3 Ways To Grow Your Salon Business

Rona Bunch, owner of Rona Bunch Inc. salon in Jacksonville, Florida saw 13 new clients last month without advertising, pounding the pavement, or relying on referrals. She’s also killing it with bookings, with many appointments scheduled three years in advance. On top of all of that, Rona landed a coveted spot among the 2019’s Faces of Sola.

How did she do it? What’s her secret?

Rona credits the power of SolaGenius for all that and more, remembering the exact day she ditched Vagaro and changed her professional life for the better.

It all began at 2018’s Sola Sessions in Jupiter, Florida. Rona sought out product director Olivia Morales, asking questions targeting a range of issues — from payment to privacy and everything in between. She was facing a list of problems daily with her old app and hadn't found a solution among other salon pro apps she had researched.

One year later, thanks to SolaGenuis, she spends 80% less time on her smartphone and sees significantly more business.

Rona, by nature, is a nurturer and sought-after mentor for new stylists-- so she decided to share tips for growing your salon with SolaGenius in three easy steps. 

1. Book Now: Your Competitive Advantage

We all know the challenges of retaining clients, much less cultivating new ones. Are you looking to generate new leads with minimal effort? SolaGenuis can help!

If you haven't recently checked out Sola’s website, we've made some exciting changes to help drive new clients straight to you. Our homepage (solasalons.com) has been completely redesigned to highlight a digital search directory of Sola professionals listed by location, services and available dates. If you look at our menu bar, you’ll also see a pink "Book Now" button which drives to solasalonstudios.com/booknow. This search and discovery feature is exclusively available to Sola pros using SolaGenius.

Think of SolaGenius like the restaurant reservation app OpenTable, but designed solely for Sola’s beauty pros.

Where nearly every restaurant around the world relies on OpenTable to generate business, at Rona’s Sola location, only 3 of 26 studio owners use SolaGenius, which to her, feels just like a silly missed opportunity to generate new business 🤦‍♀️

Here’s how it works: once a potential client clicks Book Now, they are taken to your gorgeous website (ahem, powered by SolaGenius) where they can scroll your portfolio, browse your services and see your pricing and availability. They can then click and book at a time that works for them, and a few clicks later, they're booked! No back and forth phone calls or voicemails necessary. 

And for those clients constantly flaking out last minute, Rona doesn't stress. She still gets paid because SolaGenius offers the ability to customize your cancellation fees and policies  🙌

“When booking online, clients are asked to enter their credit card number for seamless post-service check-out. My cancellation policy is noted on several pages of my website, disclosing that any notice short of 24-hours as well as no shows will be charged 30% of their service," Rona explained.

2. More Money Fast

Like a family physician, Rona’s a hair generalist noting, “In Florida, our cosmetology license lets us practice everything but massage.” Just check out her gorgeous portfolio displaying a large variety of services.

In her high-volume salon, Rona notes, “When clients prefer paying with Discover, MasterCard, Visa and American Express, right off the bat, you can subtract anywhere from 2.7% - 5% depending on how the number is keyed in, plus the bank’s per-transaction fee.”

With each service and retail sale, that adds up fast.

But, not with SolaGenius, shares Rona, “The app pays me overnight, quicker than both the bank and credit card companies, and charges a flat fee of 2.6% — less than all card companies.”

Take after Rona, and keep more of your earnings...You deserve it!

3. Your Very Own Publicity Machine

“In February, I sent a promotional reminder to clients who’d been in my chair during the past six to seven months reminding them to schedule their remaining 2019 appointments.

Here’s the thing: aside from the few moments it took to write the note carefully, it takes about a minute to edit my distribution list, review then hit send. SolaGenius delivered the promo in seconds - not as a group text, but individually. The takeaway: I made $11,000 in bookings almost instantly with each client who believed they exclusively received this courtesy.”

When they replied, Rona was the only one receiving the message. When researching other salon apps, Rona noticed how several collected your client’s info for sharing with third-parties. “I don’t want my clients receiving coupons or special offers not coming from me.”

SolaGenius would never-- we respect everyone’s privacy. Your clientele’s contact and payment info is for your eyes only.

If you haven’t tried SolaGenius’s free 30-day trial, here’s added incentive: sign up and you'll get a $30 to either apply toward your SolaGenius subscription or as a Visa gift card! And it’s a win-win if another Sola pro refers you; they'll also get $30! 

Just tell them Rona sent you.