Everything ONLINE Salon and Spa

YES!!! You can access VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas on your iPad!

2011-12-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

The VirtualSalons / VirtualSpas websites and system run through Flash Player, so you MUST use a special browser to access our sites on the iPad, but now you can!

We are now RECOMMENDING iSwifter from the App Store for best system performance. To get the iSwifter browser installed, Go to the App Store to download the iSwifter app. The download is free for 5 minutes of connectivity and is $4.99 for unlimited use.

The five minutes available to use for free is plenty of time for clients to make appointments with their professionals, so clients should never need to get a paid version. You will need to inform clients to download the iSwifter app if they are trying to log-in from their iPad.

Professionals wanting to use the browser for continuous connection to the online system will want to pay the $4.99 (one time fee) for unlimited access. It is well worth it. Of course, before purchasing the browser app, professionals should download the free version and work with the system through the browser to see if the performance will meet their needs.

We have done a lot of testing in the iSwifter browser on the iPad and have found it to be providing very good performance. Personally, I think it may be faster than on some of our laptop PC's!

Next we'll be posting video demos and more blog posts with hints and tips about using the VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas system on both Android tablets and iPads. We'll be publishing all of the info we gather in this blog and on Facebook - so be sure to "Like" us for instant updates as soon as they are posted. http://www.facebook.com/VSalonsInc

Smartphone access is coming slowly but surely, but for now, tablet access is here and providing access to the whole system! We want your feedback, so please call 888-474-8018 or email info@virtualsalons.com with your tablet hints and tips.

Top 5 reasons to stop using paper appointment books

2011-07-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

There are only so many hours available in each day. As a service provider, the only time you are making money is when you are performing services for clients. Putting your appointment books online with a specialized Salon/Spa booking system provides you many benefits that free you up to perform more services.

Here are the "Top 5" benefits we hear from our subscribers:
1. Access to your schedule 24-7 from any computer with a High-speed Internet connection makes appointment and client management SOOOOOOO much easier.
2. Our subscribers that have chosen to offer online booking to their clients find that on average, approximately 35% of their clients will book online. Last year our subscribers saw an average 28% increase in service revenues - Do you see the connection? More time available for clients in-salon means more income!
3. Having your client records available online for easy access and updating is a dream.
4. Clients LOVE getting the confirmation and reminder emails sent automatically by the online books. Confirmations sent right at the time of booking reassure the client that their appointment(s) are scheduled correctly and reminders 24-96 hours prior help professionals practically eliminate no-shows.
5. Easy tax reporting! All of our subscribers love the one-button reporting they can access to assist them at tax time. Less stress and automated calculations make April a much easier month for any size business.

Not sure if you are ready to invite your clients to use online appointment booking? No problem. Get your books online for your personal convenience and invite your clients later.

We invite you to experience online books first-hand with our 30-Day FREE TRIAL

"Virtual" Salon & Spa Gift Certificates

2011-04-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Virtual Salons and Virtual Spas has partnered with Giftango to bring our subscribers special pricing for adding Online Gift Certificate Sales to their business.

We've chosen to partner with Giftango because they have the most advanced features available in Online Gift Certificate selling and delivery. This technology will allow our subscribers to offer custom branded Gift Certificates online.

Consumers purchasing the gift certificates can choose to have them delivered via email or text - and they can even set a date in the future for the gift to be delivered.

There are many other great features that can be demonstrated in a short demo with a Giftango representative. Contact us at info@virtualsalons.com to request a demo.

To sign up with the negotiated VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas start-up rate (a savings of $200), you will can CLICK HERE

New Unlimited Use Ecard functions - Coming April 2011

2011-04-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

We are in final testing of our new Ecard functions that we expect to go live as early as this weekend!

With the new improvements, you will be able to send picture Birthday Ecards and two styles of Ecard design that will feature your custom logo and image - just like all of the automated email in the Virtual Salons & Virtual Spas system.

In addition, there are many new font controls and even a brand new ability to make the text area different sizes for all Ecards. These improvements provide endless opportunities for communicating just the message you want to your clients - all with a few clicks of the mouse.

