Running a busy hair salon has it’s pros and cons. If you’re busy then that means you’re popular and you obviously do your job well. However, having a successful business...

The post Salon Software UK appeared first on .

5 Essential Tips For A Successful Beauty Salon Health and beauty is a booming and highly competitive industry. So to keep ahead of your rivals, it’s essential that your salon...

The post Beauty Salon Software appeared first on .

Setting Up Your Own Salon The beauty industry is booming and if you’re intending to branch out and set up your own salon, prospects can be good. Whether you’ve got already...

The post Salon Appointments Software appeared first on .

Running A Successful Hair Salon You’re a great hairdresser who’s always busy.  You’re good with people and you have ambition.  Surely the next step is to open your own salon!...

The post The Secrets Of A Successful Salon appeared first on .

Invest In The Best Hair & Beauty Salon Software with Salon-iQ Salon owners looking to make their lives easier need look no further than the team at Salon-iQ. Salon-iQ from...

The post Building The Best Salon Software Systems appeared first on .

The post Salon-iQ and BoomSMS appeared first on .

Top Tips for Highly Effective Salon Text Marketing We all know how important it is to look after our customers when they are in the salon, but how can we...

The post How To Attract New Clients & Keep Existing Clients appeared first on .

The post Salon Online and Mobile Booking Examples appeared first on .

The post Help Eliminate Salon No-Shows appeared first on .

The post IQ TV Interview with Guest Speaker Kimberley Levine – Online Deposits appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

The post IQ TV – Interview with David Levine on the Online Booking Widget appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

Celebrating 5 years

The story so far…

Just realised it is 5 years this month that Salon-iQ was born (April 2012). The business has beaten all our expectations.

We are now in over 100 multisite salons and almost 800 salons across the UK, including many top names who have decided to switch to us. Barrie Stephen, Browns, Jo Hansford, Ken Picton, Marc Antoni, Mark Leeson, Sanrizz, Voodou and many, many more.

We are very grateful for all our clients and recognise we would not be here without you. We are especially grateful to some of our early adopters who showed us their support. Many of you we like to consider our now friends. As salon owners ourselves I think we have a unique understanding and appreciation of how hard it is to run and operate a salon and the challenges salon owners face. This is what drives Salon-iQ to be the best we can for you – the salon owner. We will always put you first. We are not controlled by investors or managed by accountants looking at maximising profits per salon, we are committed to providing the best software and great value.

Salon-iQ has come a long way in those 5 years. Software development never ends and technology is always changing. We are pleased with our progress to date, we must now concentrate on evolution rather than revolution.

Over the next few months and years you will see Salon-iQ develop into a broader multi platform application, with pure Web based platform taking over form the existing desktop app. We also plan to develop (or at least explore the potential) of developing an iOS only version of the appointment book that can work on the iPad and iPad pro, thereby eliminating the need of a big computer on the reception desk.

We will be looking at developing a salon consumer app, designed to drive bookings and retail sales for the salon owner, whilst delivering the consumer a pleasurable and unique buying experience. First we must continue to develop the current booking widget further. We want to give salons the chance to win back online retail business from the likes of Look Fantastic and amazon, and to generate new clients without resorting to discounts or the likes of Groupon.

We see Salon-iQ as a communications gateway, connecting suppliers, salon owners, stylists, therapists and consumers. All engaging with Salon-iQ, therefore we need to develop this concept to help educate, motivate and do more.

Then we will create a suite of modules to cover recruitment, accounting, wages and….

Ahh! if only we had unlimited resources, we could create even more amazing software,  you can’t hurry good software, so patience is needed.

I thank you again for your support, we have and will make some mistakes, never the less you have my word and you know we will always be acting in the Salon Owners best interest, and will continue to do our best delivering best of class salon software and marketing tools that are proven to work and deliver for you, the salon owner.

Many of you will know David and Andy from the original Computill days and then i-salon, so you will know we have worked in the salon industry since 1993. 25 years next year! Salon-iQ’s success is also because of the great team of people we have working for us. The unsung heroes, many of which have worked with us before and have also worked in the industry for many years Vince Ungate, Chris Kuch, Paul Cole and Neil Beverage all with between 10 – 20 years salon experience each. Plus we like to recruit people with some salon experience be it qualified hairdressers or maybe just married to one! And if they haven’t got ant salon experience then we will put them to work front of house in our own salons.

Salon-iQ is still in its infancy. Here is to the next 5 years.

Remember, if we ever let you down, please let us know.

If you have any suggestion what we can do better or how we can serve you better, please let us know

Always grateful.

The post Celebrating 5th Anniversary appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

Client attraction should be at the top of your list but it’s retaining those new clients that can be the challenge.

So 2017 is seeing social media and online advertising still going strong for salon owners as a way of attracting new clients to their salon.

But once you have got your clients through the door how do you keep them returning to you time and time again?

Many salons have 3 steps, 5 steps or 8 step programs in place from meeting and greeting clients to giving them an overwhelming service and having them leave with beautiful hair at the end.

