Coronavirus: software tools that will boost your beauty salon business when you reopen
Getting your salon back on track after coronavirus lockdown may seem like a big feat but now is the perfect time to assess your booking processes and make those much-needed changes before July 4, which is the UK Government’s estimated reopen date for beauty businesses in England.
To help your salon survive during the pandemic, we’ve rounded up four of the best software tools to help you manage your cash flow, execute the right email marketing and, most importantly, enable your staff to work in a safe environment that adheres to the Government’s social distancing measures.
Four of the best software tools for beauty salon owners to use when they reopen:
1. Make more services digital with Timely [sponsored content]
Spas and beauty salons can perform digital consultations via Timely’s Consult app, which sends forms to clients to fill in ahead of their visit and can be combined with video calls. There’s also online contactless payments with TimelyPay, cutting down the issue of shared payment touch points.
Timely has also launched automated contact tracing, and although it’s not clear if this is a requirement in the UK yet [at the time of writing], it’s a good safety net to have. “Around the world, businesses are being asked to collect and keep up-to-date client information of anyone coming into their premises post-lockdown,” explains Simon Christie, head of product.
“Our tool updates client contact details straight from their phone – you just add a link to your appointment reminder SMS – and all your records will be accurate and secure.”
Packages start from £20 per month per staff member and include 100 SMS messages
[email protected]
020 3868 3790
2. Operate while social distancing with Eleventh Hour Beauty [sponsored content]
Eleventh Hour Beauty’s #StandWithSalons campaign is helping salons maintain relationships with clients during the pandemic. Each employee has access to the booking system from their own device (mobile, tablet, laptop or PC) so there’s no need to share one computer and risk contamination.
The software also gives salon owners the option to have staff work from multiple locations so more employees can be unfurloughed while maintaining social distancing. The software informs the client where that member of staff will be for the appointment they’re booking (i.e. in a certain salon location if you are a multi-site, working from home or visiting the client in their home).
This is a useful tool because if a client has covid-19 and test and trace requires all employees on site to quarantine for 14 days, it means you can still operate your business during this time as every staff member would not be affected.
The company is offering a no obligation 11 week free trial for businesses who register before July 4.Packages start from £15.99 per month for one diary, £29.99 per month for two-to-five diaries, and £49.99 per month for six to 10 diaries
[email protected]
07517 358761
3. Manage money well with Float
If you’re worried about your finances, it’s worth investing in an app that will give you a real-time view of your cash flow. Float provides a visual graph of what’s happening with your money, based on real-time information so you can make cash flow-forecasting decisions confidently. It automatically syncs with your accounting software so you can see incoming cash, outgoing expenses, and which bills and invoices are overdue.
It allows you to run business decision scenarios based on your current cash flow, enabling you to see the financial impact if you lose a client, increase expenses or receive late payments – all factors that could impact your salon’s survival during the pandemic.
From £39 per month (if billed annually)
4. Swot up on email marketing with Udemy
Now is the perfect time for you and your team to upskill so that you have a better understanding of how to run your salon successfully when you reopen. Udemy is a global marketplace for learning, with more than 150,000 online courses you can undertake, covering finance, marketing, communication, sales, accounting and more – all the things you’ll need to be hot on in the coming months.
For example, learn how to nail your marketing with courses on how to write better emails, or get ready to boost retail sales by swotting up on how to sell like a pro. You can open an individual or a business account on the platform, giving your team access to these helpful resources.
Price on application