Unlimited Use Ecards are part of our Basic Subscription and available to all Virtual Salons and Virtual Spas subscribers!

In addition to being the ONLY Salon and Spa Management system that has On-Demand professionally designed Ecards, we have many automated Email functions that also do tremendous work for building Salon and Spa business.

We invite you to try the Ecards yourself - Sign-Up Today for our 30-day FREE TRIAL - no Credit Card information is required. Click Here for FREE TRIAL SIGN-UP

System Updates for Subscribers - Exciting new Features for Emarketing

2011-03-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

Included in a system update this weekend were the following feature additions and improvements*:

* New Auto-Email options. You will now have the opportunity to automatically set custom text for "Thank You" email to be sent to clients on a nightly basis. One version is a New Client Thank You - any client that is checked out "today" and has never been in your book will receive the New Client Thank You. To activate this auto email, you must enter custom text. You can enter a simple thank you or put a special incentive to return to your business. There is also a new Existing Client Thank You where you may enter custom text. The Existing Client Thank You will send each night to any returning client who has purchased a new product or has been checked out with a new service. You must enter custom text and activate these email in order for them to begin sending nightly. Improvements to the "We've Missed You" auto email are also going to require custom text and reactivation for this email to be functioning. You will find the area to edit these auto email in the ADMIN section "Policies and Auto Email Sending" - Button - Manage Email Sending. A new online demo about these auto email tools will be sent to our subscribers via email.
* Expanded Financial Export tools for importing End of Day Totals into accounting software like Quickbooks. A new report named "End of Day Financial Totals" will be available in the REPORTS tab just under the existing End of Day report link.
* New Font Tools for Ecards. This is the first incremental improvement to our Ecard functions. Now you can change Font Family, Font Size, and even the spacing between characters. The Ecard sending code has been completely reworked for better image handling and deliverability to every client record. (Sneak Peek at our next Ecard improvements coming very soon: You will have the ability to send an Ecard featuring your logo and custom image that you've uploaded to your online books and you will be able to make the text area three different sizes and select a background color. These improvements along with the new font tools provide MANY customization options for your Email Marketing) A new video demo for the Ecards will be created when the custom image and resizing tools are added soon. Current subscribers will receive this training video link via email.
* During this update we also did some work on the main servers to optimize system performance. We're hearing good things about improved speeds today.

*To be sure you are able to take advantage of all of the new system improvements, please CLEAR CACHE in your Internet Browser before your next log-in.

VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas Featured in Dermalogica Profit Flash

2011-03-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

MARCH 2011

Virtual Salons & Virtual Spas is pleased to be featured in the Dermalogica Profit Flash along with their new Face Mapping App for the iPad.

Dermalogica accounts enjoy special savings on VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas monthly fees. See the Dermalogica Business Center for more details or call us Toll Free at 888-474-8018.

The JOY in the JOB

2011-03-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

As a former salon owner, hairdresser / make-up artist, I often miss experiencing the daily joy I was able to give to each of my clients as they looked in the mirror and told me how great they looked. Anyone who has ever been a service provider understands there is an immediate reward in hearing "I love it" or "I didn't think I could look this good" from a client.

My years of salon and technology experience now have me leading a great team of people who help build salon and spa businesses everyday with online salon and spa management tools, but so much of what we do on a daily basis is often without immediate response from our clients.

We get lots of positive feedback when we talk with our customers, but the last few days have really renewed my JOY in what we are working to accomplish at Virtual Salons and Virtual Spas. We've been working on collecting video testimonials of our clients experience with VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas Online Salon and Spa Management tools and suprisingly, that process has turned out to be a great experience for us and for our clients.

The other day I had a conversation with a salon owner who told me that while she was interviewing her staff for making the video, she learned how much her staff realized that using our system has made a big difference in their personal income and their daily life. As the owner, of course she knows how much the online system has done for them, but she hadn't realized that her staff was so aware of the positive impact for clients and the business overall.

The video testimonials we are collecting provide joy to our development team too. It is just as important for them to see these videos as it is for our prospective clients. Our team loves to know the work they are doing makes a difference in the daily success of our clients.

