Most people believe that to build a massive following, you need to be in a big city. Nadene Morris, owner of Sewphisticated Hair, proved them wrong in a town of less than 20,000 people. Leaving behind a stable career in nursing to pursue her passion for hair extensions, Nadene went from working out of her house to becoming a local icon known as "Nadene The Sewing Queen."
In this case study, we explore how Nadene ignored the skeptics who said online booking wouldn't work in a small town. Discover how she traded her paper notebook for a system that now keeps her booked two to three months in advance and has earned her nearly 200 five-star reviews.
“Since I started using Booksy, I’m booked two or three months in advance.”
“I was experimenting with extensions on a friend, and she helped me to learn how to do it. It took over my first love, which was nursing,” Nadene explained. She quit her nursing job, and started her own business, Sewphisticated Hair, without ever having worked for anyone else in the hair industry. “I was blessed because I already had clients, and I was working from my house,” said Nadene. “I was booked two weeks in advance, but since I started using Booksy, I’m booked two or three months in advance.”
“People said that no one would want to book online, that they would want to call instead.”
Nadene lives in the small town of El Dorado, Arkansas, with a population of less than 20,000 people, which meant her business had to rely on word of mouth. She started working from her home at first, and now works in someone else’s salon. “It’s still my own space. I feel independent, even though I’m in someone else’s salon. But I’m going to get my own salon, I’m in the process of getting my own,” Nadene told us.
When Nadene signed up to Booksy's salon software, other business owners were quick to come at her with negative comments. “People said that no one would want to book online, that they would want to call instead. But I said that if they want the appointment, they have to go online,” said Nadene.
“I had my notebook in my purse, and my phone was ringing all the time”
Before Booksy, Nadene found it frustrating to keep stopping and doing the back and forth game to find out when her clients could come. “I was doing some searching for online scheduling software. It was to the point where I had my notebook in my purse, and my phone was ringing all the time,” said Nadene, “I’d have to stop what I was doing, pull out my book, and check when I was free.” Nadene is now known in the town as ‘Nadene The Sewing Queen’, and boasts almost 200 5-star reviews from happy clients.
Now she has Booksy, Nadene can’t stop listing the positives of an online scheduling system. “Booksy shows my clients the days and times I’m available, sends them reminders 24 hours before the appointment, asks them to leave a review, and makes things easier for me and my clients,” Nadene says, “and I actually have a waiting list because so many people want to schedule their appointments online!”
Ranging from barbers and hairstylists to photographers and massage therapists, there are so many types of business owners using Booksy across the United States and Canada. Sign up to our online scheduling software to save time for the things you’d rather be doing. Enjoy our free trial today.
Absolutely. Nadene Morris proved that even in a town of 20,000 people, online booking is highly effective. While skeptics claimed people would prefer to call, Nadene found that clients were happy to switch to a digital system for the convenience of seeing available times and receiving 24-hour reminders.
For Nadene at Sewphisticated Hair, switching from a paper notebook to Booksy increased her bookings from two weeks in advance to three months in advance. The system automates the "back and forth" of scheduling, allowing the business owner to focus on the service while the software manages the calendar and a growing waiting list.
As seen in Nadene's journey, a career in hair extensions offers creative freedom and professional independence. By treating her passion as a business from day one and using professional scheduling tools, she was able to replace her nursing income and build a brand that is now a staple in her community.
