employees. The law states that you must provide training for staff members so that they are able to enforce health and safety legislations as well as the policy you created for your salon.

Using Salon Tracker to Stay Within Health and Safety Guidelines

How can Salon Tracker assist you with maintaining the health and safety standards within your salon? Within the system you are able to store information such as client allergies on their client card you can add this information in as an alert therefore it will appear in a red box when the client’s card is opened, the allergy information can be gathered through consultations and skin tests. Salon Tracker also provides hardware that is able to assist you with health and safety for example; the signature pad allows you to store the customers signature on your agreement within their client card along with a date and time of when it was signed. Another example of how Salon Trackers hardware is able to aid you in staying within the guidelines is through the fingerprint reader in which you are able to identify which client is in the salon through their unique finger print this eliminates the risk of under age individuals using other clients name to access the services in the salon which they are not legally permitted to have.

There are tanning regulations implemented into the system so that you are able to prevent clients from returning to the salon more than once a day you can also prevent underage clients from using the sunbeds. The system also connects with Sigma and T-Max which means that the beds can be controlled from Salon Tracker within this you are also able to control the dress down and cool down periods for the beds which can help to prevent the beds from over heating in your busier time periods.

If you wish to book in for your free demonstration and two-week trial don't hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or alternatively email us at info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker Team. X

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15 Sep 2021

Feature of the Month- New Tanning Features

Feature of the month is back! To celebrate this month, we’re doing a three in one of new tanning rules that we have added into the software over the past couple of weeks all in one place!

Overbook

One new feature which is in the final stages of completion is our new overbook feature. This feature is more for the tanning salons who take prebooking’s for their beds.  This feature allows you to book customers onto a bed, even if they don’t have the minutes pre purchased on their account. For example, if one of your customers wanted to get booked in for a sunbed in a few days’ time for 15 minutes, but only had 6 minutes remaining on their course card, you would be able to book them a slot for 15 minutes, with the 9 extra minutes being classed as an over booking. If you do this, you won’t be able to confirm the booking until those extra 9 minutes have been purchased. This means that you can effectively book people in for more minutes that they have remaining but means that you won’t be able to put them onto the bed unless they have paid, meaning you’re less likely to give away any free

minutes by accident.

Course Rules

Another new feature that we have recently added to the system is course and single minutes rules. The way this works is that when you add a new booking or single minute service, you can add some course rules onto it. For example, with your single minute services, you can add the rule that it’s got to all be used in one session. This means that people can’t buy 15 single minutes and use 9 minutes one day and then 6 the next. This feature can also be used for courses. For example, if you have a course where a customer can go on 20 sessions for a set price, you can set the number of sessions available for that course to be 20. As well as the number of sessions per tanning service, you can also set it so there are only set numbers available to take off. For example, with the 15-minute single session there would only be a -15 option or if you had a course which allowed 10 minutes per day for a set amount of time, the only option available would be -10. You can set these numbers and the number of sessions as to whatever works best for you.

Online Security

We have also improved security for your salon when it comes to online bookings. Now all booking rules that are set on Salon Tracker will pull through to the online account. This means that whilst customers were never able to go on the bed more than once a day, this will also stop customers booking more than once a day meaning there will be more space on your calendar. Any other booking rules will be pulled through too, for example if you want fairer skin types to only be able to book once every 48 hours of if you only want your customers to only be able to book a set number of sunbeds per year. This again is totally customisable to your salon and just means you have even more control of what goes on in your salon at all times.

 

If you would like anymore information on any of these features or would like any help getting them set up, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  Also, if you would like to see these features in action come visit us at Professional Beauty London on the 17^th and 18^th of October and we will be able to give you a demonstration of how they work!

 

Salon Tracker x 

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08 Sep 2021

Why hiring apprentices can benefit your Salon!

Your salons growth is extremely dependant on the people you hire, without good
employees it would be a struggle to run your salon successfully, if at all. Whilst it is important to hire staff that are experienced, knowledgeable and qualified it also pays off to hire up and coming apprentices with little knowledge and experience. These people will be itching to learn and will most likely carry your Salon into upcoming trends and styles. 

So, what does hiring an apprentice really involve?

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01 Sep 2021

How to Retain Clients

 

Customer retention, or customer loyalty, is an important part of running a salon especially due to the current climate due to COVID-19 and salons having been closed for so long. This week we decided to put together a blog to share our best tips and tricks to keep clients coming into your salon.

