Running a salon business is no easy feat. Besides having to master the techniques for hair styling and design, a huge part of time and energy spent is on running the business side to things. When running a salon business, you need to think about how to organize bookings, schedule your employees for their respective workdays, track your inventory, sales, customer feedback, etc. When added together, these can become tedious and complicated. That is why more and more salon owners are turning to computer software like a beauty salon calendar to lessen their workload and make their jobs easier.

In this article, we will look at the top three software that salon business owners can utilize to help run their salons in a more efficient and productive way. For most salon businesses, they only require simple and easy-to-use software options that are priced reasonably. This is because most salons do not need premium or complicated features, and only need basic functions like calendar management and appointment management. For bigger salon businesses that have multiple outlets, they may then require more extensive options that cover inventory management and POS processing. Read on to find out what are some of the software options available for you if you’re a salon business owner. 

Shedul

Shedul comes at the top of the list. A free software, it’s perfect for salon owners who do not need fancy features. Although Shedul is a free salon software, it does not lack in terms of its flexibility and range of features available. It will fit the needs of most salons without having to pay for the features. Some of Shedul’s features include appointment scheduling, client management, online booking, retail management, invoicing, etc.

Although Shedul is currently free, it will become chargeable in the future. The company is currently running it as a free salon software, but will eventually introduce fees for the platform in the future. However, if you sign up for the software when it is still in the free stage, you will not have to pay fees for using the platform in the future as well. Another great thing about Shedul is that the team is constantly working on making the platform better. They are always seeking feedback on how to improve the product and have released new features consistently. Therefore, even though Shedul is free software, you still benefit from great features without compromising on service quality. 

The most important feature that Shedul offers is its online booking and appointment scheduling features. Other key features include inventory management, integrated point-of-sale system, and client management tools. Shedul, therefore, covers most of the features needed by salons, at a free price point. For its online booking and appointment scheduling, customers can book, edit, or cancel appointments on salons’ websites via Shedul.

The feature is also compatible with other online booking apps, and Facebook. Shedul helps salon business owners better manage these appointments, and even allows for automated reminders that help businesses stay connected with their customers. Salon owners can also track customer histories, preferences, and have customized profiles for them. Shedul is super user-friendly and utilizes a straightforward interface that makes management easy. Although some users state that it is not as well-designed aesthetically compared to its competitors, Shedul is ultimately a free product and its most important aspect is its ease of use. 

Versum

For most salon businesses, they only require simple and easy-to-use online booking software options that are priced reasonably. Compared to regular software management systems, Versum goes a step further with premium advanced features like drip email marketing. You can also rest assured with regards to security and privacy, as Versum offers advanced security features alongside financial reports and statistics which are sensitive information.

Versum is not free software, however. It is chargeable, starting at $25/month for its most basic package and up till $109/month for its pro package option. The price differences are based on the number of service providers in the salons. Other add-on features are also available. Customer loyalty programs and marketing automation are such examples, ranging from an additional $25-35/month. 

The marketing automation tool helps salon businesses with their promotional campaigns by enabling users to create promotional material using templates. The loyalty program options provide a point system where customers are rewarded for bookings and reviews. Versum also allows for the marketing automation to be integrated with businesses’ Facebook and Twitter, where promotional campaigns can be rolled out directly. 

Vagaro

If you’re looking for a software that is great at calendar management, you might want to consider Vagaro. Vagaro offers highly functional scheduling features amongst standard features like customer tracking and reminders, financial, and marketing reports.

Beyond that, salon business owners also benefit from tools that help manage employee work timings, inventory, space, and equipment. Compared to Shedul, Vagaro is not a free product and charges according to the number of service providers subscribed to the service. Prices start at $25/month for one service provider and increases according to the number of service providers in the salon.

Vagaro is therefore most value for money for smaller salons or even solo salon shops, as you benefit from the same features that larger clients pay for at a higher price point. With additional fees, Vagaro can also help build websites and enable credit card processing. Vagaro’s best features that sets it apart is its calendar and online booking system.

Most software systems will have this feature as it is considered a standard feature, but Vagaro does it better by providing more details and flexibility. Vagaro offers salons the ability to track time by looking at time off, enabling double or triple bookings, etc.  Vagaro is also simple to use, even for people with no prior experience with computers as it is rather self-explanatory. 

Conclusion

Shedul, Versum, and Vagaro are some options to consider if you are a salon business owner who is looking to digitize and automate your business. With such software systems, management and organization becomes easier, helping the business to be more productive and efficient. As such, if you are thinking about getting a salon software for your business, hesitate no longer; the benefits, efficiencies, and convenience that it will bring about trumps whatever costs may be involved in purchasing it.