To preview these video testimonials, please visit the TESTIMONIALS PAGE at www.VirtualSalons.com or www.VirtualSpas.com

Evaluating an Online Appointment Booking Service

2011-02-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

When evaluating an Online Appointment Booking Service, your top 5 concerns should be:

1. Protecting your Client Records. If the online service provider you are considering will be assigning your clients any type of "Points or Rewards", what this really means is that the online service provider will also be communicating with your clients and promoting their business (and in some cases they will also promote other professionals) to YOUR CLIENTS.

2. Your clients should never be able to search to find information about other Salon and Spa professionals from any site you use for online booking. Why would you send your regular clients to a site that can refer them away to your competition. Online booking tools should be structured to keep your client's attention on you and your business. It should not be a place where they can coupon shop by zip code.

3. Get some idea about how long they've been in business. You can check when a web URL / domain was registered by using the "Who Is" database search at Network Solutions.

4. Look for a do-it-yourself online FREE TRIAL. If the only way you can get a demo for online booking and managmenet tools for your Salon and Spa is with a software sales person, chances are that the set-up and use of the software is more complicated than it needs to be. Don't sign up unless you can test an online system on your own with both your home and work computers to be sure you will have easy access to your online books.

5. Free Technical Support. If technology is done right, you will not need so much technical support that it cannot be free. Paid technical support is an ancient concept that should be eliminated as soon as possible! Short online demos for all functions in the system you are using are the best type of free training.

Plan to Make 2011 Your Best Year EVER!

2011-01-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

You've probably heard the old Proverb, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail". When you manage your own salon and spa business or even rent a booth and manage your own clientele, there are many ways to plan for success.

Planning for your business can be as much as creating a full business plan or as little as simply writing down the "Top 5" things you would like to accomplish in your salon or spa business by the start of 2012.

It is impossible to make EVERYTHING in your business better all at once, so choosing one thing to make PERFECT is a great place to start. The "one thing" you choose should be a revenue-generating feature in your business which for most salons and spas is services or retail.

If you need ideas on where to focus in your business or how to get started, I whole-heartedly recommend you start with Carol Phillips begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting and BeauteeSmarts. I believe Carol provides the BEST retail and business management training in the industry that is both affordable and accessible - even to booth renters!

I read Carol's book, "In The Bag: Selling in the Salon" almost 15 years ago. Even now, it remains the SALON AND SPA selling BIBLE. Learning from Carol and implementing the many ideas in her training, changed my life as a professional service provider and salon owner. My business increased tremendously. I only wish there would have been CD's and DVD's at that time to make it easy to review all of the great material she provides.

Popular class titles like "A Year's Worth of Business Builders", "Low Cost / No Cost Marketing", and "10 Ways to Get Your Staff to Sell" are full of techniques you can put to work in your salon or spa business the very next day. A highly in-demand speaker, Carol's practical insights and easy to implement ideas will increase your retail and service business sales - GUARANTEED!

In the last year, I have had the privilege of meeting Carol and I have seen first-hand how she continues to have a true passion for helping each individual beauty professional succeed - just like we do at VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas.

To have your BEST YEAR EVER, I encourage you to purchase any of Carol's training materials that appeals to you. Buy them for yourself and your staff - YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH YOUR RESULTS!

TO BEGIN SHOPPING, GO TO: www.beauteesmarts.com/xcart

Who is Carol Phillips? To read her professional bio, CLICK HERE

Salon and Spa Social Media

2011-01-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Social Media has a valuable place in a service business marketing mix and I have no doubt social media tools are here to stay, but in my business, we're also seeing a bit of the "BUZZ" wear off for Salon and Spa professionals.

It is true that Facebook and Twitter can help you communicate with and inform many people of news in a single click of the mouse, but too many times, I'm seeing a Salon or Spa using this new media only for "couponing" their services. Filling last minute cancellation with a tweet or post is very cool, but continual service discounting offers can hurt your reputation with existing full-price clientele.