Social Media

One of the best, and easiest, ways to keep your clients coming back it to utilise social media. Regular posting of your work and other post relating to your salon means that your customers will keep seeing your posts and this will remind them to keep getting booked in with you. Social media is also a great way to connect and communicate with your clients too. Clients are more likely to return to a salon where they feel comfortable and communicating and interacting with them over social media is a great way to do so.  If you would like some ideas on how to manage and run a social media account effectively for your salon go to www.salontracker.co.uk.news and see the many blogs we’ve written about this. P.s drop us a follow @salontrackersoftware

SMS Marketing

Another way you can keep your customers coming back to your salon is by sending them text message marketing campaigns. The great thing about this is it could be anything you want.  Salon Trackers ‘Marketing Suite’ gives you the option to filter out specific groups of customers to send messages to directly from your system. For example, you could filter out all your best spending customers for that month and send them a text to try and encourage them to get re booked into your salon. Here is an example of an SMS that you could send:

Hi ‘FORENAME’

Thank you for being one of our most loyal customers! As a thank you here’s your voucher for 10% off your next visit!

See you Soon!

YOURSALONNAME YOURSALONNUMBER T’s&C’s Apply

Loyalty Rewards

One thing that customers will always love is to be rewarded for their loyalty. One way you could do this is set up a loyalty scheme or loyalty groups. For example, one way that you could work this is have different packages all depending on how many appointments that they have had with you. You could have gold, silver and bronze packages all which have different levels of rewards for your most loyal customers including discounts off treatments, retail products or even exclusive access to new treatments before your other clients. Having a reward scheme like this will encourage all your customers to stay loyal to your salon and keep coming in as much as possible. Salon Tracker gives you the option to manage this with our groups feature and this means you can just put these customers into the correct rewards group and Salon Tracker will manage this for you!

If you would like any more information on any of these features or would like us to help you get them set up, please give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email on info@salontracker.co.uk for any help or training!

Salon Tracker x

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26 Aug 2021

How to establish your new and upcoming salon

When establishing a new business within the salon industry there are a few things that you must take into consideration.

Business plans are essential when starting a new salon, you must be prepared and organised for any situation that may come your way when preparing for the launch of the salon. Things such as a grand opening should be organised to spread the word of your upcoming salon within the community, within this party you can display products that you offer as well as offers.

It is important to plan out what services will be provided within the salon, to do this you must take into consideration what treatments are most desirable within your target market/audience. As the owner of the business products and services you supply to your clients should be under constant review as trends are forever changing therefore people’s preferences of treatments will vary dependent on the season and the trends throughout the year.

One major aspect in promoting your newly established salon is your social media presence. It is important to have a business account on a variety of different social media platforms so that you are able to reach out to a range of different clients. To be able to retain and attract new clients you must ensure that you are constantly posting on each of your social media accounts, posting at least twice a day as a minimum on each account at the correct times during the day. For example, most individuals check their social media pages during their lunch break at work and on a night after work therefore it would be logical to post at these times of a day as people are more active on their social media accounts. The times may change dependent on your client basis taking into consideration factors such as if the majority of your salon clients are full time stay at home parents. The content you post is of high importance especially when you’re a new salon, content such as before and after images are a great way to promote the upcoming salon as clients love to see the process you make. It allows them to build a confidence bond between the client and your staff member as they have been made aware that the staff are very much capable.

For your salon to be able to develop a solid client base it is important that the customer experience starting from when the client enters the salon, walking into reception to when they pay for the service and leave must be impeccable. This means that the environment must exceed customer expectations in terms of cleanliness and decorativeness as clients are more likely to recommend your salon to friends when they have been built a personal relationship with the staff members within your salon from them providing an excellent service (including aftercare) and interacting with the client. Word of mouth is essential and helps to spread awareness of your salon and its services.

There are many ways in which you as a salon owner are able to maintain the high quality of care you are providing to your clients whilst promoting the business to the best of your abilities. Asking clients for reviews including how in their opinion their experience at the salon could be improved this allows you to constantly enhance the quality of your services and customer experience. Doing this will provide your salon with a higher chance of repeat clients when you add value to their service and experience. After each appointment it is essential for you and your staff members to always offer to schedule the clients next appointment to prompt them into returning. 

When starting a new salon owners like to offer discounts to entice customers to the salon. There are variation of different discount methods that you can use to entice clients to book at your salon such as referral discounts and start up offers.

These are just a few tips on how to establish your new salon within your community, follow our blog updates every week to learn the tools you are able to use to promote your business and maintain a strong client basis.

Salon Tracker. X

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18 Aug 2021

Unknown Beauty Hacks you just need to know!

We've had 16 months since the start of the pandemic to now and i'm sure you have found out lots of little beauty hacks to get you through all 3 lockdowns. I've pulled out some of the best ones that have been tried and tested by us girls at Salon Tracker and we think they're too good to not share!

Castor Oil.

If you haven't already purchased a bottle of castor oil then you need to get one immediately! Castor oil is rich n fatty acids, Vitamin E and Proteins which is the best recipe for rapid hair growth. This can be applied to your scalp over night in a shower cap to avoid it going all over your pillow then washed out the next day for hair growth. Or it can be applied to lashes and eyebrows for growth too. Tried and tested by myself, after having lash extensions applied for months I didn't have many lashes left and what I did have left were short and brittle. After 2-3 months using castor oil on my lashes every night my lashes were long and thick again and received many compliments about them!

