MIKAL Salon & Spa Software

SoftwareWorld, one of the leading business technology intelligence and research firms in the world, last month named Mikal among the 2022 top-rated salon and spa management software available in the beauty industry around the globe.

SoftwareWorld, a software review platform that showcases top software solutions suitable for various industries, provides the best software solutions available on the market. It creates unbiased lists of the top software solutions by category, helping businesses find the right solution for them. SoftwareWorld analyzes the popularity of software and web applications based on functionalities and easy user-interface to provide the best utility to its users without wasting any resources.

SoftwareWorld looks for feature-packed, powerfully innovative and easy-to-customize software. It considered Mikal’s Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments, On-line booking and more.

Included in the article was a comment from one of our salon owners: “Mikal does everything I need, even things I didn’t know I needed and now can’t imagine being without it. It‘s fairly straightforward to train new team members on, the support with the software is insurmountable. The software is tailor-fit to my specific preferences….”- Miranda S.

Don't let your summer sales slow down. Make the most of your marketing!

Here are some of the most effective ideas salons and spas are using right now to increase sales and make more money. Are you spending your marketing time and dollars effectively?

Idea 1 – Get your top 100 customers to get you 500 more top customers

Run a list of your top 100 customers (Mikal Customer Ranking report) and give them each five $20 gift certificates to give to their friends that have never been to your salon/spa. This makes the customer look like a hero to their friends and imagine if you could get 500 MORE top customers from your top 100 customers!

Use real gift certificates that will look like gifts purchased by your best customers to give their friends. Just ask them not to give the certificates to their friends that already come to your salon/spa.

Idea 2 – Use work of mouth advertising

With the referral contest the hot item this year is (what ever your clients are excited about in electronics). Put it in the waiting area with a sign that says CUSTOMERS - who ever sends the most new customer referrals to us by (set the contest to end in 60 or 90 days) WINS this _____!! Have your Social Media blast it out, use Mikal Campaigns to promote the contest, post the leaders! Put a sign at the front desk and have referral cards for your customers to take and pass out.

More to come.....

Gift Cards are not just for the Holidays and Mother's Day.  Sell and promote them Year Round - GREAT revenue 

Idea 3 – The Gift Card Promotions

Idea A - attach some gift cards to sales boards and shrink wrap them. Have the boards (or backing) say $25 gift card or $50 gift card, or $100 gift card and set them on a point of sale display just like Home Despot or Wal-Mart does. Customers will walk up and just grab two or three cards and buy them!

Idea B - Gift Card Hint Kit: make up index card sized hint cards. On each card put Athis is just a little hint to remind you that I LOVE getting services a XYZ salon/spa. You can call them at 000-0000 and get me a gift card. It will be the perfect [email protected] Have the customer put 6 of these cards in places around the house where the husband/boyfriend hangs out. Put one on top of his pillow, one in his underwear drawer, one on top of his beers in the frig, have fun creating a little instruction card to give the customers with the hint cards. Get clients to post how they used the Hint Kit – vote on the best places to place the hints….the sky is the limit!

Include one other card that says in bold: HE DOESN’T GET THE HINT - CALL HIM AT 000-0000 AND TELL HIM TO BUY ME A $_________ gift card! Make this last card a post card the customer can mail to your salon and then have your receptionist call the boyfriend/husband to get the gift card on order!

Idea 4 – Gift Card give away: have a monthly sign up for a gift card give away. Everyone can enter. Put it in your retail area to draw customers to the retail area while they are waiting for their service providers. Get their name, address, and e-mail and text msg number (must all be completed to win) and use the info to verify and update customer information.

For the past 40 years, The MIKAL Corporation has supported the salon/spa/medical spa industry by offering the only software that directly uses the most powerful POS, tracking, reporting and marketing tool in the industry. Salons and spas and independent stylists have used Mikal’s salon software, on-line booking, e-marketing, text marketing, Employee Mobile Booking App, Just-In-Time Appointment and Xris-Xross marketing to successfully stay ahead of the competition.

You will now be able to find marketing and management ideas regularly on our Instagram and Facebook pages with our new “Small Bytes” program! Of course, we have a generous library of ideas you can research and implement from our blog here any time. But we know how busy you are on a daily basis trying to run your business and care for your clients and employees. So we decided to start dropping small “bytes” of useful marketing and management ideas and reminders.

These “bytes” are bite-sized nuggets of wisdom you can read & consume quickly… then take your time thinking about the concept without feeling overwhelmed with an in-depth article you just don’t have time to read. If you see one that connects with a problem you’ve been struggling with, just take a screen grab to store it in your phone till you have the time to call us to discuss! That way, you won’t forget about it. We will be happy to talk with you more about the topic and show you how our salon and spa software can make running your business easier, less stressful and more profitable. How simple is that?

Let us know what you think. Call MIKAL with questions at 513-528-5100, ext. 1.

Mikal 7.1 allows you to keep Client CREDIT CARDS on file. Please note: you must use a Mikal credit card partner for this feature and the credit card company may have a monthly maintenance fee.  Client check out is fast and easy, prepaid services - no problem! So many uses and totally secure and keeps you and your salon/spa "out of scope". 

On-line booking now has a Guest booking option allowing clients to look at availability without going through the sign in process.

On-line booking also allows an Appointment Hold Charge or the charge for the actual service to be required with a credit card payment at time of booking. On-line booking has a greatly expanded Service Description area for all services. Cut down on NO SHOW clients with credit card billing at time of booking!