Just like I teach in our business management forums, I'd rather see promotions like a product "gift with purchase" type of offer that adds extra value when a client pays for a service. I recommend professionals always use these marketing tools for product-centric savings that will drive an immediate response from clients and build product sales for the future. For example: An offer like "Buy one regular price - get one 50%" can significantly increase retail sales. In my experience, if a client goes through two bottles of a product - they are usually hooked and will be back for more. Or better yet, I've seen this promotion do even more to build future sales when the client is required to buy a product they've never purchased before as their 50% savings selection.

When I owned my salons, I learned quickly that there were only so many hours a day to do services and focusing on building a loyal product buying clientele was a great way to increase revenues. Once I figured out how to do that, I focused all of my Salon and Spa promotions around retail products to expand our number of product purchasing clients.

I never made a cent from a service client unless a service was performed, but I made a bit of profit with each product sold. There is time involved in the first sale of a product, but repeat sales do not typically require service time. Multiply this effect across your clientele and you may be surprised at how much money can be made if you stopped discounting services and focused on product promotions.

From my perspective, one of the great things about this rush to social media has been the way that it has opened a dialogue with Salon and Spa professionals about how using technology tools can be very effective for service providers.

These "broadcasting" tools can be great, but every salon and spa professional should be implementing online business management with day-to-day business-building tools like the automated and on-demand email marketing available in VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas.

Everything from appointment confirmations and reminders to our "Thank You's" and "We've Missed You" email provide the opportunity for you as a service professional to offer custom product-centric promotions and make a closer digital media connection with each of your clients.

I will be excited to watch for creative new promotions via Facebook and Twitter. If you come up with a great product promotion share your success with me and our subscribers on our Facebook page.

Results: Testing VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas App with Cloud Browse on iPhone 4

2011-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

We spent several hours with Cloud Browse using the 99cent download version of the app from the iTunes App store. Here are hints and tips based on our experiences:

1. The 99cent download provides you access to 3-5 minute sessions on the iPhone or iPad to our application. We found this to be ample time to log-in take a look at an individual professional's schedule and make an appointment or check a client record. We never had a session cut out on us in the middle of performing a process, but the browser session did time out after 3-8 minutes displaying an offer for a subscription for unlimited access browsing sessions. The monthly subscription is $6.99 per month.
2. Cloud Browse appears to work by streaming content to the iPhone or iPad through a browser technology that has flash-player embedded.
3. The free version will suffice for quick schedule reviews or performing quick tasks, but to manage a business online daily through the iPhone or iPad, a subscription would be more convenient.
4. When using the 99cent download version, we suggest that you log-in at www.VirtualSalons.com or www.VirtualSpas.com rather than the home page of the online application because those URL's are easier to remember and shorter to type into the address bar. The "free" version access does not allow for bookmarking.
5. System performance was a bit slower than on a desktop or laptop, but overall speed was good whether we were using a 3G network or tapped into the Wi-Fi connection. They were about the same. Of course, this can vary regionally, time of day and which mobile service you have.
6. On the iPhone, we found that using the Zoom View for individual professionals in the Salon/Spa account was the best way to get in and make appointments rather than attempting to use the View Schedules screen where you can load multiple calendar columns in one screen.
7. It also seemed that many functions and drop downs that require only one click of the mouse in the application were requiring two clicks or a second try. (Although that happened mostly only to me and could have been caused by my fingernails)

We want to hear from our subscribers as you are working with Cloud Browse and accessing your account on iPhone or iPad. Please email your feedback to support@virtualsalons.com.

Mobile technologies are experiencing the same growing pains we experienced with early Internet connectivity. Mobile carriers are scrambling to try to get 3G and 4G networks to be reliable and Smartphone manufacturers are working to make devices flash-enabled. We are monitoring this technology struggle on a daily basis and want to continue to provide unparalleled value and service as we work to optimize our technology for mobile use.

Follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter to get regular updates on mobile progress and to be notified when our iPhone video demo comes online.