Salons need to do more than this, they need to be different and stand out from the over crowded streets of hair and beauty salons.

How?

Be one step ahead all the time, continue to research into new product launches, build a good strong relationship with your suppliers. Attend as many conferences, seminars and webinars as you possibly can, continue to grow as an individual, never stop learning. Most importantly continue to stay passionate about the industry.  Though bills and invoices are very important try not to get too bogged down by them and get in muddle with all the figures.

Salon iQ allows you to monitor client retention, lost clients and new clients retained through a given period, this can be viewed for the salon as a whole, alternatively you can view all this information for each individual team member. With this information at your fingertips you then know exactly what needs to be concentrated on to improve the stylist/therapist performance. Then market specifcially to these clients with a targetted and unbetable promotion to entice them back in to your salon.

Using some of Salon iQ’s filter options can really help you to narrow down and view lost clients.

What you focus on grows!

We would love to hear about what methods you use to attract new clients to your salon?

The post The Importance of Client Attraction & Retention appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

Our very own David Levine in ‘The Salon’ Magazine discusses the importance of choosing the right salon software for your business.

Read full article below.

Making the right software decision for your salon can be daunting: making the wrong decison can be a disaster.

David Levine has worked in the salon software industry for over 20 years. when he first started in the UK you could count the number of computer suppliers on one hand, now if you search on Google there are over 100 suppliers to choose from!

Here are David’s top five tips for getting the right salon for you:

1. Avoid appointment book solutions. The temptation may be to just get an online appointment booking system, computers can do so much more for your salon business, if you are taking the plunge then research what else they can do for you.

2. You need good support and buy British. I’ve seen many people try software from other countries, or companies with just email support, of just support that opens at 9am EST i.e 2pm UK time. If the computer goes wrong you will want to talk to a knowledgable support team straightaway.

3. Get the best online booking possible. Online booking is growing exponentially in the salon market, make sure you are ahead of the curve and provide a simple online booking sysytem for your clients.

4. Move to the cloud. The future of all software is on the cloud, being able to access your system easily from anywhere on any device is probably the best feautre.

5. Look who’s sing what. It is always good to see what other people in the industry are using.

Source: The Salon Magazine / May 2017 edition Page 71

The post The IT Challenge appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

We are very excited to announce Salon iQ’s Stock app launch and is now available on the app store.

It is now even easier for you to manage your stock control.

Why use the Salon iQ app store?
Easily keep your stock up to date
Use your phone at any time to check your stock levels
Amend your stock levels using you phone
Perfect for salon owners/ managers to check stock quickly and easily
No need to log on to Salon iQ main system just use the app

On any iPhone or Android device go onto the app store and search for Salon iQ.

For a step by step guide download the Salon iQ Stock App here.

Watch the Stock app in action below

The post Launch of Salon iQ Stock App appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

Use the Online Booking Widget Interaction on the iQ hub NOW!

Never miss a booking online again…

The online booking interaction widget is an incredible tool created by Salon iQ.

This new function which is available now on the iQ hub enables you to view every potential client that has logged on, viewed, selected and gone through the process to book online.

The widget is broken down into 6 coloured segments:

Visited – number of clients visiting your website
Searched – number of clients looking for an appointment
Found – number of clients who have found an appointment they are looking for
Made choice – Selected an appointment
Booked – booked the appointment
PaidDeposit – paid a deposit for the appointment

You may notice the ‘Booked’ and ‘PaidDeposit’ segment figures do not match, this is because if a client has already got credit on their profile they will not be promoted to make a payment to continue with the online booking.

You can click on any of the coloured segments to view all those clients that have been looking at or trying to make a booking online.

This is then broken down and gives you the option to select and contact the client. All details shown are from when the client registered at your online booking system.

Contacting clients who have not made an appointment online

As all clients are required to enter their email address and telephone at the time of registration you have all these details at hand.

Create an email template where you can contact all those that have selected an appointment but not yet made one, this may remind or prompt them to go ahead with the booking or even complete the booking with you via email or telephone.

Example of email:
_____________________

Subject: Ooops, it didn’t go through!
Hello,

We can see you were about to make an appointment with us online, we would love to see you.

Do you need some help?

Let us know if you would like us to call you and complete the booking?

Best Wishes
______________________

To use the online booking interaction widget, go to www.hub.saloniq.co.uk, click on the menu on the left hand side, click settings then click online booking widget, then click analytics.

Remember to alter the dates you wish to view at the top.

We would love to hear your feedback on this great new online tool.

The post Online Booking Widget Interaction appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

Digital consultation forms have revolutionised the way in which salons record information collected within the consultation before a treatment is carried out.

Successful salons understand the importance of carrying out an in-depth consultation at the beginning of every service, regardless of what the client is booked in for. This is the ground work of the whole service and ensures you achieve the exact result the client is looking for.