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11 Aug 2021

Utilising Pinterest for your Salon

When running a salon, social media is one of the most useful tools on offer. Pinterest is one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, with over 416 million monthly active users, but it is often overlooked. Here at Salon Tracker, we believe that Pinterest is useful in so many ways, such as: finding inspiration, showcasing your work and selling your retail products.

Finding Inspiration

Pinterest allows you to create mood boards which you can tailor to your own needs. You are able to search for pins, which are photos that people have uploaded, and add these to your mood boards. Not only does it suggest the current trends to search for, it also allows you to choose your own searches, for example ‘summer nails’. This will bring up lots of different pictures to browse through and you can then pin these to your mood board to refer back to. Once you have added a few pins, it will then also bring up similar images that you be interested in. It’s a fantastic tool for keeping on top of what is trending at the moment.

Not only is it useful for finding inspiration for your treatments, but it is also useful for the interior inspiration for your salon. Whether this is a full salon makeover or simply a bit of seasonal décor, there is bound to be ideas on Pinterest that you can use.

Promoting your company

Another way in which you can use Pinterest to benefit your salon is that you can create ads. These can be done in a few ways such as a quick ad, which is a one-off payment that pushes one of your pins to a wider audience. Another way is campaign creation which is a more in-depth way, in which you can set daily amounts you wish to spend advertising.

Showcasing your work

As well as being able to save other people’s pins, you are able to create your own and share your work. You are able to upload a photo, which you can then add details to, such as what products you have used, and you can also link your website to the pin so that if they click the pin, they can be linked directly to your website. When posting, you have the option to post now or post at a later date so that you can post at times you know that people are more active.

Other image-based social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter do not have a very long post life, meaning that the posts do not stay on peoples feeds for very long. Pinterest however has a much longer post life and can see businesses getting leads up to 30 days after an initial post.

 

If you don't already follow us on Pinterest already, go give us a follow @salontracker and check out the different boards on our page for some inspo!  

If you have questions, feel free to drop us an e-mail at info@salontracker.co.uk or call us on 0113 350 8230.

Salon Tracker X

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04 Aug 2021

Things from the lockdown that are here to stay!

Hi everyone, hope your salons are still keeping busy throughout these Summer months! How are we in August already?! Quite scary how much times flying and that your salons have been re-open for almost 4 months! We’re so glad that things seem to finally be going back to some normality, even though there is still a bit of a new normal, we wanted to run through some changes that salons have made throughout the lockdown and which of these have perhaps proven to be beneficial for the future too.



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28 Jul 2021

Our New Dojo Payments Integration

We recently introduced our new Dojo Payments Integration into Salon Tracker making it even easier to
take your card payments. Since COVID many of our customers have seen an increase in card payments rather than cash, so we wanted to make this as easy and seamless as possible.

There are so many benefits to the Dojo card machine: serve your customers quicker, get paid faster, protect your income and there’s no long term commitment. The biggest benefit of all is being able to connect your Dojo machine straight to your Salon Tracker Software. With the integration setup, the payment amount is sent directly to your Dojo card machine making it so much easier for staff when taking payments, especially when you’re busy! Here’s just a few advantages the Dojo integration could bring to your salon:

Reduces Staff Error

A significant benefit to utilising our payment integration feature is that it massively reduces staff payment error. As staff will no longer have to manually enter the payment amount onto the machine, this will help to massively decrease staff error as there is no chance of the wrong amount be entered on accident.

Security

Similar to the reduction in staff error, the integration also helps to make your payments more secure. As the payment amount is automatically sent through to your payment terminal, staff members are unable to change the amount once it has been sent from Salon Tracker. This means all your reports on Salon Tracker should match the receipts from your payment terminal, as staff are unable to purposefully or accidentally change the amount the customer is paying.

Reduces Customer Waiting Time

As the amount is directly sent through to your Dojo machine, this will also help to reduce customer waiting time as everything will be seamless from when you confirm the payment on Salon Tracker.

The Dojo machine itself without the integration with Salon Tracker is perfect for keeping track of your salon, using their app allows you to see real-time insights, receive push notifications, view trend analysis and look at specific transaction details! Dojos slick new design means the terminal looks perfect in any salon, and the new touchscreen feature makes it so easy to see and use. If you are interested in utilising all the benefits of this integration don’t hesitate to contact us on 0113 350 8230 or via email on info@salontracker.co.uk and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Salon Tracker x

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21 Jul 2021

How you can use Social Media in your Salon!

