Are you a salon owner who is still living in the Dark Ages? Do you use index cards for client records, laboriously writing in each appointment and detail of styling by hand? If this is the case, you are not alone. The majority of small salons have not embraced new technology, whether it’s because a business owner is reluctant to try the technology, or it’s difficult to find the funds. But take my advice and give computerizing the salon a try. Once you have seen the advantages, you’ll embrace it wholeheartedly.

How is it better to have the same information in bytes rather than longhand? Because going electronic helps save on the two most important commodities a business uses–time and money. For instance, instead of pawing through files to make reminder calls or pulling cards for the next day’s work, one click of the mouse prints these lists in seconds.


Selecting Software
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of listening to marketing claims about what a product will do and why it’s great, but before you purchase software, determine if the product is right for your salon. Spend some time figuring out what your needs are and make a list. For some, it will essentially be a simple matter of putting index cards into electronic form in a basic database or address book; for others it will include electronic advertising, retail record keeping, online appointment scheduling and even employee scheduling.

When making your wish list, keep a pad in the shop and jot down anything you come across that it would be nice to have automated. Doing those reminder calls? How about reminder emails instead? Once the list is complete, sort it in order of importance, beginning with things the software has to do and moving down to items that it would be nice to have done on a computer. When you begin comparing software systems, in addition to listening to salespeople tell you what their products offer, ask your list of questions and note what the programs can and cannot accomplish. Base your selection on which product meets the most needs.

In addition, think about how you want your data organized. Have you ever gotten a customer on the phone who says, “It’s Rex’s mom and I need to schedule an appointment.” If you can’t recall the customer’s last name, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to look up the record by the pet’s name? What about when you are writing reminder cards? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could look up clients by their last appointment? Maybe you want to be able to print an individual page for each dog, complete with its history, details of grooming, pricing, and any cautions. Or perhaps you only want to print today’s grooming request. These are all things to consider when shopping for software.

If you are going to purchase technology, it should make your life easier. For instance, you should be able to use the system for retail as well as grooming. You can also take it a step further and keep inventory automatically, deducting as sales are rung up and notifying you when you need to reorder product.

It’s also important to find a software package that will help balance the salon’s books. Before I purchased software, I was never able to get the data from my appointment book into the accounting ledger in a timely manner–especially when tax time came around. With the right software, I am able to hit a few keys at the end of the year and have everything I need to send to my accountant for tax preparation. The amount of time saved by simply uploading a month’s income and expenses into an accounting program is well worth the cash outlay.

With the plethora of software choices out there, it can still seem intimidating to decide. After all, once a system is selected, you will have to live with it. However, most programs will allow you to try the product at very low cost (or even free) for a month or so. Take advantage of this option.

The money saved by more efficient record keeping is stunning in terms of man-hours and accuracy. So, I encourage every salon owner to move out of the Dark Ages and give computerizing a try.


Carol Visser is a Nationally Certified Master Groomer and Certified Pet Dog Trainer. Formerly a pet product expert for PetEdge, she and her husband Glenn now own Two Canines Pet Services in Montville, Maine, which provides grooming, boarding, training and day care services to Waldo County.