New technologies and third party companies are popping up everyday to enable Flash on Apple devices and the majority of Android models are now being shipped with Flash-Player pre-installed. For an updated list on Flash-enabled devices including Smartphones, Tablets and Digital Home Devices go to:

Dermalogica: Leading the "FITE" for women entreprenuers worldwide - Please Join

2011-01-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

I'd like to invite you to read an amazing article about Dermalogica's role in helping found and facilitate "FITE" (Financial Independence Through Entreprenuership).

FITE is a global empowerment platform powered by Kiva.org, the nonprofit leader in microfinance, that is designed to foster Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship for women in the developing world.

I first discovered Kiva at a tech conference last year and have to say that I was very moved by their passion and genius. Dermalogica has taken it to the next level by bringing this opportunity into mainstream retail and it is very exciting! Please read and JOIN FITE

Jet Rhys Salon: Why use VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas?

2011-01-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

SWITCH & SAVE - Get money back for your old software

2011-01-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

One of the most common things we hear at VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas from potential clients is that they would love to switch to our system, but they have so much money invested in old software (or systems they hate) that it is hard to justify making a change. You don't have to be a hostage any longer...

WE HAVE A SOLUTION: For a limited time*, we are offering to return ALL of the money you've previously invested in business management software.

Whether you bought a software program 10 years ago for $15,000 or if you've recently signed up for another online service that you hate, you can get all of that money back.

LEARN MORE >>

* This offer applies to BOTH Independent Contractor / Booth Renters and Salon & Spa subscriptions created through January 31, 2011.

Is there a VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas Mobile App?

2010-12-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

I don’t know how much time you spend reading about smartphone capabilities and technology developments, but getting full smartphone access for our subscribers has been stalled out over the last few months because of a technology war between Apple and Adobe. Adobe is finally recovering and getting Flash Player access on a wide variety of smartphones in the marketplace.

Our team was discussing this issue 12 months before their war went public and we can't wait for it to be resolved! The power-play between these two companies really only hurts consumers and small business. Thankfully, it is finally looking like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas online appointment booking, Emarketing and salon and spa management system is built in a program that requires the use of Adobe Flash Player. The newest Adroid 2.2 upgrade claims to be supporting Flash Player 10.1 and/or 10.2. So soon, most Android smart phones will be supporting Flash and provide full unlimited access to the VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas application.

Our iPhone subscribers are finding success using a 99cent App called CLOUD BROWSE. The 99cent download gives iPhone users the ability to use the browser in 3-5 minute sessions. However, unlimited access to Cloud Browse will require a subscription fee of $6.99 per month with the maker of Cloud Browse.

Blackberry operating systems continue to be way behind in adding the ability to access Flash Player in a mobile browser.

To complicate things more, we are seeing mobile service providers beginning to inflict more financial pain on smartphone consumers by moving away from unlimited data plans. Sprint has already cut off unlimited use and Verizon is also doing the same. All of the new smartphone and tablet devices that stream video and applications are killing service provider networks (even with the new 3G and 4G) and they are moving back to charging for data use.

Some of our competitors may be advertising specialized iPhone or Android apps, but they don't have comprehensive, intelligently designed real-time technology tools that build your business daily. So, although we don't have a date for separate "APP" tools to go live, I can assure you that it will be a much shorter time for us to create specialized mobile access tools as necessary than it take for our competitors to be able to try to add all of the business tools and functionality we already have in the VirtualSalons and VirtualSpas application.

We are evaluating every variable to be sure that we continue to put forward online salon and spa management and marketing tools that will exceed the expectations of our current and future subscribers.

To our subscribers...We hear you and we want you to keep the feedback coming on your experiences with Android 2.2 and Cloud Browse. We're taking it all in...

Flash Player 10.1 FINALLY getting to Smartphones!

2010-10-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

For updates on which smartphones currently support Adobe Flash Player 10.1 please go to https://www.adobe.com/flashplatform/supported_devices/smartphones.html

We are very pleased to see Adobe FINALLY making headway in getting Flash Player active to support mobile use of the VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas application.

It is too early for us to provide any recommendations for which phones are managing the Flash Player best. We are collecting user feedback and will keep posting more information as it becomes available.

