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6 Ways To Get More Out Of Sola In 2020
Posted on January 6, 2020
Sola Salon Studios
The start of the new year marks a new beginning and an opportunity to change or start new habits. Whether you're a new Sola professional or you've been around the block a few times, take advantage of this fresh beginning by stepping up your salon game. At Sola, we have your back with educational resources, cutting-edge technology and ongoing business and marketing support. So get ready to kick off the new year by taking full advantage of all the Sola tools available at your fingertips.
Here are just a few ways for you to get more out of Sola in 2020...
1. Sola Pro
Our free, Sola-exclusive app provides all Sola professionals free inspiration and education at your fingertips! Want to watch educational videos that range from business and marketing to the latest trends and artistic techniques from your favorite educators? Or maybe you're more interested in the latest exclusive deal from your favorite brand or checking out what local classes are coming to your neck of the woods. You can get all that and so much more in Sola Pro!
We also host tons of free webinars on topics ranging from marketing and social media to KPIs to How To Raise Your Prices – all available to watch on-demand in the palm of your hand in the Sola Pro app.
In December, we hosted a live webinar with Michael Cole (@michaelcolesummit) where he taught his 5 golden rules of financial success. He discussed how to spend more intentionally, retail smarter and how to save more for retirement.
"I was working all day so I didn’t get to watch live until right now (in the Sola Pro app). This was great and so relatable. I loved it!" - Ashley Jensen, Love at First Cut (@love.at.first.cut.by.ashley)
2. Your own webpage on solasalons.com
As a Sola professional, you will have your very own Sola webpage on www.solasalons.com, which you can easily customize in Sola Pro with a descriptive bio, an image gallery, contact information and hours, as well as an online booking button (for SolaGenius users).
3. SolaGenius
Meet your new digital personal assistant. Sola's all-in-one scheduling and payment processing app, SolaGenius, is available exclusively to Sola professionals for just $20/month. SolaGenius’s features include 24/7 online booking, a simple calendar interface, notifications and reminders, text message marketing, client notes, analytics and reports, and reliable customer support. Run your Sola like a boss in 2020 with SolaGenius!
Jazmin Stratton, one of our SolaGenius ambassadors, saves two hours every day using SolaGenius. Her favorite feature is the client profile section, where she can easily select a client, review their photos, see when their last appointment was, what products they bought and notes from previous visits. This allows her to remember even the things she talked about with a client creating a better client experience for each person in her chair! SolaGenius has been a gamechanger for Jazmin, helping take her career to the next level.
"The convenience and ease of SolaGenius is something I can not live without now. I’m thankful to Sola and SolaGenius for encouraging and supporting my entrepreneurial spirit, and always giving me the tools for success." - Jazmin Stratton (@allthatjazzyhairstylist)
SolaGenius Ambassador Ashley White loves SolaGenius's user-friendly online booking because it frees her up from the back and forth of phone tag or spending hours listening to voicemails after hours when she'd rather be at home spending time with her family. "It allows my clients to easily find a day and time that works best for their schedule because they are only given appointment options that are available in my schedule. One of the features that is great is that the appointments can either be booked automatically or they need to be approved or denied by the stylist. How awesome! The absolute best part is that my clients love how easy it is to use and they don’t have to make another login and remember another password. Name, phone number and email, that’s all!" - Ashley White (@ashleywhitestudio)
4. BookNow by SolaGenius
January 2019, we rolled out our revolutionary online search and booking engine, BookNow, to help drive new customers to our Sola pros.
How does it work? Think of it like OpenTable for beauty services. We drive tons of traffic to our website (like millions of people…) who are looking to book an appointment with a beauty professional. Then, when they come to solasalons.com they can search by location, date, service and availability and browse our directory of hairdressers, nail techs, estheticians, massage therapists, barbers, etc,* and book an appointment online in seconds, 24 hours a day. BookNow allows you to spend less time worrying about filling your books and more timing focusing on what you love.
2018 Faces of Sola Ashley Lantz shared she was getting so many new appointments booked through BookNow, she actually had to close her books for the rest of last year so she could still have time in her schedule to see her existing clients. Fully booked in 2020? Yes, please!
*BookNow online search and booking is exclusive to SolaGenius users
5. Sola Sessions
We know how important education is to continue growing in your career. So we created the Sola Sessions, our Sola-exclusive live education events with some of the industry's most influential artists and educators. Whether you are looking for artistic education to increase or elevate the services you offer in your salon, or marketing and business education to increase your revenue, the Sola Sessions has it all!
At the Sola Sessions, held twice a year around the country, our community is able to network with fellow Sola professionals, gather valuable takeaways to elevate their business and craft, sip cocktails and snap selfies with some of their idols and mentors. Plus there’s swag – lots and lots of swag 🙌
"I can honestly say it was life-changing. Meeting fellow Solapreneurs from across the county and sharing stories has given me the motivation that I needed to take my career to the next level. I was touched by so many... we cried, we laughed and we listened to some amazing music! Thank you for creating this incredible experience. It was beyond words." - Kelsey Morris, Studio K (@kelseymorris18)
6. Your #SolaFam
Support at Sola goes deeper than just technology and education. When you go Sola, you become a part of a community of 15,000+ independent beauty professionals - in other words, you become a part of our #SolaFam! Our Sola pros know that the best resources are each other - whether it's a new technique, advice on how to deal with a tricky client or simply borrowing some foils from your friend down the hall.
The Sola community is there to help each other learn and grow. Join the #SolaFamily and discover how the support from Sola can change your career and your life.