Social media is everywhere these days, from Instagram to Facebook to Tiktok. There are many ways you can use social media in your salon to stay up to date on recent trends, to show people your work and also to attract new customers. We know that this can be a little daunting if you haven’t done this before so I’m here to share my best tips and tricks for you to use social media for your salon.

Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms at the moment with over one billion active users sharing and viewing content each day. One of the best ways to utilise Instagram is to use this as a way to share pictures of your services, whether this be bright colour jobs or some before and afters of clients when they get their services done. Sharing the treatments which you do in your salon on Instagram means customers, both existing and potential can see what you’re capable of and this may persuade them to book an appointment with you. Hashtags are also very useful on Instagram.  Every time you post you should use different hashtag depending on what you’re sharing a picture of. For example, if you’re posting a picture of some nails that have been done in the salon use hashtags like ‘#nails’ and ‘#nailart’ this will mean your posts are more likely to be viewed by more people, even if they don’t follow you.  Finally, the last way you can use Instagram in your salon is the stories feature. Posting stories are a great way to keep your customers updated on what is going on in your salon and also as they only last 24 hours you don’t have to keep them on your feed, Stories are also a good way to do things such as ‘flash sales’ as they’re only available to view for 24 hours you could do a deal on a quiet day for example ‘Today Only, Buy a 30 Minute Course and get a Free Sachet of Tanning Lotion’.

 

Facebook

Facebook is another very popular social media site, especially for salons. Facebooks gives you the opportunity to keep customers updated, display reviews and communicate with your customers all in one place.  Facebook is also a good social media platform to run competitions on. For example, you could run a competition for a free or discounted service in your salon and for you customers to enter they should have to tag some friends and share the post. By asking customers to tag friends and share your post, this means that all the Facebook friends of everyone who had shared that post will see your salon. This is a really good way to get more exposure. Another way to get exposure on Facebook is by using the sponsored posting feature. This does come with a cost but you can spend as much or as little as you like on this. You can push your posts to a target audience of your choice so more people, apart from those who already follow you, will see your posts. As mentioned before, Facebook is also a great place for communicating with your customers, whether this be responding to reviews that they have left you or responding to any messages they have left you. Facebook gives you the option to do all of this in one place.

 

Tiktok

Tiktok is a fairly new social media platform which exploded in popularity over lockdown.  The basic idea of this is to share short videos of whatever you want with popular videos making it to the ‘For You Page’.  Already there are a lot of salon accounts on the platform from nail techs showing viewers the process of doing a client’s nails, hair salons showing some before ad afters and other types of salons sharing tips and tricks to views about things such as tanning safety and how to get the smoothest finish on your foundation.  This platform is very popular, especially with the younger generation with some videos reaching up to a million views, so why not get involved!

 

There are many other options for what social media platforms you could use in your salon for example twitter is also a good one but these are just some of our favourites.

If you’re not already make sure you’re following us on all out social media accounts @salontrackersoftware on Instagram, Salon Tracker Software on Facebook and @SalonTrackerLTD on X to keep up with everything new at Salon Tracker.

 

If you would like any more tips or tricks on how to use social media in your salon don’t hesitate to drop us a message on any of our social media accounts or call on 0113 350 8230.

Salon Tracker x

 

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14 Jul 2021

Salon Tracker Educational Software

Although this isn’t the end of the pandemic, I think we can all agree that stress of being constantly placed into a variety of different restrictions can now come to its end following the termination of restrictions this Monday. As business owners you are now able to make adaptions freely to ensure that you meet society’s new normality as well as being able to meet the needs of both the staff and customers.

The impact of the pandemic on Educational Salon Academies has been astronomical starting with the limit on face-to-face high-quality education being restricted to students as well as salons having to shut for a long period of time, both situations have had a massive impact on educational salons. Now that they are able to return to face-to-face education and salons are completely free of restrictions it is important that throughout the academy and salon, they ensure good hygiene for both staff and students, maintain appropriate cleaning regimes and keeps the congested areas well ventilated to decrease the risk of infection spreading. It is important that as an educational salon you maintain standards to ensure the safety of staff, pupils and customers another form in which this can take place is by having a booking management system in place to prevent overcrowding in a confined space.

Within Salon Tracker Software there is an Educational Program this program is tailored to meet the needs of your salon with a variety of different features for example we are able to alter calendar titles as well as adding duplicate calendars to assist you in arranging the different level each student is qualified to carry out. Day to day tasks is simplified through the use of our reports and charts section these features allow the financial department access to the academy’s finances throughout the salon.  Through the Siteview application the finance department are also able to collect data and examine reports to be able to monitor the progress of each student and the salon in general.