As Adobe joins forces with almost every smartphone producer other than Apple...If you are an iPhone owner who also subscribes to VirtualSalons / VirtualSpas we suggest that you contact Apple to let them know you want Flash Player on iPhone too!

In the meantime we are working on a browser-based access to our app for iPhone users, but ultimately the use of the application will be much richer in content, functions and features via Flash Player enabled devices.

We're hopeful that the outcry from iPhone users will put pressure on Steve Jobs as they see the Android and other smartphones using Flash Player well.

Back to Basics...and lessons learned

2010-10-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

By datestamp, it will appear that I've been ignoring the need to blog, but in reality we found a "hot" new blogging technology we thought would be a great addition to our business. Sadly, the truth is that we had a very bad experience with this blogging company and are now back to basics with good old Google Blogger!

The lessons learned here are exactly the things we tell all of the professionals evaluating our online appointment booking and salon and spa management services. I believe they are worth sharing as we re-engage this blog:
1. When evaluating a technology you want to incorporate into your business, don't settle for reviewing demos and getting your questions answered. If you cannot be provided the ability to test a technology on your own computer to be sure it works well for you - DON'T move forward with it! We provide a 30-day free trial with full system available to potential subscribers. Every technology should!
2. Try every feature you or your clients will use FOR YOURSELF. You must know what your clients will be seeing and experiencing just like you must see the online tools you will be using in your daily business. Frankly, what your clients see and experience will ultimately be more important than what you see a service provider.

In the case of our bad "new" blog technology experience, all we lost were some blog posts. In the case of evaluating online appointment booking tools and Salon and Spa software, you can lose much more if you chose badly - like your entire client list and all of your historical client and sales information.

In addition to being able to touch the technology with your own hands and your own computers, you've got to know what a service providers policies are for when you leave their service. Will they provide you lists of all future appointments? Will your clients be contacted by this company or other professionals using their service? We hear horror stories from professionals all the time about what they didn't know when they signed up for some cool "new" service. I'll discuss these things and more here in our weekly discussion.

Our team is here to help you evaluate not only our system but we are also prepared to answer questions about our competitors. Our support team is available to our Free Trial users just like they are to our subscribers Toll Free at 1-888-474-8018.

Let us know how we can help you.

Dig Deep into Web-Apps so a pretty FACE doesn't fool you!

2010-03-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

We've all been fooled by a pretty face at one time or another...Maybe it was a package that looked beautiful on the outside, but in true white elephant fashion, it really had a brick inside. Maybe it was a person who seemed decent or trustworthy and then as know them for a longer period of time they aren't what they appeared. In some cases, people can shatter our illusions as soon as they open their mouth...

Selecting a Web application to help you manage and market your business can be a similar experience. An attractive web site with an impressive list of features and functions can make you believe that you've found just what you need. I evaluate our competitors regularly and I have even been fooled once or twice. Unfortunately, just like in life, sometimes you've married it before you find the brick.

Your true test is always going to be in working with the web-application itself. You must be able to try out all features and functions that your business will require. A sales person demo or watching a "pretty" video does not constitute trying out an application.

Technology can be a tricky business. In our 6 years of providing online appointment booking and Salon & Spa Management services to beauty professionals we've seen a lot of pretty faces that do not have the technology to back up their claims.

We've seen some of our competitors post images of features that are not really available in their system. We've seen several remodel their "pretty"web site 3-5 times without ever making changes to dinosaur technologies their clients are struggling with on a daily basis. Applications with old technology or patched together pieces of multiple old can be very bad for business.

Key things to watch out for as you build a list of Salon and Spa Management solutions you want to evaluate are:

Disk-installed applications that have some "web-based" features can be complicated to maintain and may not be able to keep up with browser and handheld device technology.
If you can't use a system as a self-serve demo online or if there are start-up or set-up fees, chances are the system is not user-friendly.
If the screens in the system look like an old design - the system is probably old technology which can cause you problems going forward in this web-centric world. This is especially important if you are considering purchasing a product rather than signing up for a monthly service.

