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 my business around a year and a half ago. My background isn’t in beauty at all so it was a complete career change. I invested a lot in training and I was really passionate and still am about creating beautiful bespoke nails for the everyday person. I was working at the same time in a different job but I handed in my notice three months before I even started my nail training and the nature of my previous job was very time consuming.

I took a massive leap of faith and I haven’t regretted it since. I now work in my own studio in my garden in a lovely little cabin. I am based there for the majority of the time and then I’m also based up in London at the iconic DryBy nail salon. I do a bit of both and it’s great, I’m really enjoying it.

What booking software or solution were you using before Solo to manage your bookings and why wasn’t it working for you?

Originally, I was just taking bookings through messages on Instagram DM’s, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, the lot! Then I moved onto Timely for a while.

I found it slightly difficult to use, it wasn’t user friendly for both myself and clients so I found the experience a little bit testing. I had a lot of feedback from my clients and I decided to look elsewhere, which is when I stumbled across Solo.

I first saw them at the BioSculpture Masterclass. I liked the aspect of having a mini website with a photo gallery, reviews and being able to book the service. It was easy to navigate and a simple process.

How has Solo helped your business?

Solo has definitely helped my business in many ways. It’s brought in a few new clients for me, it’s given my current clients really easy access to my diary so they can see my availability, reschedule bookings, see my treatment menu. Everyone really enjoys all the reminder emails, it’s all very simple which I think is key in terms of user experience.

How does Solo make you feel about your business?

I feel like Solo has really helped me feel more confident and more professional in my own business. When you work on your own, your running everything, you’ve got so many hats on within your own business that sometimes it can be a little bit overwhelming. Solo has helped me streamline the system both in real time and in my own head.

I feel a lot of peace of mind that my customers are getting their reminder emails and are turning up on time. It’s an easy process for them to book, it’s secure, the consultation forms are great. I’ve just had a lot of good feedback which has instilled confidence in myself as well that I’m doing something right in my business. It’s given me one less thing to worry about.

What does Solo allow you to do that you couldn't do before?

It allows me to have less admin time, which I was struggling with before. I’m not having to constant conversations back-and-forth with clients. They can book and they only ask sometimes if I can offer alternate availability. It was a lot before and it was hard to keep up with, but now I’m feeling like I’m on top of it a bit more which is really good.

What would you say to other independent beauty professionals who are still using Timely?

My advice to other beauty professionals who are maybe on the fence about adding a booking system into their business or taking that next step is to say, take that leap. Take the leap of faith and go for it! If you think that Solo is a good fit for your business then I think you should definitely do it.

There’s nothing better than looking more professional, having that link on your Instagram bio or Facebook. It gives an opportunity for clients that reassurance that when they click and book with you, they think “wow, they’ve really put a lot of effort into this”. Making that system super simple for them is just brilliant.

The subscription is so affordable in comparison to what I’ve tried before. I get everything I need and more, so for me it’s been a complete no-brainer. I look at my numbers at the end of the month and I just think ‘wow, that’s great’. I was spending a lot more on another system previously and didn’t feel like I was getting much from it. It was quite hard work and now it’s the complete opposite.

Invest in yourself and your business, you won’t regret it.

Lauren's website: booksolo.co/bylaurenbroe