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Business Tips

Running a standalone salon or spa is a quite tedious and time-consuming task and managing multiple locations of a large salon or spa chain becomes even more difficult. The most prominent challenge salon or spa owners face while running a chain salon or spa is monitoring the business of each centre. Since it is not possible to be present at all the centre to control the operations, you should make use of a robust salon and spa ERP software to manage your salon or spa chain. A hybrid salon and spa ERP software provide end to end management of all the centres and allow you to control the operations from head office. In this article, we will help you to understand how you can manage your

There are many reasons for salon and spa owners in India to build their own loyalty program as it can help them engage their clients, grow revenue, and increase client retention. It is essential to invest time in setting up a salon and spa loyalty program to make it successful and actually work and help grow your business in India. Don’t do mistake to just randomly assign points and launch without a plan in place. SET YOUR OBJECTIVE Beyond loyal clients, what do you want to achieve through your loyalty rewards program? Build your program with a goal in mind. This will help you to ensure that you are not throwing away profit but rather investing it to grow your salon and spa business in India. A few possible goals

Starting a new business is tough. According to a well known consulting firm, “20 percent  of hair and beauty businesses fail in their first year, and 50 percent of those who cross, fail in their fifth year.” Improving those figures are paramount, and that is where Salon by Invoay Software comes in. It is your personal assistant, operation and marketing manager and, most importantly, your business partner to help you set up and maintain your hair or beauty business. Whether you’re at the starting foundation or trying to cut it against the competition, here are five key areas where Salon can be helped: 1: Managing Operations It is very crucial to understand and work on the best business practices of hair and beauty industry from day one. The processes built from the

Customer retention is essential for long-term success. Having a loyal base of customers who come back on a regular basis for appointments will sustain your business. Adding a new client is both more challenging, and more expensive, than encouraging an existing client to make a return visit. In fact, research shows that acquiring a new customer can be 10x as expensive as retaining a current client. Here are some other stats that show the value of client loyalty to your overall ROI: A 2% increase in customer retention can decrease costs by 10%. Increasing retention rates by 5% increases profits by at least 25% and up to 95%. Repeat customers spend 67% more on average than first-time customers. However, it’s not always easy to get first-timers committed to coming

In a digital world full of so many options, creating customer loyalty can be a challenge. Consumers are more aware than ever of the abundance of choices, and with so much happening online these days, this problem has spread across all industries and businesses of all sizes. These days, customer retention requires a new and improved understanding of the customer relationship, especially in the beauty sector. Unhappy customers tell 36% more people about their experience than satisfied ones do. U.S. businesses lose an average of $62 billion a year to poor customer experiences. To stay ahead of these stats, leading brands like Drybar and Skin Laundry make sure revenue never walks out the door in the first place. They use comprehensive customer feedback methods to stay aware of what customers

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IN-SALON SERVICE & RETAIL ANALYTICS Life can be tough for a beauty and hair business. There are a hundred of things to do and never enough time to do them all. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to focus your time and energy. That’s where in-salon analytics solutions come in. This advanced technology is designed to give salon and spas business like you the data that you need to understand the inner workings of your business, so you can put your effort into the projects and tasks that improve the client experience, keep them coming back for more, and help you run your salon and spa more efficiently. What Are In-Salon Service and Retail Analytics? Let’s first start with a basic explanation

Raising your salons profile is something very important, and a task that should never be out to the side – you want to make potential clients aware of your salon/spa, the services you offer and what you can provide them in terms of pampering and of course, up to date products and services, as well as a level of professionalism and customer care. Locally, there are many things you can do to engage with those in the area. It’s all about networking and getting your name out there. Digitally the world is your oyster. Been seen and be heard. Ways to boost your salon profile Hire a PR Agency who specialises within your industry. They will be able to guide you and put together a plan to

The old paper loyalty punch-cards have been widely upgraded to electronic loyalty programs. Taking off from the success of the Starbucks Gold loyalty program, a large number of  these programs are now in the marketplace, including such national brands as Belly, FiveStars, Perka and Fishbowl, as well as many white label products.  All tend to complement other promotional efforts, such as digital coupons and prepaid deals. Most loyalty programs not only reward returning customers with free items after a certain number of visits and/or spending, but they also help SMBs recognize customers, and to  take the personalized data from transactions to  spur further engagement with customers via immediate feedback and reviews.   The goal, clearly, is to make the SMB engagement with customers more like "Cheers"