Key things to look for inside an application are:

Is there flexibility in the main functions? Here are a couple of examples...Can you quickly add a client record while booking a new client or do you have to go to a "create client record" screen and do a full separate step before being able to accomplish this task. Can you assign custom service times and prices by professional or do you have to edit this information every time you book a service or check out a client? These small conveniences make a HUGE difference in daily ease of use for you and your staff. They also help prevent mistakes and help provide better customer service. Basic processes like appointment booking and checkout should not be painful.
Overall system navigation: Can you quickly get to where you want to go in calendar views? We've seen systems that claim to be for Salon/Spa professionals where a user must navigate the views one calendar day at a time. Our system boasts a minimum 2 month individual date view-access with up to 12 months in view in one click. Most Salon/Spa professionals work on a 2-8 week repeat appointment basis, so daily navigation is extremely cumbersome trying to manage appointment schedules.
Is there really Real-time Online Appointment Booking? Real-time online appointment booking means your client logs-in selects an appointment and it is immediately placed directly into your schedule. Any system that requires you as the professional or administrator to confirm the appointment to the client before it is considered "booked" is nothing more than an email request. Many companies claim to have online booking that really do not.

There are too many "ugly" problems to list them all in this post, but hopefully you get the idea. You must look beyond a pretty facade or fast talking sales person and you must use an application before you commit because you will be spending a lot of time together!

The Case for SPECIALIZED Salon & Spa Managment Software

2010-02-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about being in the online Salon & Spa software business is that every day is different. Just when I think I've seen and heard it all, one of our subscribers will come up with a feature suggestion or some unique circumstance in their business that gives us great ideas for new features and conveniences that can truly make a difference in the business and daily life of every Salon & Spa professional using our service.

As a former service provider and Salon/Spa owner myself, I am very sensitive to the needs of the hard-working service professionals that are now my clientele. I'm also very sensitive to the fact that most people have no idea about all of the work that goes into being a service provider - both physical and emotional.

So what does all this have to do with why "Specialty Salon & Spa Software" is important? I think my personal experience in the Salon and Spa industry has everything to do with what makes our online software become an invaluable part of daily life for our clients - you know... the kind of technology tools you can't live without - like your cell phone or email. It is a beautiful thing when I hear from our clients that they would "die" without our service.

This "until death do us part" commitment from our clients comes from specialty features we've developed like the ability for owners to hide client contact information from employees but still give them log-in access to review their schedules, or formula and procedural notes that are automatically placed into each day's print view and a million other intuitive things our software does.

Our specialty features and little things add up to a lot of difference making life easier and business more profitable. I refuse to accept that the exact same software features and functions that work for a Yoga, Dance or Photography studio are going to serve beauty professionals well. Our commitment to our subscribers is to be the very best tool for Salon & Spa professionals and doing that doesn't mean creating generic software features that cover many industries.

Top 10 Things to look for in Online Salon & Spa Tools

2010-02-08T17:10:00.001-08:00

Here's our "Hot" list for what Salon & Spa Professionals should be looking for in Online Salon & Spa Management Tools...Of course, VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas is proud to boast ALL of these features:

Real-Time Appointment Booking - The appointment goes directly into the online books when the client selects their appointment time. Anything that requires an "approval" or "confirmation" to the client before the appointment is scheduled is simply an email request- not really online booking.
All auto email should allow you to display your logo, not your online service providers. If the email sent out by your online books does not include your branding, whose business are you building? Certainly not yours!
Connect an unlimited number of computers without additional fees.
Make sure you get a totally web-based solution to be completely Mac & PC compatible. Products that have a combination of disk and web components will usually require you to buy and install costly upgrades for the disk-installed features.
No Per-Transaction Fees. The only type of transaction you should pay a percentage for is credit card processing - not appointment booking or services you provide for your existing clientele. Don't agree to share a percentage of your income with an Online Service Provider!
No Updates to purchase, No Contracts and No Required Equipment to Buy.
Self-serve FREE Trial. If a system isn't easy enough for you to get in to demo it online for yourself, is it going to be easy for you to use in your business?
FREE Set-Up, Training and Support Fees.
Make sure your online service provider's Privacy Policy protects you and your clients. ALWAYS read the "Terms and Conditions of Use" before signing up for any online service. Many online services are not protecting your client list and may even market your competition to your existing clients. The worst part is... you will be paying them to do it! A reputable online service provider will state very clearly that your client information belongs to YOU (the professional) and that they will never share, rent, or use your client contact information in any way.
A search feature or ads that promote your competition should not be available for your clients to browse while they are online to book an appointment with you. You want your clients going directly to your online books without seeing any mention of another Salon or Spa professional or "special offers".

