In the July/August 2018 issue of Salon Today magazine, Rosy and SalonInteractive had a significant presence. A leading industry publication for salon and spa owners and managers, this technology focused issue featured some of the biggest and brightest minds in the software industry. Here are some of the top features involving our founder Jim Bower.
Cover Feature
In the main cover feature dubbed Tech Connectors, salon owner Janet St Paul of her namesake salon in Austin, Texas goes on to explain that it was a conversation with an industry consultant that led her to Rosy Salon Software. Janet said that she was so excited when she found out a hairstylist created the software. “Stylists have an understanding that’s not just about the numbers,” she exclaims.
Janet says reviewing revenue on Rosy has been a game-changer for her as well. “It’s so different than other software systems,” she says. “The dashboards are great because I’m able to look at service and product sales at a glance. I’m behind the chair five days a week and running a business with 10 employees, so having a visual software I can quickly view and do breakouts of the data for my staff is huge.”
For marketing her business, St. Paul started using SalonInteractive, a new software feature from Rosy founders that provides marketing and e-commerce tools to work seamlessly with other platforms.
“SalonInteractive has been huge for us,” Janet says, continuing; “In my most recent client email, our reach rate was 68%, and we had a 34% open and click-through rate. I love that I can customize everything—even automated emails for complimentary birthday blowouts are customized with my logo. Some software has its branding on it, which means you’re sharing the page with someone else. My clients want to know what’s relevant to them.”
Embracing E-commerce
In a separate sidebar article written by Salon Today Editor in Chief Stacey Soble, Jim Bower goes on to explain how SalonInteractive, his most recent addition to his software portfolio, meets a client need while maintaining a dedication to the salon professional.
“SalonInteractive offers e-commerce and digital supply-chain management for the professional beauty industry. It’s a closed system that allows salons (and spas) to provide a solution to their clients and only their clients,” Bower says. “The commerce is behind a login at the salon’s website, or in the salon wait area. This way the salon chooses the products they endorse. Also, the salon has control over marketing permissions; for example, they can allow a brand to send emails about new product releases, or promotions.”
“SalonInteractive e-commerce is a stand-alone platform that anyone can use; however, when integrated with a POS, like Rosy or SalonRunner, it becomes a potent marketing tool,” Bower adds.
The idea behind the SalonInteractive e-commerce platform is to provide a solution for salons who want a robust e-commerce website that will integrate with their current POS and allow them to direct clients to their own site, rather than a mass retail site.
“Owners won’t have to ship products or do any work on the back end,” Bower says. “On Amazon, everything is being sold through third parties, so we’re giving an alternative—distribution directly to the salon client.”
Amazon currently has a salon program that gives the salon the ability to link to Amazon from their website, with Amazon paying up to 20% to the salon when someone links from their site.
With the SalonInteractive e-commerce platform, the integrity of professional beauty products is maintained by being sold exclusively through salons, and salons get 25-35% commission.
“Data can be a very powerful tool,” Bower continues. “If used properly, it can dramatically improve business outcomes. With a little trust and the proper agreements in place, consultants, distributors and brands can all help a salon improve business outcomes. I see a collaboration starting to happen. Millennials and Gen Xers are open to sharing data and collaborating. The conversation is happening, and for the first time, people are openly discussing it, and SalonInteractive facilitates all of this.”
Future Technology
In the article Seeing Beyond, Salon Today Editor Anne Moratto wrote: As technology evolves, industries will be eyeing each other to adopt and adapt innovation for specific uses. SALON TODAY asked these salon leaders: “What technology outside the salon world do you have your eye on, and how do you see it playing a role in the salon experience of the future?”
Jim Bower answered: “Artificial intelligence, smart routers, beacons, geolocation, and mobile devices can improve business outcomes and customer service. Such technology can deliver data that helps the user make better decisions. Clients can be checked in and out of the salon by simply walking through the door. There are bottle labels that can monitor levels or tell if someone picked it up, even send a push notification to the stylist. A client walking near the salon will know that they are low on “XYZ shampoo.” There’s a fine line between creepy and helpful but good technology will seamlessly provide beneficial information, when it’s needed.”
To see the online versions of these article, please visit www.salontoday.com or click here for the digital flipbook version.
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