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Happy clients and a successful salon: What are you waiting for?

While it may look like it, running a beauty salon isn’t all glitz and glam — find out how to make yours more streamlined.

Updated Jul 26, 2024
4 min. reading time
FEATURED
two members of staff at a beauty salon using the Square screen
Photo: Square

You’ve finally got your dream salon and it’s everything you ever wanted. But before long, you find that you’re dealing with issues like inefficient scheduling, inflexible payment methods, staff management, customer retention, inventory and more (that were not part of the vision!).

As the salon and your clientele grow, these problems can make or break your business. You might find yourself asking, “Will my salon survive this chaos?

There is a solution. A software that’s easy to use and implement will help you manage your schedule, take payments, and empower your team.

Square hardware with two wide stand screens, a pay machine and touch screen device
Photo: Square

Square Appointments

Streamline your Salon with Square

20% off first hardware with code GSG20 (expires 9/30)

Pros & Cons

• Simple setup, get started in minutes

• Support to migrate existing appointment and data

• Easy client management

• Set up cancellation policies and no-show protection

• Easier payment

• Loyalty programs available

So, what exactly does Square Appointments do? We think the better question is, what doesn’t it do?

Free up your own time 

No boss wants to be stuck in the office all day doing payroll, scheduling appointments and working on marketing.

With Square Appointments, it’s all automated. You can get out from behind the desk and spend more face-to-face time with your employees and clients. 

Not convinced? Square Appointments can be the solution to these common issues:

  • Running an overcomplicated system? Create a free, shoppable website, allowing clients to book and shop from anywhere in the world, hassle-free.

  • Struggling to keep up with staff payroll? Integrate your payroll and set individual commissions for each employee. Put down the calculator, and let Square do the work.

  • Running out of stock? Get alerts when stock gets low and send automatic purchase orders to vendors, saving you countless hours (and headaches)

  • Overwhelmed with inventory? Use Square’s built-in counting tool or barcode scanner to update stock counts and print barcodes on the go. Say goodbye to manual counting.

  • Low customer retention? Square can help you create custom marketing campaigns and loyalty programs.

With Square handling so many tasks for you, you’ll have more time to focus on the things that made you want to open your salon in the first place.

Get more flexible with client payments

When paying for a service, we all want to have a choice. Why not allow your customers to use their preferred payment method?

That’s what Square Appointments will do for you. It makes taking payments that much easier. 

How? By providing a wide range of payment options. It’s low-cost and convenient, which makes it affordable for you, no matter your salon’s size.

All payments made through Square Appointments’ point of sale (POS) system are secure with no hidden fees. You get to keep what you earn.

Available payment options for customers include:

  • Contactless card payment

  • ApplePay and Google Pay

  • Afterpay 

  • Cash App

  • Gift cards and eGift cards (these are customizable too!) 

Manage your business easily

A POS system is supposed to make your life easier, and Square will do that for you. 

It’s incredibly user-friendly and so easy to train staff on. You’ll get fewer human errors, happier customers and smoother business operations. 

Even better — there’s no monthly payment for the basic plan. And if you decide you want to upgrade to Square Plus or Premium, you’ll get a 30-day free trial, so you can test out and decide if you need the extra features. 

Square Plus starts at just $69 monthly and Premium at $165 monthly.

If you have an iPad, it’s even easier to start right away. Just download the free Square POS app and it’ll transform your iPad into a full-featured point-of-sale system. No costly setups are needed and it’s so quick.

Happy stylists, happy clients: Build your dream salon with an efficient system

two staff members at a salon reception desk with two Square screens
Photo: Square

It’s not just you who can benefit from Square Appointments. Your staff can too.

With individual employee accounts, they can log in from their own devices. They can manage their calendars and tailor their work schedules without requiring owner input. Who doesn’t like more efficient management?

And with customer profiles and notes, your employees will have the details they need to provide great service. They’ll never miss a client’s birthday or preference again.  

Got a no-call-no-show appointment? Not to worry, they’ll still get paid for their time, thanks to enforceable no-show and last-minute cancellation fees

Struggling to build a loyal client base? Create the ideal experience

model using the Square system on a laptop
Photo: Square

Square Appointments can help you improve your client experience, from booking and reminders to paying and rewards programs.

Sometimes, the hardest thing about booking salon appointments is finding the time (or energy) to call. We’ve all been there.

With Square Appointments, anyone can browse through your services and book an appointment. They can even join waitlists for popular services or specific stylists and set recurring appointments. 

No one likes turning up late, or heaven forbid, forgetting about their appointment. With Square’s automated email or text reminders, you can give your clients a helpful little nudge to ensure they show up. Your salon's operations can run like clockwork with Square. 

Need marketing help? You can also launch loyalty programs and offer custom discounts for special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries using Square’s system.

Take the plunge

Are you ready to let admin tasks take a backseat and re-embrace your creative spirit and talents? 

Square Appointments will save you time, resources and energy when running your salon. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned business owner, Square is the answer you're looking for to improve your business.

Don’t wait, upgrade to Square Appointments for beauty salons today!


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Prices updated on 07/26/2024. We are not responsible for any changes to the prices mentioned above. This is a sponsored post. When you make a purchase or sign up to this service, Smart Shopper may earn a commission.

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Written by
Phoebe Davenport

A book aficionado, you will always be able to rely on Phoebe Davenport for the best book recommendations. On the weekend, you’ll probably find Phoebe at a bottomless brunch in London, at a museum, or chilling at home with her two cats.