The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
The Secret to Raising Prices
As prices climb, it becomes more and more important for owners to leverage data to understand their service costs and reflect it in their pricing. Four owners share how they use Vish to reduce waste and drive profit with their color services.
by Staff
January 26, 2023
When they understand they are paying based on the amount of product they use, clients appreciate price transparency.
3 min to read
Energy prices may be stabilizing but the relentless hike in costs continues forcing many salons to radically rethink how they price for services or face financial distress. But those with robust product controls or a flexible charging model are finding themselves more insulated from the crisis.
Laura Watkins, owner of Pure Salon and Spa in Louisville, KY, is using Vish technology to separate color and service costs, making it easier to pass on increased costs to the client in a fair and transparent manner.
“We are notified of changes to manufacturer costs approximately 60 days before they happen,” she explains. “So we have plenty of time to get that information incorporated into Vish and plan communication to our guests about a price increase.”
Luke Huffstutter, owner of the Annastasia Group in Portland, Oregon, has been able to avoid across-the-board increases for services since installing Vish.
“It has allowed a micro approach to pricing. Instead of doing general price increases, I have the data to zoom in on the services that are costing us the most money and drive them to be more profitable,” says Luke.
Luscious & Co in Shelton, Connecticut, reports a similar experience. From day one owners Jess and Liz Arindell used an unconventional pricing model for beauty, separating color from service, charging $8.50 for each bowl of color. But it wasn’t until they introduced Vish that they were able to balance costs and charges.
“Once we started using Vish, the charges were customized based on weight. This means some guests pay less than $8.50, and some pay more. It reflects our commitment to transparency, which guests appreciate,” says Jess. “This has significantly impacted profitability as the average cost of a bowl of color has increased to $14.”
And now when color supply costs increase they simply adjust the cost in their Vish database.
At Hedkandi in Calgary, Canada, introducing color management technology had an immediate impact on color usage. Realizing that clients were being charged for all colors and that their color use was monitored made the stylists more conscious when dispensing color. Waste has dropped massively, and the group is now consistently within its budget, spending 7-8% of revenue on inventory.
“We saw revenue go up by approximately $120K while our color spend significantly decreased. It happened so quickly that our color line got in touch because they were concerned our business had taken a sudden, catastrophic dip,” says owner Jereme Bokitch.
Vish helps owners reduce cfolor waste, avoid ambiguous pricing and drive higher profit margins.
The balancing act of covering costs without alienating clients has become ever more precarious, but those salons using technology to manage what is often the second or third biggest bill for the business have found they are better shielded and their clients more satisfied.
To learn more about Vish, including information on its Color Bar app as well as Vish Front Desk, visit http://getvish.com
About Vish:Vish Ltd. is a leading color management software, which includes a suite of systems that effortlessly revolutionizes how salons and stylists run their color business. Based in Toronto, Canada, and available for use worldwide, Vish was created to help salon owners and colorists solve the universal problems facing the hair color industry - color waste, ambiguous pricing, and profit margins. Data-driven and intelligently automated, Vish is integrated with multiple point-of-sale systems, giving complete ease to the entire team.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
The Most Wonderful Time in Salons and Spas
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
by Stacey Soble
Leading with Empathy, Humility and a Mastery of Systems
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
Pagoda Brings AI-Powered Operations to Skinovatio Medical Spa Locations
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
by Staff
How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
by Stacey Soble
Warm Leadership and Analytical Precision
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
by Stacey Soble
Trotting the Globe, Forging Connections, Fostering Artistic Creativity
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
by Stacey Soble
Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Success Grown from Within
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
by Stacey Soble
Rethinking Retail in the Era of E-Commerce
In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.
by Stacey Soble
The Harper Ellis Hair Co. Certification Program Teaches Stylists a Smarter, Safer Way to Install Extensions
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
by Staff
The Micro-Salon Blueprint: How Kat Scott Quadrupled Income by Maximizing Her Suite
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
by Staff