Choosing a salon management system: 10 things to check

There are many salon management systems for sale in Kenya, from global apps to local software companies. Most look similar on a demo. The differences show up after a month of real use. These are the ten things worth checking before you pay.

1. Does it record who did each service?

This is the heart of a salon system. A shop POS counts items; a salon system has to count people. If the till can't tag each service to a stylist, commission and staff reports will always be done by hand.

2. Is commission automatic — including your rules?

Check that it handles a percentage and a fixed amount per service, a different rate on specific services, and discounts. Ask to see what a stylist's commission looks like after a discounted sale. (See how to calculate salon commission.)

3. Does M-Pesa fit the way you actually take payment?

You'll want M-Pesa, cash, card, and a split of M-Pesa and cash on one bill — with reports that separate them so you can reconcile your till at night.

4. Can you pay staff from it?

A good system shows what each person is owed, lets you add a bonus or deduct an advance, records the payout and gives the stylist a payslip. Without that, you'll still be using a notebook every Saturday.

5. Do staff get their own login?

Stylists should be able to see their own services, earnings and payslips — and nothing else. Cashiers should run the till without seeing your profit. Owners see everything.

6. Online booking that clients can use

Look for a public page with your prices where clients can book several services at once and pick a time — and for bookings to flow straight into the till when the client arrives.

7. Does it work on a phone?

Many salons run the front desk from a phone or tablet. Try the real system on your own phone, not on the salesperson's laptop.

8. Reports you'll actually read

Sales by day, service, stylist and payment method; profit after commission and expenses; busiest hours. If you can't answer “who brought in the most this month?” in ten seconds, the reports aren't good enough.

9. Clear monthly pricing

Watch for setup fees, per-staff fees, per-SMS charges and long contracts. Month-to-month, cancel-any-time pricing lets you leave if it doesn't work.

10. More than one branch

Even if you have one salon now, check that a second branch won't mean a second system.

A quick checklist

• Service tagged to a stylist at the till
• Percentage and fixed commission, per-service rates, discounts
• M-Pesa, cash, card, split payments
• Payouts with payslips, bonuses and advances
• Staff and cashier logins
• Online booking page with multiple services
• Works well on a phone
• Monthly pricing, no contract

BeautyFlow was built around that list. See how it answers each point on the salon management system page, or try it free.