Are you looking to switch to a salon and spa management software that actually works the way you do? If you run a hair and beauty salon, spa, or any other wellness business, it is the perfect time for changing salon software so you can set yourself up for success. The field of contenders is large though, and it can be tough to narrow down which is the best salon software for your business. It all starts with asking the right questions. Questions to ask when switching salon software Before you go looking at any salon software, start by analyzing your actual business needs to figure out what features and functional benefits will be the most valuable to you. Make a list of ‘must to have’ and ‘good to

Despite the substantial risks and the tough hours, owning a Salon business is one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. If you too have nurtured a lifelong ambition of starting up a salon, and don’t know how to go about it, or are currently in the middle of setting up your first Salon, then this article is just for you and will tell you in detail, how to start a salon business in India. Hair & Beauty Industry in India The overall Indian Hair & Beauty is one of the fastest growing in the world, and the size of salon industry is expected to cross $ 5 billion mark by the end of this financial year all because of rising incomes, rapid urbanization, increasing working population and technological advancements, more Indian

As an accounting firm working with salons, spas, and distributors for several decades, we have identified many key traits that make these businesses successful. Using specific tactics, we can see what is working right with a business and what is wrong and then base any advice on successful strategies. Below, is an overview of accounting industry secrets that we feel will help put your salon or spa on the road to success. Naturally, this is just a small part of the big picture and cannot replace the advice and services of a qualified CPA, but it’s a good starting point to get your business on track. Be a Business Person First Running a salon is a business. To be successful, your salon or spa must be run

Profound words of advice can stick with you throughout your life and can affect your decision-making within your career. We reached out to professionals working in salons and spas and asked them to name the best piece of advice anyone in the industry has ever given them. Here are some of the more powerful and thought-provoking answers: Treat the customer the way you would want to be treated. Enjoy your work, love your clients with respect, and be honest. No matter how hard a customer may be to handle, always remain calm and smile. Work hard, believe in yourself and have self-confidence. Patience is a virtue and a smile is priceless! Take care of your own health so you have something to give to your

You may have started your salon business with just a few chairs operating and a hand-picked team. Between equipment, and product choices, employee training, client marketing, and all of the other details, salon software might have been the last thing on your mind. You have been managing without computers to book appointments and to ring clients up. No harm done, right? Or have you? It’s true that you can operate without software, and it may seem more convenient than buying a computer and learning how to use the program. Sometimes, the front desk staff pushes back against having to learn new technology, preferring a paper and pencil appointment book, white-out and all. However, salon software presents many advantages and efficiencies, both in daily operations and for management evaluation. If

Over the past few years, many salons have spoken about the rise of the ‘NearBuy and other deals site ’ client. A client who visits the salon when a low, cut-price deal is offered via an external discount site. This client will only visit when a deal is on, and sometimes will not be brand loyal, visiting different salons or spas based on who has the best-discounted deal. However, with the rise of the 'NearBuy and other deals site' client creeping higher each and every day, are discounts good or bad for business? Here, we look at the good vs the bad of offering salon discounts, and how this can affect the business both in a good and bad way. Salon discounts – great for business Higher

Whether your salon and spa business is relatively new, or mature, you need to attract new clients in order to keep your business healthy.  Many Salons and spas believe they can survive purely on word of mouth and their existing customer base. However, even a busy Salon and spa will experience slowdowns for various reasons; clients move away, have children, get new jobs, or just shift their priorities. Savvy owners know that having a strong salon and spa marketing plan that targets their potential clients will help them to attract new clients, in order to augment the loyal core audience. The Challenge: Today, there are so many options for reaching out, including: Print advertising Broadcast advertising (radio, television) Referral programs Events Email marketing, Social media outlets The downside to

Running a business requires you to use many skills, but the one that matters the most is communication with your team. In order for hair and beauty salons to grow and flourish, you must create an effective teamwork culture that also encourages employees to be good salespeople and to do this you need good communication. Your team must all be on the same ship and your role as the leader is to bring them together, all working towards your business goals. Meetings 101 Salon team meetings offer a foundation of good communication and gentle guided direction but they can feel daunting if they aren’t done regularly, or done only when something is not going as you had hoped. Here are some simple guidelines for effective team meetings. 1) FIGHT THE FEAR AND COMMIT TO

