Technology
Style and Software: The Best Apps for the Beauty Business
Running a successful business requires lots of intelligence, dedication, and a certain amount of business-related education. But aside from these things some of the best tools to help your business succeed can be held in the palm of your hand.
Smartphone apps for businesses number in the thousands and are geared toward every aspect of running a business successfully and smoothly. They allow you to handle everything from payroll to inventory with a few taps of your finger.
These apps can be especially useful in service-related businesses such as salons. Salon owners and managers have a very different business base and must be able to keep track of not only the standard business tasks but clients and their needs as well.
If you own a salon or are a stylist these are some of the best apps created especially for your business needs and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
Marketing Apps
With the advent of social media, the aspects of marketing your business have become much easier. However, there are apps that take business marketing to a whole new level. What if you could manage all of your social media accounts, send emails to clients, advertise promotions, and more from just one app?
Well, you can. Many salon apps are available that cover all the tasks listed above and more. They’re quickly becoming the favorite of stylists everywhere and make marketing a breeze. Another great aspect of these apps is that you can customize it to use only the features that you need and the ones that make the most sense for your business.
You’re probably already using Instagram for your business, but are you using it correctly? This photo-sharing app has enormous potential to reach people in your area who could become loyal clients. You just need to be sure you’re posting the right pictures and using the right hashtags. Of course, courtesy demands that you get your client’s permission before sharing a photo of them but it’s very likely they’ll reshare the photo, and just like that you’ve reached hundreds more people.
Before-and-after shots, pictures of rainbow-colored hair, side-by-side photos of a product and the end result on a client’s hair, and special occasion updos are all great photos for your salon’s Instagram account. Also be sure to post for high-demand times like high school proms, senior portraits, and other times clients want something different than the usual cut and style.
Manage Bookings With Ease
Managing your client’s appointments has grown far beyond a simple ledger at the reception desk. Most salons now use a salon booking app to keep track of who is coming, when they’re coming, and why they’re coming, and this makes the appointment aspect of your salon business run smoother than ever.
Aside from simply keeping track of appointments, these apps also allow you to contact clients by email or phone right through the app. So if you’re at home or away from the salon you have the ability to manage every aspect of your calendar right from your smartphone. In addition you can access more client info such as the products they prefer and easily notify them when that product goes on sale.
Apps for Stylists
It’s not only salon owners and managers that benefit from beauty specific apps. Stylists also have a number of choices to manage their clients’ preferences and much more. These apps can also be used to supplement the ones the owner or manager uses so no aspect of your client’s relationship with the salon goes unnoticed.
Some of the apps allow stylists to keep track of the exact color formula your client prefers and you can set reminders to email them when it might be time for a touch up. Other apps keep track of celebrity hairstyles so if your client decides they want to look like Angelina Jolie you have her hairstyle at your fingertips. Other apps offer video tutorials featuring the latest trends in hair care so if a stylist can’t attend a seminar they still have access to the information.
Smartphone apps for salons have come a long way and really do help you run your business faster and smarter. In this business it’s all about client loyalty and providing great service and with these apps you can ensure that your salon creates a punctual and personal experience your clients will never forget.
