056 Your front desk point of sale software system should be your best friend and silent business partner.

What this episode covers

I once heard it said that every business is now a technology business, and I believe that to be true today more than ever before.  As a generalisation, the hairdressing industry has not always been what would be called ‘early adopters’ when it comes to embracing new technology, and that is often to our detriment.  But, having relevant information constantly accessible is what is needed to run businesses efficiently, and for salons having state-of-the-art Point of Sales Software is the starting point. Like everything, there are a lot of POS systems on the market, and like everything, there is a lot of variation not just in the technology but also the innovation and the support and the customer service, etc   My guest today on today's Podcast is a friend of mine John Harms who is the Founder, owner and CEO of Salon Software Millennium and Meevo 2.  I always love talking to John because he has a great insight into the salon industry and some facts around it because of the unique insights that he has into the back end reporting systems in salons. In today’s podcast we will discuss: The 6 most important growth indicators  The importance of Client Retention The changing salon business models  Online bookings The impact of COVID  And lots more!   In This Episode: [02:49] Welcome to the show, John! [04:15] John shares his background and how he got pulled into the beauty industry. [07:00] John describes the difference between his Millenium and Meevo software. [09:20] Listen as John speaks about what sets Meevo 2 apart from other industry software. [12:33] John’s favorite part of Meevo 2 is that it takes appointment booking from three minutes to 30 seconds. [13:18] What device are salons using the software on most? [17:22] John discusses the security that is built into the software for salon owners. [19:58] John shares that stylists can still book appointments on their phones when the power goes out. [21:44] John’s software is in over 15,000 salons. [24:00] Listen as John discusses how his software can track new client retention after six visits. [26:26] John believes that rebooking might be the issue with retention and maybe not treating them as well on the third visit as you did on the first. [29:39] What are the top five KPIs that salon owners should pay attention to? [33:28] John speaks about what he sees differently in KPIs in different countries. [35:26] John shares that small salons still need his software to keep the operating proficiently. [37:26] Listen as John talks about how some salon’s look at online booking. [40:13] John shares some controls they have with their online booking software. [41:35] John talks about the smart center dashboards that can be personalized. [43:50] He speaks about the self-pay capability on Meevo 2. [45:05] The idea’s portal allows the community to offer some ideas on what they need or would like to see differently. [47:46] Do you have a particular issue with the industry that you would like to eradicate? [50:09] John shares what he thinks the beauty industry will look like in the next three to five years. [52:58] Thank you so much for being on the show! [53:17] John shares some final thoughts for the listeners.   Links and Resources To sign up for free Masterclass with Antony - use the link below. https://www.growbusinessschool.com/register Find John: John Harms Meevo 2 Millenniumsi Twitter | Facebook | Instagram