In a time where discounts account for a huge percentage of business, it is very important to build a loyal clientele, to keep business booming and clients returning. With the likes of Groupon offering extreme discounts with many brands and business across many sectors, it is essential that salons and spas have a strong clientele to avoid the rise and fall of the discount client. Here we take a look at ways in which you can encourage clients to return and become loyal. First Impressions Count! As with everything, your first impression always lasts, therefore it is essential that you create a great one, to really impress those who visit your salon/spa. Greet the client promptly, professionally and simply, treat them how you would like to be

GST COMPLIANCE As the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rolls out from July 1, businesses are busy preparing themselves for the final stages of implementation of the biggest indirect tax reform ever in India. GST is going to have an overall impact on the prices of various commodities, investment opportunities and the business operations, in all sectors of the economy. For a proper, seamless transition to the GST regime, proactive management of resources and punctual groundwork should be done beforehand. Checklist for every business to ensure Pre-GST readiness before the roll-out date: GST migration Technology infrastructure Invoice preparation utility Accounting ERP Excel/spreadsheet software: Service provider Selecting an application service provider Salon software Spa software Gym Software Retail Software GST is a procedure-driven system where timely and accurate compliance are

If you own or manage a salon, you might have experienced issues in the past regarding appointment scheduling. It’s a shame, because when you own a salon and work in the industry, all you want to do is give a client an incredible hairstyle that will send him or her out of the door with confidence. Luckily, with the help of efficient salon software, you can go about your business without worrying over the tedious details that can go into scheduling. Take the experts at Taylor Reese, for instance. The entire team at their Highland Park, Illinois-based hair salon uses salon software to take care of their scheduling needs, which allows them the time to take on what really matters: the quality of a client’s haircut,

No matter where you go, places you visit or people you meet, first impressions are forever lasting and are something that are extremely important when working in a client facing industry – with hairdressing, beauty and barbering one of the most important client facing industries across India. No matter the industry, it is extremely important that clients are greeted with nothing but exceptional service every time they visit the salon, spa or barbershop. It’s the little things that count and that keep clients coming back, solidifying their loyalty to your business/brand. Here we take a look at how you can make the clients visit extraordinary from start to finish; Answer the phone within three rings. We all know that salons can sometimes be quiet noisy therefore answering

This guide takes you on a journey, from the definition of marketing right throgh to listing some tried and tested salon marketing campaigns. The benefits of salon software to your marketing capabilities as a salon cannot be underestimated. Investing in salon software gives hair and beauty salons the power to target marketing messages, review the effectiveness of campaigns and harness cost-effective ways of communication such as text messaging. This troubleshooter guide, produced by Invoay software, answers the following salon marketing questions: Why is marketing important? Who should I contact? How should I contact them? What are my obligations under Data Protection? Which marketing campaigns will work for me? What are the common pitfalls? Many thanks to our team of contributors who have made these guides possible; from industry

Within the India a recent survey has found that 95% of the population now owns a smartphone, with an astonishing 55% looking at their phone within 15minutes of waking up in the morning. Looking more in-depth, 90% look at a text message within 90seconds of receiving them. Today, more often than not, we see clients using their smartphones at every opportunity, whilst in the salon and out and about, especially whilst using transport links. This is a prime opportunity for business to target their clients with text marketing, to increase noticeability and increase client retention. Here we look at into text marketing as a whole and how it can help engage and entice customers, resulting in increased revenue which in turn can benefit the business as

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a landmark reform in India’s indirect tax regime that entered the Indian economy on 1st July 2017. Most of the Salon and Spa have already begun carrying out with the impact studies to get their business to be able to adapt and accommodate its business to GST tax regime. The existing system has a greater scope for manual intervention, but GST aims to achieve a tectonic shift to a singular digitized compliance set-up. With the coming of GST, the taxpayers will pay one consolidated tax instead of the plethora of taxes including State Value-Added Tax (VAT), Central Excise, and Service Tax, Entry Tax or Octroi and a few other indirect taxes. Any owner of a Salon and Spa business is always hassled with the

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