The Phorest Blog

In this episode, we focus on 5 simple but effective salon social media hacks to grow your following and engagement on social. Because really, the more you focus on how to be social rather than how to do social, the better your results will be. Who wrote the article? Zoé Bélisle-Springer is an award-winning salon industry writer, podcast co-host/producer (Phorest FM, Phorest Blog podcast) and speak...

With or without a colleague, the conversation starters in this episode will feel natural and can help take the stress out of networking at salon industry events. Who wrote the article? Zoé Bélisle-Springer is an award-winning salon industry writer, podcast co-host/producer (Phorest FM, Phorest Blog podcast) and speaker known for helping salons grow through her educational contributions to Phorest...

Your salon & spa email database is a crucial tool to stay competitive amid other businesses. Sending out news and promotions through email is necessary nowadays. Email marketing can definitely sound very daunting at first. WHO are you sending these emails to and HOW do you gather your clients’ email addresses in a compliant way? Hear about 5 simple ways to have your clients agree to giving you the...

As the days begin to get slightly longer, many are eager to finally call it spring. That means now is the perfect time to start preparing your SMS spring marketing campaigns. After all, there are many holidays throughout the season – for some, Mother’s Day has passed, but think about Easter, Earth Day, etc – all of these holidays are revenue driving times for salons and spas. Who wrote the article...

If a product is not exclusive to your salon, then don’t use that word. If your salon aims to be different and exciting, then look closely at what you’re offering your clients. Fantastic hairdressing isn’t exclusive anymore, so don’t talk exclusive. Instead, be exclusive, and you and your team will reap the rewards. Who wrote the article? Greg is a passionate hair stylist with over 35 years in this...

Creating a salon staff rota can be a difficult task. Not only do you have to consider your customer’s needs, but you also need to ensure your staff are satisfied with their work/life balance. All in all, rotas require a strong understanding of your business figures. And if you review your systems every year, you will have put all the chances on your side to ensure your salon grows with happy staff...

Of all the numbers you keep track of in the running of your salon, your client retention rate should be considered just as important as your service revenue, retail revenue and employee retention rate. According to CTL Europe, a 2% increase in client retention has the same effect on profits as cutting costs by 10%. In this episode, hear about some strategies to help you increase your numbers. Who...

The biggest misconception about creating video content is that it's always so expensive. Wrong! Today, with the simple use of your smartphone, you can produce your content free of charge. Sure, if you want to go for huge video campaigns like the ones L'Oreal and such brands produce, that's going to be costly. However, you don't have to go down that road to make an impact on your audience. Find out...

Standard practice in reference checking usually looks something like this: you’ve interviewed the candidate a couple of times, and they’ve made it to the reference-checking stage. They have provided you with 2 references, which you cold call. Half the time, it may feel like you are an inconvenience, but some boxes are ticked and that’s the end of the process. But in our experience, to hire great s...

Have you ever thought about the words and emotions you want people to associate with your salon? Here's a great short tip on salon branding. Who wrote the article? Simon Lotinga is a Belief Change Specialist. His main area of focus lies in coaching entrepreneurs on how to break free from the limiting beliefs and negative experiences that have limited their achievements and help them find growth an...

Netflix allocated time is also a great opportunity to grow your salon business! While you sit there, casually playing with your phone while Orange Is The New Black or Game Of Thrones rattles on in the background, you are missing an amazing opportunity to connect with your clients, grow your online audience and boost your salon business. Learn more in this short podcast episode. Who wrote the artic...

In today’s fast-paced world, where more and more consumers are turning to social media, apps and other technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, it makes a case for businesses to also go down the digital road. The hair and beauty industry is no different. Change is scary, but if you find yourself stuck with any of the 5 challenges listed in this short podcast, it’s probably time...

What are you doing to celebrate and recognise the mothers in your salon or spa’s client database this year? Find out how 3 Phorest Salon Software clients' Mother's Day SMS campaigns provided on average, a 21X ROI in previous years. Who wrote the article? Zoé Bélisle-Springer is an award-winning salon industry writer, podcast co-host/producer (Phorest FM, Phorest Blog podcast) and speaker known for...

