Barbering is a refined skill that requires time and focus. But if you’re only focusing on your customers’ cuts and ensuring that they have a positive experience, you might not have time to manage your business and your team.

While some may turn to barber booking apps to help with online scheduling and payments, these are not the only tools you need to manage all of the operations of your shop. You need software that can help you maintain a steady stream of clientele and keep all parts of your business running smoothly at the same time.

Enter barbershop business management software. This software’s advanced capabilities allow you to focus on offering the best service to your customers while simplifying your behind-the-scenes tasks. Read on to discover the benefits that barbershop business management software can offer.

#1 Enhance Customer Experience

The greatest factor driving customers to become repeat clientele is the simplicity of dealing with a business.¹ Therefore, anything you can do to make life easier for your customers is one of the best ways to understand how to build clientele.

A barbershop business management solution enables clients to:

• Book appointments directly from social media or your website – Sites like Facebook and Instagram are often the first place potential customers will discover your shop. By linking your services and availability, casual browsers can see the types of styles you offer and what types of barber tools you use in the shop. They can then make a split-second decision to schedule an appointment.
• See prices, available services, and confirm their appointments – Customers are more likely to choose a business that offers a straightforward breakdown of its services and charges.² When they can choose between shave, cut, and color on their personal device, you and the customer will both know what to expect before they arrive for their appointment. And when customers make an appointment through your software, they’ll immediately be able to receive a confirmation to add to their calendar.
• Receive automated marketing – With the right barbershop management software, you can set up automated messages to remind  clients to book their next appointment, check out your new services, and take advantage of any sales or discounts. There’s no more need to have your staff send manual reminder emails or make phone calls.

#2 Easily Facilitate Payments

Cash is no longer king—over 40% of people nationwide don’t use a single physical dollar during any given week.³

A modern barbershop needs to adapt to the demand for digital payments. Otherwise, it may risk alienating itself from a large demographic of clientele that simply doesn’t carry cash. Being able to accept payments through a barbershop management platform means you can:

• Understand your revenue – All your figures and totals are tallied up for you and are easily accessible. You can quickly see how many bookings you had in a time period, the amount of money you made, and the status of payments. When it comes time to make financial decisions, you’ll have all the insights you need at your fingertips.
• Receive payments online – By requesting payment when an appointment is booked through your software, you can reduce no-shows and gain visibility on how much you can expect to earn.
• Canceling cash – Physical money is clunky, heavy, and unsanitary. You’re probably going to take it to the bank and deposit it anyway, so opting for a direct transfer is a win-win. Cash tips will always continue to be welcome, of course!

#3 Simplify Staff Management

If you’re running a successful barbershop, you likely work with other skilled barbers. As you manage a force of capable barbers, barbershop management software can help you:

• Collect rent – Barbers paying for a seat in your shop can easily send you money for the month, allowing you to see who has paid, who still owes, and what amounts to expect and when.
• Gain visibility over scheduling – Unlike a barber appointment app, which simply enables easier booking, barbershop business management software fully takes the guesswork out of scheduling. Business owners and front desk staff alike will be able to see who’s working, who has availability in the coming days, and how busy your schedules are across the board. This level of insight can be especially useful when walk-ins arrive, allowing you to have the next available barber step in seamlessly.
• Delegate work – When a customer books one of your barber’s services, the time slot is instantly made unavailable. No longer will you have to discuss availability, compare each team member’s schedule, or make customers wait while asking who has the time.

Manage a World-Class Barbershop with SQUIRE

If you’re looking for the right software to help you run your barbershop, you’ll want something that’s friendly for both you and your customers to interact with to help ensure client retention.

SQUIRE makes easy-to-use barbershop business software for busy barbers looking to automate a large part of their management duties, including appointment booking.

SQUIRE is more than a barber app—it covers the full spectrum of barbershop business management duties. Customers can browse barbers, see their prices and services, and book appointments. As a barbershop owner, you can collect payments, manage the staff that you work with, monitor the intricacies of your business’s cash flow, and more—all in one accessible place.

Manage your barbershop business seamlessly with SQUIRE.

Sources:

1. Harvard Business Review. To Keep Your Customers, Keep It Simple. https://hbr.org/2012/05/to-keep-your-customers-keep-it-simple
2. Harvard Business Review. Pricing and the Psychology of Consumption. https://hbr.org/2002/09/pricing-and-the-psychology-of-consumption
3. World Economic Forum. This is How Many Americans Never Use Cash. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/americans-cashless-economy-research/