Success Story: Painted By Courtney
When did you first start your independent business and can you speak a bit about your journey to where you are now?
I first started out as a makeup artist, I did my training when I was 16 and did makeup for around 8 years. I really loved doing makeup but sadly I wasn’t making enough money so I figured I needed something else for during the week. I decided that nails would be the perfect thing to do!
I did an 8 week training course in October 2017 and then started the day after Boxing Day that year and I’ve never looked back since! I always knew that I wanted to incorporate my artistic skills into my job and that I wanted to be known for being a nail ARTIST rather than just a nail technician. I don’t think technician is the correct terminology for a creative like me. Fast forward nearly 6 years and I’m upping my skills each week, still motivating myself to be the best I can be. I definitely have a long way to go but I’m enjoying the process!
What booking software or solution were you using before Solo to manage your bookings and why wasn’t it working for you?
Before I got Solo, I was stuck in my old ways of using a paper diary. I was worried about relying on technology to book people in but it was causing me trouble with trying to keep up with all of my DMs/texts etc, so in turn I was actually losing money because I’d miss people’s messages at times.
I really wanted to move over from a paper diary to an online one but it took me so long to take the plunge.
How has Solo helped your business?
Solo has really helped me manage my business by allowing people to sort their own appointments and me just getting a notification where I have to accept it. I take deposits through the app also which is so handy because it takes away the need to have me as a middle man asking for money. It just adds a professional quality to my business which I was always worried I lacked before I had a booking system, because everyone had one before me! That’s how I I felt, at least..
How does Solo make you feel about your business?
Solo has given me confidence in my business, just to reiterate on the professionalism, it makes me feel like clients/potential clients respect my business a lot more because it’s more professional. Clients can see my whole pricelist before them, terms and conditions, policies etc which they didn’t have access to prior to me having the booking system.
What does Solo allow you to do that you couldn't do before?
It allows me to finish work at a decent hour, knowing I may only have to click a few buttons of an evening to accept new bookings rather than back and forth messaging between me and clients. I value my time a lot more since having the app and feel like I’ve gained a level of respect for myself as it has really made me realise how much time I was spending on answering DMs/texts when I could have been spending time with family, friends.
What would you say to other independent beauty professionals who are still using a paper diary?
I would tell beauty professionals to not be anxious about switching. I was using a paper diary for over 10 years in my business before getting Solo and it’s been the best thing I’ve done since becoming self employed. It solved many issues I was having I.E. missing messages, being inundated with admin and it’s earned me money rather than made me lose it.
