Digital Booking Essentials
Booking systems and business tools: where to start
Going Digital?
There’s more booking software out there for grooming businesses than ever. Some of it is brilliant. Some of it is clunky, overpriced, or more than you need
Get it right and a good booking system makes your business a whole lot easier to run. Get it wrong and you’re paying for features you never use, or stuck with a system that fights you every day.
This guide won’t tell you which program to buy. Things change too fast, and what suits a busy salon won’t necessarily suit a mobile groomer or someone working from home. What we can do is help you work out what you need, what’s possible, and what to ask before you sign up for anything.
Start with the problem, not the software
Clients not turning up
Answering the phone mid-groom
Late nights doing admin
Not knowing which services make money
Paper records you can’t find
Pick the one that bothers you most. That's what your software needs to fix first!
What booking software can do these days
TAKE WHAT YOU NEED, LEAVE THE REST
Confirmations and reminders
Online booking, any time
Staff calendar and rosters
Payments, deposits, and no-show fees
Recurring appointments
Client and dog records
Links to your accounting software
Sales and service reports
Mobile groomers may also want route planning and travel time between jobs. You don't need all of it. You need the parts that fix your problem.
Automate the predictable, personalise the meaningful.
GOOD THINGS TO AUTOMATE
Booking confirmations
Reminders
Receipts
WORTH KEEPING PERSONAL
Following up when a dog has been unwell or stressed
Dealing with a concern or complaint
Welcoming a new client
Checking in with someone you haven't seen in a while
Your clients don't care how clever your software is. They care that you care about their dog.
Five questions before you automate anything
Is this task eating my time without adding anything?
Would it make things easier for my clients?
Would it stop things being forgotten or missed?
Is the setup time worth the time it saves?
Am I comfortable using this?
If a tool stresses you out, it isn't worth it, whatever everyone else says.
Questions to answer before you sign up
Most programs let you try them free first. Use your trial to find the answers, and book a demo or call for anything you can't work out yourself.
TRYING A FEW PROGRAMS?
Download the helper doc and keep it handy while you try each one. There's space to jot down answers for each program, so comparing them later is easy.
How to research
- Ask other groomers what they use and what they'd change. Grooming Facebook groups are good for this.
- Start free trials of two or three programs so you can compare.
- Use each trial with real bookings, not just clicking around.
- Get a staff member to try it too if you have one. They'll use it every day.
- Book a demo or call if you get stuck or want a walkthrough.
- Decide before the trial ends, so you're not paying for something you didn't choose.
You don't need every feature going. Plenty of successful businesses run on the basics, and that's fine.
Software Partner Offers
Software runs the business. You lead it.
If you're ready to work on your vision, your team and where you're heading, the Business Mentor course on igroomschool goes further, with one-on-one mentoring sessions with Nat.
Learn more about Business Mentor
