If you’ve made it this far after reading the title of
this column knowing that I work at Helios, I give you a lot of credit. Either
you are really interested in what I have to say or you want to see if I’ve
been able to sneak a Helios-biased article past the watchful eye of Sherron
and the gang at IST. Believe me, I’ve tried in the past to fly under the
radar only to find myself in a rewrite situation on a Sunday afternoon,
when I could be enjoying another gray, cold day here in the great Midwest!
I would be remiss not to offer my personal opinion based on my 10+ years
of experience in the tanning industry, much of it at the retail level, to
say that Helios offers the most comprehensive software package, bar none.
I am also not too naïve to know that there are other vendors who feel
their product is the best – so with that being said, “Let the software shootout
begin!”
I truly feel that having the right software operating your tanning salon
is THE most important decision facing a salon owner who will be successful
and around this industry 2 years from now.
I always recommend that people use due diligence when choosing salon software.
Salon professionals should call and get a demo from the 3 or 4 major vendors
in our industry, but should not stop there. As you receive the demos, you
should begin reviewing them immediately while writing down any questions
that you have regarding each product. When you finish the review process,
call each vendor’s sales department and have them answer your questions,
and give you a walk through of their product.
Once you’ve finished the review process of each product, it’s time to look
at the financial impact that the purchase will have on your business. Ask
each vendor the following cost-related questions:
• What does the software cost to purchase up front?
• How much is technical support and what are their hours?
• How much do they charge for updates and upgrades? When they are released?
And by all means, do yourself a favor and give yourself plenty of time to
get acclimated to the new technology before you start using it in your salon.
Too many people either wait until the day before they open and want the
software overnighted in time for their grand opening, or don’t expect any
hiccups along the way. Without the proper phase-in time or training period
the software, whichever product you choose, is set up to fail from the very
beginning.
Choosing the right software is a lot like choosing the right spouse. Expectations
for a long and happy relationship are shared equally, and no successful
marriage ever started off with a spouse being “overnighted”!
