Complete Salon Managment Software solutions?

[JOM]

I have seached these forums and found some good leads and some others but does anyone know...

Is there any Complete Salon Managment Software solutions?

I want my:
purchasing - sales - client database - accounts - payrole
all software based... are there any full 1 package solutions that do this?

Or are there any that can be intergated to cover the above?


thanks

 

[xxGemseyxx]

do you mean like a spreadsheet with formulas. i found a great holiday one i found some help on microsoft online under exel templates

 

[JOM]

Thanks but no, I mean actual software like:

• i-salon (I think a lot of colleges use this),
• SalonIris (looks OK, I've played with the trial version)
• solartrack (looks brill but very very expensive)
• helios (american stuff but looks good and seems cheap in the short term)

etc etc

The Americans have a good one called Nichesoft BeautyTrack I emailed them and they won't sell to the UK because of support issues.
It's a good one because it interfaces/intergrates with Quickbooks Accounting or Book Keeping software.
And I know Quickbooks has a Payrole thing that works out all the staffs PAYE stuff so there's very little paperwork to do.
I want to make my salon management as paperless as possible.

 

[JOM]

bump
(just on the off chance anyone with info missed the post 1st time)

 

[naturalnails]

I use Quickbooks and it is great for what I need. The only thing it would not do for a salon environment would be appointment tracking - what all do you want your software to do?

 

[JOM]

hi fiona -
want it to basically:
- track appointments,
- hold a client database with details like name, contact details, history, important issues, courses taken etc.
- point of sale system,
- stock control info, purchasing info, replinishment info
- sunbed control (not important but would be nice)
- Analysis reporting, buying trends etc
- export info like balance sheets to Sage or Quickbooks accounting/payrole software

 

[louge]

Do you read Scratch, Im sure I saw an article in there or this months Professional nails on salon computer systems. Im going to go and have a look now for you.

 

[nicjill]

Not sure if this is what you want but here's a link that might help:
http://www.mambosdistributions.co.uk/professional-sunbed-salon-management-software.htm#sun

 

[JOM]

Do you read Scratch, Im sure I saw an article in there or this months Professional nails on salon computer systems. Im going to go and have a look now for you.

No... I don't read Scratch - should I get it?
Where do you buy it from?
Maybe my GF does, she's the one with the industry knowledge, I'm just setting up the salon she will do all the "real" work LOL

I come from a electronics manufacturing background where it was totally paperless and with it being manufacturing it was very japanese style effecient and automated so almost ran itself.
If anyone's slightly interested if google "kaizen" or "dotwimp" <<< that's the stuff I did as my job so I'm keen on this stuff LOL (does my GF's head in she just wants a till!!!).

I want the salon to have all the boring business stuff computerised etc so most of the time we can concentrate on "human" people and service side of things.
So that's why I am asking about these systems, because of my background as I know they can make a big differance in lots of small ways, I know it was a completely diff industry but the principles are still the same.

 

[nicjill]

Scratch is a magazine dedicated to the nail industry. You can subscribe by clicking onto Geekmart. If it is sunbeds you are interested in then you may find Tan Biz useful too.

 

[JOM]

Not sure if this is what you want but here's a link that might help:
http://www.mambosdistributions.co.uk/professional-sunbed-salon-management-software.htm#sun

yeah something like that maybe, that one doesn't seem to be very comman so i'd be worried about support/development.

SalonIris.co.uk is my number 1 at the moment... it doesn't control sunbeds (I don't think) but that's no biggy cause we'll only have 1 to start with!!!
I'm not sure if it will export balance/profit loss reports etc.
It does handle some payrole but it looks like it's USA oriantated (fedral tax WTF is that LOL).

I think there's a bit of a gap in the market for a full solution piece of software for small salons.

 

[nicjill]

I think there's a bit of a gap in the market for a full solution piece of software for small salons.