Have I missed anything? What do you think are the most important features in Online Appointment Books and Salon & Spa Management?

Dangerous New Online Services for Salons & Spas

2010-02-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Keeping with the theme of yesterday's blog, let's look a little closer at additional dangers Salon & Spa professionals need to avoid in Online Services.

Here's our Top 5 Dangers we educate and warn professionals about daily:
1. Client Stealing. YOUR CLIENT contact information should remain your client contact information. Online Service providers should not be promoting their own site, their own reward points or your competitors services to your client list. You will allow them to cannibalize your client list and your business revenue from the inside out if you participate in these online services.
2. Don't get into a coupon battle. While the idea of participating in a Salon or Spa search site can seem like a good idea for your business, be careful not to be devaluing your services or getting into "coupon or discount wars" with other businesses listed on these sites. Know your value and find creative ways to reward and incentivize your existing clients rather than always trying to make a low-cost offer to new clients.
3. Posting service offers on "discount" sites for days and weeks ahead will devalue your services. Our features are moving toward making real-time offers an easy way for Salon and Spa professionals to fill open time in their books. We also have many built in features to help you pre-book clients and build the book without discounting.
4. Don't get sucked into online pay-per-click campaigns where you cannot impose daily cost limits. AND if you are really going to see value from a pay-per-click placement online, you will start to see activity and results (meaning clients in the door) from it fairly immediatley. If you aren't getting calls or clients within a couple of weeks you should be shutting down this expense.
5. Shopping Carts can get you into trouble. Although the idea of true e-commerce and selling online can be appealing, many Professional Product lines have strict rules about NOT selling online or you will be in conflict with the manufacturer's distribution policies. If you choose to ignore these rules, you may lose the opportunity to represent the product line.

Is your Online Appointment Service stealing your clients?

2010-02-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, I said STEALING YOUR CLIENTS!

Salon and Spa appointment booking is rapidly moving online for individual booth renters, single location and multi-location Salon and Spa businesses. Since my business is an Online Appointment Booking and Emarketing tool for Salons and Spas, I am all for this; but not all services are created equally and licensed professionals must BEWARE.

Online Services vary not only in features and functions, but also in Terms & Conditions of Use. Maybe you've heard of these "Terms"- it is the page on most websites that nobody reads and quickly clicks to "Accept". If you sign up for online services that will share ownership of your client list, you may be personally destroying your own business.
Online appointment booking services can be VERY valuable to build your business, but NOT when the online service you select will legally consider YOUR clients THEIR clients.

This dangerous new trend in "Terms of Service" that we are seeing in some our competitors is a new breed of online tools that is promising licensed professionals free search listings and new client promotions in addition to online appointment booking services.

VirtualSalons & VirtualSpas does NOT have a Salon/Spa Search available to consumers on purpose. If every time your clients go online to book an appointment they see all of your LOCAL competition's service menus and current promotions, there will be a percentage of your clients who will choose to schedule services with another Salon/Spa professional even though they originally logged on to schedule an appointment with you!

Every business wants and needs new clients, but you should not be gambling the loyalty of all of your existing clients in pursuit of new clients or online appointment booking tools.

If the online service you integrate into your business legally considers YOUR clients THEIR clients, MAKE NO MISTAKE, they will be marketing competing products and services to your clients and this will undermine your business success.

Bottom Line: No matter what cool features it looks like an online system has to help you find new clients, be sure you KNOW WHO OWNS THE CLIENT CONTACT INFORMATION and KNOW if your clients will have the potential to be contacted by your online service provider.