october 2009 - Stylist and Salon Newspapers

Tech Talk — Choosing the
Right Salon Software System
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By Tiffany Neumann
The thought of computerized technology,
advanced hardware systems and state-of-theart
software may be overwhelming to some
salon professionals.
There are some things they don’t teach
you at cosmetology school. This could be the
reason so few salons are computerized today.
The basic challenge may simply be the fear of
the unknown.
No matter what the case, it is important
to realize that without technology, our salon
and spa businesses will not be able to effectively
compete in today’s economy which
means they will not grow.
Have no fear. It is time to introduce you
into the specialized world of salon technology.
Some salons and day spa owners may
wonder how computer software technology
will help them become more successful.
The fact is computer technology can save a
tremendous amount of time, while running
more efficient business operations.
Having a customized software system
benefits everyone involved, from the owner
to the receptionist – your entire team. Software
features such as payroll, commission,
hourly wages and tax deductions are designed
to benefit you as owners and managers. The
old days of manually punching numbers into
a calculator is over. There is no need to redo
or recheck inventory numbers or financial
statements. These special features help owners
with tax deductions while calculating
the employee’s hourly wage and overtime
payments. With salon software programs, the
computer does all the calculations and will
save time, plus have higher accuracy.
“Salon employees also have special
features to help them become more efficient
during their work day, by using one of the
most effective computerized systems,” noted
Mark Jackson, president of Salon Iris software
systems. “For example, when the telephone
rings with an appointment; then it rings to
cancel an appointment and then it rings again
to reschedule or check for availability, the
telephone doesn’t stop ringing. That could
be a good thing, but with online appointment
booking, your clients have the ability to conveniently
schedule or change appointments
on their own time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, which makes them happy.”
Jackson goes on to mention how much
valuable time this saves for your front desk
staff. With wait list features, once an opening
becomes available in your appointment
book, the salon owner will quickly be notified
of the clients who can fill these open
spots. Thus, there are fewer chances for
empty appointment books when you receive
cancellations. With the proper computerized
marketing tools, you can easily promote new
services, new staff and appointment openings
via the internet.
Research and development for these
computer programs vary by each software
company. A key objective is to find a software
company that focuses on the importance of
supporting you with ongoing system updates,
staff training and ongoing educational support.
“The best situation is to find a software
company that bases their updates on salon
users’ requests,” Chris Jackson, co-owner
of CMJ Designs said. “We follow our salon
owner’s suggestions with feedback and leads
from their daily needs. Our team carefully reviews
each special request that we receive and
work together to gear the next versions of our
software updates to fit these exact requests
and special needs. We work to maintain a
close relationship with our salon and spa
owners as well as their staffs. Since all of our
company employees are in-house, we are able
to move quickly and efficiently.”
Start-up and ongoing education is very
important with today’s state-of-the-art
salon and spa software systems. Without an
extensive education program that consists of
telephone support with webinars, email blasts
and on-site visits, the full benefits of their
program may not be understood. Many salon
and spa software systems offer a beginning
training and education program, yet for your
benefit, look for one that has a continuous
educational and technical support system. As
new updates and features arise, more help
and education will be needed.
Many salon and spa software programs
offer free trials. It is best to try a few different
options. One salon computer system may
work better for you than the other. Look for
convenient introductory trial software that
is available to you online or by a mailed CD.
Also, a select few trials are the actual full version
of the original product, only limiting the
amount of clients that can be stored by you.
Those trials are the most useful, because you
will receive the full package.
Today there are many software systems
to choose from. Watch the advertisements in
your trade magazines, visit with these software
companies at spa trade shows and ask
your associates for their recommendations.
For more information, call 888-803-4747, email Sales@CMJDesigns.com or
visit their website at www.SalonIris.com.
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TEXAS STYLIST & SALON | OCTOBER 2009 | 17