Every salon owner wants their business to reach its highest potential, but getting to that point in our competitive industry is definitely not for the faint of heart. On top of that, operating a salon in Canada comes along with its own set of challenges. Questions pile up and finding answers to them isn’t always straightforward.
How can I help stylists earn more?
How do I make sure clients return?
How can risk be minimized?
How do I find the right integrated technology?
To find the answers, we spoke to three Canadian Salon owners who are taking a digital-first approach to maximizing operations – and in doing so – enhancing the complete salon experience for guests, employees and management.
Management for Visual Minds
Who doesn’t love a good dashboard? Melanie Lang, who co-owns two NAKAI locations with partner Sharon Kelly in New Brunswick says that without the transparent visibility that the Aura dashboard allows, her job would be a lot more time consuming.
“I can now manage both locations from my separate office with ease. From combining locations to separating stylists out, the dashboard’s robust reporting really helps our team grow individually and as a whole.”
-Melanie Lang, Co-Owner of NAKAI
Keeping a team motivated while overseeing so many moving parts can become overwhelming, so for Melanie and NAKAI, bringing in a modern integrated software platform allowed management to utilize tools that drive earnings, create transparency between owners and artists and offer seamless communication across the entire business. Aura’s visual reports make it easy to breakdown information by individual salon or by artist and provide visual views of salon-driven KPIs like retail per guest transaction, productivity, rebooking rates, request rates and much more. This keeps the NAKAI team motivated and sets the table for effective coaching reviews that don’t take Melanie days to prepare for.
NAKAI Reception Area
Future-Proof Your Salon
As the owner of Bounce Hair Boutique in Windsor and a stylist herself, Jennessa Couture knew after the pandemic hit that she had to do things differently in order to meet COVID-19 requirements and the new set of client expectations they came with. Couture wisely spent the eleven months that her salon was shut-down to research her options so that when she reopened, it could take an entirely new approach.
Couture adopted the concept of future-proofing her salon and embraced all the capabilities that a digital platfrom like Aura can offer. Her goal was to give her stylists the freedom they desired while also growing revenue. By pivoting her business structure, stylists are now able to take control of their books and everything from pre-booking to payments is contactless and fully transparent.
“Integrated payment solutions are not widely available across Canada. Aura’s help in integrating into a cashless system, including accepting deposits for appointments, has been a game changer.
-Jennessa Couture, Owner of BOUNCE Hair Boutique
Bounce has gone completely deskless and doesn’t even have cash in the salon. Couture explains integrated payment solutions are not widely available across Canada, and having Aura’s help in integrating into a cashless system, including accepting deposits for appointments, has been a game changer. She added that everyone especially enjoys the texting feature. It is amazing for stylists to streamline communication with their clients. No need to download other apps, it’s all done through Aura at no additional cost.”
Bounce Salon, Stylist Stations
Keep Clients Coming Back for More
Laurie O’Neill, the owner of Salon@Church in Welland believes that everything starts with creating an amazing experience before a client even steps inside the salon and that whether retaining guests or attracting new ones, offering them a modern and simple digital experience is the best way to build a strong base of loyal clients.
For Laurie, Aura brought the modern touch she was looking for. Her clients can log-in and easily navigate the salon’s branded app to book appointments with a system that’s simple for guests, yet as nuanced as a front-desk worker so it won’t mess up your books. O’Neill says that clients enjoy “text check-in notifications, seamless and secure payment integration that offers contactless payments, and automated reviews that have helped stylists gain customers and visibility.” O’Neill adds, “with Aura’s curbside pickup feature, it’s even easier for clients to shop on their terms.”
“I appreciate the adaptability to Canadians that Aura offers. Nothing is restrictive, no additional fees, and it’s all so seamless with new features are always being added that our clients love.”
-Laurie O’Neill, Salon @ Church
Salon @ Church, Stylist Stations
Integration that Empowers Canadian Salons
Whether it’s saving time with management reporting and back ordering, offering stylists the freedom they desire, or growing a loyal client base, having a seamless, modern salon software can help your salon reach its highest potential.
When you’re ready to start achieving your goals effortlessly, get in touch with Aura Salonware and see how we can help.