This is true, I haven't found anything suitable for my little salon so everything is on paper. Most computer systems are geared towards larger salons & are too expensive for the likes of me!

If you want something to run sunbeds, I think somebody once posted a link to a forum like this one but for sunbeds. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[nicjill]

Couldn't find the link but you may still be able to find it if you search old threads. You might find this useful: www.tan-biz.co.uk

 

[JOM]

Couldn't find the link but you may still be able to find it if you search old threads. You might find this useful: www.tan-biz.co.uk

I'll have a look thanks!!!

Sunbeds I think will be a constant but only be a small part of the business.
I'm expecting acrylic nails (this is what my GF is best at) to be the core and beauty treatments probably 2nd to nails.

 

[deskmate]

I want my:
purchasing - sales - client database - accounts - payrole
all software based... are there any full 1 package solutions that do this?

Go To:
Beauty Salon Software SALON-MATE

They have a free trial download. The software was made for salons. It keep track of clients,sales,inventory. It books appointments for unlimited amount of technicians. Make monthly weekly quartery sales reports.

SALON-MATE Salon management software.

 

[Exquisite Touch]

salon iris version 6 does all this as this is the software that i use
its fantastic
I use the professional version and does all that your looking for
payroll
stock
tanning
appointments , receipts , gift cerficates , waiting lists
hth

 

[JOM]

cheers debbie
how much did you pay for the software if you don't mind me asking?


ATM I am making my own Microsoft Access database for client records.
As my salon is still in it's early days all stock control is very visable and easy and the same with sales, I just put the basics into a spread sheet.

 

[accents]

We have been using i-Salon for just over 2 years. I chose it because it is geared towards the UK market so we don't have to learn the "Americanisms" - a real bonus. Everything works OK in the form that we have: bookings, sales, client database, stock control. It's easy to use the main features (bookings, sales, cashing up) and it includes text message reminders (but most systems do these days).
My 4 main problems with the system are:
1) It's proved to be more expensive than I was first led to believe (purchased on a cold call from a very clever salesman). For the most basic form of the system I'm paying £168.66 per month for the equipment lease and £124.57 for the software licence and support. (£3,518.76 a year!) There's no way round the licence because you have to input a new very long and complicated code every few months - the only way to get the code is to phone and then wait for them to check that your payments are up-to-date.
2) Technical Support is good when you eventually get to speak to someone, but you have to wait for an "expert" to call back and they only work 9-5 .... so not much use when you have a problem on the evening shift!
3) Excellent communication and advice in the first 3 months - then nothing. All they do now is collect my money!
4) The structure of the reports and database analysis is too rigid - if you want something other than what they provide you either can't have it or you have to pay a fortune to get them to program it in. Most of the standard reports/tables/graphs are poorly laid out and contain many errors. It's possible to output the client database in a format that can be read by Microsoft Word, Excel or Access, - that's OK for me but not much use for most.

If you don't need the easy to use booking or cashing up systems, then I'd recommend using your own database for client contact records and something like Sage Instant Accounts and Payroll for your admin stuff. The Sage products are far better designed and supported (although no need to pay for support after you've got used to them). A one-off reasonable payment for reliable, well thought-out accountancy and payroll software is far better value than something that has limitations and you have to pay for throughout its life.

I did try out Salon Iris and apart from it's American bias it looked much better value to me. But of course I have far less experience with it.

Hope this all helps.

 

[JOM]

Accents -
Thanks for the reveiw... far too expensive in my opinion for small salons.
I think my client database (not done yet, no rush for it really) will be enough.
I could build on that for stock control etc if needed and the 2007 interface looks fairly fresh as well.

I could probably build on that to any level and include analysis of sales etc
I still think there's a gap in the market for software for small-medium salons out of the box.

 

[sensationail]

I use salon Iris and it does control sunbeds. I have found it an amazing peice of software and the support is second to none. They are constantly upgrading it and it really is very user friendly. Salon Iris gets my vote. Hope this helps ya.