Introducing MIKAL SEVEN point ONE

7.1 release now available

MIKAL 7.1 lets clients communicate back to your salon/spa their APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATION. When clients receive the appointment reminder from MIKAL, the system offers a link for the client to confirm the appointment. This confirmation is registered in the confirmation field of the appointment. Plus Mikal 7.1 confirms the confirmation back to the client. Now it is easy to call ONLY the clients who have not electronically confirmed the appointment. Save tons of time and have a more interactive system with 7.1. Dramatically reduce no show and missed appointments.

Automatic Appointment confirmations are included in your On-Line Booking and EMBA service at no extra cost. If you do not use OLB or EMBA, the Confirmation system maintenance service fee is $20 per month. This includes Mikal Cloud set up, trouble shooting, maintenance, delivery verification assistance, and support and updates. Credit card on file is required for automatic billing the first of each month.

MIKAL salons and spas are experiencing a big increase in Rebooks and Prebooks using EMBA the employee mobile booking app!

Salons report that after installing EMBA the stylists and nail techs log onto EMBA on their smart phones while with their client at the end of the service and rebook the client right then!

The clients love it because it speeds up the check out at the desk and their service providers make sure they get their best appointments!

The staff loves doing the booking on EMBA because they know the client is locked in for their next service and the proper booking was done. Plus they look cool doing it and are in control!

Amy, one of our MIKAL Salon Owners, says her massage therapists and estheticians book their clients for the next 4 or 5 visits right in the treatment room to make sure the client is scheduled for a series of appointments. The clients love getting the extra attention and buy into a program of visits. Then Amy says the BIG payoff is the receptionist signs the client up for a 4 or 5 visit series so the client saves money and the salon gets the full series payment up front. Paid for and Booked! PLUS they see their sales compared to same sales last week – GOALS!

Call MIKAL for details at 513-528-5100

I was reviewing some of our MIKAL long term accounts - maybe you! And noticed that you are still on an OLD version of MIKAL!

The latest and greatest has Automatic Text and E-mail marketing, keeps client pictures, has much more flexible reporting, and has years of updates and enhancements written into the system.

So why not upgrade now?

If you have been holding off due to the one time cost I have a solution. Switch to the rental version of MIKAL! You can rent MIKAL with support, enhancements, upgrades, all included in a reasonable monthly cost. Plus get all the power of MIKAL SEVEN.

Rental includes Employee mobile app - On Line Booking - Just In Time notifications - Loyalty Points program - WOW!! Keep your information. Easy learning curve and powerful new features.

PLUS rental includes On-line booking, EMBA employee mobile app, JITA just in time system and more!

Sincerely,

Your MIKAL Consultants

[email protected]

513-528-5100

www.mikal-salon-software.com

It’s Holiday Time!

Don’t be late getting your holiday specials and ideas out there. Stores, catalogs, and web sites are already going after your clients. 25% of all consumers have made their Holiday gift purchases! Salons and spas generate up to 40% of the sales for the year in the last 3 months of the year and up to a third of the profits for the year!

Here are some ideas to jump start your merchandising and holiday sales:

Put up your table and shelf talkers promoting products and gift cards for the holidays.

Your retail area needs to sell the holiday gift idea. Have a sample gift basket showing 3 or 4 products and a special price. Have clients order (and pay) for pickup in the next few weeks. Offer to include a service gift card with the retail basket. Offer to ship the baskets for a handling fee plus shipping. Are you using the MIKAL Giftcard system so you don’t pay any fees to a gift card or credit card processing company? Don’t waste your money call MIKAL and save 513-528-5100 or [email protected]

 Have a self service gift wrap station. Get some paper, tape, ribbons and set up a table for clients to wrap their own gifts. Offer to wrap them for them while they are getting their service. Buy in bulk Google gift bags in bulk and get 250 bags for $50 and matching paper for another $20. Pick a bag that is unique and can hold 4 products. The frosted bags are very nice. Always put a service menu and first visit gift certificate in the gift bag. Make sure the free gift certificate states it is for service only and has no cash value.

Start blasting out emails and texts to clients about your Gift baskets, your gift cards, your free gift wrapping station, put a picture of your sample gift basket on your web site and offer custom baskets and configurations.

Now is the time to launch your client loyalty program. Do you have the MIKAL Points program activated? Call us for a Roll Out Plan and samples at 513-528-5100. You will see up to 70% of your clients the last 2 months of the year. Make the most of this visit!

MIKAL Salons and Spas – remember there is a $50 off deal for the Fall on options and that includes the Points program, GiftCard option, and Tablet App. Get your software, get a plan, and get some profits!

513-528-5100

Salons and Spas are staffing up, getting busy, and preparing for a busy fall/winter season. Make sure you are using your Mikal system to set motivating goals, compensate correctly, and track sales and retention for growth.

Camp Mikal will cover the goal setting and evaluations you can do in the system and also EMBA to help your team grow and stay motivated.

Camp will feature a special class on Employee reports including both versions of the Retention report, Ranking with Advanced Management analysis, and the Sales history reporting. Know you numbers and share them with the team for increased productivity!

Payroll is also a BIG topic right now. Learn how to tailor compensation to each team member, how to reward retention, motivate for increased retail sales, pay for assistants, implement automatic credit card deductions and more at Camp Mikal.

Your Mikal Camp book will have a special section on these topics along with the specific classes. Sign up for Camp today! 513-528-5100 Camp Mikal Cincinnati

August 21-23