With Educational salons it can be quite busy with new students arriving and then each student training to achieve a different qualification this can often become complicated to handle. With the software you as a staff member are able to create different calendars to organise which qualification each student is on track to achieve. Features such as groups ensures that students are unable to carry out services that they are not qualified to do this feature can be very beneficial from a legal point of view. Features such as split bookings will allow the salon to book client appointments with a break in between therefore enabling the treatment time to develop this therefore enables the salon to create bookings for other clients in the gap. Additional to this there are features such as post delay which can be useful for hair treatments as it ensures that when a client from the salon books online the break between their two treatments will automatically apply.

If you are interested in having a demonstration of the software or alternatively trialling the software for a two-week period simply enquire at www.salontracker.co.uk/freetrial.aspx and fill in the required details or contact us on 0113 350 8230 and you will be provided with your bespoke educational rates.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Salon Tracker X

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07 Jul 2021

The end is in sight!

 16 months... 16 long months! I know you'll all agree with me when I say I will be very pleased to see the back of this pandemic. It has been tough on everyone, especially those of you with businesses' that have been yoyoing between being closed and open and didn't know whether you were coming or going... I think this time you are set to be open for good, so let's get prepping! 

19th July aka Freedom Day brings many great things however one of the things that the British public haven't had a taste of for nearly a year and a half is stepping in a night club and actually dancing! This means one thing, the whole of the UK are going to town on looking good for freedom day - so you Salons are going to need to prepare. I can imagine you will be absolutely swamped with appointment requests and your dms will be full to the brim which can cause you quite a lot of stress. Instead, why not take a look at our online booking system that can take all the hassle away and manage all your clients appointments itself. Simply put an auto respond message on your social media accounts that directs your clients straight to your online booking platform. You can also put this link in your Instagram and facebook bio where clients simply log in with their email and a 4 digit pin number. On here they can view any upcoming bookings, amend or cancel them, view any remaining courses etc. Enquire here: https://www.salontracker.co.uk/FreeTrial.aspx for a free demo and 2 week trial!

For those of you that have worked in Salon over the past 16 months (for the time salons have actually been open) I really do admire your persistence with wearing PPE such as masks all day every day. Lucky for you, another great thing that comes with freedom day is that Masks will no longer be required indoors - this means you can have your freedom to chat away to your clients all day without the worry of your mask falling down and the absolute torture they bring on a hot day! 

I know that this mad rush of custom is what you've been craving throughout all these lockdowns and you're probably chuffed to have little appointments remaining but it is so important to give yourself a break to avoid total burnout! Set aside a couple of days in which you will work longer hours and make this clear to your clients these will be the only days you'll be working late as you need some time to yourself. I know some clients will try to twist your arm and persuade you to work late one day for them but if you did this for one person where do you draw the line? Make sure you have at least 2-3 nights of the week spent entirely on you. Put your feet up, get a facemask and chill out... or maybe it's your time to party and hit the clubs! However you spend your "you" time, it is essential for working these busy next few months, so grant yourself it!

Here's to a more normal future ahead of us, we've got this!

P.S Footballs coming home!

Salon Tracker x 

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30 Jun 2021

Feature of The Month – Online Registration

It’s back! Now that salons are all reopen and we’re getting back in to the swing of normality, we’re bringing back our Feature of the Month! So, for June, we thought we’d use our most useful features from over the past few weeks, and that is; 'Online Registration'.

Our online features have proved to be so popular as the lockdowns were lifted, with many salons requiring these features as they opted to pause walk-in appointments for now, due to number restrictions in the salons. Our online booking and registration has helped salons to keep on top of their maximum appointment schedules so much, but not only that, it has also helped them to gain new customers and retain them. As for any salons that used to offer walk-ins, they are now having to take the details of their clients for bookings, which means then they have these stored in the database for future marketing purposes too.

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23 Jun 2021

Summer Lookbook

Summer is right around the corner and hopefully if everything goes to plan, all the restrictions will finally be lifted. This week’s blog is a look book of some of the biggest trends that us here at Salon Tracker are excited to try out now that the sun’s shining and we can go out with all of our friends. 

Bright Colours

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10 Jun 2021

How Our Salon Software Helps to Save Time and Improve Organisation After Reopening

Hi everyone, hope you’ve all been keeping well and have had busy businesses since you have been able to reopen! It’s been almost 2 months since England salons were finally able to open their doors again, and around a month since our salons across the rest of the UK and Ireland were able to too. We would love to hear how you are getting on and how business has been for you, I know for many of our clients we’ve had the pleasure of catching up with you again over the past few months, and it’s been great to finally be able to help you to boost new services and get your businesses back out there!

Throughout the time you had to be closed, lots of you managed to still generate some sales by offering retail products through online delivery services, online zoom consultations & tutorials and also some of you even managed to put together some D.I.Y home treatment packs to be delivered to clients. All fantastic ideas and a great way to keep engaged with your customers throughout the time that you were closed. However, not only that, this now provides a great reason to re-engage with those clients and get back in touch, to remind them of how great the home treatments were and how nice it will be now they are able to experience this at the salon.