Instagram started out as a photo sharing platform. Then they brought in short videos. Next, Instagram Stories made it easy to snap and share instant videos and photos. Finally, they’ve released the IGTV app, which gives us the power of sharing videos up to 1 hour in length. But what does this mean for your salon or spa? Is it worth putting time into marketing your business on a new platform? And h...

Managing a salon or spa business is a handful and staying on top of the numbers is hard work, but essential. Make your salon accountant should be your best ally! Who wrote the article? Phil Jackson is an entrepreneur, the owner of Award-Winning Salon ‘ Bravo Hairdressing ,’ and a Salon Consultant and Author with a passion for the Salon Industry ( BuildYourSalon.com ). Drawing on 20 years of salon...

There is no definitive way to deal with bullying & harassment, but you must protect your employees' safety & wellbeing. By law, you owe them a duty of care. Learn more about how to deal with and prevent the issue. Who wrote the article? Michelle Bolger is an employment law consultant (ESA Consulting Associates Ltd.) who also works with Phorest Salon Software to provide HR blogs that are relevant a...

You don’t need to put up with nightmare clients. The pain of working with them isn't worth the return. Working with the right clients is worth every second. Learn more about how to attract the clients you want to your salon or spa. Who wrote the article? Pamela Laird is a short cuts hairstylist & colourist, speaker and owner of Fin&Co Salon in Scotland, which she opened in 2005. With over 30 years...

Steve Gomez is recognised as one of the top business systems experts in the beauty and wellness industry. With over 24 years of business coaching experience combined with a background in marketing, communication and operations, he has personally supported hundreds of salons and spa businesses throughout his career. In his 2019 #salonsummit workshop, Steve tried to distil all his years of expertise...

Learn more about Phorest's latest email marketing editor redesign! Includes access to a library of images, spell check and full ROI performance tracking. Who wrote the article? Ronan Perceval is Phorest Salon Software's founder and CEO, a UK/Ireland-based salon software he created for the Hair and Beauty industry after years as a salon receptionist. He believes retaining your best clients is smart...

There’s always a period shortly prior and after the holidays that makes it hard not to notice new opportunities to give to charity. After all, bell-ringers with red coin buckets are so ingrained into the holiday landscape that it’s hard to imagine Christmas without them. With so many beauty businesses already taking up collections of toys or other goods at the holidays, what if you built your busi...

New rules being introduced by the UK government, under the term ‘Making Tax Digital’, mean that UK-based businesses with a turnover exceeding £85,000 over a period of 12 months will have to keep VAT records in digital format, and do VAT returns using software from April 2019. Learn more about how you can prepare for this new government initiative. Who wrote the article? Sorcha Mullis is an award-w...

Email marketing is still considered one of the very best ways to engage and attract clients while also informing them of the latest deals, news & happenings of your salon. But for them to get that information, you’re going to need them to open up the email, right? The question is, what should you say in your salon email subject line to make them open the said email? Who wrote the article? Zoé Béli...

If you have a salon website (which you should), then you’re probably somewhat familiar with the term SEO. At the very least, you’ve probably heard it before. But your website isn’t the only thing to make sure ranks on Google. In fact, Facebook has, over time, pretty much become the second home page for your business. During this short podcast, you will learn how to optimise your salon Facebook Bus...

Implementing a salon employee of the month program might stem from a desire to inspire motivation, but be wary, it can quickly undervalue hard work. Who wrote the article? Valerie Delforge has been in the beauty industry for over 25 years giving her a strong understanding of the various challenges owners and managers face in their businesses. As a  Business Strategy Consultant , she has establishe...

Whether it be on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media platform, rules can change overnight. You have to be attentive, or you could quickly end up going against etiquette, which is something you want to avoid at all costs. Over time, however, some of the rules for conversational platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, seem to have stuck. Here are some of them. Who wrote the artic...