Computers allow tanning salons to streamline operations and improve efficiency. The time saved frees employees to look after other aspects of the business, such as maintenance or fielding phone calls. And that’s just on the single-salon level.
Today’s technology allows owners to keep tabs on all of their salons, even from another location and often instantaneously.
On a basic level, computers replace client cards and paper-and- pencil inventory. They open and close the register, crank out mailing lists, generate about any type of report you need—from how many clients you have, where they live, where they heard about you, etc., to daily, weekly, monthly sales figures, tax reports, and payroll reports.
Salon owners need to make sure their new software system will run on the computer they have or will purchase. To do this, they should know the minimum requirements for running the software. Each software vendor has a different list, so find out what it is before buying.
The Hardware
A suitable system can be found through any computer manufacturer, retailer or wholesaler such as Gateway or Dell, CompUSA or Wal-Mart, or Costco or Sam’s Club.
There also are software vendors that sell computer systems to take the headache out of building a computer setup.
Multi-salon owners already should have a network in place to link all salons together. A digital subscriber line or DSL is one option for the salon environment. It runs on an existing phone line yet allows the business to use the phone at the same time it’s connected to the Internet. Software companies with higher-end packages will advise clients on the optimum hardware for their product, including where to go for networks and other connection devices.
Like software, it’s best not to buy more hardware than needed. It’s up to each salon owner to know what is necessary and what isn’t. There are other ways to minimize costs, too.
Why pay money for a state-of- the-art system when you can buy one generation behind for half to a third of the price?
Depending on needs, a salon should be prepared to spend between $1,000 for an entry-level computer and $3,000-plus for a higher-end computer that includes a monitor, microprocessor, memory, hard drive, keyboard, printer, etc.
One salon in Los Angeles operates on a new Dell computer featuring business-quality components: Windows XP Pro; a 256-kilobyte processor; a 60-gigabyte hard drive; four USB ports; two parallel ports; and a CD burner. Not all salons need what it has, and some salons need more.