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17 May 2021

Today is the day!

We’ve done it! We are so happy that we can finally say that all of our salons across the UK and Ireland are now back open for business!

Today, all of our spa salons are finally able to open their facilities, our gyms can finally re-offer their classes, and plus any of those with salons in hotels or arcades are now able to reopen, and also offer indoor dining!

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24 Mar 2021

Important Reminder For Our Clients - Please retrieve your activation code early!

Hi everyone, hope you're all keeping well and looking forward to re-opening!

All salons in England and remaining salon sectors in Wales are expected to reopen from Monday 12th April, with hair salons in Scotland expected to reopen from Monday 5th April, followed by close-contact services on Monday 26th April.

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05 Mar 2021

We're Virtually Exhibiting! Starting Monday 8th March Online at The National Hair and Beauty Show!

Hi everyone, we just wanted to let you know, we're exhibiting at another Virtual event!

Starting Monday 8th March, we are exhibiting at The National Hair and Beauty Show for 1 week! 

You can join us FREE from 8th-14th March at the online show, where there are lots of competitions, offers and industry advice available throughout the week long event. We are also offering exclusive deals to anyone who registers for a free trial through the show; to sign up for FREE just simply head to:

www.TheNationalBeautyShow.com

And if you're not a user of Salon Tracker already, this is a great time to see how we can help you to manage your salon on reopening. Hope to see you there!

Salon Tracker x

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26 Feb 2021

We are exhibiting this Sunday 28th Feb - 2nd March at the PB World online event!

Hi everyone, hope you're all okay!

For those of you that have been able to, we hope you've been busy reorganising your appointments this week ready for reopening in April. And hopefully good news is not too far away for everyone else fingers crossed.

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23 Feb 2021

Information for Salons Reopening in England

It's good news!

Following yesterday evening's announcement from the Prime Minister; that salons in England are to reopen from Monday 12th April, we can now begin to help you plan for your reopening date.

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20 Jan 2021

Tips To Keep Your Clients Engaged Throughout The Lockdown

Hi everyone, hope you’re all keeping well and managing throughout this third lockdown. We completely understand and appreciate how hard this time is for our industry, especially as we have been in and out of lockdowns and different Tier’s throughout the last 9 months. There has been a lot of adapting and alterations to appointments to take care of, but we’re in this together and we’re here to help you every step of the way. And now that we find ourselves with these 6 weeks of lockdown, where the Christmas rush is over, this gives you some time to reflect and prepare for 2021. So, we wanted to use this time positively to help you, our clients, with a few little tips for what you can be doing in the meantime, to keep your customers engaged and ensure they return to you once can reopen your doors once more!


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05 Jan 2021

Important Message for all of our Clients

Important Message for all of our clients in the UK and Ireland:

First of all, Happy New Year! We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and festive period, even if it looked a little different for us all this year.

We know this isn't the start to the New Year that we'd hoped for; but we have been here before and know we can get through this. Our team will do our absolute best to help you as much as we can during this time.

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24 Dec 2020

Merry Christmas from the Salon Tracker Team x

So, Christmas 2020, and what a year this has been. Definitely not the year or Christmas we were expecting or had hoped for, but here we are! Despite the difficult months we have faced and what looks like a few challenging weeks ahead, as a company throughout this year we have tried to do all we can to support you our lovely loyal clients, and we want to thank you for your patience and understanding over this time. We appreciate how tough times have been for you over the past 9 months, and we want you to know we will do everything we can to help to support you as we continue in to the New Year and throughout 2021. We want to again thank you for using Salon Tracker over 2020, it has been a pleasure to work with you during this time, we are all in this together!

If you didn’t catch our post last week, we just want to again reiterate that all payments for our clients located in Tier 4 in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, will remain frozen for the duration that you have to close. We will also closely monitor the news over the coming days, and should changes affect any of our clients in other areas of England, we will act accordingly and pause your payments too.

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21 Dec 2020

Important Message for our Clients

Important Message for all of our Clients:

Following the announcement from the Prime Minister on Saturday that many regions in England were to be placed in Tier 4 restrictions from Sunday 20th December, in order to do our best to support you during this time, we are freezing all of your software payments for the duration you have to be closed.

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27 Nov 2020

It's BLACK FRIDAY (countdown to Christmas is officially on!)

It’s BLACK FRIDAY! 🖤🎄✨

And so we wanted to bring to you an exclusive deal, to help you kick start your marketing for reopening and also towards your appointment reminders for your busy December!

We are offering:

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26 Nov 2020

Salons In England Can Re-open on Weds 2nd December!

Important Message for our UK Clients

It has been confirmed that the reopen date for salons in England is now Weds 2nd December.

All Salons in England have been given the go ahead to reopen in every Tier  

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20 Nov 2020

BLACK FRIDAY HAS ARRIVED (a week early!)

