🚀 Getting Started

Welcome to NailSalonFlow!

NailSalonFlow is a comprehensive salon management system designed to help you run your business efficiently. From booking appointments to managing staff and tracking commissions, NailSalonFlow has everything you need.

Registration & Setup

1. Creating Your Account

1. Visit the NailSalonFlow signup page
2. Choose your subscription plan (14-day free trial available)
3. Fill in your salon information:
   • Salon name
   • Email address
   • Phone number
   • Address
   • Timezone
4. Create your owner account credentials
5. Add your payment method (required for trial)

2. First-Time Setup Wizard

After registration, you'll be guided through a quick setup wizard:

1. Add Services: Add your most common services
2. Set Business Hours: Configure when you're open
3. Invite Staff: Add your team members
4. Customize Appearance: Choose your brand colors

Your Booking Subdomain

Dashboard Tour

When you first log in, you'll see an interactive tour highlighting key features. You can:

• Click "Next" to continue through the tour
• Click "Skip" to exit the tour
• Restart the tour anytime from Settings → Need Help → Tutorial

📊 Dashboard Overview

Main Dashboard

The dashboard is your home base, showing you the most important information at a glance.

Today's Overview Card

• Today's Bookings: Number of appointments scheduled for today
• Today's Revenue: Total expected revenue from today's bookings
• Active Customers: Number of unique customers with bookings this month

Quick Actions

Buttons for common tasks:

• ➕ New Booking: Create a new appointment
• 👤 New Customer: Add a new client
• ✂️ New Service: Add a new service to your catalog

Upcoming Bookings

View and manage your upcoming appointments with details like:

• Customer name
• Service(s) booked
• Staff member assigned
• Date and time
• Status (Pending, Confirmed, Completed, Cancelled)

Navigation Menu

The left sidebar contains all main sections:

• 📊 Overview: Main dashboard
• 📅 Bookings: All appointments
• 👥 Customers: Client database
• ✂️ Services: Service catalog
• 👔 Staff: Team management
• 🗓️ Schedule: Business hours and time off (Pro)
• 💰 Commissions: Staff earnings (Pro)
• ⚙️ Settings: Salon configuration

📅 Managing Bookings

Creating a New Booking

1. Click "➕ New Booking" from the dashboard or bookings page
2. Fill in the booking details:
   • Customer: Select existing customer or create new
   • Service: Choose one or multiple services
   • Staff: Assign to a specific team member
   • Date & Time: Select appointment time
   • Status: Pending, Confirmed, Completed, or Cancelled
   • Special Requests: Add any customer notes or requirements
3. Click "Create Booking"

Editing a Booking

1. Find the booking in your list
2. Click the "✏️ Edit" button
3. Make your changes
4. Click "Update Booking"

Booking Statuses

Filtering & Searching Bookings

• Date Range: View bookings for specific dates
• Status Filter: Show only pending, confirmed, etc.
• Staff Filter: View bookings by team member
• Search: Find bookings by customer name or phone

Booking Limits by Plan

👥 Customer Management

Adding a New Customer

1. Click "👤 New Customer"
2. Fill in customer details:
   • First Name: Required
   • Last Name: Required
   • Email: Optional, for sending notifications
   • Phone: Required for contact
   • Notes: Any preferences, allergies, or special requirements
3. Click "Save Customer"

Customer Profile

Each customer profile shows:

• Contact Information: Name, email, phone
• Booking History: All past appointments
• Total Spent: Lifetime revenue from this customer
• Favorite Services: Most frequently booked services
• Notes: Important information about the customer

Editing Customer Information

1. Find the customer in your list
2. Click the "✏️ Edit" button
3. Update the information
4. Click "Update Customer"

Deleting a Customer

Searching Customers

Use the search bar to find customers by:

• First or last name
• Phone number
• Email address

Customer Limits

There are no limits on the number of customers you can add, regardless of your plan.

✂️ Service Management

Adding a New Service

1. Click "✂️ New Service"
2. Enter service details:
   • Name: Service title (e.g., "Men's Haircut")
   • Description: Brief description of the service
   • Duration: Time required in minutes
   • Price: Service cost
   • Category: Group similar services (optional)
3. Click "Save Service"

Service Categories

Organize your services into categories for easier management:

• Haircuts
• Coloring
• Styling
• Treatments
• Nail Services
• Custom categories

Editing Services

1. Find the service in your list
2. Click "✏️ Edit"
3. Update the details
4. Click "Update Service"

Deleting Services

Service Limits

You can create unlimited services on all plans.

