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Automate your business for peace of mind

Are you feeling a teensy bit overwhelmed lately, like you’re veering dangerously close to a full blown crash-and-burn? Does the idea of enjoying peace and quiet with a cup of tea, or spending much-needed time with loved ones, sound like wishful thinking?

When you’re a business owner who truly cares about your business and your team (in our book, that makes you a superhero!), it’s easy to let ‘little things’ – like sleep or relaxation – slide.

But we’re telling you now, it’s time to stop trying to cram so much in. We hate seeing you like this!

The truth is, freeing up extra time to relax takes commitment and a well thought out plan.

One of the best ways to prioritise your emotional, mental and physical wellbeing, while keeping your business healthy, is to automate as much as you can. Here are five cool Shortcuts features that can help you create more downtime without needing to become a time-traveller.

Reach out with Set & Forget Marketing

Automated marketing campaigns are a great way to reach out and make your clients feel special, with very little effort from you. By setting up a friendly, personalised email to wish clients a happy birthday, or letting them know about your latest VIP deal, you can brighten their day without lifting a finger.

Watch this video to find out how to make the most of Set & Forget Marketing.

Maximise your productivity with SMS

If you’ve ever felt annoyed with clients who book an appointment and don’t show up, we hear you. In this kind of situation two-way SMS confirmations can be a big time, money and stress saver.

Watch this video to find out how to manage SMS confirmations.

SMS confirmations are the easiest way to confirm whether a client will be visiting. If a last-minute gap does appear in your appointment book, SMS is also a great way to reach out to clients on your waitlist with minimal fuss, to ensure you’re fully booked and making the most of your time.

Watch this video to find out how to send SMS in gCast.

Know your numbers with Business Benchmarking

Do you find it difficult to stay on top of your business performance? To avoid wading through lots of figures at the end of a long month, you can easily check a reporting dashboard that compares your business’ current performance to your results from the same month last year, to get a quick snapshot of whether you’re tracking better than, the same as or worse than last year.

Everything you need – from your latest revenue figures to your number of transactions, visits, clients and online bookings – is calculated for you and easy to find, helping you make business decisions that get results without the stress.

Watch this video to find out how to use Business Benchmarking.

Run a tight ship with Stocktake

Shortcuts’ stocktake feature is a godsend if you are struggling to keep tabs on how much retail stock is flowing in and out each day, and want to make sure product wastage isn’t eating into your profits.

When stocktake rolls around, the stocktake wizard is your secret weapon, letting you complete your entire stocktake by brand or section. Best of all, since Shortcuts automatically tracks all sales and stock movements throughout the day, there’s no need to close up your salon during stocktake – double win!

Watch this video to find out how to use automatic stocktake.

Manage your reputation with Ratings and Reviews

Do you worry about the ‘clients who got away’, the ones who came in just once, never to return? Maybe it’s driving you crazy that you can’t figure out what went wrong or why they have disappeared?

Spotlight lets you automatically ask your clients to review their experience immediately after their appointment, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and wants. It lets you go above and beyond to help any dissatisfied clients so they will keep coming back time and time again.

Watch this video to find out how to use Ratings and Reviews.