Black Friday is just around the corner, only 1 week away, on Friday 27th November. However, after the year we've all had, we thought we'd treat you and bring you our offers 1 week early!

Starting today Friday 20th November - Friday 11th December, for 3 weeks we will be offering you:

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06 Nov 2020

We have some exciting news amongst all this doom and gloom...

We're exhibiting at the 'Virtual Hair & Beauty Show' this weekend (Saturday 7th November until Saturday 21st November)!

I know that your Salons will be closed over the next 4 weeks and I also know that your Salons are your pride and joy so why not invest all that spare time you're going to have into something beneficial for you and your Salon? 

It is a certain fact that we are all missing attending our regular Hair and Beauty shows due to the Pandemic but instead of having to get all dolled up and travel too and from you can now experience this show straight from your sofa - amazing! 

We know that the circumstances are hard which is why we have frozen all our current clients subscription payments until they are back open again and not only that, we are also offering a trial period to new customers for as long as lockdown continues - meaning you can trial the software absolutely free of charge until your Salon is back up and running again! And what a better time to trial it whilst you have all this free time on your hands that you definitely never had before!

After your trial period, if you do decide to go ahead you will also be given 30% off your first 3 months of subscription with any package so that means you've got the whole of lockdown to trial the software absolutely free and then enjoy your discounted first 3 months of your subscription! 

If what you've read appeals to you, you can register for your virtual ticket at: https://thenationalbeautyshow.com/ we can't wait to chat with you all!

If you have any other questions at all, please feel free to call us on 0113 350 8230 or alternatively email info@Salontracker.co.uk.

We look forward to speaking with you soon, stay safe!

Salon Tracker x 

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02 Nov 2020

Important Update For Our Clients In England

Following the announcement from the Prime Minister on Saturday that a second National Lockdown will begin on Thursday 5th November, in order to do our best to support you during this time, we are freezing all of your software payments for the duration you have to be closed. This will remain in place until further notice from the government.

Please bare with us during this time as there is a large volume of clients to process. You will however all be credited any pre-paid days you had remaining from your recent payments once you are able to reopen.

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28 Oct 2020

Feature of the Month- Post Delay

Another month, another feature!

This month’s feature of the month is all about out ‘post-delay’ feature. This is a feature that is available on all three of our different software packages and is mainly utilised by our hair salon customers.

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21 Oct 2020

*A Message to all of our customers in Republic Of Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland*

We’re so sorry to hear the news that you have to close your salons.



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20 Oct 2020

How Salon Tracker Specialises in Multi-Site Salon Management

Are you the owner of a multi-site salon business, and are looking for a software system to help you with the management of your salon chain? Our software specialises in the organisation of multi-site salon companies, and therefore we have outlined our main features below that may benefit you, by investing in your own Salon Tracker system.



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15 Oct 2020

*Important Message For All Of Our Customers In Northern Ireland*

We're so sorry to hear the unfortunate news that your salons are being forced to close for 4 weeks from tomorrow, Friday (16th October)

In order to do our best to support and help you during this time, we will be freezing all of your software payments until you get the go ahead to re-open.

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14 Oct 2020

How to market your salon during the Halloween period with the circumstances which is Covid-19

This year has been extremely different for everyone, from how we carry out our daily activities to attending the shops and salons. It has also changed how we are able to spend our beloved holidays, including Halloween, the festival second to the Christmas holiday season. There are still certain restrictions in place which prevent us from attending Halloween events, such as parties and this means that people aren’t attending appointments to have their makeup done for the evening events - therefore there may not be a Halloween rush as large as last years. To prevent these restrictions from affecting your business, it is essential that you market other options to your clients and keep them up to date with any changes in regards to what services you are able to carry out, or if you have to close temporarily. Whether you have our Salon software or not, the ideas listed below will be relevant and worth a try!

In order to maintain functional operation of the salon it is important that the ambience within the salon is high priority, as it can help prompt consumer buying habits. Due to all the distress of the current situation which is Covid-19, doing a good dead such as offering free retail products or when it is Halloween, all employees could wear fancy dress, to lift the spirits of the customers to help create an uplifting atmosphere. Focus on window decorations, make sure there is a theme behind each one and this will ensure that clients are aware you are still able to offer Halloween treatments that oblige by the current legislations.

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07 Oct 2020

How Enterprise Upgrades Helped Our Clients

I can’t believe that it’s now October! Where did time go? This weeks blog is going to focus on how our customers have benefited from upgrading to our Enterprise Subscription. For those of you who aren’t aware, our Enterprise Subscription includes our Online Booking and Siteview features. Over the course of the last few months we have had numerous customers upgrading to the Enterprise package, specifically for the ability to use Online Bookings, which is perfect for adjusting to the new normal.

