Streamlining solutions

Explore digital & physical tools to aid organisation & support your nail business admin

The nail tech profession is a demanding one, so if it feels like you’re struggling to stay organised – you’re not alone. Working ‘smarter, not harder’ may seem impossible with so many responsibilites to manage, but there are ways to streamline your business tasks, whether you’re digital-savvy or prefer to put pen to paper. Let’s explore tools for organisational success...

DIGITAL TOOLS

Stephanie Barnard

Airtable, www.airtable.com

“Running a nail business can get messy, and without systems in place, you might find yourself forgetting appointments, losing client details and nail design requests, or falling behind on social media posts,” says beauty business mentor & marketing expert, Stephanie Barnard, aka Beauty Business Bestie. “As well as causing stress for you and clients, this can result in lost income. I recommend Airtable and Google Drive to help save time and stress, and keep you on top of your game.

“Think of Airtable as a supercharged spreadsheet that can map out your social media schedule and promotional ideas, and keep track of appointment histories and notes, such as client preferences,” Stephanie continues. “Google Drive is a vital tool for keeping assets neat and accessible. You can use it to organise images and files, by creating folders for client photos, designs and important documents. It’s also collaborative, so content can be shared with your team and accessed from anywhere.”

Avril Kealy

“Salon professionals are often time-poor, juggling various administrative tasks, while trying to provide top-class customer service,” notes Avril Kealy, digital content strategist at Phorest Salon Software. “Using a programme like Phorest allows them to automate tasks, such as online booking, sending appointment reminders, compiling and scheduling reports and the payment process. This frees up time by increasing efficiency and organisation within operations.”

Explore Phorest Salon Software benefits at www.phorest.com

Sam Kendall

“The everyday running of a salon can be time-consuming, but moving processes online can streamline and simplify tedious tasks, while eliminating the risk of human error,” reveals Sam Kendall, chief operations officer at SalonIQ, a booking, management and marketing software for salons.

“Implementing technology such as SalonIQ can relieve pressure. For example, team schedules and payroll can be managed anywhere and at any time, inventory and stock can be easily tracked, and customer information can be effortlessly recorded. Online booking also helps with the smooth running of a salon, and digital marketing tools can reach clients with campaigns that speak directly to their wants and needs, with limited effort required.”

For more information, visit www.saloniq.com

TOP TIP

“When implementing a digital tool to help organise your business tasks, it’s essential to choose a company that understands your needs,” notes Avril. “For example, creative, visual learners may benefit from hands-on support, rather than a more independent approach. At Phorest, we offer onboarding staff, business advisors, an on-call support team and on-demand training for salons.”

PHYSICAL TOOLS

Glitterbels Diary & Accounts Planner £14.99 inc VAT www.glitterbels.com

Designed to help you ‘boss your bookings’, this pretty pink planner from Glitterbels features 365 pages in which to manage and keep track of client appointments, business accounts and income. With pages undated, pros can prioritise organisation from any time of their choosing. Inspirational quotes are dotted throughout, and nail techs praise this tool for its handbag-friendly size, which still boasts plenty of space for notes. Glitterbels customer, Ellie, reviewed the Planner and commented: “This is the cutest and handiest diary! It’s great that it’s undated, so can be used whenever, and there is plenty of room for general notes.”

The Salon Business Planner £19.99 inc VAT www.sue-davies.com

Nail industry veteran & Scratch Stars Services to the Nail Industry winner 2017, Sue Davies, is on a mission to empower salon businesses to improve their client journeys and experiences. One way she is achieving this is via The Salon Business Planner: six months of comprehensive planning pages to promote organisation and a positive mindset. Undated, the book offers the freedom to start using it at any time. Pages are dedicated to daily tasks, weekly goals, monthly milestones, quarterly assessments, six-month overviews and financial tracking, helping pros to assess their progress and adjust their strategies as needed. There’s also a focus on holistic success, with mindfulness prompts, quotes to fuel passion and creativity, and self-care strategies.

LillyEm Clients Journal £POA Message @beautiful_in_light or @challenails onInstagramto order.

Swedish colleagues, Emelie of Beautiful in Light and Charlotte of Challenails Studio, have created the LillyEm Clients Journal. It helps nail and beauty pros to gather the client information they need in an easy-to-use template, and avoid the possibility of forgetting important details. There are areas to note down a client’s name and appointment dates, contact information, nail conditions, products used, recommendations and general notes – helping techs to provide the most informed care possible at each appointment. One customer shares: “I love this book – it has helped me a lot. It’s great to get an overview of your work and see what you did during previous appointments, so you don’t forget any information.”

My Nail Designs by Celina Rydén £58.95 + VAT www.lightelegance.co.uk

Esteemed nail artist, influencer & educator, Celina Rydén, used to find that planning client nail designs was a chaotic process, as she remembers filling a notebook with illegible and confusing scribbles. This inspired her to launch My Nail Designs: a book for nail techs to gather and keep track of nail art designs, boosting creativity in the process. It comprises empty nail shapes to fill in with ideas, as well as space to write down which clients these relate to, the inspiration behind the styles, and the products and techniques used. The book also features Celina’s advice on nail art tools, finding inspiration and setting prices for nail styles. The nail pro suggests: “Use My Nail Designs to prepare nail art ideas for clients to choose from, or keep it in your waiting areas for them to look through.”

Stationery company, The Nail Story Co, is the creation of nail tech, Sophie Cox, and this bundle by the brand features a Planner/Journal, Design Inspo Pads for round, almond and square nail shapes, and Client Record Cards. The aesthetically pleasing products were designed to add simplicity and structure to businesses, and fill gaps in the nail stationery market.

The Nail Story Co Bundle £39.99 inc VAT the-nail-story-co.square.siteinspirations and products used.

The Planner/Journal includes a monthly calendar and reflection; to-do lists and notes pages; social media planner; nail art design and colour theory pages; stock and finance trackers and motivational quotes. The A5 Client Record Cards feature space to write down clients’ personal information, medical histories, nail health and preferences. They are joined by the 50-page, A6 Design Inspo Pads: templates for techs to draw out nail art styles and note down their colour palettes, nail lengths,

Keeping tools tidy

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