Three ways to keep cash flowing this winter
After the hustle and bustle of the warmer weather, you can rest your weary legs and take a breather - but not for too long- the winter slump is upon us. In Australia and New Zealand, June is when bookings slow right down, impacting revenue, staff morale and causing a fair amount of stress – on top of the scaly winter skin and dry hair! We have some easy ways you can maximise your income during the winter downturn.
Everything is a bit slower in winter. Bookings are slow as people aren’t heading out as much – let’s face it, it’s couch time! Clients also cancel when they’re sick, which is thoughtful but costly. It can be hard to see your way through the dreariness to spring.
Here are some ways you can protect your cash flow this winter
Deposits and cancellation fees
Salon owners are some of the hardest workers there are. Always on your feet, working every minute to create a successful salon. When clients let you down by cancelling at the last minute or not showing up, it can really be tough. Taking deposits is a great way to protect your business and ensure your books are filled with clients who will respect your time. Fees for late cancellations also encourage clients to give you enough notice to fill their appointment. You can set this up easily in Timely, so you’ll get more intentional bookings. Plus, for your clients, paying a deposit means they’ll have less to pay on the day so it helps spread the cost.
Waitlist
Even with deposits and cancellation fees, cancellations are still very much a part of salon life. They don’t have to disrupt your revenue, time or peace of mind, though, or take you off the floor to frantically try to fill slots with the clients you know would love the slot. Timely has a handy waitlist feature so you can quickly fill cancellations with clients who are waiting for an appointment.
Minimise gaps
Having a full, busy day is the best thing for you, your salon and your cash flow. When clients book online you can be left with awkward gaps that aren’t long enough to fit another client in, but too long for a break. Too many of these awkward breaks and you could be adding up hours of time that could be better spent bringing in revenue.
With Timely’s ‘Minimise gaps’ feature, you can make the most of your work day. It means your clients will only see the time slots that help fill your calendar back-to-back, getting rid of those pesky gaps between appointments and helping you generate more revenue.
At Timely, we are constantly talking to customers, educators and industry bodies to help us understand what matters, and how our software can help you love what you do, and make as much money as possible doing it.
Try Timely for free and discover for yourself how we can reduce the burden of winter.