👔 Staff Management

Staff Roles

Adding Staff Members

1. Go to Staff section
2. Click "Invite Staff"
3. Fill in staff details:
   • First & Last Name: Staff member's name
   • Email: For login credentials
   • Phone: Contact number
   • Role: Owner, Manager, or Staff
   • Commission Rate: Percentage (if using commissions)
4. Click "Send Invitation"

Staff Limits by Plan

Managing Staff

Editing Staff Information

1. Find the staff member
2. Click "Edit"
3. Update their information
4. Click "Save Changes"

Deactivating Staff

Instead of deleting staff members (which removes their historical data), you can deactivate them:

1. Edit the staff member
2. Toggle "Active" status to off
3. Save changes

Staff Permissions

What Staff Members Can Access:

• Owners:
  • Everything (full system access)
  • Billing and subscription management
  • Settings and customization
  • Staff management
• Managers:
  • View and manage all bookings
  • Manage customers
  • Manage services
  • View reports and analytics
• Staff:
  • View only their assigned bookings
  • View customer details for their bookings
  • Cannot modify settings or other staff

🗓️ Schedule & Business Hours

Setting Business Hours

1. Go to Schedule section
2. Click "Business Hours"
3. For each day of the week:
   • Toggle "Open" if you're operating that day
   • Set opening time
   • Set closing time
4. Click "Save Hours"

Closed Dates

Mark specific dates when your salon will be closed:

1. Click "Add Closed Date"
2. Select the date (e.g., holidays)
3. Add a reason (optional, e.g., "Christmas Day")
4. Click "Save"

Staff Time Off

Manage individual staff member availability:

1. Go to Schedule → Time Off
2. Click "Request Time Off"
3. Select:
   • Staff Member: Who is taking time off
   • Start Date: First day off
   • End Date: Last day off
   • Reason: Vacation, sick leave, etc.
4. Click "Submit Request"

Viewing Staff Availability

The calendar view shows:

• Business hours for each day
• Closed dates highlighted
• Staff time off marked
• Existing bookings

💰 Commission Tracking

How Commissions Work

NailSalonFlow automatically calculates staff commissions based on:

• Individual staff commission rates
• Completed bookings
• Service prices

Setting Commission Rates

1. Go to Staff section
2. Edit a staff member
3. Set their Commission Rate (e.g., 40% = 0.40)
4. Save changes

Viewing Commission Reports

1. Go to Commissions section
2. Select a date range
3. Choose specific staff member or view all
4. View detailed breakdown:
   • Total completed bookings
   • Total revenue generated
   • Commission earned
   • Breakdown by service

Commission Calculation Example

Exporting Commission Data

Export commission reports for payroll:

1. Select date range and staff
2. Click "Export Report"
3. Choose format (CSV, PDF)
4. Download for your records

⚙️ Settings & Customization

Salon Information

Update your basic salon details:

• Salon Name: Display name
• Email: Primary contact email
• Phone: Contact number (format: (123) 123-1234)
• Address: Physical location
• Timezone: Your local timezone for correct booking times

Booking Subdomain

Appearance & Branding

Color Themes

Choose from 9 pre-designed color themes:

• Violet Delight
• Ocean Breeze
• Sunset Glow
• Forest Fresh
• Royal Purple
• Crimson Fire
• Golden Hour
• Slate Gray
• Classic Blue

Custom Logo

1. Go to Settings → Appearance
2. Click "Upload Logo"
3. Select your image (PNG or JPG recommended)
4. Logo will appear in the dashboard header

Usage Statistics

Monitor your plan usage:

• Bookings this month: Current usage vs. limit
• Active staff: Current count vs. limit
• Total customers: Database size
• Total services: Catalog size

Subscription Management

Current Plan

View your active subscription details:

• Plan name and features
• Monthly or yearly billing
• Price
• Renewal date
• Status (Active, Trialing, Past Due, Cancelled)

Upgrade/Downgrade Plan

1. Click "⬆️ Upgrade Plan"
2. Choose your new plan
3. Select billing interval (monthly/yearly)
4. Complete checkout to confirm

Payment Method

1. Click "💳 Payment Method"
2. Opens Stripe billing portal
3. Update your card details
4. Changes take effect immediately

Cancellation

1. Click "❌ Cancel Subscription"
2. Opens Stripe billing portal
3. Confirm cancellation
4. You'll retain access until the end of your billing period

Need Help

Access support resources:

• 📺 Tutorial Video: Watch the getting started guide
• ✉️ Contact Support: Email support with your questions
• 📚 Documentation: Link to this user guide

💳 Subscription Plans

Plan Comparison

Yearly Billing

Payment & Billing

Accepted Payment Methods

• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
• Debit cards
• Managed through secure Stripe checkout