Over the years consultation forms have been altered and tweaked in places to reflect the current state of the industry, however with many more clients opting to make claims or taking up the offers of ‘no win no fee’ companies, salons are continuously being scrutinised for not doing their jobs properly, when in fact we do.

The majority of salons have a process in place for using the paper consultation forms, they are completed by the stylist when the client arrives, then safely filed away. At times these forms disappear or may have been accidentally thrown away, these things do happen.

The idea of one-size fits all just isn’t the case in hair & beauty salons.

Salon iQ have created a digital consultation form and integrated it within Salon iQ software. Allowing hair and beauty salon owners to go paperless for all consultation forms.

These forms cover consultation cards, allergies, perm checks, medical notes, beauty forms for specific electrical treatments, design and style history, photo albums as well as much more.

Salons cannot afford to get it wrong, the cost in time, energy and money can be huge and have a big impact on the business. Not many salons can say they have not been taken to court due to a client complaint or allergy investigation.

The launch of Salon-iQ ‘s digital consultation forms put a safe guard around the service to help protect salon businesses against unscrupulous claims. This ensures salons keep the most accurate and up to date information on the client prior to any chemical service being carried out within the salon.

Already a Salon iQ user? Go paperless now.

The digital forms are available to all Salon iQ users who use the hub.

For more information on the please call out support team 0332 333 1933

The post Go Paperless – Salon iQ’s Digital Consultation Forms appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

The iQ hub has been designed and created for you the salon owner. It allows easy accesibility to your salons any time of the day, 7 days a week.

You have the option to use the iQ hub on any mobile device you have on you. Salon iQ users go to hub.saloniq.co.uk

Recently I have become a little obsessed with loading the online booking widget within the iQ hub. When I first viewed this part of the hub I was suprised to see just how many clients were actaully going onto our website, looking for a booking but then not completing the appointment. These were all potential clients that I was letting go by easily without making that final click to complete their online booking.

Now I can view all those that did not process a booking and contact them in a way of my choice, whether that be by email, telephone or another means.

I’m not sure about you guys but I always need to have one eye on what is going on in the salons when I am not there.

The Salon iQ devleopment team look very closely at how salon owners, managers and stylists use Salon iQ on a daily basis. With the added beneift of us having salons ourselves we continue to push the boundaries on developing the best salon system for you to use within your salon busniess.

I now have ceratin team members using the hub on their mobile phone with them only have access to their column and they are unable to view any client data other than seeing what they have booked in their column for the day, week and/or month.

The hub has all the functions of the main Salon iQ system but with more beneifts added on, such as vieiwng in depth reports of your online booking system, managing your team member controls easily with the click of a button and much, much more.

Lots of tutoriaks and videos will be added over the next few weeks, so you can see in real time what the iQ hub is doing for salons right now. #iQHub #SaloniQ #SalonSoftware

The post Salon iQ Hub – The Next Step in Salon Business appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

FREE Rate Diagnostic

Salon-iQ are pleased to announce the availability of integrated credit card processing. Salons can now eliminate mistakes often caused by incorrect double data entry.

• Time savings – thanks to faster payment process and reconciliation
• Eliminate double entry mistakes – improved processes and fewer errors thanks to automatic data input
• Save Money – Let us try and beat your existing rates
• Happy Customers – Happy Team

Why is integrating SalonIQ with the card machine such a PRIORITY?

• * 0%  Monthly PCI compliance admin fee
• 0%  Authorisation fees
• Static and Mobile devices are available
• Switching to us is EASY – let us do the work and arrange your rate check NOW!!

Partnered with

*merchants are required to ensure PCI compliance is met

The post Salon Credit Card Processing appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.

How to add an eGift Card on Salon iQ

1. Log into Salon iQ using your normal login credentials
2. Click on the hub icon across the top
3. Click on the menu on the left hand side
4. Scroll down and click on Settings
5. CLick on Online Booking Widget
6. Click on Gift Cards
7. If you are a group of salons you will have an option to select the salon you would like the gift card for on th drop down menu
8. Select the gift card sales type – for this tutorial we are using the eGiftCard

9. You can delete gift cards that you have aready created or add a new one by clicking on the + symbol ‘Add Gift Card’

10. When you select ‘Add Gift Card’ you then need to enter the face Value of the gift card and the actual value. You have both these otions to allow you to run a promoiton on gift card sales.

11. Once you have enetered these values click on submit

You could for example have a client purchase a £50 gift card but get anextra £10 for free, so you would later the face value and the actual value

The voucher will be valid for the time you have set in global settings, this is ually 6 months or 1 year.

Viewing the gift card on your website

If you now go to the onlin booking on your website -> login (as a client would)

Select ‘Gift Cards’ then ‘Buy Gift Card’

You will then be able to see all the gift cards available to buy

Once a gift card has been selected, your client will need to just complete the form with their payment details

The person purchasing the gift card will received payment confirmation

The post How to add an eGiftCard on Salon iQ appeared first on Salon IQ Salon Software.