Irish hair and beauty businesses losing a week a month to admin

The biggest time and energy drains on Ireland’s hair and beauty sector are administrative tasks, according to new research from technology company Square.

The study found that Irish hair and beauty businesses, barbers, spas, and nail salons lose more than one working day – over 11 hours – a week to these jobs.

Almost four in 10 (39%) of these businesses are not using platforms or booking tools to automate admin, meaning businesses that rely on manual scheduling systems, for example, could be missing out on bookings, noted Square.

The company said its research in Ireland shows that 46% of clients want to book after hours or at the weekend, highlighting how businesses could be missing the opportunity to maximise revenue if they rely on manual scheduling systems.

For these businesses that use automated admin, the majority (59%) said the biggest bonus has been finishing work on time, with almost two-fifths also saying identifying new services to offer and providing training for their team has been a significant bonus.

While a rising number of hair and beauty businesses are turning to technology to transform their offering and customer experience, Square said its study shows some obstacles remain. Two-fifths (41%) still prefer working manually, while other key barriers stopping some businesses from implementing automated booking systems include misconceptions over how long it will take to get up to speed with an automated system (28%) and how much it will cost (26%).

Meanwhile, Square’s research also shows that more than half (53%) of Irish hair and beauty businesses continue to accept cash payments, compared to a third (34%) in the UK.

“Scheduling appointments, sending booking reminders and keeping the calendar full are demanding admin tasks for any hair or beauty business,” said Riona O’Hara, head of Square Appointments at Square Europe.

“Solutions like Square Appointments play a much needed role by giving business owners an opportunity to automate admin tasks, streamline their point of sale operations and accept online bookings 24/7. With 46% of customers opting to book their appointments out of hours, we want to make it easier for businesses to take bookings around the clock, even when the salon is closed.”