A few years ago, Shante` Stewart felt stuck performing administrative work at a job that wasn’t for her. Although it took time for her to change careers, now she’s a Booksy Community Advisory Board Member and the winner of several industry awards. And that makes her the perfect expert to help answer the question of how to increase your revenue and earn more clients with Booksy.
Today, Shante` owns and operates Nellie Bean Nail Studio, which is located about 30 miles from Atlanta, Georgia. Inside her home-based studio, she creates stylish nail designs, while her clients sit comfortably inside a private space. Customers say that the personal touch that Shante` brings to every appointment feels like the same warmth from a longtime friend.
Inside her studio, Shante` has perfected the art of creating beautiful nails. But she stands out as a beauty pro who proudly promotes nail health, and her clients love that about her. The very first year she activated Booksy, Shante` increased her revenue by 213% and her number of new clients increased by 154%. To date, she’s also won the three different Best of Booksy Awards.
Spend the next few minutes learning about the road Shante` took to become one of the top nail techs in Georgia. Answer the question of how to increase your revenue and earn more clients with Booksy. Learn all of this and more from a talented artist and dedicated business professional, who has flourished in ways that many beauty pros only dream about.
Even though loyal clients know without a doubt that Shante` chose the nail industry because it’s her passion—she found her way entirely by chance. In 2013, Shante` relocated from New York City to Douglassville, Georgia. And while looking for the same level of nail expertise and design that she could find in The Big Apple, she became inspired by nail art and designs.
“I came across some YouTube channels, where I saw what the nail industry was about. I've drawn since the age of nine. So, seeing that the world of nails was so much more than just two to three coats of polish and a couple of rhinestones—blew me away. It just blew my mind that there was such an undeniably creative, artistic side of nails,” she said, adding that her natural business acumen and desire to create became the perfect marriage of her two passions.
After learning more about the industry and applying various designs on her own nails, Shante` earned her nail license in 2019. Less than a year later, she officially opened her own at-home business. Running a successful at-home studio less than a year after earning a license, may sound hard to accomplish. But Shante` firmly believes that Booksy was a big part of her success, especially since she used Booksy from the very start.
“I’m the type of person that doesn’t like to follow the crowd. I was looking for technology that was more than just a scheduling app. I was looking for something that had marketing capabilities but could help with managerial tasks. Then I saw that Booksy had those tools and more. And over time, Booksy has gotten even more advanced, since I first joined. It’s all just been a great experience in so many ways. And that says a lot,” said Shante`.
Discovering an undeniable passion for the nail industry may have been a happy accident for Shante`. But running a business takes planning and execution. Her keen ability to track her income and monitor her budget became two of her best assets. Shante` said that’s true for most business owners, but it’s especially true for beauty pros who are starting out on their own.
For Shante`, being able to increase her revenue started with creating a financial plan and then setting goals. Although some professionals think budgeting sounds restrictive, Shante` views it as the backbone of doing business. Her budgeting skills have helped her become more financially independent, simply because they help her set aside resources that she uses to grow.
One of the Booksy tools that Shante` strongly recommends to any business owner trying to earn more revenue by focusing on budgeting and monitoring their income is the Stats & Reports tool. It lets business owners review a host of financial details broken down into easily accessible graphs or charts. She uses the Stats & Reports tool to analyze information pertaining to business. She is able to view and track trends in her business and make comparisons that allows her to gauge her progress in business. As well as using the tool help come up with strategies to meet future business projections.
“I like to see what I'm working with from month to month. And I want to see what my popular services are, so I can scale back or add more to a service. I love the fact that within the Stats & Reports section I can track my business performance, find out how many new clients I've serviced, and learn what services weren’t booked as often, because that information helps me strategize. When I first saw this feature, I said to myself, ‘Well, I absolutely love this,’” Shante` said.
It took Shante` over 2,000 hours of watching YouTube nail tutorial videos, practicing at home, completing nail courses, and earning her nail license, before she felt confident in her skills as a nail artist. But attracting new customers was an entirely different ballgame. She knew that many potential clients would search online to find nail techs in her area. So, she took steps to make sure her business would attract the right kind of attention.
After activating her Booksy account and finishing the Profile Completeness steps, she set up a Google Business Profile. Then she linked that profile to her business website, so clients could click on Book Now Buttons to book appointments via Booksy. Shante` also started using the analytic features that Google offers to gain insight into her online traffic. And she also started reviewing analytical information for her website and social media pages. And that's because all of that data offers valuable information about clients.
“I love to see my insights and analytical data. I love to see how many people found me through Google and how long they stayed on my website. And I love to see if they clicked any other web pages, and if they went through my portfolio. Because after clients find me on Google, they can book with me on Booksy—I have Book Now Buttons on my website, which takes them straight to my booking page. It helps make booking as easy and seamless as possible,” she said.
It’s easy for Booksy providers to take the same steps that Shante` used to promote her businesses. Add the Book Now button to Instagram and Facebook profiles to make sure online followers can schedule an appointment with ease. Or share your unique Booksy Profile Link on your business website. Booksy providers with Instagram accounts can also share their Booksy Profile Link in their Instagram stories.
From her first to second year on Booksy, Shante` was able to grow her revenue by 213% and her number of new clients increased by 154%. In addition to using Booksy to keep better track of her income and attract new clients, she also used the Booksy marketing tools to help engage online followers who have shown interest in her business.
Shante’ raves about the Social Post Creator, which helps her create high quality social media ads that she publishes on Instagram or Facebook. With the Social Post Creator, Shante’ better engages online traffic by publishing eye-catching ads. “I don't enjoy posting on social media. It can be very time consuming and tedious at times. But Booksy makes it super easy to do. I can easily post to my Instagram, my Facebook, and even my website in less time,” she said.
Instead of wasting time using graphic design software, Shante` can choose professionally designed templates that are ready for publication. All Shante’ has to do is choose from one of the available templates or a picture from her portfolio. Then she can customize the post to fit the vibe and feel of her brand. She can also customize the message on her social media post. That way she can share information with clients or show gratitude to customers.
Another Booksy marketing tool that Shante’ raves about is the Message Blasts feature, which lets her send a variety of different messages to all of her clients with just one click. She uses Message Blasts to advertise sales, share details about changes to her hours or prices, or to send thank you notes. And these are all steps that her customers appreciate.
“Booksy helps nurture the relationship between me and my new clients, as well as my regulars. It’s an all around great business hub for everything that I want to do. I have complete control over my schedule. I manage how clients can book. And I can easily schedule my breaks for proper cleaning and disinfecting between clients. Booksy helps me manage my business in a way that fits my brand,” she said.
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