Billing Cycle

• Monthly plans renew every 30 days
• Yearly plans renew every 365 days
• You'll receive an email reminder 3 days before renewal
• Payment is processed automatically

Failed Payments

If a payment fails:

1. Grace Period (7 days): You'll see a warning banner but retain full access
2. Reminders: Email reminders sent on days 2, 4, and 6
3. Suspension (after 7 days): Account suspended, view-only access
4. Restoration: Update payment method to automatically restore access

Upgrading Your Plan

1. Go to Settings → Subscription
2. Click "Upgrade Plan"
3. Select your new plan and billing cycle
4. Complete Stripe checkout
5. Old subscription is automatically canceled
6. New plan activates immediately

Downgrading Your Plan

1. Go to Settings → Subscription
2. Click "Upgrade Plan" (same button)
3. Select a lower-tier plan
4. Changes take effect at the end of your current billing period

🔧 Troubleshooting & FAQ

Common Issues

Can't Log In

• Verify your email address is correct
• Check caps lock is off
• Click "Forgot Password" to reset
• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Try a different browser

Bookings Not Showing Correct Time

• Go to Settings → Salon Information
• Verify your timezone is correct
• All times are displayed in your salon's timezone
• Changing timezone won't affect existing appointments

Reached Booking Limit

• Check Settings → Usage Statistics
• Limits reset on the 1st of each month
• Upgrade your plan for higher limits
• Pro plan has unlimited bookings

Payment Failed

• Check your email for payment failure notice
• Go to Settings → Payment Method
• Update your card details in Stripe
• Payment will retry automatically
• 7-day grace period before suspension

Can't Add More Staff

• Check your plan's staff limit
• Basic: 2 staff members
• Starter: 5 staff members
• Pro: 10 staff members
• Upgrade to add more team members

Dashboard Not Loading

• Check your internet connection
• Refresh the page (F5 or Ctrl+R)
• Clear browser cache
• Try incognito/private mode
• Check if you're logged in

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I pause my subscription?

A: Currently, pausing is not available. You can cancel anytime and retain access until the end of your billing period. You can reactivate by updating your payment method.

Q: What happens to my data if I cancel?

A: Your data is retained for 90 days after cancellation. You can reactivate within this period to restore full access. After 90 days, data may be permanently deleted.

Q: Can I export my data?

A: Yes, you can export customer lists, booking history, and reports from each section. Contact support for complete data export.

Q: Do you offer discounts for multiple locations?

A: Each location requires a separate subscription. Contact sales for enterprise pricing if you manage multiple salons.

Q: Can I try Pro features before subscribing?

A: Yes! The 14-day free trial includes all Pro features. No credit card required to start (actually, card is required but not charged during trial).

Q: How do I get my logo to appear?

A: Go to Settings → Appearance → Upload Logo. Recommended size: 200x60 pixels, PNG format with transparent background.

Q: How can my customers book appointments online?

A: Every salon gets a unique booking subdomain (e.g., yoursalon.nailsalonflow.com) where customers can browse services, view availability, and book appointments 24/7. Find your booking link in Settings → Booking Subdomain.

Q: Is my data secure?

A: Yes. All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. We use industry-standard security practices and are hosted on secure cloud infrastructure.

Q: Can I customize email notifications?

A: Email notification customization is planned for a future release. Currently, system sends standard confirmation and reminder emails.

Q: What's the refund policy?

A: We offer a 14-day free trial. After that, subscriptions are non-refundable but you can cancel anytime. You'll retain access until the end of your paid period.

Getting Support

📧 Email Support

For help with any issues:

• Go to Settings → Need Help → Contact Us
• Or email: support@yourdomain.com
• Include:
  • Your salon name
  • Description of the issue
  • Screenshots if applicable
  • Steps to reproduce the problem
• Response time:
  • Basic: 24-48 hours
  • Starter: 12-24 hours
  • Pro: Priority support within 12 hours

📺 Video Tutorials

Watch step-by-step guides:

• Access from Settings → Need Help → Tutorial
• YouTube channel (link in dashboard)

💬 Feature Requests

Have an idea? We'd love to hear it!

• Email your suggestions to support
• Include detailed description
• Explain how it would help your business

📋 Quick Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts

Status Colors

• ⚠️ Yellow: Pending, Warning
• ✓ Green: Confirmed, Completed, Active
• ✗ Red: Cancelled, Failed, Overdue
• ℹ️ Blue: Information, Note

Plan Features at a Glance

Important Links

• Dashboard: https://yourdomain.com/dashboard.html
• Support: support@yourdomain.com
• Terms of Service: https://yourdomain.com/terms
• Privacy Policy: https://yourdomain.com/privacy