Since the reopening of salons, we have seen a huge spike in the number of online bookings being made, with many salons introducing a booking only system. Online booking offers customers the flexibility of being able to book an appointment at any time of the day, whilst ensuring that restrictions are in place to follow the Government Guidelines. One of customers has seen a significant growth in bookings since getting the online system, with almost 8,000 bookings being made since the reopening of their salon! With such an increased demand for our online booking feature, we introduced a booking delay time to make sure that with each booking there was extra time being added to allow for cleaning and to adhere to the social distancing guidelines.

There are several other benefits of introducing an online booking system, such as reduced phone calls and emails, as customers are able to book at their own accord instead of contacting you and your team. For those of you that own Tanning Salons, customers are able to see how many minutes they have remaining on their account. Customers also have the ability to see your opening hours and an interactive map view of where the salon is for those that may not have visited before.

Our Siteview feature is one that has been available for the last few years, however given recent circumstances we realised this needed to be modified in order to make your salon life easier. Hence, we introduced Editable Siteview, allowing users to book, edit and cancel bookings straight from their phone. As well as having the ability to view customers booking history, remaining services and details. This feature is perfect for all salons, so that if you get messages away from the salon you can still book clients in. Even more so, for anyone with self-employed stylists or beauticians, as it can be set so that they can only view their own columns on the calendar, ensuring that double bookings aren’t being added. The calendar view will also allow employees to view their working hours, this is great for those of you that work in a rota format, as employees can quickly and easily check what days and times they’re working. The Siteview app is ideal for taking a quick overview when you’re away from the salon, enabling you to look at a dashboard of the days takings, bookings and customers, as well as being able to see the reports.

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30 Sep 2020

How to make this Autumn your best one yet!

I know you'll all be just as shocked as I am when I say that Summer is officially over and as of last week, Autumn has officially begun! Last week also marked 6 months since the UK was put into full lockdown and everyone's world was turned upside down. Now you are open and in full swing, how about we make up for all that lost time and make this your best Autumn yet? After all, the autumnal vibes are our favourite!

 

Lets start with a start with a few marketing tips:

Back to School Bundle 

This is one for the Mums and Dads that suddenly have a lot more time on their hands! After 6 months of no school I think all those Mums and Dads out there deserve a bit of a treat... A back to school mini bundle could be a great idea for your salon. For example, offering a package deal with some mini treatments, such as lash and brow tints, could increase your profit and help you gain a selection of new clients that you may not have previously had. Pairing this with a ‘back to school’ pamper day including a range of the different treatments you offer would be a great start as it really encourages them to book for a relaxing day after 6 months that properly felt like a decade for them!

Halloween

Although Halloween may not be the same this year, it's still a Holiday that everyone loves and why not make the most of it? Advertising early your Halloween makeup pictures will get people interested and make them want to plan ahead. You could even do a petrifying package deal such as Makeup and spooky hair for a set price and why not throw in a Halloween goody bag full of Halloween themed treats or retail products? 

What platforms can you use to get the message out?

Facebook and Instagram

Facebook and Instagram are the top social media platforms to advertise your business on.
Most importantly, they are free! Just a simple post on facebook advertising what you are going to be doing this Autumn will go a long way, followers of the page will see it and following that they may be inclined to share it with Family and Friends which could reach 1000's of new clients. Similar to instagram where you can carry out interactive stories which will engage your followers. You could do a vote story or an answer box story with the caption 'what would you like to see from this salon this Autumn' then not only are you drawing the readers in, but you are also finding out what your target market would like to see! All this client research for free - you can't go wrong. 

TikTok

Now i'm sure you'll already know that whilst boredom was taking over in lockdown, TikTok the video app became very popular and people all over the world were doing dance routines and make-up tutorials. This extremely popular platform would be a great way for your Salon to advertise their services such as autumnal nails, Halloween makeup and hair styles due to the sheer popularity of the app. I'll work a treat!

SMS Marketing

The advantage of SMS marketing is that you can target specific customers or audiences. For example, if you wanted to target customers who haven’t visited in the last 3 months, you can do this through our filters. Our software has a built-in marketing suite which gives you the opportunity to easily use SMS and email marketing. You can choose client groups or make your own in order to send out your message to the group of people it was intended to. For example: 

Hi << Customer Forename>> 

We miss you! Book in advance for a space for your new Autumn look! 

<<Company Name>><<Company Contact Details>> 

As you see, summer finishing may put a frown on many faces but with these tips you could turn it into an incredible opportunity for your salon and help you get back on track before the year is out!

If you're looking for something to help manage your Salon this Autumn enquire at https://www.salontracker.co.uk/FreeTrial.aspx for your free 2 week trial!

If you already have the software and would just like a bit of free training please feel free to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 and we'll be happy to help!

Make the most of the end of this year!

Salon Tracker x

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